Fluid Flow: Well Testing

Radial Flow Equations for Liquids

 Darcy’s Law in Linear Flow

Linear system
pout Fully developed flow (steady state)
pin

A q qL μ
pin − pout = .
q A k eff

L (pin − pout )
qres = kA
μ L

pin
keff = effective permeability
p
pout dp = constant μ = fluid viscosity
dx

0 L
x

Reservoir Engineering
Fluid Flow: Well Testing 6.2.2
 Darcy’s Law For Radial Systems

qB
rw Radial System
Steady State Flow – SI Units
k ∂p
h q res = 2π rh
μ ∂r
qB qB μ r
p − pw = . ln
pe
2πkh rw

p qB qBμ r
k= ⋅ ln
pw r dp = constant 2πh( p − pw ) rw
dr

rw re
r
Reservoir Engineering
Fluid Flow: Well Testing 6.2.3
 Pressure Change With Time and Radius
Open System
qB
Pressure

Increasing Time qB

Transient
Steady State

rw re
Radius
Reservoir Engineering
Fluid Flow: Well Testing 6.2.4
 Pressure Change With Time and Radius
Closed System
qB
Pressure

No influx
Increasing Time

Transient
(Steady State)
Semi-Steady State
rw Radius re
Reservoir Engineering
Fluid Flow: Well Testing 6.2.5
 Flow Regime Definitions
Boundaries

None felt Some felt All felt

Pressure at the well

Steady State

Transient Late Transient Semi-Steady State*

Time * Also called pseudosteady state
Reservoir Engineering
Fluid Flow: Well Testing 6.2.6
 The Radial Flow Model Assumptions

Single phase
Homogeneous & isotropic reservoir Small & constant compressibility
Constant viscosity

Horizontal Flow
Entire Interval Open

Radial flow Reservoir Engineering

Fluid Flow: Well Testing 6.2.7
General Solution of Pressure Change

ƒ Combines Three Physical Laws

– Conservation of Mass (Material Balance)
– Equation of Motion (Darcy’s Law)
– Equation of State (Fluid Compressibility)

Reservoir Engineering
Fluid Flow: Well Testing 6.2.8
 Hydraulic Diffusivity Equation
Mass Balance
In - Out = Gain ρ = ρb exp[c( p − pb )]
Continuity Equation Darcy Equation Equation of State

∂ 2 p 1 ∂p φμ c t ∂p
+ . = .
∂r 2
r ∂r k ∂t
pressure : radius : time

k effective permeability
φ total porosity
μ flowing fluid viscosity
ct total compressibility = coSo + cgSg + cwSw + cf

Detailed Derivations: OGCI pg. 16-4, Dake (1978) Chapter 5

Reservoir Engineering
Fluid Flow: Well Testing 6.2.9
 Constant Rate Steady State Solution

qB

∂p
= 0 for all r and t
∂t
p qB
p = pe = constant, at r = re

rw re

S.I. Units Field Units

qB μ r 141 .2 qB μ r
p − p wf = ln ln
2 π kh rw kh rw

Reservoir Engineering
Fluid Flow: Well Testing 6.2.10
 Constant Rate Pseudosteady State Solution
qB

∂p
=0 at r = re
∂r
p 0
∂p
= cons tan t for all r and t
∂t

rw re

S.I. Units Field Units

qB μ ⎧ r r2 ⎫ 141.2qBμ ⎧ r r2 ⎫
p − p wf = ⎨ ln − 2 ⎬ ⎨ln − 2 ⎬
2π kh ⎩ r w 2 r e ⎭ kh ⎩ rw 2re ⎭

Reservoir Engineering
Fluid Flow: Well Testing 6.2.11
 Constant Rate Transient Solution
qB
p = pi at t = 0 for all r

p = pi at r = ∞ for all t
p
Well approximates a line

LINE SOURCE SOLUTION

rw re
S.I. Units Field Units

qB μ ⎧ φμ c t r 2 ⎫ 70.6qBμ ⎧ φμct r 2 ⎫
pi − p = ei ⎨ ⎬ ei⎨ ⎬
4 π kh ⎩ 4 kt ⎭ kh ⎩ 4 × 0.000264kt ⎭
∞
e−s
ei(x) = ∫ ds exponential integral
s=x
s
Reservoir Engineering
Fluid Flow: Well Testing 6.2.12
Approximating The Exponential Integral
∞
e− s
ei( x) = ∫ ds
s= x
s

⎛ 1 ⎞
If x<0.01 ei ( x ) ≅ ln⎜ ⎟
⎝ 1.781x ⎠

⎧ φμct r 2 ⎫ If r = rw, then x usually <0.01

x=⎨ ⎬
⎩ 4 × 0.000264kt ⎭ after a few minutes

Reservoir Engineering
Fluid Flow: Well Testing 6.2.13
 Constant Rate Transient Solution at the Well
qB
p = pi at t = 0 for all r

p = pi at r = ∞ for all t
p
Well approximates a line

r= rw and t > 1 minute

rw re
S.I. Units Field Units

qBμ ⎡ ⎧⎪ 4k t ⎫⎪ ⎤ 162.6qBμ ⎡ ⎧ kt ⎫ ⎤
pi − pwf = ⎢ ln ⎨ ⎬⎥ log
⎢ 10 ⎨ 2⎬
− 3 . 23⎥
4π k h ⎢⎣ ⎪⎩ 1 . 781 φ μ c t r w2 ⎪⎭ ⎥⎦ kh φμ c r
⎣ ⎩ t w ⎭ ⎦

Reservoir Engineering
Fluid Flow: Well Testing 6.2.14
 How Long Does Transient Flow Last?

