Generalized Inflow Performance
Relationships for Three-Phase Flow
Michael L. Wiggins, SPE, U. of Oklahoma
Summary. This paper presents generalized liquid inflow performance relationships (IPR's) for three-phase flow in bounded, homoge-
neous reservoirs and new methods to predict present and future performance during boundary-dominated flow.
Introduction
IPR's are empirical relationships based on linear regression analysis
of simulator results that cover a wide range of reservoir fluid and
rock properties. The IPR's developed are compared with other
three-phase methods and yield similar results for production-pres-
sure behavior during boundary-dominated flow while being much
simpler to use.
The proposed IPR's were developed from analysis of multiphase
flow in bounded, homogeneous reservoirs without external influx
of fluids into the reservoir and apply to the boundary-dominated
flow regime. The relationships are limited by the assumptions that
(1) the reservoirs are initially at the bubblepoint, (2) no initial free
gas phase is present, (3) a mobile water phase is present for three-
phase studies, (4) Darcy's law for multiphase flow applies, (5) iso-
thermal conditions exist, (6) no reactions take place between reser-
voir fluids and reservoir rock, (7) no gas solubility exists in the
water, (8) gravity effects are negligible, and (9) the wellbore is fully
penetrating.
Development of Simulator Results
To develop generalized equations to predict inflow performance,
IPR curves were generated from simulator results for four basic sets
of relative permeability and fluid property data. Each data set was
used to generate simulator results from irreducible water saturation
to residual oil saturation (ROS). A total of 16 theoretical reservoirs
were examined from initial pressure to minimum flowing bottom-
hole pressure in 91 simulator runs. Reservoir properties varied as
follows: porosity, 12% to 24%; permeability, 10 to 100 md; height,
10 to 25 ft; temperature, 150 to 200°F; initial pressure, 1,500 to
3,500 psi; oil gravity, 15 to 45 °API; gas gravity, 0.6 to 0.7; water sol-
ids, 12% to 30%; ROS, 5% to 45%; irreducible water saturation,
10% to 50%; critical gas saturation, 0% to 7.5%; and drainage ra-
dius, 506 to 1,085 ft.
Simulator results were obtained for a radial flow geometry and
constant oil rate production. The model grid was established geo-
metrically so that each succeeding radius was 1.1 times larger than
the previous radius. The initial cellblock radius was 0.329 ft, with
a wellbore radius of 0.328 ft. Refs. 1 and 2 give additional reservoir
property details and simulator parameters.
Generalized IPR's
Figs. 1 and 2 present the simulator results for all cases studied along
with the resulting IPR equations. Overall, the average absolute error
was 4.39% for the oil IPR and 6.18% for the water IPR, indicating
that the generalized curves should be suitable for use over a wide
range of reservoir properties if the reservoir is producing under
boundary-dominated flow conditions.
The generalized IPR's are
~
qo,max
= 1-0.52 (P':!)-0.48 (P.:!)2
Pr Pr
2 Conclusions
and ~
qw,max
= 1-0.72 (P':!)-0.28
Pr
(P.:!) .
Pr
. . , .. ,
Copyright 1994 Society of Petroleum Engineers
Original SPE manuscript received for review March 21, 1993. Revised manuscript received
March 2, 1994. Paper accepted for publication March 17, 1994. Paper (SPE 25458) first pres-
ented at the 1993 SPE Production Operations Symposium held in Oklahoma City. March
21-23.
SPE Reservoir Engineering, August 1994
To test theirreliability, the generalized IPR's were compared with
Brown3 and Sukarno's4 three-phase IPR methods. Both methods
differ from the generalized three-phase IPR method presented be-
cause they couple the water and oil rates. The proposed method as-
sumes that each phase can be treated separately.
To evaluate the three methods, information generated by Sukar-
n04 using a simulator and presented in his Tables 6-24 to 6-26 was
selected for comparison. This information was not used in the devel-
opment ofthe proposed method and should give an unbiased indica-
tion of the reliability of the proposed IPR's. All three methods pro-
duce similar producing rate estimates, indicating that the
generalized three-phase IPR's yield suitable results. The maximum
difference between the simulator results and the generalized IPR is
3.98% for the oil phase and 7.08% for the water phase. This analysis
shows that any of the three methods appear suitable for use during
boundary-dominated flow; however, the proposed method is much
simpler to use without yielding any degree of reliability. Because of
their simplicity, the generalized IPR's are recommended for use in
applications to field data.
Predicting Future Performance
While IPR's yield estimates of well performance at the current stage
of reservoir depletion, there are times when the engineer wants to
predict future performance. Relationships were developed to pre-
dict future performance with the simulator results generated during
this study, The ratio of the maximum production rate to the current
maximum production rate was plotted against the ratio of the aver-
age reservoir pressures. Figs. 3 and 4 present the results, which
were fit with a linear regression model.
The resulting relationships for predicting future maximum pro-
duction rates are
qo.maxf _ (prf ) f
-q-- - 0.15 =
o,maxp Prp
+ 0.84 (Pr
= )2
Prp
................. (3)
(=_) (_)2
qw.maxf Prf Prf
and -q-- = 0.59
w,maxp Prp
+ 0.36 = ,
Prp
.............. (4)
where the subscripts!and P represent future and present conditions,
respectively. As the figures indicate, some variation exists between
the curves because of relative permeability and fluid property ef-
fects. The curves suggest that care should be taken in estimating fu-
ture performance over large stages of depletion because the error
may increase as prediction periods increase. Updating of initial fu-
ture performance estimates every 6 months to 1 year is recom-
mended; this would progressively reduce the uncertainty in earlier
(1)
estimates as depletion occurs in the reservoir.
, (2) 1. Generalized three-phase IPR's that are suitable for use over a
wide range of reservoir properties have been presented.
2. The generalized IPR's have been verified by use of information
presented by Sukam04 and by comparison to Brown3 and Sukar-
no's4 three-phase methods.
3. For the first time, a method has been proposed for predicting
future performance during three-phase boundary-dominated flow.
181
 1.0 __: : - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ,
• SimulalorResulIl
1.0--------------------,
• Simulalor Resu1Is

