VOL. 11, NO.

13, JULY 2016 ISSN 1819-6608

ARPN Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences
©2006-2016 Asian Research Publishing Network (ARPN). All rights reserved.

www.arpnjournals.com

PRESSURE AND PRESSURE DERIVATIVE ANALYSIS

FOR HYDRAULICALLY FRACTURED VERTICAL
WELLS WITH FACE SKIN
Freddy Humberto Escobar1, Ruben Alberto Gonzalez2, Laura Maria Hernandez2 and
Claudia Marcela Hernandez1
1Universidad Surcolombiana/CENIGAA, Avenida Pastrana, Neiva, Huila, Colombia
2The University of Oklahoma, Mewborne School of Petroleum and Geological Engineering, E. Boyd St. SEC Rm, Norman, Ok,
United States of America
E-Mail: fescobar@usco.edu.co

ABSTRACT
Pseudolinear flow takes place in finite-conductivity fractures when the fracture face possesses a moderate to high
face skin. Then, an apparent linear flow will be developed once wellbore storage has decayed. If given the case, the
interpreter should avoid interpreting the test using the model for an infinite-conductivity fracture. Although, the straight-
line conventional analysis has been included, this paper presents a methodology that uses characteristic points and lines
found on the pressure derivative plots. The formulated technique was applied to a synthetic example and successfully
compared to conventional analysis.

Keywords: fractured wells, fracture skin, TDS Technique, linear flow, bilinear flow.

1. INTRODUCTION wells. And, recently, Escobar, Zhao and Zhang (2014)

Undoubtedly, the work conducted by Gringarten,
Ramey and Raghavan (1974) was a breakthrough in the
field of well test interpretation for vertical fractured wells.
They used Green functions to develop the pressure
solution for infinite-conductivity and uniform-flux
hydraulic fractures. Then, Cinco, Samaniego and
Dominguez (1978) provided a semi analytic solution for
describing the pressure behavior of an oil well drained by
a finite-conductivity fracture. They provided the onset for
defining whether or not a fracture has infinite or finite
conductivity. The limiting value was set to 100 which for
practical sense became 300. Then, a fracture has infinite
conductivity when its dimensionless conductivity value,
CfD, is greater than 300. It has finite conductivity,
otherwise.\
Several researches have been conducted on the
formulation of methodologies for well test interpretation
of hydraulically fractured vertical wells. To name a few of
them: Escobar et al. (1999) applied the TDS Technique,
Tiab (1993a), to finite-conductivity fractured vertical oil
wells. They successfully applied the developed
expressions to field and synthetic data and pointed out the
practicability of this methodology. Later, Nunez, Tiab and
Escobar (2003) extended the former work for gas wells
using the pseudopressure and pseudopressure derivative
function. Tiab (1993b) introduced the elliptical flow
regime and provided its characterization via TDS
Technique applied to oil wells. The conventional analysis
methodology was later presented by Escobar,
Montealegre-M and Cantillo (2006). Escobar et al. (2012)
found for gas wells that the pseudotime function helps to
better characterized both fractured wells and naturally
fractured formations. They provided TDS technique as the
interpretation tool. The same year, Escobar, Bonilla and
Cicery (2012) characterized heavy oil formations drained
by infinite-conductivity hydraulically fractured vertical
presented an interpretation methodology for bi-zonal
(composite) gas reservoirs also using the TDS Technique.
Escobar, Ghisays and Bonilla (2014) presented a new
model for the elliptical flow regime and homogeneous and
fractured occurring formations when they are produced
through fractured wells. Also, Escobar et al. (2015)
presented well test interpretation in fractured wells in
which the threshold pressure gradient plays an important
role. All the former works referred to transient pressure
analysis. As far as transient rate analysis is concerned,
Escobar, Castro and Mosquera (2014) presented the TDS
methodology for infinite and finite-conductivity
hydraulically fractured gas and oil wells.
The model for pseudolinear flow regime was
introduced by Wong, Harrington and Cinco-Ley (1984)
and they applied conventional analysis for well test
interpretation in such systems. A typical of case of a
damaged fractured well is given in Figure-1. Early data is
affected by pseudolinear flow regime and the bilinear
behavior shows up once wellbore storage effect are
vanished. The purpose of this work is to extend TDS
Technique for pseudolinear flow. The developed
expressions were successfully tested with synthetic
examples.
2. MATHEMATICAL FORMULATION
2.1. Mathematical model

8268
 VOL. 11, NO. 13, JULY 2016 ISSN 1819-6608
ARPN Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences
©2006-2016 Asian Research Publishing Network (ARPN). All rights reserved.

