PET 504

Advanced Well Test Analysis

Lecture 5

Spring 2015, ITU

Wellbore Storage
Occurs in both oil and
gas wells.

Valve

Suppose

Well is perforated
Packered
Shut-in at surface
High pressure at well
head.
Perforations are
plugged.

If we open the well,

will it flow?

Gas
Oil

Gas Well
The tubing string acts like a very large tank of highpressure gas
When the surface valve is opened, gas in the tubing
expands and escapes through the valve
Production may occur for a very long time several
hours to several days.
Gas is very compressible
The tubing string is very long
Large volume of gas stored.

Pumping (oil) Well

No packer
Initial static fluid level at depth
DD.
Perforations plugged

Sucker Rod

DD
Static Fluid Level

No flow from reservoir

When pump is started we see

production at the surface
Fluid is being produced from
the casing-tubing annulus

Wellbore Storage Period

The time period when surface production is primarily
due to fluids flowing out of the tubing or tubingcasing annulus is called the Wellbore Storage
Dominated Flow Period.
This period would exist even if the perforations were
open to flow
During this period, the reservoir is not producing
fluids, and pressure versus time data do not contain
reservoir information
5

pressure, pwf

Surface Rate vs. Sandface Rate

drawdown
buildup

Time, t

qsc
qsf

qsf sandface rate

qsc surface rate
24C dpwf (t )
qsf (t ) qsc
B
dt

0
6

Wellbore Storage Coefficient

C is called wellbore storage coefficient and its unit
is bbl/psi.
It gives the volume of wellbore fluid that will be
produced if the bottom hole flowing pressure is reduced
1 psia.

C cw Vw

Wellbore storage coefficient due to

compressibility

Compressibility
of wellbore fluid, 1/psi

wellbore volume, bbl

Wellbore Storage Coefficient

Wellbore storage coefficient due to changing liquid
level is given by
144 Ac
C
5.615
Cross-sectional area where the
liquid level changes, ft2.
Wellbore fluid density,
lbm/ft3
8

Wellbore Storage Coefficient, Example

Suppose we have 1000 ft deep well with 2 inch OD
tubing in 7-5/8 inch ID casing. Without packer, the
liquid will be pumped down the annular space. The
density of wellbore fluid and its compressibility are: 58
lbm/ft3 and co = 1.5x10-5 psi-1. Compute C?
Sucker Rod

DD
Static Fluid Level

h
9

Example (Contd)
Sucker Rod

7.625 2 1
Ac

2 2 144
0.295 ft 2
2

DD
Static Fluid Level

144 Ac
144 0.295
C

0.131 bbl / psi

5.615
5.615 58
10

Example 2
Suppose now that we have a 1000 ft deep well with positive
pressure at well head. The fluid is stored in a 7-5/8 inch ID
casing. The density and compressibility of wellbore fluid are:
58 lbm/ft3 and co = 1.5x10-5 psi-1 . Calculate C.

7.625 2 1000 1
Vw

2 144 5.615
56.5 bbl
C cwVw 1.5 105 56.5 8.5 104 bbl / psi
If we had gas instead of liquid, how would the value of C
change?

11

p and p' , psi

Log-Log Diagnostic Plot for Storage

Vertical well in circular/no-flow boundary
102

101

100

+1 slope line
(wellbore storage)

10-1 -4
10

10-3

10-2

10-1

Time (h)

