Wellbore Storage Effects-WTA

Chapter 7 Wellbore Storage

Wellbore Storage Instructional Objectives

Define wellbore unloading Define afterflow Calculate wellbore storage (WBS) coefficient for wellbore filled with a single-phase fluid Calculate WBS coefficient for rising liquid level

Fluid-Filled Wellbore Unloading

Surface Rate

Rate

Bottomhole Rate Time

( q qsf ) B dpw = dt 24Vwbcwb

Wellbore Storage Effects-WTA

Fluid-Filled Wellbore - Afterflow

Rate

Surface Rate

Bottomhole Rate

t=0

Time

( q qsf ) B dpw = dt 24Vwbcwb

Rising Liquid Level

Rate
Surface Rate Bottomhole Rate

t=0

Time

( q qsf ) B 5.615wb g dpw = 24 dt 144 Awb g c

Wellbore Storage
Fluid-filled wellbore Rising liquid level General

( q qsf ) B dpw = 24Vwbcwb dt ( q qsf ) B 5.615wb g dpw = 24 dt 144 Awb g c

( q qsf ) B dpw = 24C dt

Wellbore Storage Effects-WTA

Wellbore Storage Definition

C

(q q ) B
sf

dp 24 w dt

Fluid-filled Fluid filled wellbore

Rising liquid level

C= 144 Awb g c 5.615 wb g

C = Vwb cwb

= 25.65

wb

Awb

Nomenclature:
C q qsf B pw t Awb gc g wb cwb Vwb Wellbore storage coefficient, bbl/psi Flow rate out of wellbore at surface, STB/D Flow rate into wellbore at sand face, STB/D Formation volume factor, bbl/STB Wellbore bottomhole pressure pressure, psi Time, hrs 2 Area of wellbore, ft Gravitational constant, 32.2 lbf ft/s2/lbm Acceleration of gravity, 32.2 ft/s2 Density of fluid in wellbore, lbm/ft3 Compressibility of fluid in wellbore, psi-1 Wellbore volume, bbl

Remarks on Wellbore Storage

The time period when surface production is primarily due to fluids flowing out of the tubing or tubing-casing annulus is called the Wellbore Storage Dominated Flow Period. This period would exist even if the perforations were open to flow. During this period, the reservoir is not producing fluids, and pressure versus time data do not contain reservoir information

Wellbore Storage Effects-WTA

Effects of Storage on Pressure

5000.00
C=0 bbl/psi C=1.0e-4 bbl/psi C=1.0e-3 bbl/psi

4980.00

C=1.0e-2 bbl/psi C=0.1 bbl/psi C=0.5 bbl/psi

4960.00

4940.00

(C = 0 bbl/psi)

4920.00

4900.00 1E-5 1E-4 1E-3 1E-2 1E-1 1E+0 1E+1 1E+2

Time (h)

Note on Wellbore Storage

In classical models, wellbore storage is treated as constant. This is Ok if we have liquid system and pressure does not change much in the wellbore. However However, there are many cases where the wellbore storage coefficient varies significantly with pressure such as gas wells or wells with multi-phase flow in the wellbore. Also, there are tests that we often observe combined effects of both compressive and changing liquid type storage phenomena.

Some Examples
Oil Well Oil Well

drawdown

buildup

Buildup (phase segregation)

To minimize such effects, we should place gauge near the perforations and use downhole shut-in, if possible.

Wellbore Storage Effects-WTA

Exercise 7.1
Calculate WBS coefficient for a wellbore filled with a single phase liquid Data: The well is 2600 ft deep and has 6 5/8, 24 lb/ft casing (5.921 ID). The bottomhole pressure is 1,690 psi. If the well is filled with water (cwb = 4 x 10-6 psi1) what is the wellbore storage coefficient?

Exercise 7.2
Calculate WBS coefficient for a rising liquid level. Data: The well is 2600 ft deep and has 6 5/8, 24 lb/ft casing (5.921 ID). the bottom-hole pressure is 750 psi. If the well has a column of water of density 1.04 g/cm3, in it, what is the wellbore storage coefficient?

Exercise 7.3
Calculate WBS coefficient for a wellbore filled with a single phase gas. Data: A wellbore is filled with a single-phase g p gas. g
the well has 7200 ft of 2 7/8 tubing (2.441 ID) and 375 ft of 6 5/8, 24 lb/ft casing (5.921 ID). the average temperature in the wellbore is 155F, and the average pressure is 2,775 psia. If the wellbore is filled with gas having 0.77 gas gravity and 0.2% CO2, what is the WBS coefficient? (Take cwb 1/2775 psi-1, though more accurate computation will require using correlations in the presence of CO2)