Fluid Flow: Well Testing

Radial Flow Equations for Gas

 What’s Different About Gas

ƒ Fluid properties vary with pressure

ƒ Liquid radial flow theory assumed small

and constant fluid compressibility and

constant viscosity

ƒ Must correct this assumption

Reservoir Engineering
Fluid Flow: Well Testing 6.3.2
 Real Gas Pseudo-pressure
p
p
m( p) = 2 ∫ dp pb = base reference pressure
pb
μz (usually zero)

Differentiate w.r.t. pressure, time, and radius

Substitute in non-linear diffusivity equation

1 ∂ ⎛ kρ ∂ p ⎞ ∂p ∂ 2 m ( p ) 1 ∂ m ( p ) φμ c ∂ m ( p )
⎜⎜ r ⎟⎟ = φ c ρ + =
r ∂r ⎝ μ ∂r ⎠ ∂t ∂r 2
r ∂r k ∂t

Compare: ∂ 2 p 1 ∂ p φμ c ∂ p
+ =
∂r 2
r ∂r k ∂t

Reservoir Engineering
Fluid Flow: Well Testing 6.3.3
 Calculating Pseudo-pressures
Real gas 0.85 Gravity @ 200o F
PVT D ata Numerical I ntegration Pseudo Pressure
P μ Z 2P/ μ Z 2P/ μ Z ΔP 2P/ μ Z x Δ P m(p)= Σ 2P/ μ Z x Δ P
6
(psia ) cp x 10 x 10 6 (psia) 2 / cp
400 0.01286 0.9370 66391 33196 400 13.278 13.278 = 13.278 x106
800 0.01390 0.8820 130508 98449 400 39.380 52.658
1200 0.01530 0.8320 188537 159522 400 63.809 116.467
1600 0.01680 0.7940 239894 214216 400 85.686 202.153
2000 0.01840 0.7700 282326 261110 400 104.444 306.597
2400 0.02010 0.7630 312983 297655 400 119.062 425.659
2800 0.02170 0.7750 332986 322985 400 129.194 554.853
3200 0.02340 0.7970 343167 338079 400 135.231 690.084
3600 0.02500 0.8270 348247 345707 400 138.283 828.367
4000 0.02660 0.8600 349711 348979 400 139.592 967.958
4400 0.02831 0.8960 346924 348318 400 139.327 1107.285

2p
μZ 2p
Δp μz

Pressure
Reservoir Engineering
Fluid Flow: Well Testing 6.3.4
 m(p) versus p
for gas gravity = 0.85 @ temperature = 200’F
1200
pseudo-pressure in 106 x psia2/cp

1000

800

600

400

200

0
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000
pressure in psi
Reservoir Engineering
Fluid Flow: Well Testing 6.3.5
 m(p) Solution for Pseudosteady State Gas Flow

141.2qBμ ⎛ re 3 ⎞
Oil (SSS circular inflow) p − pwf = ⎜⎜ ln − + s ⎟⎟
kh ⎝ rw 4 ⎠
p
p z r Tr p sc
m( p) = 2 ∫ dp Bg =
pb
μz p r Tsc

1422 qT ⎛ re 3 ⎞
Gas (SSS circular inflow) m ( p ) − m ( p wf ) = ⎜⎜ ln − + stotal ⎟⎟
kh ⎝ rw 4 ⎠
μ , z r , and p r incorporated in LHS: m(p)

psc and Tsc incorporated in coefficient (1422)

Coefficient also modified for bbl → Mscf

d d
Reservoir Engineering
Fluid Flow: Well Testing 6.3.6
 m(p) Solution for Transient Radial Gas Flow

1,637qT ⎡ ⎛ k Δt ⎞ ⎤
m( p ) wf = m ( p )i − ⎢log⎜⎜ ⎟ − 3.23 + 0.87 stotal ⎥
2 ⎟
kh ⎣ ⎝ φμct rw ⎠ ⎦
Field Units m(p), psia2/cp
q, Mscf/d
T, degrees Rankine
k, md
h, feet
t, hours
φ, fraction
μ, cp
ct, psia-1
rw, feet

Reservoir Engineering
Fluid Flow: Well Testing 6.3.7
Simplifications to Pseudopressure Analysis
ƒ At “high” pressures, p versus μz is a
straight line. 2p
m( p ) =
μz ∫ dp

