Petroleum Production Optimization

Reservoir Performance

Learning Outcomes
At the end of this lecture, students should be able to :
Construct an IPR for oil wells using Fetkovichs Method

Fetkovich method
Proposed a method for calculating the inflow performance for
oil wells using the same method for analyzing gas wells.
The procedure was verified by analyzing isochronal and flowafter-flow tests conducted in reservoirs with permeabilities
ranging from 6md to greater than 1000md.
The oil well pressure curves were found to follow the same
general form as that used to express the inflow relationship of
gas wells:

Fetkovich method
Three types of tests are commonly used for gas well
testing to determine C and n.
Flow-after-flow test
Isochronal test
Modified Isochronal test

These tests can also be used for oil wells.

Flow-after-flow test
Flow after flow test begins after the well is shut in so that the pressure in
the entire drainage area is equal to PR.
The well is placed on production at a constant rate until the flowing
wellbore pressure becomes constant.
The flowing pressure is measured with a bottom hole pressure gauge.
Once Pwf is stabilized, the production rate is changed and the procedure
is repeated for several rates.
Figure 1 shows the idealized behavior of production rate and wellbore
pressure with time.

Flow-after-flow test

Figure 1: Conventional test production rate and pressure diagrams (Beggs 2003)

Flow-after-flow test
The test is analyzed by plotting versus qo on log-log
coordinates and drawing the best straight line through the points.
The exponent n is determined from the reciprocal of the slope, that
is:

=

The value of C can be calculated using any point on the linear plot
once n has been determined, that is:

Isochronal test
If the time required for the well to stabilize on each producing rate is
excessive, an isochronal or equal time test is preferred.
The procedure is:
(a) Starting at a shut in condition, open the well on a constant production rate and
measure Pwf at specific time periods.
(b) Shut the well in and allow the pressure to build up to PR.
(c) Open the well on another producing rate and measure the pressure at the
same time intervals.
(d) Shut the well in again until Pws=PR.
(e) Repeat this procedure for several rates.

Isochronal test

Figure 2: Isochronal test production rate and pressure diagrams (Beggs 2003)

Isochronal test
A plot of versus qo on log-log coordinates will
produce a straight line.
Value of n is obtained from the slope of the line.
The idealized behavior of producing rate and pressure as a
function of time is shown in Figure 2.

Modified Isochronal test

If the shut in time required for the pressure to build up back up to pR
between flow periods is excessive, the isochronal test may be
modified.

The modification consist of shutting the well in between each flow

period for a period of time equal to producing time.
The static wellbore pressure, pws may not reach pR but a plot of pws2
- pwf2 vs q0 will give a straight line from which n is obtained.
Figure 3 illustrates the testing procedure.

Modified Isochronal test

Figure 3: Modified Isochronal test production rate and pressure

diagrams (Beggs 2003)

Example 4
A flow-after-flow test was conducted on a well
producing from a reservoir in which Pr = 3600 psia.
The test results were:
qo (STB/day)

Pwf (psia)

263

3170

383

2897

497

2440

640

2150

Construct and plot a complete IPR for this well

Determine qo(max)

Example 4

To calculate n, the producing rates corresponding to a change in P2 over one cycle are
used.
C can be calculated using any point on the liner plot once n has been determined

The inflow equation is therefore:

Example 4

Example 4
To generate the data for an IPR, assume values of Pwf and calculate the corresponding to:
qo
0
340
503
684
796
875
922
937

4000
3500
3000
2500

Pwf

pwf
3600
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0

2000
1500
1000
500
0
0

100

200

300

400

500
qo

600

700

800

900

1000

Modified Fetkovich
The Fetkovich equation can be modified to a form similar to Vogels
Equation and can be expressed as :

Saturated Reservoirs

=
1
2

Undersaturated Reservoirs
=

+
1
2

Example 5
A well is producing from a reservoir having an average reservoir pressure of 2085
psig. A stabilized production test on the well resulted in a producing rate of 282
STB/day when the flowing bottomhole pressure was 1765 psig. The bubble point
pressure is 2100 psig. Using Fetkovichs method with the assumption that n=1
calculate:

1. Productivity Index
2. The producing rate if Pwf is reduced to 1500 psia
3. The value of Pwf required for qL=400 stb/day

4. The producing rate if Pwf is reduced to zero (qmax or AOF)

5. Compare the values for qLmax obtained from Darcys and Vogels method
used to analyze this well.

Example 5
1)

2)

3)

Example 5
4)

Results
5)

Method

qomax (STB/day)

Darcy

1837.4

Vogel

1095.5

Fetkovich

998

THANK YOU
2013 INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY PETRONAS SDN BHD
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Q&A
Session