PgDip/MSc Oil and Gas Engineering/Petroleum Technology 1 Topic 28: Evaluation of Well Performance

Topic 28: Evaluation of Well Performance

Review

In this topic the students are introduced to the basic equations for evaluating
reservoir inflow performance in linear and radial flow conditions.

Content
Introduction

In general, the Darcy Law equation as applied to laminar flow is used in evaluating
reservoir inflow performance. The equations defining the relationship are defined as:

Linear Flow
1.127kA ∆p q
q= ⋅ and q s =
µ L B

Equation 1 q = rb/day; B = formation volume factor

µ = viscosity (cp); K = permeabili ty (D)
q s = stock tank production at standard conditions (stb/day)
A = cross - sectional area (sq ft); L = Length (ft)

Radial flow

For Steady State:

7.08 kh ∆p
qs = . for ∆p = p e - p wf
B µ r
ln e
rw
7.08 kh ∆p
qs = . for ∆p = p - p wf
B µ r 1
Equation 2 ln e −
rw 2

h = pay thickness (ft)

p e = Initial reservoir pressure; p = Average reservoir pressure (psi)
re = reservoir radius (ft); r w = wellbore radius (ft)

For Semi (pseudo)-Steady State:

7.08 kh ∆p
qs = . for ∆p = p e - p wf
B µ re 1
ln −
rw 2
Equation 3
7.08 kh ∆p
qs = . for ∆p = p - p wf
B µ r 3
ln e −
rw 4

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PgDip/MSc Oil and Gas Engineering/Petroleum Technology 1 Topic 28: Evaluation of Well Performance

For Compressible (Gas) Flow:

kh p 2e − p 2wf
qs =
1422T (µz )ave. r
ln e
rw
Equation 4
k = darcy; T = o R; q s = MSCF/day
(µz) is evaluated at (Pe + Pw )/2
z = compressib ility factor; h = ft

Figure 1. Linear (left) and Radial (right) Flow Evaluation.

rw
DP re
q
q
core

kf

For composite production systems, the production performance is measured in terms of

three distinct aspects:
• the well inflow performance - flow from reservoir to wellbore (Figure 2);
• vertical lift, wellbore or tubing performance - flow up the production string to
surface (Figure 3);
• choke or bean performance - flow through control systems to reduce flowing
pressure.

Figure 2. Inflow Performance Relationship (IPR) Curve.

pe pe

pwf

pwf

rw re qmax
radius, r q

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PgDip/MSc Oil and Gas Engineering/Petroleum Technology 1 Topic 28: Evaluation of Well Performance

Figure 3. Tubing Flow Performance.

d1

pwf d2

Well Inflow Performance

We will examine well inflow performance.

Well inflow performance is expressed in terms of productivity index. Productivity index

(PI or J) is a measure of the capability of a reservoir to deliver fluids to the bottom of a
wellbore for production. It defines the relationship between the surface production rate
and the pressure drop (drawdown) across the reservoir. Expressed mathematically, it is
given as:
qs
Equation 5 PI = J =
p e − p wf

For Steady State Flow of incompressible fluid:

qs 7.08kh
Equation 6 PI = =
p e − p wf r
µBln e
rw

For Semi-steady state:

qs 7.08kh
PI = = for average pressure
p − p wf  re 3 
µB ln − 
 rw 4 
Equation 7
qs 7.08kh
PI = = for normal presure
p e − p wf  re 1
µB ln − 
 rw 2 
For a Gas Well:
qs 0.703kh
Equation 8 PI = = (scf/psi 2 ) (k in mD)
p 2e − p 2wf r
T(µz )ave ln e
rw

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PgDip/MSc Oil and Gas Engineering/Petroleum Technology 1 Topic 28: Evaluation of Well Performance

Effect of Damage

The above equations have been based on the ideal situation of no damage to the
reservoir. Formation damage can be said to be a measure of the reduction in the
production capacity of a reservoir. It is expressed in terms of skin factor, s. Sources of
damage include :
• damage around the near wellbore due to drilling/completion fluid invasion, sd;
• damage due to perforations, sp;
• damage due to partial completions, spp;
• damage due to perforation compaction,sc;
• damage due to heterogeneity;
• damage due to hole angle, etc.

The total skin = Sum of all skins:

Equation 9 s T = s d + s p + s pp + s c + ....

These conditions create a change in the net flow bottom hole pressure, thus:
Equation 10 p wf ideal = p wf actual + ∆p skin

Subsequently:
7.08kh
Equation 11 s= ∆p skin
qµ

For near wellbore invasion:

k − k d rd
sd = ln
kd rw

Equation 12 k d = damaged zone permeabili ty

k = original formation permeabili ty
rd = invaded zone radius
r w = wellbore radius

Therefore for an incompressible fluid under steady state flow:

7.08kh p e − p wf
Equation 13 q= .
µ  re 
ln + s
 rw 

For semi-steady state flow:

7.08kh p e − p wf
q= .
µ  re 1 
ln − + s
 rw 2 
Equation 14

For s > 0 there is damage

For s < 0 (-ve) there is enhancemen t or stimulatio n

In actual situations with skins, Figure 2 (left) becomes Figure 4.

