Patent ID: 7565277

Claim:
A method for modelling compressible fluid flows in a multilayer porous medium crossed by a network of fractures of given geometry and by a well, comprising the steps: a) defining, based upon data obtained from the multilayer porous medium, the fractures by a grid pattern comprising fracture grid cells that are centered on nodes either at fracture intersections or at fracture ends, each node being associated with a matrix volume including all points that are closer thereto than to neighboring nodes by using a first image processing algorithm; b) calculating local flows between each fracture grid cell and an associated matrix volume in a pseudosteady state, a transmissivity value being obtained by considering a linear variation of pressure as a function of distance between any point of the matrix volume and the fracture grid cell computed from the first algorithm and a second image processing algorithm; c) determining direct flows between the fracture grid cells; d) determining direct flows between the matrix volumes through the common edges of the grid cells; e) determining direct flows between the fracture grid cells and the matrix grid cells on one hand, and a volume of the well on another hand; and f) simulating a response of the well for imposed flow rate variations by a diffusion equation connecting interactions between observable pressure and flow rate variations of the well.