Quantitative Analysis of the Effects of Inclination and Flow Feature Length Ratio on Wormhole Development and Acidizing Efficiency

He, Yanqi; Li, Songze; Wang, Gang; Chen, Cen; Luo, Chao; Yin, Nanxin; Ren, Hong; Zhuo, Seqiang; Cheng, Qun

doi:10.3390/pr14182950

Open AccessArticle

Quantitative Analysis of the Effects of Inclination and Flow Feature Length Ratio on Wormhole Development and Acidizing Efficiency

by

Yanqi He

¹,

Songze Li

^1,*

,

Gang Wang

¹,

Cen Chen

¹,

Chao Luo

¹,

Nanxin Yin

¹,

Hong Ren

²,

Seqiang Zhuo

³ and

Qun Cheng

⁴

¹

College of Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering, Chongqing University of Science and Technology, Chongqing 401331, China

²

Exploration and Development Research Institute of Sinopec Zhongyuan Oilfield Branch, Puyang 457001, China

³

Guangxi Shale Gas Exploration and Development Company, Liuzhou 545000, China

⁴

Hubei Key Laboratory of Petroleum Geochemistry and Environment, Yangtze University, Wuhan 430100, China

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Processes 2026, 14(18), 2950; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr14182950

Submission received: 28 August 2026 / Revised: 9 September 2026 / Accepted: 11 September 2026 / Published: 16 September 2026

(This article belongs to the Section Petroleum and Low-Carbon Energy Process Engineering)

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Abstract

Carbonate reservoirs are typically characterized by well-developed natural fractures, and complex fracture-network geometries can significantly affect the effectiveness and efficiency of acidizing. In this study, a numerical simulation program for acidizing reactive transport in fractured carbonate reservoirs was developed based on a dual-continuum theory coupled with an Embedded Discrete Fracture Model. By decoupling complex fracture characteristics, we systematically investigated the controlling mechanisms of fracture dip angle and feature length ratio (FLR) on wormhole evolution and acidizing efficiency. The results show that fractures with small dip angles favor the development of the main wormhole trunk, whereas fractures with large dip angles redirect wormhole growth and promote the formation of complex branches. Under low FLR conditions, wormhole propagation is primarily governed by matrix heterogeneity, while a higher FLR markedly enhances the influence of fracture dip angle on overall wormhole development. The response of acid breakthrough volume (

{PV}_{BT}

) to dip angle is strongly regulated by FLR. When FLR < 0.2,

{PV}_{BT}

first increases and then decreases with dip angle, reaching a maximum at 45°, whereas for FLR > 0.2,

{PV}_{BT}

increases approximately linearly with dip angle, indicating a substantial reduction in breakthrough efficiency. This study provides a theoretical basis for optimizing acidizing treatments in heterogeneous fractured carbonate reservoirs.

Keywords: fractured reservoirs; acidizing; wormhole morphology; Two-Scale Continuum model; embedded discrete fracture-network model

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MDPI and ACS Style

He, Y.; Li, S.; Wang, G.; Chen, C.; Luo, C.; Yin, N.; Ren, H.; Zhuo, S.; Cheng, Q. Quantitative Analysis of the Effects of Inclination and Flow Feature Length Ratio on Wormhole Development and Acidizing Efficiency. Processes 2026, 14, 2950. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr14182950

AMA Style

He Y, Li S, Wang G, Chen C, Luo C, Yin N, Ren H, Zhuo S, Cheng Q. Quantitative Analysis of the Effects of Inclination and Flow Feature Length Ratio on Wormhole Development and Acidizing Efficiency. Processes. 2026; 14(18):2950. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr14182950

Chicago/Turabian Style

He, Yanqi, Songze Li, Gang Wang, Cen Chen, Chao Luo, Nanxin Yin, Hong Ren, Seqiang Zhuo, and Qun Cheng. 2026. "Quantitative Analysis of the Effects of Inclination and Flow Feature Length Ratio on Wormhole Development and Acidizing Efficiency" Processes 14, no. 18: 2950. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr14182950

APA Style

He, Y., Li, S., Wang, G., Chen, C., Luo, C., Yin, N., Ren, H., Zhuo, S., & Cheng, Q. (2026). Quantitative Analysis of the Effects of Inclination and Flow Feature Length Ratio on Wormhole Development and Acidizing Efficiency. Processes, 14(18), 2950. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr14182950

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Quantitative Analysis of the Effects of Inclination and Flow Feature Length Ratio on Wormhole Development and Acidizing Efficiency

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