Introduction to NODAL

Analysis

April 2003
Instructor: Felipe Montoya
 Objective

The objective of this course is to give the

engineer the basic tools and knowledge of
Nodal Analysis for him/her to understand
its benefits, usefulness and limitations and
help him/her apply it to his/her work for
production optimization.
 Outline
• Explain the concept of Nodal Analysis.
• List the four major segments between the reservoir and the
separator where pressure loss occurs.
• Give definitions for each of the following terms:
– Inflow performance curve
– Tubing Intake curve
– System graph
– Solution node
• Benefits of NODAL Analysis
 Agenda

1. The concept of Nodal Analysis

2. Segments in the reservoir/well system where
pressure loss occurs
3. Fluid Properties
4. Solution node
5. Inflow performance curve
6. Outflow performance curve
7. System graph
 Pressure Losses in Well System
P4 = (Pwh - Psep)
Gas
Sales line
Pwh Psep Liquid
Stock tank

P1 = Pr - Pwfs = Loss in reservoir

P3 = Pwf - Pwh P2 = Pwfs - Pwf = Loss across completion
P3 = Pwf - Pwh = Loss in tubing
P4 = Pwh - Psep = Loss in flowline
PT = Pr - Psep = Total pressure loss

Pwf Pwfs Pr Pe

P1 = (Pr - Pwfs)

P2 = (Pwfs - Pwf)
Adapted from Mach et al, SPE 8025, 1979.
 Nodal Analysis
P4 = (Pwh - Psep)
Gas
Sales line
Pwh Psep Liquid
Stock tank

P1 = Pr - Pwfs = Loss in reservoir

P3 = Pwf - Pwh P2 = Pwfs - Pwf = Loss across completion
P3 = Pwf - Pwh = Loss in tubing
P4 = Pwh - Psep = Loss in flowline
PT = Pr - Psep = Total pressure loss

Pwf Pwfs Pr Pe

P1 = (Pr - Pwfs)

P2 = (Pwfs - Pwf)
Adapted from Mach et al, SPE 8025, 1979.
 Inflow Performance Curve
3500
Inflow (Reservoir) Curve
Flowing bottomhole pressure, psi

3000

2500

2000

1500

1000

500

0
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500
Production rate, STB/D
 Tubing Intake Curve
3500
Flow in g bottom hole pressure, psi

Tubing Curve
3000

2500

2000

1500

1000

500

0
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500
Production rate, STB/D
 System Graph
3500
Inflow (Reservoir) Curve
Tubing Curve
3000
Flowing bottomhole pressure, psi

2500
1957.1 psi

2000

1500

1000

500
2111 STB/D

0
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500
Production rate, STB/D
 Solution Node At Wellhead
P4 = (Pwh - Psep)
Gas
Sales line
Pwh Psep Liquid
Stock tank

P1 = Pr - Pwfs = Loss in reservoir

P3 = Pwf - Pwh P2 = Pwfs - Pwf = Loss across completion
P3 = Pwf - Pwh = Loss in tubing
P4 = Pwh - Psep = Loss in flowline
PT = Pr - Psep = Total pressure loss

Pwf Pwfs Pr Pe

P1 = (Pr - Pwfs)

P2 = (Pwfs - Pwf)
Adapted from Mach et al, SPE 8025, 1979.
 Fluid Physical Properties
• Oil Properties
– Oil in the absence of gas in solution is called dead oil.
The physical properties of dead oil are a function of the
API gravity of the oil, pressure and temperature. The
API gravity of oil is defined as:
141.5
API gravity  o
 131.5
SpGr @ 60 F

– With gas in solution, oil properties also depend on gas

solubility. Gas solubility is normally represented by Rs.
 Fluid Physical Properties
• Gas Solubility:
– Gas solubility is defined as
the volume of gas
dissolved in one stock tank
barrel of oil at a fixed
pressure and temperature.
– There are several
correlations for gas
solubility such as:
• Standing 1.2
• Lassater  scf   p 10 0.0125 API  
Rs    g  x 0.00091 T  
• and others …  STB  18 10 
 Fluid Physical Properties
• Formation Volume Factor (o):
– Is the volume in barrels occupied by one stock tank barrel
of oil with the dissolved gas at any elevated pressure and
temperature. It measures the volumetric shrinkage of oil
from the reservoir to surface conditions.
– There are different correlations for calculating the
formation volume factor. They are empirical and based
on oil from different areas. The Standing correlation was
developed for California crude and can be written as
follows:
o = 0.972+0.000147 x F1.175
0.5
 g 
F  RS    1.25 T 
o 
Graphical Form of Standing’s Correlation, Bo
Example
Required
Formation volume at
200 F of a bubble point
o

liquid having a gas/oil ratio

of 350 CFB, a gas gravity of
0.75, and a tank oil gravity
of 30o API
Procedure
Starting at the left side
of the chart, proceed
horizontally along the 350
CFB line to a gas gravity of
0.75 . From this point, drop
vertically to the 30o API line.
Proceed horizontally from
the tank oil gravity scale to
the 200o F line. The
Copyright 1952
required formation volume
is found to be 1.22 barrel Chevron Research Company
per barrel of tank oil. Reprinted by Permission

Properties of natural mixtures of hydrocarbon gas and liquids, formation volume of bubble-
point liquids after Standing.
 Fluid Physical Properties
• Standing’s or any other correlation for formation
volume factor cannot be used above the bubble
point pressure Pb. Above the bubble point:
  Co  P  Pb  
 o   ob e
Where Pb and Bob are calculated from Standing’s or Lassater’s
correlation using Rs=Rp, Rp being the produced GOR. The
parameter Co is not a constant and can be calculated by
Trube’s correlation as follows:
 1,433  5R s  17.2T  1,180 g  12.61API
Co 
P x 10 5
 Graphical Form of Standing’s Correlation, Pb
Properties of Natural Hydrocarbon Mixtures of Gas
and Liquid Bubble Point Pressure
Example:

