Fluid flow in porous media

Introduction to Pressure
Transient Testing
 introduction
Diagnostic tool which can provide
valuable information
Average permeability
drainage volume
Reservoir pressure
Wellbore damage/stimulation
Creates a disturbance at wellbore, then
monitor pressure as a function of time
Not always yield a unique solution
 Types of pressure transient
test
1. Drawdown test
Flowing a well at a constant rate following a
shut-in period.
The shut-in period should be sufficiently long
for the reservoir pressure to have stabilized.
2. Buildup test
Shutting in a production well that has
obtained a stabilized pressure in the
pseudosteady-state time region.
The pressure is monitored during the length
of the shut-in period.
 The Drawdown Testing
Pressure prediction at any radius, r, as a function of time for a given reservoir
system during the transient period

162.6qB kt
p (r , t ) pi log 3 .23
kh ct r 2

The above equation can also be written as

pwf b m. log(t )

Where
pwf = flowing well pressure in psia

b = constant

t = time in hrs
162.6qB
m = constant kh
 On a semilog graph

pwf b m. log(t )

Assuming;
laminar, horizontal flow in a homogeneous reservoir
k, , h, ct, and B are independent of pressure
single-phase liquid flow in the transient time region
negligible pressure gradient
Reservoir parameters from the
graph
Capacity (kh) can be calculated from the slope (m)

If h is known, then the average permeability can be obtained by

162.6qB
k
mh
If the drawdown test is conducted long enough for the pressure transients
to reach the pseudosteady-state period, then the pressure behavior is described
by
162.6qB 4A 0.2339qBt
pwf pi log 2

kh 1.781C A rw Ahct

The above equation can also be written as pwf b ' m ' (t )

where
b = constant
0.2339qB
m = constant =
Ahct
 On a regular cartesian graph

pwf b' m' (t )

t is taken at the late time that correspond to the pseudosteady-state period.

From the slope,m, the drainage volume of the test well can be calculated;

0.2339qB
Ah
m' ct
 Wellbore
damage/stimulation
During initial drilling or production
Developed using information from the transient flow
region
A damaged zone yields an additional pressure drop
because of reduced permeability
Van Everdingen and Hurst developed an expression for
this pressure drop, and defined a dimensionless
damage factor, S (skin factor):
141.2qB A positive value of S
Pskin S
kh represents a damage
situation
or
Pskin 0.87 mS A negative value of S
represents a stimulated
condition (e.g. fracture)
 Wellbore
damage/stimulation
Therefore we can write
162.6qB kt
p (r , t ) pi log 3 . 23 0. 87 S
kh ct r 2

Solving for skin factor,

pi pwf
162.6qB kt
S 1.151 log 3.23
ct rw
2
kh


or,
p pi kt
S 1.151 1hr log 2
3 .23
m c r
t w
 A few notes on drawdown
test
Often conducted during the early
production reservoir stabilized with
initial pressure
Challenge maintaining constant flow rate
Interfering factors
Wellbore storage (shut-in well); fluid flowing
into wellbore after well is shut at the surface.
Wellbore unloading (flowing well); more
production at the surface than actual
production downhole.
 Example 7-2
A drawdown test was conducted on a new oil well in a large reservoir. At the time
of the test, the well was the only well that had been developed in the reservoir.
Analysis of the data indicates that wellbore storage does not affect the pressure
measurements. Use the data to calculate the average permeability of the area
around the well, the skin factor, and the drainage area of the well.

Given: Pwf (psia) t (hrs)

3503 2
Pi = 4000 psia 3469 5
q = 500 STB/day 3443 10
o = 1.5 cp 3417 20
Bo = 1.2 bbl/STB 3383 50
Formation thickness = 20 3368 75
ft 3350 100
Ct = 30 x 10-6 psia-1 3306 150
Porosity = 25% 3282 200
rw = 0.333 ft 3250 300
 Solution: average permeability and
skin factor

From the graph, at t = 1, P1hr = 3526 psia

Slope, m = -86 psia/cycle 162.6qB 162.2(500)(1.5)(1.2)

k 85md
mh (86)(20)
3256 4000 85.1
S 1.151 log 6 2
3.23 1.04 (Damaged)
86 (0.25)(1.5)(30 10 )(0.333)
 Example 7-2 (solution) drainage area

From the graph, slope, m = -0.365

0.2339qB 0.2339(500)(1.2)
Ah 12.8 10 6

m' ct (0.365)(30 10 6 )

12.8 106
A 2.56 106 ft 2 58.8acres
(20)(0.25)
 The BuildupTesting
Most popular in industry
Shutting a producing well that has
obtained stabilized pressure, then
monitor the pressure
Advantage easy to maintain the flow
rate at zero during the length of the
test
Disadvantage no production (no
income) during the test.
Analysis of Buildup Test make use of
the principle of superposition
2nd well flow at q
superimpose at
1st well flow at q the same location

tp

When the two effects are added, the result is that a

well is allowed to flow at rate q for time tp and shut
in for time t

Np
tp
q
Pressure behavior of the shut in well
Horner plot
Horner plot: average perm
and Skin Factor
Example 7.3: Calculation of k and S
from a pressure build-up test
Example 7-3 (solution)

Wellbore storage
effect

Slope = -170psi/cycle