USMS

018520

A Hypothetical Buildup is Developed by the Rectangular

Hyperbolic Method To Examine Horner Plots Calculated
Using Different Values of Total Production Time
H.N. Mead, Homar Engineering Consultants

Copyright 1988 Society of Petroleum Engineers

This manuscript was provided to the Society of Petroleum Engineers for distribution
and possible publication in an SPE journal. The material is subject to correction
by the author(s). Permission to copy is restricted to an abstract of not more than
300 words. Write SPE Publications Dept., P.O. Box 833836, Richardson, TX
75083-3836 U.S.A. Telex 730989 SPEDAL.

1 P5:Zo

~~AY 2 3 1988

UNSOLICITED

May 19, 1988

p E

PUBLiCATiONS
A HYPOTHETICAL BUILDUP IS DEVELOPED BY THE RHM TO EXAMINE HORNER PLOTS
THAT ARE CALCULATED USING DIFFERENT VALUES OF TOTAL PRODUCTION TIME.
Ho~er

N Mead, Sr.

Me~ber

Ho~ar

Engineering Consultants Inc.

ABSTRACT

It has been found that the calculated values of P* and M, the slope, will
change with different values of T.

Ho~ever,

in any Horner plot, when T/Mt is

used rather than T, P* and M change in an established way: {1) when T/Mt is
les~

than 5, the Horner plot is concave upwards and the extrapolation of the

CURVE to infinite

ti~e

shutin intersects Ps; <2> when T/Mt is about S, the

curve is 'neutral' and the extrapolated straight line -to infinite

ti~e

shutin will be a P that is just a few psi greater than Ps; M will be about
20% too high; <3> As the value of T/Mt increases above 5, the curve will
beco~e

increasingly concave downwards and P will be increasingly higher

than Ps; however, M will

~easured

beco~e

constant and equal to the

~axi~u~

in a MDH plot of log dt versus shutin pressure. The slope

by the MOH plot is exactly the

sa~e

as that by the RHM. Since this

slope
~easured
~easured

slope is not affected by T in any way, I believe this is the true M.

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this study is to investigate if and how P and M, the slope,
vary for Horner plots of the

sa~e

buildup by changing the value of T, total

(!)

production

ti~e.

exactly the

sa~e

Actually, it has been found that a Horner plot exhibits

shape for the

sa~e

value of T/Mt in any reservoir.

hypothetical buildup of reservoir pressure will be developed by the RHM.

Skin is considered to be zero. In other words, the calculated pressure at
'the wellbore at instant of shutin is Po, reservoir pressure at the wellbore
at instant of shutin. A series of Horner plots will be shown in which T is
varied. The relationship of varying T and T/Mt is investigated. The shape of
the Horner plot has been found to be the
sa~e

sa~e

for all reservoirs having the

value of T/Mt.

STATEMENT OF PLAN OF PRESENTATION

A hypothetical buildup will be calculated by the RHM

assu~ptions:

in Table
This

z.

the following

fro~

Ps 3000 psi, Po 2800 psi and Mt 10 hrs. ihis is shown in detail

Since Mt is 10 hours, the Effective Production

develop~ent

is 50 hours.

is presented in Table 1 and in Figures lA, 18 and !C.

RHM results are shown in

Horner plots for

Ti~e

colu~ns

7 and 8 of Table 1. The

deter~ination

The
of

r. for values of 10, 30, 50, 100, 500, and 1000 hours

respectively are presented in Table 3 and in graphical

Table 4 shows the conclusions

~ade

as a result of

~oing

for~

in Fig.ure 2.

this work.

INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS

It appears to

~e

that the Horner

~ethod

gives

approxi~ate

answers rather

than correct ones. The data in Figure 2 indicate that the straight line
extrapolation gives an increasingly greater divergence between Ps and P*

SPE 18 5 20

as T/Mt increases. Additional detailed conclusions are presented in Table 4.

CONCLUSIONS

It is suggested that the RHM be considered as an alternate procedure for

analyzing buildups and falloffs. It is a coMpletely different approach froM
any other analysis presently being used, Since is based on a finite systeM
rather than an infinite systeM.

CoMplicated

~atheMatical

procedures

involving coMplex equations, superposition, diMensionless constants, iMaging

and Most loglog or s~Milog plots are not needed.

