An efficient embedded discrete fracture model based on mimetic finite difference method

Various numerical models exist for numerical simulation of fluid flow in fractured porous media, such as dual-porosity model, discrete fracture model and equivalent continuum model. As a promising model, the embedded discrete fracture model is a powerful tool for fractured porous media with complex fracture distribution, because it incorporates the effect of each fracture explicitly without requiring the simulation mesh to conform to the fracture geometry. Moreover, it does not need mesh refinement near fractures and offers computationally-efficient simulations compared to other discrete fracture models. In this paper, the Mimetic Finite Difference method and Finite Volume Method are used to improve the numerical solution of the embedded discrete fracture model, the improved method can deal with permeability tensor and can be used to simulate fractured reservoir with complex geometrical shape, which fails to be solved by the primal method based on the finite difference method. Several numerical simulations and physical experiment demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method for studying flow processes in fractured porous media.