A coupled flow-geomechanics model for fractured shale oil reservoirs constructed using the virtual element method
Abstract
The accurate prediction of shale oil production requires strong coupling between flow and geomechanics. However, traditional models often overlook the dynamic permeability damage induced by in-situ stress variations. To address this issue, our study establishes a fully coupled numerical simulation framework based on the virtual element method. This framework directly employs unstructured polyhedral grids generated by geological modeling software. This approach provides a distinct advantage over conventional methods, which rely on mesh reconstruction and exhibit severe distortion problems under large deformations. The model is validated using production data from a real field block, demonstrating the ability to accurately reproduce complex flow regime transitions and stress-induced production decline. Quantitative analysis identifies the Biot modulus as a key parameter governing reservoir stress sensitivity. Lower modulus values directly lead to substantial and sustained permeability damage. High fracture conductivity provides an initial productivity enhancement; however, it also accelerates stress redistribution around fractures that can cause severe localized permeability impairment in the vicinity of fracture roots over a relatively short production period. This work establishes a new integrated simulation model that couples geomechanical feedback with fluid flow, providing a quantitative engineering basis for effectively optimizing pressure-controlled production strategies and hydraulic fracturing design in shale oil reservoirs.
Document Type: Original article
Cited as: Sheng, G., Yi, Z., Zhao, H., Lu, M., Yao, T., Sun, H. A coupled flow-geomechanics model for fractured shale oil reservoirs constructed using the virtual element method. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2026, 20(2): 180-193. https://doi.org/10.46690/ager.2026.05.06
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46690/ager.2026.05.06Keywords:
Shale oil, flow-geomechanics coupling, virtual element method, coupled geomechanical model, sensitivity analysisReferences
Andersen, O., Nilsen, H. M., Raynaud, X. Virtual element method for geomechanical simulations of reservoir models. Computational Geosciences, 2017, 21(5): 877-893.
Barenblatt, G. I., Zheltov, I. P., Kochina, I. Basic concepts in the theory of seepage of homogeneous liquids in fissured rocks. Journal of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, 1960, 24(5): 1286-1303.
Biot, M. A. Theory of elasticity and consolidation for a porous anisotropic solid. Journal of Applied Physics, 1955, 26(2): 182-185.
Cryer, C. A comparison of the three-dimensional consolidation theories of Biot and Terzaghi. The Quarterly Journal of Mechanics and Applied Mathematics, 1963, 16(4): 401-412.
Fernandes, F. B., Campos, W., Braga, A. M. B., et al. Sensitivity analysis of the influence of fracturing spacing in the construction of complex fractures network for exploration and production of shale gas/shale oil. Journal of Petroleum & Environmental Biotechnology, 2019, 10: 397.
Gain, A. L., Talischi, C., Paulino, G. H. On the virtual element method for three-dimensional linear elasticity problems on arbitrary polyhedral meshes. Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, 2014, 282: 132-160.
Gudala, M., Govindarajan, S. K. Numerical modeling of coupled fluid flow and geomechanical stresses in a petroleum reservoir. Journal of Energy Resources Technology, 2020, 142(6): 063006.
HosseiniMehr, M., Vuik, C., Hajibeygi, H. Adaptive dynamic multilevel simulation of fractured geothermal reservoirs. Journal of Computational Physics: X, 2020, 7: 100061.
Hu, Y., Li, X., Zhang, Z., et al. A review on hydro-mechanical coupling simulations of hydraulic fracture network in shale reservoirs. Journal of Engineering Geology, 2024, 32(4): 1381-1396. (in Chinese)
Huang, L., Liao, X., Fan, M., et al. Experimental and numerical simulation technique for hydraulic fracturing of shale formations. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2024, 13(2): 83-88.
Huang, L., Zhan, W., Zhao, H., et al. A novel fluid-solid coupling method for fractured reservoirs: 3D DDMEDFM integration with proppant mechanics. Computers and Geotechnics, 2025, 181: 107127.
Jin, P., Xie, B., Xiao, F. Multi-moment finite volume method for incompressible flows on unstructured moving grids and its application to fluid-rigid body interactions. Computers & Structures, 2019, 221: 91-110.
Li, H., Lei, H., Yang, Z., et al. A hydro-mechanical-damage fully coupled cohesive phase field model for complicated fracking simulations in poroelastic media. Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, 2022, 399: 115451.
Maulindani, S. F., Prima, A., Wibowo, J. A., et al. Numerical simulation study using the explicit finite difference method for petroleum reservoir. ComTech: Computer, Mathematics and Engineering Applications, 2025, 16(2): 53-168.