0.8 0.8

0.6 0.6

0.4 0.4

0.2 0.2

o.o+--.-~----~--,.-__.-~__,- ~ ........ 0.0 +----....---r--.----,r--........--r--.----r'"--.-~

0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
pwf/pr pwf/pr
Fig. 1-Comparison of simulator results with generalized oil Fig. 2-Comparison of simulator results with generalized water
IPR. IPR.

1.0...------------------... 1 . 0 - r - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -....

• Simulalor Resulrs
• Simulalor Resu1Is - Proposed Relalion
0.8 - Proposed Relation 0.8
y = 0.59x + 0.36x 2

y = 0.15x + 0.84x2

0.6 0.6

0.4 0.4

0.2 0.2

0.0 ...-=:;.....;;;.....,r----.--,--........--r--.....---,-......- . , 0.0 #'lC.::..,....-,......--.---r--.---r-.......- , - -.....----t

0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0

pr,f/pr,p pr,f/pr,p
Fig. 3-Comparison of simulator results with proposed method Fig. 4-Comparison of simulator results with proposed method
for determining future oil-phase performance. for determining future water-phase performance.

Nomenclature 51 Metric Conversion Factors

Pr = average reservoir pressure, mlLt2, psi o API 141.5/(131.5+ API) = glcm 3
0

Pwf = flowing wellbore pressure, mlLt2, psi bbl x 1.589 873 E-Ol = m3
% = oil production rate, L3/t, BID ft x 3.048* E-Ol = m
%,rnax = maximum oil production rate, L3/t, BID OF CF-32)/1.8 = °c
qw = water production rate, Oft, BID galx3.7854l2 E-03=m 3
qw,rnax = maximum water production rate, L3/t, BID md x 9.869 233 E - 04 = Ilm 2
x = prjlprp psi x 6.894 757 E + 00 = kPa
y = qrnax,f/qrnax,p "Conversion factor is exact. SPERE
References
1. Wiggins, M.L.: "Generalized Inflow Performance Relationships for
Michael L. Wiggins is an assistant professor of
Three-Phase Flow," paper SPE 25458 presented at the 1993 SPE Produc-
petroleum and geological engineering at the U.
tion Operations Symposium, Oklahoma City, March 21-23.
of Oklahoma. He has industrial experience with
2. Wiggins, M.L.: "Inflow Performance of Oil Wells Producing Water," PhD major and independent producers. He holds BS,
dissertation, Texas A&M D., College Station (1991). ME, and PhD degrees in petroleum engineering
3. Brown, K.E.: The Technology ofArtificial Lift Methods, PennWeli Pub- from Texas A&M U. Wiggins was a 1992-93
lishing Co., Tulsa (1984) 4, 18-35. member of the Production Operations Sympo-
4. Sukarno, P.: "Inflow Performance Relationship Curves in Two-Phase and sium program committee and has served as U.
Three-Phase Flow Conditions," PhD dissertation, D. of Tulsa, Tulsa of Oklahoma SPE Student Chapter faculty advis-
(1986). er since 1991.

182 SPE Reservoir Engineering, August 1994