www.arpnjournals.com

1000 In-situ proppant

permeability, kf Altered zone
Pseudolinear flow
thickness, w a
regime
100
Bilinear flow
 P & t *P ', psi

regime

10

Fracture width, wf Fracture face altered

Wellbore storage
zone zone permeability, ka
1

Figure-2. Finite-conductive fracture with fracture face

0.1
skin. After Stewart (2011).
0.0001 0.001 0.01 0.1 1 10 100
t , hr

 wa  k
Figure-1. Pearsall field horizontal well data. After S fs x f    1
Stewart (2011). 2  ka 
(7)
Wong et al. (1984) presented the mathematical Substituting the dimensionless quantities given
solution for pressure behavior under pseudolinear by Equations (3), (4), (6) and (7) into Equation (1), it
conditions: yields:

 3/2  S fs
( PD ) PLF  PLF 
(tDxf )1/2 (1) k 
4 S fs C fD C fD  2 wa   1 k
khPPLF  ka  

141.2q B 2k f w f (8)
which pressure derivative is:
2
 3/2
2x k
f 0.0002637kt
 3/2
(tD * PD ') PLF  (t 1/2
) (2) 4 k   ct x 2f
8 S fs C fD
Dxf PLF
 wa   1 k f w f
 ka 
where the dimensionless quantities are defined by
Equation (8) implies that a Cartesian plot of
pressure or pressure drop versus the square-root of time
0.0002637kt (3) will yield a straight line which general equation is given
tDxf =
 ct x 2f by:

khP PPLF  bPLF  mPLF t PLF (9)

PD  (4)
141.2q  B
Notice that for pressure buildup test, the tandem
kh(t * P ') square root is plotted insetad.
t D * PD '  (5) After substituting Equation (7) in Equation (9),
141.2q  B the intercept and slope can be used to estimate fracture
conductivity and the wa(k/ka-1) product, respectively:
k f wf
C fD  (6)
k xf 798.7 q 2  B  B
k f wf 
mPLF bPLF h 2 k ct
(10)
The system under study is given in Figure-2. The
fracture is surrounded by a zone of reduced permeability – 2
fracture face skin- then flow towards the fracture face is k   bPLF h 
impaired, then only flow along the fracture is seen. This is
wa   1    k k f wf
reflected as a linear flow regime.  ka   313.7q B  (11)

2.2. Conventional analysis 2.3. TDS Technique

Wong et al. (1984), who introduced conventional The pressure and pressure derivative behavior
analysis for the case under study, defined the product of generated by the model proposed by Wong et al. (1984) is
fracture face skin by the half-fracture length by: given in Figure-3. A linear flow along the fracture
characterized by a slope of 0.5 on the pressure derivative
is given instead of a bilinear flow regime with slope of ¼

8269
 VOL. 11, NO. 13, JULY 2016 ISSN 1819-6608
ARPN Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences
©2006-2016 Asian Research Publishing Network (ARPN). All rights reserved.

www.arpnjournals.com

on pressure derivative. If the skin and damage zone width Substituting the dimensionless parameters in the
are small; then, the bilinear flow regime can be seen as above expression:
shown by the field example provided by Stewart (2011).
The pseudolinear behavior is mathematically treated 1/ 2
1  ktPLF   (P ) PLF 
below. S fs      2 (16)
156.814 x f   ct   (t * P ') PLF 
1.E+01

Use of Equation (7) in Equation (16) leads to find

1.E+00 the wa(k/ka-1) product:
PD & tDxf *PD '

Radial flow
1/2
k  1  kt PLF   (P ) PLF 
regime

wa   1   2  (17)
1.E-01
`
  
Pseudolinear
 ka  246.33   ct   (t * P ') PLF 
1.E-02 flow regime

During radial flow the dimensionless pressure

1.E-03 derivative is a straight line with zero slope which takes the
1.E-04 1.E-03 1.E-02 1.E-01 1.E+00
t Dxf
1.E+01 1.E+02 1.E+03 1.E+04 1.E+05
value of one half. In such case, a horizontal line is drawn
along the radial flow regime and the pressure derivative
Figure-3. Dimensionless pressure and pressure derivative corresponding to such line is read and horizontal
versus dimensionless time behavior for a finite- permeability can be obtained from the following
conductivity fractured vertical well with face skin, Sfs = expression developed by Tiab (1993a):
0.08 and CfD = 100.
70.6q B (18)
After substituting Equations (3), (5) and (6) into k
h(t * P ')r
the pressure derivative governing equation, Equation (2),
we obtain,
Tiab (1993a) also provided an expression to find
the skin factor by reading the pressure drop at any
kh(t * P ') PLF  k 3/2
0.0002637tPLF arbitrary time during radial flow:
 (12)
141.2q B 8 S fs k f w f  ct x f
 Pr  k tr  
Substituting Equation (7) and solving for the Sm  0.5   ln  2
 7.43  (19)
fracture conductivity, it yields:  (t * P ') r   ct rw  

