CHAPTER 1

DERIVATION OF THE DIFFUSIVITY OR CONTINUITY EQUATION

1. Law of conservation of mass

Consider a radial reservoir element with internal radius “ r ” and external radius “ r  r ”
some distance from a certain well as shown in the figure below.

Volume element used in the development of the radial differential equation

A mass balance can be written around the volume element over the time interval  t . In word
form, the mass balance is written as:

mass entering volume  mass leaving volume  rate at which mass 

 change of density 
   q r  r    q r  Volume  
 change of time 

 
 r  r 2  r 2  h

t

 r 2 r  r   h
t

Module 2 – Derivation of the Diffusivity Equation Prof. Ibrahim Sami Nashawi 1

 
  q   2  h r (1)
r t

Eq. 1 states the diffusivity equation concept in mathematical form.

Darcy’s law in Radial form is:

2 k h  p
q r (2)
 r

Substituting Eq. 2 into Eq. 1 we obtain:

  2 k h  p  
    r   2  h r (3)
 r  r t

Multiplying both sides by  / 2  k h r yields:

1    p    
  r  (4)
r r  r  k t

Expanding Eq. 4 using the chain rule, we get:

    p 1  p     
r  r  (5)
r  r   r  r  r  r k t

Eq. 5 can be written as:

    p   p    p      p 
r     (6)
r  r   r   r  p  r k   p  t 

The equation of state for a slightly compressible fluid is given as:

1  V 
c    (7)
V  p  T

if we consider a fixed mass of fluid, then the volume may be related to density as:

 1  
c  (8)
   p T

Integrating Eq. 8, assuming constant compressibility, we obtain:

c ( p  p ref )
   ref e (9)

Module 2 – Derivation of the Diffusivity Equation Prof. Ibrahim Sami Nashawi 2

 c ( p  p ref )
 c  ref e (10)
 p

For small and constant compressibility, we get from Eq. 10:


 c (11)
 p

Substituting Eqs. 11 into Eq. 6 yields:

    p  p  p   p
 r   c  c   (12)
r  r r  r r k  t

Dividing Eq. 12 by the density  , we get:

1    p   p  p   c  p 
r  c    (13)
r  r   r   r  r k t 

Eq. 13 can be written as:

2
1     p   p  c  p
 r    c   (14)
r   r   r   r k t

for slightly compressible fluid “ c ” is quite small, thus:

2
 p
c  0
 r

Therefore, Eq. 14 can be written as:

2p 1  p  c  p
  (15)
 r2 r  r k t

Eq. 15 is known as the diffusivity equation.

In field units, Eq. 15 can be written as:

2p 1 p  c  p
  (16)
 r2 r  r 0.0002637 k  t

where the units of pressure, time, radius, permeability, viscosity, and compressibility are as
follows:

p : psi; t : hrs; r :ft; k :md;  :cp; c : psi-1

Module 2 – Derivation of the Diffusivity Equation Prof. Ibrahim Sami Nashawi 3

1. Constant porosity (  )
2. Constant and isotropic (invariant with respect to direction) permeability ( k )
3. Constant viscosity (  ) i.e., independent of pressure
4. Compressibility ( c ) is small and independent of pressure
5. Gravity effects are negligible
6. Radial and laminar flow
7. Isothermal conditions
8. Single phase flow
9. Constant pay zone thickness

In other words, we have a radial flow of one single phase, slightly compressible fluid in a
homogenous and isotropic reservoir of uniform thickness.

The hydraulic diffusivity is defined as:

0.0002637 k
 , ft2/hr (17)
 c

substituting Eq. 17 into Eq. 16, we obtain:

2p 1 p 1 p
  (18)
 r2 r  r  t

The diffusivity equation can be written in compact form as:

1    p 1  p
r  (19)
r  r  r    t

For multiphase flow Eq. 8 can be written as:

2p 1 p  ct  p
  (20)
 r2 r  r 0.0002637 t  t

or

1    p  ct  p
r  (21)
r  r   r  0.0002637 t  t

where the total system compressibility, c t , and the total mobility, t , are respectively defined
as:

ct  S o c o  S w c w  S g c g  c f

ko kg k
t    w
o g w

Module 2 – Derivation of the Diffusivity Equation Prof. Ibrahim Sami Nashawi 4