The RHM is a finite systeM because it is based on the instant of tiMe the
well is shut in. At that instant of tiMe

t~e

effective drainage radius is at

a certain distance froM the well. The curve of the buildup or falloff
pressure after all wellbore, storage and anoMalous pressure behavior effects
have died out will be represented by a specific rectangular hyperbolic
equation. If there were no wellbore, storage or APB effects, the wellbore
pressure at instant of shutin would be Po, the pressure in the reservoir at
the effective wellbore at instant of shutin.

NOMENCLATURE

APB

AnoMalous pressure behavior

Bo = ForMation
BP = Bubble point pressure-psi <kPa>
Ce Total effective coMpressibility-1/psi (1/kPa)

sPE 18 5 20

Cw =Water

co~prssibility-1/psi

Eff Cwe = Eff water

(1/kPa>

co~pressibility-1/psi

H = Thickness of reservoir open-feet

(1/kPa>
(~)

Eff H = Rsvr thickness contrib. to flow or inj.-feet

K Avg rsvr

(M)

per~eability-Md

Eff K = Eff rsvr perM is KH/Eff H in

~d

M Slope in psi/cycle
Mt

= Ti~e

Pf =

to

Botto~

~ax

slope in hours

hole flg pres at shutin-psi (kPa)

Pi Initial static BHP in psi <kPa>

Po = Initial BH rsvr pres at wellbore at instant of shutin-psi <kPa)
Ps = Final static rsvr pres in psi-{kPa>
P* = False Horner pressure in psi-(kPa>
Pir Rsvr PI in 8/0/psi
Piw = Well PI in 8/0/psi
dPr dp in rsvr between Rd and Rw<neglecting skin)-psi <kPa)
dPs = dp across skin-psi <kPa>
dPw Total dp in well <dPr+dPs)-psi <kPa>
Q = Avg prod rate in 8/0

<cuM/d)

R =Defined as being (T/Mt>

Rad Rd =Calc Rd (van Poolen's eq)-ft <kPa>
Eff Rd = Eff Rd calc froM equation 1 in paper-ft <kPa>
Rw Actual wellbore radius -ft <kPa)
Eff Rw Eff wellbore radius-ft (kPa>
T = Total prod

ti~e

in hours

Eff T = Eff prod tiMe equals SMt for buildup or falloff-hrs

Uo

Rsvr viscosity in centipoise.

REFERENCES

1. Love, C. E. and Rainville, E. O.,"Analytic

Mac~illan

Geo~etry",

fifth edition, The

CoMpaany, pp130-132, Rectangular Hyperbola.

2, Mead, H. N., "A Practical Approach to Transient Pressure BehaviorN, paper

SPE 9901, presented at 1981 SPE California Regional Meeting, Bakersfield,
March 25-26.
3. Mead, H. N., "Using Finite SysteM Buildup Analysis to Investigate
Fractured, Vugular,

Sti~ulated

and Horizontal Wells". paper 16379,

presented at 1987 California Regional Meeting in Ventura, April 8-10.

4. Mead, H. N., "Analyzing Dual Porosity

Syste~s

by Rectangular Hyperbolic

Method", paper SPE 17689<0SEA 88185), 7th Offshore South East Asia
Conference, Feb 2-5, 1988.p
5. Mead, H. N., Unpublished papers and data.

