HORIZONTAL CONING IN OIL WELLS

Theme: Use of a calculation sheet in Water Drive to calculate the Critical

Flow Rate using the Chaperon Method and stablishing a comparison with
the other three (Joshi, Giger and Karcher, Efros).
Date: [21-12-2017]

Outsatnding points:

 To find critical flow, where, at a rat above it, the phenomenon of

conification occurs.
 The model assumed a homogenous reservoir and radial flow of water
and oil at the outer limit.
 Conification of gas or water in oil producing wells is harmful, since they
cause a decrease in oil production and an increase in the gas-oil ratio or
in water production. Either can occur due to high production rates. Both
are the result of similar conditions.

Background:

Chaperon (1986) developed an analytical correlation which was the first study
dealing with the critical coning rate in horizontal wells. In the program Water Drive
provided a simple estimation of the critical coning rate at steady state condition
for both isotropic and anisotropic formations. For simplicity, the well assumed to
be near the top of the reservoir to decrease the chance of the water coning.

Fig.1.1 A draw of water cresting below a horizontal well.

Source: A review of critical coning rate correlations and identifying the most
reliable equation. KHALILI A.

The water drive program provided us of a similar schematic chart like the
following figure:
 Fig.2. Horizontal Well Schematic
Source: SPE Reservoir Engineering November 1989

When we applied the Chaperon Method we have to input the next following
data:

Chart. N° 1. Input Data to solve the Chaperon method

Source: A review of critical coning rate correlations and identifying the most
reliable equation. KHALILI A.
Then we showed the results that we obtained by doing the exercise in the
Water Drive program:

Fig. 3. Horizontal Well Coning Calculations

Source: Water Drive Software by Petroleum Solutions
As we can see, we obtained values of the critical flow rate (bbl/d) by applying
the four methods (Joshi, Giger and Karcher, Chaperon, Efros), the method of
Chaperon is the more reliable.

Conclusions or Recommendations:

 The advantage of a horizontal well over a vertical well is substantial for both
isotropic and anisotropic reservoirs in this situation. (Efros, D.A.)
 The same sorts of calculations could be made for an oil well coning water
or a gas well coning water.
 These calculations give us no information on time at which the cone will
break through to the producing well nor on GOR and oil production rate
following breakthrough. (Joshi, S.D.)

Contacto: Javier Espín

Andrés Loja
Erika Quinapallo
José Reyes

Teléfono: 0992621743 Email: javiespins@gmail.com

0987103548 evquinapallo@hotmail.com
0998263717 andrewlojasar@hotmail.com
0995195779 reyes_17nagua@hotmail.es