Micheal, M., Xu, W., Xu, H., et al. Multi-scale modelling of gas transport and production evaluation in shale reservoir considering crisscrossing fractures. Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering, 2021, 95: 104156.
Navier, C. L. Mémoire sur les lois du mouvement des fluides. Mémoires de l'Académie Royale des Sciences de l'Institut de France, 1823, 6(1823): 389-440.
Niu, J., Su, J., Yan, X., et al. An efficient numerical simulation method with hydro-mechanical coupling model of fractured shale oil reservoir based on embedded discrete fracture model and extended finite element method. Science Technology and Engineering, 2020, 20(7): 2643-2651. (in Chinese)
Park, J., Iino, A., Datta-Gupta, A., et al. Novel hybrid fast marching method-based simulation workflow for rapid history matching and completion design optimization of hydraulically fractured shale wells. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2021, 196: 107718.
Pei, X., Liu, Y., Lin, Z., et al. Anisotropic dynamic permeability model for porous media. Petroleum Exploration and Development, 2024, 51(1): 193-202.
Qi, Q., Yue, M., Zhu, W., et al. Fluid-solid coupling productivity analysis of multi-stage fractured horizontal wells in shale reservoirs. Chinese Journal of Engineering, 2025, 47(5): 1128-1136.
Ren, L., Su, Y., Zhan, S., et al. Fully coupled fluid-solid numerical simulation of stimulated reservoir volume (SRV) fractured horizontal well with multi-porosity media in tight oil reservoirs. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2019, 174: 757-775.
Shen, W., Ma, T., Li, X., et al. Fully coupled modeling of two-phase fluid flow and geomechanics in ultra-deep natural gas reservoirs. Physics of Fluids, 2022, 34(4): 043101.
Song, Y., Song, Z., Chen, Z., et al. Fluid phase behavior in multi-scale shale reservoirs with nano-confinement effect. Energy, 2024, 289: 130027.
Stokes, G. G. On the theories of the internal friction of fluids in motion, and of the equilibrium and motion of elastic solids. Transactions of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, 1845, 8(4): 75-129.
Tuković, Ž., Ivanković, A., Karač, A. Finite-volume stress analysis in multi-material linear elastic body. International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering, 2013, 93(4): 400-419.
Wang, L. Study on the influence of temperature on fracture propagation in ultra-deep shale formation. Engineering Fracture Mechanics, 2023, 281: 109-118.
Wu, J., Zhu, W., Zhang, D., et al. Non-grid numerical simulation of two-phase fluid-solid coupling for shale gas reservoir. Special Oil & Gas Reservoirs, 2023, 30(4): 96-103. (in Chinese)
Xu, B., Fan, W., Wriggers, P. High-order 3D virtual element method for linear and nonlinear elasticity. Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, 2024, 431: 117258.
Xu, F., Li, Y., Xu, X., et al. Thermal-hydrological-mechanical coupling simulation of matrix-type shale oil: Analysis of oil-gas-water multiphase flow mechanism under various parameter conditions. Geoenergy Science and Engineering, 2025, 246: 213656.
Yao, J., Wang, T., Sun, Z., et al. Massively parallel numerical simulation technology for thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling using general embedded discrete fracture model. Energy and Power Journals, 2025, 46(3): 574-587.
You, S., Liao, Q., Yue, Y., et al. Enhancing fracture geometry monitoring in hydraulic fracturing using radial basis functions and distributed acoustic sensing. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2025, 16(3): 260-275.
Zhan, W., Pu, L., Lei, S., et al. Meshless generalized finite difference method for gas-water two-phase flow equation of complex-shape shale gas reservoirs. Presented at International Conference on Computational & Experimental Engineering and Sciences, 2023: 571-581.
Zhang, D., Wu, H., Jiang, F., et al. Development of coupled fluid-flow/geomechanics model considering storage and transport mechanism in shale gas reservoirs with complex fracture morphology. Scientific Reports, 2024, 14(1): 19238.
Zhang, D., Zhang, L., Tang, H., et al. Fully coupled fluid-solid productivity numerical simulation of multistage fractured horizontal well in tight oil reservoirs. Petroleum Exploration and Development, 2022, 49(2): 382-393.
Zhang, T., Liu, Z., Xie, Z., et al. Numerical simulation of oil shale in-situ mining using fluid-thermo-solid coupling. Global Geology, 2020, 23(4): 247-254.
Zhu, M., Ming, P., Xuan, L., et al. An unstructured finite volume time domain method for structural dynamics. Applied Mathematical Modelling, 2012, 36(1): 183-192.
Downloads
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Guanglong Sheng, Zhibin Yi, Hui Zhao, Mingjing Lu, Tongyun Yao, Huiru Sun
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.