C:5MHORT

May 19, 1988

SPE 18 5 2Cl

TABLE 1
HYPOTHETICAL BUILDUP USING RHM TO DETERMINE TIME-PRESSURE DATA-POINTS
************************************************************************
<Assu~ed Factors)
<to deter~ine data-points) Ps 3000 psi, Mt 10 hours and Po 2800 psi.
(other assu~ptions) Q 3000 BID, H 40 ft, Bo 1.2, Uo 0.8 ~d, f 0.2,
C3 20 E-S, Rw 0.354 ft and Prod. Ti~e 50 hours.
************************************************************************
3000.0
8 3000.000
Ps
M 115.13
5
10.000
c -10.0000
Mt
R
uac. (J
50
Po
D -2000.04
T
************************************************************************
Horner
MOH
Calc
Log
Log
MOH
Horner
T+dt/dt dSlope
dSlope
Pres
dt
SI Ti~e
(psi)
<psi) psi/cycle <psi ) psi/cycle
RE s u L T S
< hrs >
0.0
2800.0
3000.0
Ps psi
2802.0
2.700
-1 000
0. 1
Mt hrs
10.0
6.468
0.2
2803.9
2.400
-0.699
6.449 Eff Rd ft 1299.0
0.3
2805.8
10.864
-0.523
2.224
10.811 M Slope
115.13
0.4
2.100
-0.398
2807.7
15.048
14.944
0.5
2809.5
2.004
19.069
-0.301
18.899 KH ~d-ft
4067
1.0
2818.2
1.708
0.000
29.177
101.7
28.762 K "'d
2.0
2833.3
1.415
51.784
0.301
50:333 Ef f T hrs
50.0
3.0
2846.2
1.247
76.397
0.477
72.808 Rad Rd ft
1156
4.0
2857.1
1.130
94.069
0.602
87.957 Eff H ft
31.7
5.0
2866.7
1.041 107.082
0.699
98.277 Eff K Pld
128.3
6.0
2875.0
0.970 116.788
0.778 105.246
2888.9
0.860 126.612
8.0
0.903 111.168
10.0
2900.0
0.778 135. 196
1.000 114.656 dPr psi
820.6
0.713 139.990
12.0
2909.1
1.079 114.814 dPw psi
200.0
14.0
0.660 142.515
2916.7
1.146 113.163 dPs psi
-620.6
16.0
2923.1
0.615 143.640
1.204 110.539 Skin
-6.21
20.0
2933.3
0.544 143.739
1.301 105.836
24.0
2941.2
0.489 142.482
1.380
99.055
28.0
2947.4
0.445 140.461
92.492 Pir 8/psi
1.447
3.66
32.0
2952.4
0.409 138.193
1.505
86.437 Piw 8/psi
15.00
36.0
2956.5
0.378 135.909
1.556
80.951
42.0
2961.5
0.341 133.223
1.623
74.937
46.0
2964.3
0.320 130.668
1.663
69.537
50.0
2966.7
0.301 128.818
1.699
65.751
75.0
2976.5
0.222 123.819
1.875
55.676
100.0
2981.8
0.176 116.870
2.000
42.803
150.0
2987.5
0.125 111.078
2. i76
32.267
200.0
2990.5
0.097 106.186
2.301
23.822
0.082 103.499
240.0
2992.0
2.380
19.245
D

C:SLHOR2

SPE 18 5 20

TABLE 2
DEVELOPMENT OF HYP0THETICAL RESERVOIR DATA BY THE RHM TO DISCUSS THE HORNER
PLOT AND ITS DEPENDENCE ON T--TOTAL PRODUCTION TIME TO DETERMINE M,THE SLOPE
AND P*.
****************************************************************************
Reservoir Data Needed to Develop the Reservoir Buildup Data-points
Ps =- 3000 psi
Mt 10 hrs
Po = 2800 psi
With the above it is possible to calculate:
M =- .57565*(3000-2800) or 115.13 psi/cycle
The basic three data-points are: <0,2800),(10,[3000-2800]/2) and (~,3000) ..
One cannot use infinity in an equation involving either dividing or
~ultiplying, so the third data-point chosen is (1000,2998.02~, which is on
the rectangular hyperbolic curve.

With these three data points it is possible to deterMine B, C & D.

The other data necessary to have are:
H 40 ft, Q 3000 STBPD, Bo 1.2, U0.8 cp, Ce 20 E-6 and f 0.2.
These are enough data to analyze the buildup by the RHM. The results are
shown in colu~ns 7 & 8 in Table 1.
The data in Table 3 are developed to coMpare several Horner Plots of the
sa~e buildup but using different total production tiMes. The total
production tiMes chosen are: 10, 30, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 hrs respectively.
The saMe log of Horner tiMes were used and the actual shutin ti~es
calculated to deterMine shutin pressure at that tiMe by the RHM. The
procedure is as follows:
dt T/(antilog Horner tiMe- 1>, where Horner tiMe is log(T+dt)/dt
dP 0/(dt-C> + B
These two
dP in one
different
different

equationw are coMbined in the spreadsheet for Table 3 to calculate

operation; so dP is related to calculated pressure for several
values ofT, total production tiMe. The values of dP for six
values of T are presented in Table 3.

