Hydraulic characterization and upscaling of fracture networks based on multiple-scale well test data

Hydraulic properties and upscaling characteristics of low-permeability frac tured rock are analyzed based on systematic well test data from-three diffe rent measurement scales. First, tests are simulated in a large number of ge ological fracture network realizations, and the acceptable fracture transmi ssivity distribution parameters that produce the observed statistics of the two smallest measurement scales, i.e., 2-m and 10-m scales, are defined. I nstead of a single value, a range of acceptable parameter values can be fou nd to produce the observed result. Second, upscaling simulations are carrie d out with the calibrated networks. These indicate that the investigated sy stem cannot be properly modeled by means of a continuum tensor presentation but would better be represented by means of "equivalent fracture" statisti cs. Third, the conductive characteristics of the calibrated 30-m network bl ocks are compared to well test results from the same scale. The results fro m this preliminary analysis indicate that one-dimensional borehole observat ions interpreted with standard continuum-based methods may considerably und erestimate the three-dimensional conductive characteristics of heterogeneou s, noncontinuum fractured media.