2 Cinco et al. (1978) presented the pressure model

1.6216 tPLF  q B  (13) for finite-conductivity fractures:
k f wf   
k   ct  h (t * P ') PLF 
wa   1 2.451 4
 ka  PD  t Dxf  S fr (20)
C1/2
fD
Equation (12) is used by reading an arbitrary
point during the pseudolinear flow regime. However, it is Assuming the fracture skin is negligible and
better to read an averaged point which is obtained by substituting the dimensionless quantities in the above
extrapolating the one-half straight line to the time of one expression and solving for the fracture conductivity, Tiab
hour, then, Equation (13) becomes: et al. (1999) found a way to find fracture conductivity:
2
1.6216  q B  1  q B 
2
k f wf    k f w f  1947.46
k   h(t * P ') PLF 1    (21)
 ct wa   1  ct k  h(P) BL1 
 ka 
(14) The pressure derivative of Equation (20) is:

Dividing the pressure equation, Equation (1), by 0.6127 4

the pressure derivative expression, Equation (2), it yields: tDxf * PD '  t Dxf (22)
C1/2
fD
( PD ) PLF 8S fs
 2 (15)
Also, Tiab et al. (1999) substituted the
(t D * PD ') PLF  (tDxf )1/2
PLF
dimensionless parameters another form of obtaining
fracture conductivity:

8270
 VOL. 11, NO. 13, JULY 2016 ISSN 1819-6608
ARPN Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences
©2006-2016 Asian Research Publishing Network (ARPN). All rights reserved.

www.arpnjournals.com

2 Cinco-Ley et al. (1978) also presented the

121.74  q B  following equation for the same purpose:
k f wf    (23)
 ct k  h(t * P ') BL1 
  1.92173  3.31739 
Sm  ln  rw    (29)
  x f 
Equations (21) and (23) use, respectively, values k f w f 
of pressure and pressure derivative at a time of 1 hr. This
is practical since allows averaging the pressure and
pressure derivative data values: rw 1.65  0.32u  0.11u 2
Tiab et al. (1999) also presented an important u  ln  (30)
equation that enables us to find fracture conductivity from x f 1  0.18u  0.064u 2  0.0054u 3
the intersection point between the pressure derivatives of
radial flow and bilinear flow regimes, tRBLi, 3. SYNTHETIC EXAMPLE
A synthetic test was simulated with Equation (1)
 ct with the information given below:
t RBLi  1677 (k f w f )2 (24)
k3 B = 1.1 bbl/STB q = 500 STB/D
h = 30 ft  = 2.5 cp
xf = 200 ft ct = 1x10-5 psi-1
2.3.1. Relation between Pseudolinear and Bilinear flow
Pi = 1950 psi  = 10 %
regimes
k = 50 md rw = 0.3
In this work, we found that the point of
CfD = 80 Sfs = 0.1
intersection between the pressure derivatives of
pseudolinear flow regime, Equation (2), and bilinear flow
Estimate fracture conductivity and the wa(k/ka-1)
regime, Equation (22), to also estimate wa(k/ka-1) product
product using both TDS Technique and conventional
by the application of Equation(7);
analysis.

k  1 kt PFLBLi Solution by TDS Tecnique

wa   1  (25)
 a 
k 74.954  ct The following data were read from Figure-4.

2.3.2. Relation between Pseudolinear and Radial Flow tr = 436.4 hr Pr = 321.6 psi
Regimes (t*P’)r = 64.5 psi tPLF = 1.07 hr
As mentioned before, the dimensionless pressure PPLF = 35.12 psi (t*P’)PLF = 7.92 psi
derivative takes the value of one half during radial flow tPLFRi = 23 hr
regime. Then, if the right-hand side of Equation (2) is set
to 0.5, the following expression can be obtained: 1000
PPLF  321.6 psi

k  k 2t PFLRi 100 (t * P ') r  64.5 psi

wa   1  (26) (t * P ') PLF  7.92 psi
 P & t *P ', psi

 ka  3073.832 ct (k f w f )
10 t PLFRi  23 hr
PPLF  35.12 psi
2.3.3. Other Useful Relationships
Tiab (1997) presented an excellent expression to 1
t PLF  436.4 hr
find half-fracture length when fracture conductivity is t PLF  1.07 hr
known or vice versa:
0.1
0.001 0.01 0.1 1 10 100 1000