Required
Bubble point pressure at 200 oF of a
liquid having a gas-oil ratio of 350
CFB, a gas gravity of 0.75, and a tank
oil gravity of 30o API.
Procedure:
Starting at the left side of the chart,
proceed horizontally along the 350 o
CFB line to a gas gravity of 0.75.
From this point drop vertically to the
30o API line. Proceed horizontally
from the tank oil gravity scale to the
200o F line. The required pressure is
found to be 1930 PSIA.
te
lu
so
Ab
ch
in
e
u ar
q
rs
pe
ds
o un
-P

Bubble Point Pressure

-
 Oil Viscosity
• The fluid viscosity of reservoir oil containing
solution gas decreases with pressure up to the
bubble point pressure
 Oil Viscosity

• In the absence
of lab data the
Beal correlation
is used.

Rate of increase of oil viscosity above

bubble-point pressure. After Beal.
 Dead Oil Viscosity

Absolute Viscosity of Gas-Free Oil (cp)

Oil Gravity o API at 60oF and Atmospheric Pressure

Dead oil viscosity at reservoir temperature and
atmospheric pressure. After Beal.
 Gas Viscosity
• Carr, Kobayashi and Burrows presented a correlation for
estimating natural gas viscosity as a function of gas
gravity, pressure and temperature
 Gas Deviation Factor
• Variable used in calculating the gas density
and gas formation volume factor.
• To determine this parameter, the law of
corresponding states is used:
– This law states that at the same reduced pressure
and reduced temperature, all hydrocarbon gases
have the same gas deviation factor.
Gas Deviation Factor

As a function of Ppr and Tpr,

After Standing and Katz
Inflow Performance
Relationship
Inflow Performance Relationship

Inflow Performance is the ability of the

reservoir to deliver oil or gas through the
formation and is described by the pressure / rate
response of the reservoir. The IPR depends on
reservoir parameters and reservoir fluid
characteristics.
 Inflow Performance Relationship
3500
Inflow (Reservoir) Curve
Flowing bottomhole pressure, psi

3000

2500

2000

1500

1000

500

0
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500
Production rate, STB/D
Inflow Performance Relationship
Reservoir Conditions:
Original Pressure = 2150 psi

Progressive
Bubble Point = 2150 psi
Crude oil PVT. Characteristics

Bottom hole well pressure, psi

and relative permeability

deterioration of Characteristics from Ref. 7

Well spacing = 20 acres

IPR’s as depletion
Well radius - 0.33 foot
Cumulative recover,
percent of original

proceeds with time.

oil in place

Producing rate, bopd

Inflow Performance Relationship
For single phase oil or liquids, the IPR shown below
is stated by Darcy’s law for radial flow as follows:

-3
qo = 7.08 x 10 kh (Pr - Pwf)
  re  
oBo ln   0.75  s
  rw  
 Productivity Index (PI)
A
Pws
OB
TAN  = = J = PI
OA


Pwf q = qmax when Pwf = 0

0
0 q B

 On the IPR curve the PI is defined as the negative inverse of

the slope of the line:
 For PI calculations, q = surface production of fluids, and Pr-Pwf
= reservoir pressure drawdown.
 Productivity Index (PI)

The Productivity Index of a well is defined as the total

liquid production per day per psi of pressure drawdown.

(qo + qw)
or, PI = J = , BPD/psi
(Pr - Pwf)
 Example Problem No.1
• For the following oil-well data, calculate:
a) The absolute open flow potential, AOF and draw the IPR curve
b) Calculate the Productivity Index

 Permeability, Ko = 30 mD
 Pay thickness, h = 40 ft
 Avg reservoir pressure, Pr = 3,000 psi
 Reservoir Temperature, T = 200o F
 Well Spacing, A = 160 Acres (43,560 ft2/acre)
 OH size, D = 12 ¼”
 Formation Volume factor, o = 1.2 bbl/stb
 Oil viscosity, o = 0.8 cp
 Assume skin, St = 0 and no turbulence
Answers to Example Problem No.1

1. Drainage radius = A x 43,560 , ft = 1,490 ft



2. Applying Darcy’s law , qo = 26,550 = 3,672

bopd
7.23
qo
3. PI = BPD/psi = 1.22 bopd/psi
(Pr - Pwf)
Darcy Equation for Gas Wells

qg 
4
 2
7.03E k g h P  Pwf2
r 
  re  
 g Z T ln   0.75  S t  Dq g 
  rw  
 Skin factor
• The Skin Factor (St) is a constant which relates
the pressure drop in the skin to the flow rate and
transmissibility of the formation. Thus:
Pskin
St 
 141.2q o  o 
 
 Kh 

Pskin   Pwf'  Pwf 

Skin Factor – graphical representation

rw

rd Pr
P’wf

Pwf

Positive skin ~ Damaged wellbore or

Reduced wellbore radius
 Skin factor

S t  S d  S p  S pp  S turb  S o  S s  ......,
St = total skin effect, (+ damaged; - stimulated)
Sd = skin effect due to formation damage (+)
Spp = skin due to partial penetration (+)
Sp = skin effect due to perforation (+)
Sturb = Dq, skin effect due to turbulence (+)
So = skin effect due to slanting of well (-)
Ss = skin effect due to stimulation (generally -)