C=SMHOR1<Tables 2 & 4)

SP.E 18 5 20

TABLE 3
CONSTRUCTED HORNER PLOTS USING THE RHM FOR DETERMINING CALCULATED
RESERVOIR PRESSURE VERSUS SHUTIN TIME DATA POINTS USED IN ANALYSIS
************************************************************************
The data aesu~ed for a typical buildup is: Ps 3000 psi, Mt 10 hrs and
Po 2800 psi. With these data three data-points can be ~ade to deter~ine
B, C and 0--which are: (0, 2800), (10, 2900) and (infinity, 3000). One
can not use infinity, so the 3rd data-point was changed to <1E-6, 3000)
Ps deter~ined using these data is 3000.002. This data-point was changed
to <1000000,2999.998). With this change, Ps is calculated to be 3000.000
These data were used to deter~ine 8, C and D.
************************************************************************
8 3000.00
Ps 3000.00
c -10.000
Mt
10.00
Eff R
5.00
0 -2000.04
M
115.13
Eff T Many T's
************************************************************************
R is defined as T/Mt. It has been found that the shape of the
of the Horner slope is related to R, and R is equal to T/Mt
R

1
EstiPt Prod
10
Log
Sl TiMe
< hrs >
0.02
0.05
0.07
0.10
0.20
0.30
0.40
0.50
0.60
0.70
0.80
0.90
1.00
1.20
1. 40
1.60
1.80
2.00
2.20
2.40
2.60
2.80
3.00
3.50
4.00

Calc
Pres
(psi)
2991.00
2978.25
2970.23
2958.86
2926.-19
2900.24
2879.62
2863.24
2850.23
2839.90
2831.69
2825.18
2820.00
2812.62
2807.96
2805.02
2803.17
2802.00
2801.26
2800.79
2800.50 ~
2800.31
2800.20
2800.06
2800.02

Calc
Pres
(psi)
2996.91
2992.18
2988.98
2984.11
2967.37
2950.18
2932.98
2916.23
2900.31
2885.57
2872.20
2860.34
2850.00
2833.61
2822.12
2814.35
2809.21
2805.88
2803.73
2802.37
2801.50
2800.94
2800.59
2800.19
2800.06

Calc
Pres
(psi)
2998.13
2995.24
2993.24
2990.15
2979.05
2966.80
2953.56
2939.62
2925.30
2910.96
2897.00
2883.73
2871.43
2850.38
2834.34
2822.82
2814.90
2809.61
2806.15
2803.91
2802.48
2801.57
2800.99
2800.31
2800. 10

10
50
100
Ti~es In Hours For Various Horner Plots
30
50
100
500
1000
Calc
Pres
(psi)
2999.06
2997.59
2996.56
2994.95
2988.95
2981.90
2973.73
2964.44
2954.07
2942.74
2930.64
2918.04
2905.26
2880.48
2858.62
2840.97
2827.74
2818.35
2811.94
2807.68
2804.91
2803.12
2801.98
2800.63
2800.20

Calc
Pres
(psi )
2999.81
2999.51
2999.30
2998.97
2997.69
2996.10
2994.13
2991.71
2988.75
2985.14
2980.80
2975.61
2969.49
2954.20
2934.92
2912.60
2889.21
2867.11
2848.19
2833.31
2822.36
2814.70
2809.53
2803.11
2800.99

Calc
Pres
(psi)
2999.91
2999.76
2999.65
2999.48
2998.84
2998.03
2997.02
2995.77
2994.21
2992.29
2989.92
2987.01
2983.49
2974.14
2961.14
2944.08
2923.38
2900.50
2877.67
2857.11
2840.23
2827.40
2818.19
2806.13
2801.98

C:SLHOR1

SP.f. 18 5 20-

TABLE 4
The data developed in Table 3 are shown in Figure 2. This figure tells us
several interesting r acts:
.b.~
"1
1. The Horner plot changes drastically only~ chang~-~ total
production tiMe.
2. It has been round that the shape of the Horner plot is directly related
to T/Mt. Every buildup exa~ined on this basis has given exactly the saMe
shape curves.
3. When T/Mt is less than about 5, the curve is concave upwards with the
curve intersecting the final pressure at infinite shutin tiMe.
4. When T/Mt is about 5, the curve is 'neutral' and the straight line
extrapolation intersects infinite shutin tiMe a few psi above actual
calculated pressure. The slope deterMined froM the straight line
extrapolation is about 20~ More than the calculated slope.
5. When T/Mt is greater than about 5, the straight line extrapolation to
infinite shutin is increasingly greater than true Ps as T/Mt increases.
P* is really a false pressure.
6. The RHM calculates just one Ps and one M for any buildup. It is not
dependent in any way upon the Measured total production tiMe of the well.
Effective tiMe of production is calculated by the RHM. It has been
discovered that effective tiMe is 5Mt.
The following table describes the general conditions existing for each
production tiPte. It is based on exaMination of Figure 2.