100

101

102
12

Pressure Behavior for Storage

At early times when we have storage dominated
flow:
qsc B
qsc B
p(t ) pi pwf (t )
t pwf (t ) pi
t
24C
24C
dp qsc B
p(t ) t

t p ( t )
dt
24C

Log-log plots of p and p' will be equal and

display straight lines with unit slope during this
period.
13

Identification of Storage on Log-Log

Plot
Why do we see unit slope line on a log-log plot?
qsc B
p(t )
t
24C

qsc B
logp(t ) 1 log(t ) log

24C

qsc B
p(t )
t
24C

qsc B

logp(t ) 1* logt log

24C
14

Determination of C and pi
A Cartesian plot of pwf vs t
pi
pwf

qsc B
pwf (t ) pi
t
24C

qsc B
slope mw
24C

qsc B
C
24 mw

15

Note on Wellbore Storage

In classical models, wellbore storage is treated as
constant. This is Ok if we have liquid system and
pressure does not change much in the wellbore.
However, there are many cases where the wellbore
storage coefficient varies significantly with pressure
such as gas wells or wells with multi-phase flow in
the wellbore.
Also, there are tests that we often observe combined
effects of both compressive and changing liquid type
storage phenomena.

16

Some Examples
Oil Well

drawdown

Buildup (phase segregation)

Oil Well

buildup

To minimize such effects, we should

Place gauge near the perforations and use
downhole shut-in.

17

Skin
In practice, skin may be due to a variety of factors
Damage to formation due to invasion of mud filtrate and
mud solids
Partial penetration
Migration of fines
Asphaltenes

Treatment of skin will depend on the specific cause.

18

ks < k

Note on Skin

Simulated
permeability

Undamaged case
Damaged zone

Undamaged case

pwf

ps<0

ps>0

pwf

rw

ks > k

rs
s>0

rw

khps
s
141.2qsc B

rs
s<0
19

Effective Wellbore Radius Concept

k
rs
s 1 ln ks, permeability of region with rs
ks
rw

ks k if

s0

rw rw exp s
s0

if

rw rw

ks k if

s0

Effective wellbore radius

s0

if

rw rw
20

Pseudo-Skin or Geometrical Skin, sp

It is skin effect due to well geometry
and completion.
For limited-entry wells, sp is positive (sp >
0).
For hydraluic fractured wells, horizontal
and slantented wells, sp is negative (sp <0).
21

Wellbore Storage Type Curves

In 1983, Bourdet et al. Developed type curves for an fully
penetrating active well producing in an infine acting reservoir:

22

Wellbore Storage Type Curves

Dimensionless variables
khp
pD
141.2qsc B

khp
pD
141.2qsc B

tD
kh t
0.000295
CD
C
5.615C
CD
2ct hrw2

CDe

2.64 104 kt
tD
ct rw2

2S
23

24

p and p', psia

Manual Type-Curve Matching

The use of Bourdet et al. type curves:
Step 1: Determine kh (md-ft) from pressure match points:

pD M
kh 141.2qsc B
p M

Step 2: Determine wellbore storage coefficient C (bbl/psi)

from time-match points:,

kh t M
C 0.000295
t D / CD M
25

Manual Type-Curve Matching

Step 3: Compute dimensionless wellbore storage coefficient
from

5.615C
CD
2ct hrw2
Step 4: Finally compute skin from

2S

CD e
1
s ln
2 CD

26

Integrating WS and Skin in pressure

equation
Van Everdingen and Hursts 1949 paper was one of the first applications of
Laplace transforms in petroleum reservoir engineering. In their paper they
showed that:

p S
s
D0
p
D
s 1 sCD p D 0 S

5.615C
CD
2 ct hrw2

S skin
p L p

pD solution including WS and Skin

in p D 0 L pD 0 pD 0 solution without WS and Skin
D

Other Models

28

Limited-Entry Vertical Wells

Three different flow regimes

(a) Early radial

(c) Late- (or pseudo-) radial flow

(b1) Hemi-spherical flow

(b2) spherical flow

29

Log-Log Diagnostic Plot

p and p'

1000

Limited-entry Vertical Well

Pressure-Derivative
100

Hemi-spherical

10

Spherical

-1/2 slope line

1
1E-4

1E-3

1E-2

1E-1

1E+0

t, hour

Late-radial

1E+1

1E+2

30

Spherical Flow Regime

If spherical flow is observed, then
70.6qsc B 1 2 s 2453qsc B ct 1
p

3/2
kh
r
h
k
t
w
s
s

bk
1226.5qsc B ct 1
p
ks3 / 2
t

mk

(Cartesian plot)