2p
= ( p1 − p2 )
μz
ƒ Gas behaves similarly to liquid.
ƒ Can use liquid equations with qgBg in
reservoir barrels per day.
Reservoir Engineering
Fluid Flow: Well Testing 6.3.8
Simplifications to Pseudopressure Analysis
ƒ At “low” pressures, μz is constant.

m( p) =
1
μz ∫ 2 pdp =
1
μz
( p12 − p22 )

So equations can be written in terms of

pressure squared where μ and z are evaluated
at the average of P1 and P2
ƒ Transient radial flow
1,637qT Z μg ⎡ kΔt ⎤
p 2
=p −
2
⎢ log( ) − 3.23 + 0.87 stotal ⎥
wf i
kh ⎣ φμct rw
2
⎦
Reservoir Engineering
Fluid Flow: Well Testing 6.3.9
 Pseudosteady State p2 Solution

141 . 2 qB μ ⎛ re 3 ⎞
Semi-steady state circular inflow: p − p wf = ⎜⎜ ln − + s ⎟⎟
kh ⎝ rw 4 ⎠
(Field Units)

z r Tr p sc 711qμ zT ⎛ re 3 ⎞
Bg = p − p wf = ⎜⎜ ln − + s ⎟⎟
p r Tsc khp r ⎝ rw 4 ⎠
pr ? Assume:
1422 q (μ z )T ⎛ re 3 ⎞
( )
2
1 p − p wf
2
= ⎜⎜ ln − + stotal ⎟⎟
pr = p + pwf kh ⎝ rw 4 ⎠
2

Reservoir Engineering
Fluid Flow: Well Testing 6.3.10
 Where are Pressure and Pressure
Squared Methods Applicable?
p
Pressure = constant Pressure Squared μz = constant
μz
Appears true only for low gravity Appears true for P < 2000 psi
gases unless drawdowns are small

p
and μz versus pressure for various gas gravities at 200 °F
μz
Reservoir Engineering
Fluid Flow: Well Testing 6.3.11
Gas Rate and PVT Properties For Wet Gases

ƒ Wet Gas
– Reservoir production is all vapor
– Surface production is separator gas and
liquid condensate
ƒ Flow Rates and Fluid Properties Should
be Based on Reservoir Gas Production

Reservoir Engineering
Fluid Flow: Well Testing 6.3.12
 Calculation of Wellstream Gas Rates

qw = qg + Veq qo

γo γo =
141.5
Mo =
6084
Veq = 133316
Μo 131.5 + API API − 5.9
Where:
qw= total wellstream gas production rates, scf/d
qg = total of all surface gas production rates, scf/d
qo = stock tank liquid production rate, bpd
Veq = vapor equivalent volume scf/stb
γo = condensate specific gravity
API = condensate API gravity
Mo = condensate molecular weight

Reservoir Engineering
Fluid Flow: Well Testing 6.3.13
 Equivalent Reservoir Fluid
(Wellstream) Specific Gravity

Rγ g + 4602γ o
γw =
R + 133316γ o
Mo

Where:
R = producing gas-oil ratio scf/bbl
γ = specific gravity of gas (g) or oil (o)
Mo = molecular weight of produced oil (condensate)

Reservoir Engineering
Fluid Flow: Well Testing 6.3.14
 Accounting For Non-Darcy Flow
From the pseudosteady state equation

1424Tq ⎛ re ⎞
m( p ) − m( p ) wf = ⎜
⎜ ln − 3 / 4 + stotal ⎟⎟
kh ⎝ rw ⎠
At high velocities the observed pressure drop is greater than predicted by
Darcy’s Law and changes as a function of flow rate
2
1424Tq
Δm( p ) non − Darcy = D where D is the non-Darcy coefficient, (Mscf/d)-1
kh
1424Tq ⎛ re ⎞ 1424T
m( p ) − m( p ) wf = ⎜⎜ ln − 3 / 4 + smech ⎟⎟ + Dq 2 = aq + bq 2
kh ⎝ rw ⎠ kh

1424Tq ⎛ re ⎞
m( p ) − m( p ) wf = ⎜
⎜ ln − 3 / 4 + smech + Dq ⎟⎟ where stotal = smech + Dq
kh ⎝ rw ⎠
Reservoir Engineering
Fluid Flow: Well Testing 6.3.15