1.92173 (27)
t , hr

xf 
1 3.31739 Figure-4. Pressure and pressure derivative versus time
 log-log plot for the synthetic example.
rwe  Sm k f wf
Use of Equations (18) and (19) allow finding permeability
Economides, Watters and Dunn-Norman (1988) and mechanical skin factor:
presented the below to find the skin factor when radial
flow is unseen but the half-fracture length is known: 70.6q B 70.6(500)(2.5)(1.1)
k   50.2 md
h(t * P ') r (30)(64.5)
  1.92173  3.31739 
Sm  ln  rw    (28)
  x f  k f w f 

8271
 VOL. 11, NO. 13, JULY 2016 ISSN 1819-6608
ARPN Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences
©2006-2016 Asian Research Publishing Network (ARPN). All rights reserved.

www.arpnjournals.com

 321.6  (50.2)(436.4)   798.7(5002 )(2.5)(1.1) (2.5)(1.1)

Sm  0.5   ln  5 2 
 7.43  k f wf 
 64.5  (0.1)(2.5)(1  10 )(0.3 )   (26.1)(8.11)(302 ) (50.2)(0.1)(1105 )
kfwf = 665340.8 md-ft
Sm = -6.5 k   (8.11)(30) 
2

wa   1    (50.2)(665340.8)
 a  
k 313.7(500)(2.5)(1.1) 
Equation (17) is use to find the wa(k/ka-1) product: wa(k/ka-1) = 10.67 ft
Find dimensionless fracture conductivity with
1/2 Equation (6);
k  1  50.2(1.07)   35.1 
wa   1   5    2
 ka  246.33  (0.1)(2.5)(1 10 )   13.6  k f wf 665340.8
C fD    66.3
k xf (50.2)(200)
wa(k/ka-1) = 10.9 ft

Determine fracture conductivity with Equation (13) The estimation of fracture conductivity in the
example is 80. The TDS technique provided a closer value
2 than conventional analysis.
1.6216 1.07  500(2.5)(1.1) 
k f wf  5  
10.9 (0.1)(2.5)(110 )  30(13.62)  CONCLUSIONS
kfwf = 721057.2 md-ft New expressions for the estimation of fracture
conductivity and the wa(k/ka-1) product (a total of three)
Determine the dimensionless fracture were developed to characterize the pseudolinear flow
conductivity with Equation (6); regime found on hydraulic fracture with face skin. The
expressions were succesfully tested with a simulated
example providing acceptable results compared to the
k f wf 721057.2 input-simulated values and conventional analysis provided
C fD    71.9
k xf (50.2)(200) by Cinco et al. (1978).

Equation (26) allows verifying the wa(k/ka-1) product: ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors thank Universidad Surcolombiana,
and the University of Oklahoma for providing financial
k  (50.22 )(23)
wa   1  5
support for the completion of this study.
 ka  3073.832(0.1)(2.5)(110 )(721057.2)
wa(k/ka-1) = 10.46 ft Nomenclature

Solution by Conventional analysis B Volume factor, rb/STB

The slope and intercept from the Cartesian plot of bPLF Intercept of the P vs. t0.5 Cartesian plot
Figure-5 are: CfD Fracture conductivity
ct Total system compressibility, psi-1
mPLF = 26.1 psi/hr0.5 h Reservoir thickness, ft
bPLF = 8.11 psi k Reservoir horizontal permeability, md
Find fracture conductivity and the wa(k/ka-1) ka Fracture face altered zone permeability, md
product using Equations (10) and (11); mPLF Slope of the P vs. t0.5 Cartesian plot
P Pressure, psi
400
Pi Initial reservoir pressure, psi
Pwf Wellbore flowing pressure, psi
300 q Flow rate, BPD
rw Wellbore radius , ft
mPLF  26.1 psi / hr 0.5 Skin factor
 P, psi

200
S
Sm Mechanical kin factor
Sfs Skin fracture in fracture face
100
Sfr Fracture skin
bPLF  8.11 psi
t Time, days
0 tD Dimensionless time coordinate
0 5 10 15 20 25
t , hr tD*PD’ Dimensionless pressure derivative
Figure-5. Pressure drop versus square root of time (t*P’) Pressure derivative
Cartesian plot for the synthetic example. xf Half-fracture length, ft
wa Altered zone thickness, ft

8272
 VOL. 11, NO. 13, JULY 2016 ISSN 1819-6608
ARPN Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences
©2006-2016 Asian Research Publishing Network (ARPN). All rights reserved.

www.arpnjournals.com

Greeks Escobar F.H., Zhao Y.L. and Fahes M. 2015.