(-1/2 slope line on log-log plot)

31

Spherical Permeability (Contd)

70.6qsc B 1 2s 2453qsc B ct 1
p
( )
kh
rs hw
ks3 / 2
t

ks k k k
3

2
h v

3/ 2
s

kh kv

2 kv
0.5 0.5 1 2rw / hw
kh

rs hw ln

2 kv

0
.
5

0
.
5
1

2
r
/
h

w
w

kh

Spherical permeability

Effective spherical
radius

32

Effective Spherical Radius

1000

hw = 3.2 ft
100

10

1
1E-3

1E-2

1E-1

1E+0

1E+1

Anisotropy ratio, kh/kv

1E+2

1E+3
33

Spherical Flow Analysis

1
p bk mk
t

bk

divide mk by 2

kh

2453qsc B ct
kv
mk

k
kv
kh

slope= mk

0 For hemi-spherical flow,

3/ 2
s

3/ 2
s

1
t

hw kh bk
1
s

2 70.6qsc B rs
34

Limited-Entry Late-Time Radial

5500

pwf, psi

5000

4500

4000

p1hr

slope, mr

3500

3000
1E-5

1E-4

1E-3

1E-2

1E-1

1E+0

t, hour

1E+1

1E+2
35

Limited-Entry Late-Time Radial

During late-time radial flow (if observed)

kh
162.6qsc B
logt log
3.23 0.87st
p pi pwf
2

kh h

r
t w

162.6qsc B
kh h 162.6qsc
mr slope

kh h

mrg
p1hr

kh
3.23
st 1.151
log
2

ct rw
mr

p1hr pi p1hr

36

Pseud Skin, sp
We can compute damage skin s if the computed value of
total skin st after computing pseudo-skin due to limitedentry geometry:
h
st s s p
hw
h
h
s p 1 ln

hw 2rw

hw
st sp
s
h

hw
kh h h
ln
kv hw 2 hw
h

zw hw / 4 h zw hw / 4
zw hw / 4 h zw hw / 4

Papatzacos formula

37

Vertical Well in Channel

Radial Flow
Channel

L1
L2
No flow boundary

Linear flow
Channel
No flow boundary
38

Vertical Well in a Channel

Linear flow regime

39

Linear Flow
Pressure during linear flow is described by
p ml t bl

ml

8.133qsc B

h L1 L2

k ct

141.2qsc B
s sch
bl
kh
L1
L1 L2
lnsin
ssc ln

2rw
L1 L2

40

Identification of Linear Flow Regime

dp
p
ml t
d lnt

8.133qsc B
ml
h L1 L2

kct

(1/2 slope line on log-log plot)

41

Pressure Behavior of a Well in a

Channel
Kanal iersinde bir kuyu

Presurederivative

42

Linear Flow Analysis

Cartesian plot

8.133qsc B
L1 L2
h ml
kct

slope = ml

kh bl
sch
s
141.2qsc B

L1 L2

L1
1
arcsin
exp sch
L1 L2
2rw

bl
0

43

Well near a Sealing Fault

44

Fault Problem
It is solved using the method of superposition in space.

45

Pressure Behavior of Well near a Fault

radial

Hemi-radial

46

Semil-log Analysis

Hemi-radial

radial
t* (Intersection time)
47

Early-Radial Semi-log Analysis

Early Radial flow
pwf

k
162.6qsc B
logt log

pi

3
.
23

0
.
87
s
2
c r

kh
t w

162.6qsc B
kh 162.6qsc
mr slope

kh

mr

p1hr

k
3.23
s 1.151
log
2

r
t w
r

48

Hemi-radial Semi-log Analysis

pwf

2 162.6qsc B
pi
kh

k 1

1
k
logt log
log
1.62 0.435s
2
2

r
2

4
L
t
w
t

162.6qsc B
kh 162.6qsc
mr slope

kh

mr
kt *
L 0.01217
ct

(distance to the fault)