TiMe T
hrs
10
30
50
100
500
1000

T/Mt
hrs
1
3
5
10

50
100

Ps
Extrap.
To Inf.
psi
3000
3000
3001
3027
3091
3120

Me as
Slope.
psi/eye
170
1.38

122
113
110

ApproxiPtate
S.I.hours of
Straight line
hours
Kind of Curve

-------------

6 to
4 to
3 to
3 to

85

40
26
26

Concave upwards
Concave upwards
Neutral
's' Type Curve
'S' Type Curve
's' Type Curve

By RHM, Ps 3000 psi, Mt 10 hrs, M 115.13 psi/cycle, Effective TiMe for every
buildup has been found to be 5Mt; so effective T is 50 hrs
C:SMHOR1<Tables 2 and 4)

SP~E

18 5 20

Fig 1A Horner Plot

3 .. 02
~

,,
~

Hypothetical Rsvr
1oo8

.r/~

2 .. 98

&JL

""D'J

...-.. 2 .. 94

'-c
d 0
.... ..d

2. 9

~=
~~

..d

",.rJ

' "'

2 .. 88

2 .. 86

2 . 84
2 .. 82

rn
.,.._.:.
c..D'

Vl

1!1},_.

L:l

til

..It:'

~ Sl

~E-

~._.

s-. ..

d II
'tj

2 .. 92

2 .. 96

T 50 Hours

~~
I~"'\~ "'

2 .. 8
0

~o /( 1-.o-r'

0 .. 4-

0.8

1.2

""

"'

t:t-_

~ fJ--s

1. 6

Horner Time - Log (T+dt)/dt

1-

f-1

2.4

.lr"'1

2.8

. Fig 1B

Miller, Dyes & Hutchinson Plot

Hypothetical Rsvr

Shutln 240 hours

3.02

I
3

2.98

~
~

)rr

2.94

M~/D/
1!

....C II
~

c..d

~~
"'~
c0

2.92

\~

2.9

~~

.d

2.88
2.86

,h

t----i

co
\.)1

("'\..)

VcvcL~

'

/'7

2.82

l'.rl

. )'l!

2.64

2.8

~/~

00

'VJ

~ Ml ..r/.~c

~~

.... .d
~.._.

,~

/7

2.96

....IJ

'3016

1-t"

~~~pI
I

I~

1
MO. rl PLo .,-

g
'

Fig 1 C Linear Plot

Hypothetical Rsvr

Shutln 240 hours

3
2.99
2.98

114

rtl
Q..

....c,ll

ll.c

~=
c]

tQ~

~E-

~.._,

..d

rn

'(fl

......
CD
\.)1

f'\..)

2.97
2.96
2.95
2.94
2.93
2.92
2.91
2.9
2.89
2.88
2.87
2.86
2.85
2.64
2.63
2.62
2.61

2.8

nf

.J~

..[~

J':t

I{
rz{

1
!
I

I~
I
Il

I1
)

J~

----

--

"- ,.v l'l. 0 .,-

40

'------------

-----

-----

80

--

--

--

120

--------

~-

~--

------

160

Shutin Time In hours

--

--

----

200

--

--

24-0

Fi

3.1
3.08

r:.

Q ro

,c

2.96

~ ~

2.96

2.94

....
aJ

~=.._,
~

rJj

........,.,-

\,

~~
-~~
~~ ~ ~~
I.\""'~~
~

"

'

'"''

2.92

2.9

IJoa

"'
."'

"""

~~" t'v.

,,

"'

~~

-~~

~~ ~~ ~
"'~'
~~--~
~ ~~
~
~-

I-I

~-

"'-.........._

._

2.8

""

~ ~ "~.; ~-~

2.82

"'

\ \'\
"~
~ ~R.:
~ \
\ \ '\. \~
"<'
~.
Y, \x'Y
_'\_

2.84

U1

Horner Time--Log (T+dt)/dt in

R=l_

Buildup

'~ ~

',

2.86

00

Plot

~ ~

2.88

""~ ""~

3.04 \,,

....D'J

"' ~~

3.06

3.02

....

, 1 _ - R=3
noA! 611

--

R=5

ll

R= 10

......

--.p~

I~

4-

3
llOllrs

R=50

R= 100