Department of Petroleum Engineering — Texas A&M University College Station, TX 77843-3116 (USA) +1.979.845.2292 t-blasingame@tamu.edu PETE 324 (07A) — Skin Factor Concept Slide — 1 Skin Factor: Orientation
"Skin Factor" Concept: (Radial flow system with
near-well damage or stimulation) z Derive the skin factor identity for a well in a radial flow system with a "skin zone" — where the well has near- well damage or stimulation. z Explain how this model can be used — both in theory and applications. z Discuss any limitations (physical or conceptual) that you note. "Skin Factor" Concept Based on: z Finite thickness model for the radial flow skin factor. z Effective wellbore radius concept.
PETE 324 (07A) — Skin Factor Concept Slide — 2
Skin Factor: Finite Thickness Model "Finite Thickness" Concept: z Assumption of a simple 2-zone radial composite reservoir model. z Steady-state flow is assumed in the "inner-zone" and any other relevant flow regime can exist in the "outer- zone".
PETE 324 (07A) — Skin Factor Concept Slide — 3
Skin Factor: Finite Thickness Model "Finite Thickness" Concept: z Darcy's law for radial flow. z Cross-sectional area, Ar
z Substitute, rearrange and z Solve for the "baseline"
integrate across the "skin- pressure, pw* zone"
z Substitute, the permeability
of the skin zone, ks z Skin zone pressure drop, Δps = pw* - pw. Solve for Δps and s.
PETE 324 (07A) — Skin Factor Concept Slide — 4
Skin Factor: Finite Thickness Model "Pressure Behavior in a 2-Zone Radial Composite Reservoir" : Case s Comments k = ks 0 No damage or stimulation
ks = ∞ -ln(rs/rw) Maximum stimulation
ks = 0 ∞ Maximum stimulation
PETE 324 (07A) — Skin Factor Concept Slide — 5
Skin Factor: Effective Wellbore Radius Concept "Effective Wellbore Radius" Concept: z Not based on a physical model. z Mathematical trick to represent the skin factor as an effective (apparent) wellbore radius. z This wellbore radius can be used in any radial flow solution to represent the skin factor. (very useful)
PETE 324 (07A) — Skin Factor Concept Slide — 6
Skin Factor: Effective Wellbore Radius Concept "Effective Wellbore Radius" Concept: z Completely generalizes the skin factor not as a physical pressure drop, but rather as a mathematical identity.