Flow Regimes and the Diagnostic Plot

1
Chapter 9
Flow Regimes and the
Diagnostic Plot
The Diagnostic Plot
Instructional Objectives
1. Identify time regions.
2. Identify flow regimes.
3. List factors that affect pressure
response in early time.
4. List boundaries that affect pressure
response in late time.
The Diagnostic Plot
Elapsed time, hrs
P
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Flow Regimes and the Diagnostic Plot
2
Time Regions on the Diagnostic Plot
Elapsed time, hrs
Early-time
region
Middle-
time
region
Late-time
region
P
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Flow Regimes
Common geometric shapes
Different flow patterns may appear at
different times in a single test
Flow regimes follow sequence within
model
Volumetric Behavior
Flow Regimes and the Diagnostic Plot
3
Volumetric Behavior
V V
b t m p + = General Form
Wellbore
Storage
Pseudosteady-
State Flow
C
qBt
p
24
=
(
(

+
|
|

\
|
+ = s
r
r
kh
qB
hr c
qBt
p p
w
e
e t
wf i
4
3
ln
2 . 141 0744 . 0
2

Volumetric Behavior
V V
b t m p + = General Form
Derivative
( )
t m
t
b t m
t
t
p
t
V
V V
=

+
=

Volumetric Behavior
Time
P
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1
1
Flow Regimes and the Diagnostic Plot
4
Wellbore Storage Unit-Slope
Why do we see unit slope line on a log-
log plot?
( )
24
qB
p t t
C
=
( )
24
qB
p t t
C
=
[ ] log ( ) 1 log( ) log
24
qB
p t t
C
| |
= +
|
\
[ ] ( ) log ( ) 1*log log
24
qB
p t t
C
| |
= +
|
\
Estimating C and Initial Pressure
A Cartesian plot of p
wf
vs t
0
t
24
V
qB
slope m
C
= =
p
wf
i
p
24
V
qB
C
m
=
( )
24
wf i
qB
p t p t
C
=
Pseudo-Steady State Flow
This flow period is observed when no-flow
boundaries of reservoir are felt by the well:
V V
b t m p + =
( )
(

+ +
|
|

\
|
+

= s C
r
A
kh
B q
t
hA c
B q
p
A
w
sc
t
sc
087 351 . 0 log log
6 . 162 234 . 0
2
t
hA c
B q
dt
p d
t p
t
sc

=
234 . 0
(unit slope on log-log plot)
ln
V
p
p m t
t

= =

Flow Regimes and the Diagnostic Plot

5
Pseudo-Steady State Flow
1E-4 1E-3 1E-2 1E-1 1E+0 1E+1 1E+2
1E-1
1E+0
1E+1
1E+2
1E+3
Cartesian plot
Slope of straight
line ise m
V
F
l
o
w
i
n
g

p
r
e
s
s
u
r
e
,

p
s
i
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
4840
4880
4920
4960
5000
b
V
t, hour

p
a
n
d

p
'

,


p
s
i
Pseudo-Steady State Flow Analysis
Based on Late time straight line on Cartesian
plot:
( )
1
2.303
5.456 exp
A hr V
V
m
C p b
m m
(
=
(

0.234
V
t
qB
slope m
c hA
= =
0.234 0.234
t
V V t
qB qB
c hA hA
m m c
= =
Log-Log Diagnostic Plot
10
-4
10
-3
10
-2
10
-1
10
0
10
1
10
2
10
-1
10
0
10
1
10
2
Vertical Well, circular-closed reservoir
Radial flow
(zero-slope)
+1 unit slope
(bounded close
system)
+1 slope line
(wellbore
storage)

p
a
n
d

p
'

,


p
s
i
Flow Regimes and the Diagnostic Plot
6
Radial Flow
Radial Flow
(
(

+
|
|

\
|
= s
r c
kt
kh
qB
p
w t
869 . 0 23 . 3 log
6 . 162
2

( ) b t m p + = log
Vertical Well
General Form
Radial Flow
( ) b t m p + = log
General Form
( ) ( ) log
70.6
2.303
m t b
p
t t
t t
m qB
kh

=

= =
Derivative
Flow Regimes and the Diagnostic Plot
7
Radial Flow
Time
P
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Linear Flow
Well in a Channel
Channel
L
1
L
2
Channel
Radial flow
Linear flow
No flow boundary
No flow boundary
L
1
+ L
2
= w
Flow Regimes and the Diagnostic Plot
8
Well in a Channel
Pressure during linear flow in a channel is
described by
( )
1 2
8.133
L l L
t
qB
p m t b m
k c
h L L

= + =
+
( )
141.2
L ch
qB
b s s
kh

= +
(

|
|

\
| +
=
2 1
1 2 1
sin ln
2
ln
L L
L
r
L L
s
w
ch

(Larsen and Hovdan, 1987)

Linear Flow
1 2
8.133
t
qB kt
p
khw c

| |
=
|
\
2 1
064 . 4
|
|

\
|
=
t f
c
kt
khL
qB
p

Channel
Hydraulic
Fracture
L L
b t m p + =
2 1
General Form
Linear Flow
L L
b t m p + =
2 1
General Form
Derivative
( )
2 1
2 1
2
1
t m
t
b t m
t
t
p
t
L
L L
=