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PgDip/MSc Oil and Gas Engineering/Petroleum Technology 1 Topic 28: Evaluation of Well Performance

Figure 4. Effect of Skin Factor on IPR Curve.

pwf ideal

∆pskin
pwf actual

radius, r

We can regard this in terms of a flow efficiency:

J actual
Flow efficiency (FE) =
Jideal

1
Equation 15 Damage Factor =
FE

J = Productivity Index
Jideal = J at s = 0

Flow efficiency is normally less than 1.

For stimulation we talk of Productivity Ratio, PR:

J after
PR =
Jbefore
Equation 16
J after = J after stimulatio n
Jbefore = J before stimulatio n

PR is usually greater than 1.

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PgDip/MSc Oil and Gas Engineering/Petroleum Technology 1 Topic 28: Evaluation of Well Performance

Basic Well Testing

This section leads in to Petroleum Technology 2, and is here for information only.
It is not examined as part of this Module

The reasons for well testing are numerous. For Example:

• estimation of formation permeability;
• estimation of skin;
• estimation of reservoir pressure;
• estimation of reservoir extent;
• estimation of reservoir fluid type;
• estimation of depletion profile;
• identification of faults;
• estimation of drive mechanism;
• estimation of potential communication between reservoirs;
• estimation of flow potential.

There are, among others, two basic well testing methods:

• the pressure build up test;
• the pressure drawdown test.

Pressure Build-up Test

This is a common type of test in which the well is produced at a constant rate q for a
time t before it is shut in. The shut-in pressure pws is then recorded at intervals of shut in
time ∆t (Figure 3).
Figure 3. Flow and Pressure Patterns for Pressure Build-Up Test.
Pressure
q
pi
pwf
pws

Time

t ∆t t

Flow Pattern Pressure Pattern

Interpretation Techniques

The most common method of interpretation of the PBU data is the Horner type plot. The
Horner plot involves plotting shut-in pressure pws against log[(t+∆t)/∆t] (Figure 4).

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PgDip/MSc Oil and Gas Engineering/Petroleum Technology 1 Topic 28: Evaluation of Well Performance

Figure 4. Horner Plot.

p*
pws

pws LIN(1hr)

10 0
log[(t+∆t)/∆t]

The first portion of the Horner plot is usually non-linear as a result of after flow and skin
effect. Subsequently the plot becomes linear. After flow is a phenomenon that describes
the effect produced when after the shut-in of the well , the reservoir still continues to flow
towards the wellbore. Analysis of the Horner plot is carried out as follows :
1. Estimate the slope m of the linear part of the plot;
2. Estimate the formation permeability from the following equation;
162.6q s µB o
Equation 17 k= (k in mD)
mh
3. Estimate skin factor from the following equation;
 p (LIN)1hr − p wf k 
s = 1.151 ws − log 2
+ 3.23 
 m φµcr w 

Equation 18 m = slope of the linear section of plot (psi/log cycle)

p wf = bottom hole flowing pressure at time t = 0
p ws (LIN)1hr = pressure read from extrapolation of
linear section to ∆t = 1hr
For well tests early in the life of a reservoir:
162.6q s µB o  t + ∆t 
p ws = p i − log 
kh  ∆t 

 t + ∆t 
Equation 19 For log  = 0, p ws = p* = p i = p
 ∆t 

 t + ∆t 
p * is intercept for log =0
 ∆t 
For tests in the later life of the reservoir, the effective flowing time is much longer and
p*≠ p . There are various ways of analysing this.

Another method of analysing pressure build-up data is the MDH plot (Miller, Dyes and
Hutchinson). This involves plotting pws against log ∆t (Figure 5).

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PgDip/MSc Oil and Gas Engineering/Petroleum Technology 1 Topic 28: Evaluation of Well Performance

Figure 5. MDH Plot.

pws

log∆t

The analysis equations for this are the same as for Horner plots.

Pressure Drawdown Test

The test procedure is as follows:

1. Reservoir is initially shut in until pressure builds up to reservoir pressure;
2. Produce the well at constant rate;
3. Record the corresponding flowing bottom hole pressure;
4. Plot pwf vs. log t (Figure 6);
5. Obtain slope m of linear section of plot;
6. Compute k and s as in the PBU equation;
7. Compute radius of investigation.
Figure 6. Drawdown Plot.

pwf

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