49

Well near a Constant Pressure Boundary

Oil zone
Gas-Cap
Oil-zone

aquifer zone

Impermeable layer

FcD

k f wf
kL

100

High conductivity fault

L

50

Flow Regimes
Pressure-derivative

51

Distance to Constant Pressure Bdry

slope = m-1

k m1 h
L 0.00194
qsc Bct

1
p m1
t

Cartesian plot

1
t

52

Vertically Fractured Wells

One option for increasing the productivity of a well
with significant skin damage is to vertically
fracture the reservoir by pumping fracturing fluids
along with proppants into the well at high pressure.

Well

53

Productivity Increase
A vertical fracture increases a well's
productivity in two ways:
It allows the reservoir fluids to bypass a nearwellbore damaged zone and enter the wellbore via
the fracture system
it increases the wellbore area open to flow,
which in turn reduces the pressure drawdown on
the reservoir for a specified production rate.

54

Transient Flow Regimes

Fracturing a well changes the flow regimes visible in
pressure transient data.
Before a well is fractured, flow in the reservoir is
essentially radial towards the wellbore for all times
Reservoir flow during wellbore storage dominated flow and
the following transition period is radial, but at variable
sandface rate.

55

Transient Flow Regimes

After fracturing, (assuming that the fracture conductivity is
very high when compared with the reservoir conductivity),
early time flow in the reservoir is essentially perpendicular to
the fracture - this is referred to as linear flow.
Eventually, flow in the reservoir at points far away from the
fracture begins to affect the wellbore pressure response; the
pressure derivative curve once again exhibits the signature of
radial flow - i.e., the derivative is flat: pseudoradial flow

56

Fracture Geometry

57

Infinite Conductivity Fracture

Linear flow
Well

Lxf
Vertical fracture

p ml t bl
p

ml
t
2

58

Pressure Behavior
Infinite-Conductivity Fractured Well

p and p'

10.00

p
p'=constant

1.00

Pseudo-radial flow
0.10

1/2 slope line

0.01
0.001

0.01

If there is damage on the

fracture surface

0.10

1.00

10.00

100.00

1000.00

time
59

Linear Flow Analysis

qsc B
Lxf 4.06
h ml

slope = ml

ct k

p ml t bl

bl
0

bl 0, if well or fracture is damaged

0

Cartesian plot

t
60

Finite-Conductivity Fractured Wells

Finite Conductivity

C fD

k f wf
kLxf

p formation
p fracture

C fD 300 nfinite-conductivity
61

Flow Regimes for FCF Wells

(a) Linear flow in fracture

(c) Linear flow perpendicular

to fracture surface

(b) bi-linear flow

(d) Pseudo-radial flow

62

Pressure Behavior
Finite Conductivity Fractured Well

Pressure derivative

63

Effect of Conductivity

pD an d pD'

101

Finite conductivity Fractured Well

C fD

k f wf
Slope zero (Radial)

kLxf
1

10-1

10
Slope 1/2 (linear)

100

slope 1/4 (bi-linear)

10-3
10-6

10-4

tD 10-2

100

64

Bi-Linear Flow Regime

p mil t

1/ 4

bil

dp mil 1/ 4
p t

t
dt
4

qsc B
mil 44.11
h k f w f 4 ctk

(1/4 slope line on log-log plot)

65

Bi-Linear Flow Analysis

slope = mil

1 qsc B

k f w f 1945.7
ctk h mil

C fD 1.6
C fD 1.6

p mil 4 t bil

bil
0

bil 0, damage in fracture

0

Cartesian plot

t
66

Review-Model Identification
Well with skin and storage

67

Model Identification
Vertically Fractured Well

68

Model Identification
Dual Porosity Reservoir

69

Model Identification
Composite Reservoir
1
1
1

k / inner
mr
k / outer

1
70

Model Identification
Sealing Fault

71

Model Identification
Constant Pressure Boundary

72