Defined by rock and fluid properties for a specific reservoir

φ μ c t re 2
t ≅ 948 (field units)
k

Marks the approximate end of transient flow and the

beginning of pseudosteady state flow for a well in the
center of a circular reservoir.

Irregular drainage shapes and well locations shorten the

time to the end of transient flow and lengthen the time
to the start of pseudosteady state flow.

Reservoir Engineering
Fluid Flow: Well Testing 6.2.15
 The Concept of Skin

“Expected” flowing pressure

Δp skin
Actual flowing pressure
rw
r
Skin is any phenomenon at the wellbore which results in
flowing pressures that are different from radial flow theory

Reservoir Engineering
Fluid Flow: Well Testing 6.2.16
 The Skin Factor

Define skin factor, s (dimensionless)

qBμ
Δp skin = s SI Units
2 πkh

141.2qBμ
= s Field Units
kh

Reservoir Engineering
Fluid Flow: Well Testing 6.2.17
 Wellbore Solutions Incorporating Skin
Transient (field units)

162.6q Bμ ⎡ ⎧ k ⎫ ⎤
pi − pwf = ⎢log10 t + log10 ⎨ 2⎬
− 3.23 + 0.869s ⎥
kh ⎣ ⎩φμ ct rw ⎭ ⎦

Pseudosteady state (field units) using pressure at external boundary

141.2qBμ ⎧ ⎛ re ⎞ 1 ⎫
pe − pwf = ⎨ln⎜⎜ ⎟⎟ − + s ⎬
kh ⎩ ⎝ rw ⎠ 2 ⎭
Pseudosteady state (field units) using average drainage area pressure

141.2qBμ ⎧ ⎛ r e ⎞ 3 ⎫
p − pwf = ⎨ln⎜⎜ ⎟⎟ − + s ⎬
kh ⎩ ⎝ rw ⎠ 4 ⎭

Reservoir Engineering
Fluid Flow: Well Testing 6.2.18
 The Total Skin Factor
Well tests measure the total skin factor (s) which can be composed of

S = Sd + Sr + Sp + St + Sgp + Stp + Sws + Sf + ???

Sd= altered permeability (damage or stimulation)
Sr= restricted entry
Sp= perforations
St= non-Darcy flow (usually only in gas wells)
Sgp= gravel pack
Stp= two-phase flow near the wellbore
Sws= slanted well (negative skin)
Sf= Fracture (negative skin)
Reservoir Engineering
Fluid Flow: Well Testing 6.2.19
 Skin Factor Expressed as Zone of Altered Permeability

zone of altered permeability (ka) with radius ra

wellbore with radius rw

ke − ka ra
S= ln( )
ka rw
original (unaffected) permeability: ke

Reservoir Engineering
Fluid Flow: Well Testing 6.2.20
Skin Factor Expressed as an Effective Wellbore Radius

qB μ ⎡ ⎛ r ⎞ ⎤
p − p wf = ⎢ ln ⎜⎜ ⎟⎟ + s⎥
2π kh ⎣ ⎝ rw ⎠ ⎦

qB μ ⎡ ⎛ r ⎞ ⎛ r ⎞⎤
p − p wf = ⎢ln ⎜⎜ ⎟⎟ + ln ⎜ w ⎟⎥
2πkh ⎢ ⎝ rw ⎠ ⎜ rw ⎟⎥
⎣ ⎝ eff ⎠⎦

⎛ r ⎞ −s
s = ln⎜ w ⎟ rweff = rwe
⎜ rw ⎟
⎝ eff ⎠
Reservoir Engineering
Fluid Flow: Well Testing 6.2.21
 Skin Factor and Flow Efficiency

ƒ For a Given Rate q

(
ƒ Actual Pressure Drop p − pwf Includes ) Δpskin
ƒ Ideal Pressure Drop Subtracts Δpskin (p − p wf − Δpskin )
ƒ Define Flow Efficiency (FE)
– Ratio of ideal to actual pressure drop

FE =
( p − p − Δp ) wf skin

(p − p ) wf

ƒ Use FE to Predict Flow Rate Without Skin

qactual
qno _ skin =
FE
Reservoir Engineering
Fluid Flow: Well Testing 6.2.22
 Skin: Summary
ƒ Skin is a pressure drop that is in addition to
the reservoir pressure drop due to radial flow
ƒ Skin can only be determined if the radial flow
pressure drop can be calculated
ƒ Always try to decompose skin into its various
components
ƒ Skin control is an important aspect of well
quality control

Reservoir Engineering
Fluid Flow: Well Testing 6.2.23