+
=

Flow Regimes and the Diagnostic Plot

9
Linear Flow
Time
P
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2
1
Linear Flow
If there is damage on the
fracture surface
Infinite-Conductivity Fractured Well
0.001 0.01 0.10 1.00 10.00 100.00 1000.00
0.01
0.10
1.00
10.00

p
a
n
d

p
'
time
1/2 slope line
Pseudo-radial flow
p
p'=constant
Linear Flow Analysis: Channel
( )
1 2
8.133
L t
qB
L L
h m k c

+ =
141.2
L
ch
kh b
s s
qB
=
0
t
0
L
b
slope = m
L
( )
|
|

\
|

=
+
ch
w
s
r
L L
L L
L
exp
2
arcsin
1
2 1
2 1
1
Cartesian plot
Flow Regimes and the Diagnostic Plot
10
Bilinear Flow
Bilinear Flow
4 1
2 1
1 1 . 44
|
|

\
|
|
|

\
|
=
k c
t
wk h
qB
p
t f

Hydraulic
Fracture
General Form
B B
b t m p + =
4 1

Bilinear Flow
General Form
B B
b t m p + =
4 1

Derivative
( )
4 1
4 1
4
1
t m
t
b t m
t
t
p
t
B
B B
=

+
=

Flow Regimes and the Diagnostic Plot

11
Bilinear Flow
Time
P
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4
1
Spherical Flow
Flow Regimes For Limited Entries
Three different flow regimes
(a) Early radial
(b1) Hemi-spherical flow
(c) Late- (or pseudo-) radial flow
(b2) spherical flow
Flow Regimes and the Diagnostic Plot
12
Diagnostic Plot For Limited Entries
Limited-entry Vertical Well
1E-4 1E-3 1E-2 1E-1 1E+0 1E+1 1E+2
1
10
100
1000

p
a
n
d

p
'
t, hour
-1/2 slope line
Hemi-spherical
Spherical
Pressure-Derivative
Late-radial
Spherical Flow For Limited Entries
If spherical flow is observed, then
3/ 2
2453 70.6 1 2 1
( )
t
h s p s
qB c qB s
p
k r h k t

= +
S
b S
m
3/ 2
1226.5 1
t
S
qB c
p
k t

=
(-1/2 slope line on log-log plot)
(Cartesian plot)
Spherical Permeability
3/ 2
2453 70.6 1 2 1
( )
t
h s p s
qB c qB s
p
k r h k t

= +
v h s v h s
k k k k k k = =
2 / 3
3
2
Spherical permeability
( )
( )
1
2
2
0.5 0.5 1 2 /
ln
0.5 0.5 1 2 /
v
w p
h
s p
v
w p
h
k
r h
k
r h
k
r h
k

(
+ + (

(
=
`
(

+ + (

( )
Effective spherical
radius
Flow Regimes and the Diagnostic Plot
13
Effective Spherical Radius
1E-3 1E-2 1E-1 1E+0 1E+1 1E+2 1E+3
Anisotropy ratio, k
h
/k
v
1
10
100
1000
h
p
= 3.2 ft
Spherical Flow Regime Analysis
0
t
1
0
S
b
3/ 2
2453
t
S h v
S
qB c
k k k
m

= =
1
S S
p b m
t
=
slope= m
S
2
3/ 2
S
v
h
k
k
k
| |
=
|
\
1
2 70.6
p h S
s
h k b
s
qB r
| |
=
|
\
For hemi-spherical flow,
divide m
S
by 2
Spherical Flow
General Form
|
|
|

\
|
=
kt
r c
kr
q
p p
p t
p
wf i
2
1
4

Spherical Probe (RFT)

2 1
= t m b p
S S

Flow Regimes and the Diagnostic Plot

14
RFT Units
Nomenclature
The Repeat Formation Tester (RFT) probe equation uses
SI units:
c
t
- Total compressibility, Pa
-1
k - Permeability, m
2
p
i
- Initial pressure, Pa
p
wf
- Probe pressure, Pa
q - Flow rate, m
3
/s
r
p
- Probe radius, m
t - Time, s
- Porosity, fraction
- Viscosity, Pas
Spherical Flow
2 1
= t m b p
S S

General Form
Derivative
( )
2 1
2 1
2
1

t m
t
t m b
t
t
p
t
S
S S

Spherical Flow
Time
P
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1
2
Flow Regimes and the Diagnostic Plot
15
Flow Regimes on the
Diagnostic Plot
Wellbore
storage Spherical flow
Radial
flow
Recharge?
Elapsed time, hrs
P
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Exercise 1
Flow Regimes and the Diagnostic Plot
FLOWREGM.WTD (Diagnostic Plot)
0.01
0.1
1
10
100
1000
0.0001 0.001 0.01 0.1 1 10 100 1000 10000
A
d
ju
s
t
e
d

p
r
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s
s
u
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c
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a
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,

p
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Radial equivalent adjusted time, hr