 Porosity, fraction
 Viscosity, cp
Suffices
D Dimensionless
i Initial
PLF Pseudolinear flow regime
PLFBLi Pseudolinear an bilinear intersection
PLFRi Pseudolinear an radial intersection
r Radial
REFERENCES
Cinco L., H., Samaniego V., F. and Dominguez A. N.
1978. Transient Pressure Behavior for a Well with a
Finite-Conductivity Vertical Fracture. Society of
Petroleum Engineers. doi:10.2118/6014-PA.
Economides M.J., Watters Dunn-Norman S. 1988.
Petroleum Well Construction. John Wiley and Sons, New
York, USA. p. 622.
Escobar F.H., Montealegre-M. M. and Cantillo J.H. 2006.
Conventional Analysis for Characterization of Bi-Radial
(Elliptical) Flow in Infinite-Conductivity Vertical
Fractured Wells. CT and F - Ciencia, Tecnología and
Futuro. 3(2): 141-147. ISSN 0122-5383.
Escobar F.H., Martinez L.Y., Méndez L.J. and Bonilla
L.F. 2012. Pseudotime Application to Hydraulically
Fractured Vertical Gas Wells and Heterogeneous Gas
Reservoirs Using the TDS Technique. Journal of
Engineering and Applied Sciences. 7(3): 260-271.
Escobar F.H., Bonilla D.F. and Cicery Y.Y. 2012.
Pressure and Pressure Derivative Analysis for
Pseudoplastic Fluids in Vertical Fractured Wells. Journal
of Engineering and Applied Sciences. 7(8).
Escobar F.H., Zhao Y.L. and Zhang L.H. 2014.
Interpretation of Pressure Tests in Hydraulically-Fractured
Wells in Bi-Zonal Gas Reservoirs. Ingeniería e
Investigación. 34(4): 76-84.
Escobar F.H., Castro J.R. and Mosquera J.S. 2014. Rate-
Transient Analysis for Hydraulically Fractured Vertical
Oil and Gas Wells. Journal of Engineering and Applied
Sciences. 9(5): 739-749.
Characterization of the naturally fractured reservoir
parameters in infinite-conductivity hydraulically-fractured
vertical wells by transient pressure analysis. Journal of
Engineering and Applied Sciences. 10(12): 5352-5362.
Escobar F.H., Zhao Y.L., Pournik M., Liu Q.G. and
Olaya-Marin G. 2015. Interpretation of Pressure Tests in
Uniform-Flux Fractured Vertical Wells with Threshold
Pressure Gradient in Low Permeability Reservoirs. Journal
of Engineering and Applied Sciences. 10(20): 9364-9372.
Gringarten A.C., Ramey H.J., Jr. and Raghavan R. 1974.
Applied Pressure Analysis for Fractured Wells. J. Pet.
Tech., July: 793-800.
Nunez W., Tiab D. and Escobar F. H. 2003, January 1.
Transient Pressure Analysis for a Vertical Gas Well
Intersected by a Finite-Conductivity Fracture. Society of
Petroleum Engineers. doi:10.2118/80915-MS.
Stewart G. 2011. Well Test Design and Analysis. Penn
Well Corporation. Tulsa, OK. USA. p. 1544.
Tiab D. 1993a. Analysis of Pressure and Pressure
Derivative without Type-Curve Matching: 1- Skin and
Wellbore Storage. Journal of Petroleum Science and
Engineering, Vol. 12, pp. 171-181. Also Paper SPE 25423
(1993) Production Operations Symposium held in
Oklahoma City, OK.
Tiab D. 1993b. Analysis of Pressure and Pressure
Derivative without Type-Curve Matching - III. Vertically
Fractured Wells in Closed Systems. Society of Petroleum
Engineers. doi:10.2118/26138-MS.
Tiab D. 1997. Advances in Pressure Transient Analysis.
UPTEC Training Manual, Norman, OK. p. 577.
Tiab D., Azzougen A., Escobar F. H. and Berumen S.
1999, January 1. Analysis of Pressure Derivative Data of
Finite-Conductivity Fractures by the “Direct Synthesis.
Technique. Society of Petroleum Engineers.
doi:10.2118/52201-MS.
Wong D.W., Harrington A.G. and Cinco-Ley H. 1984.
Application of the Pressure Derivative Function in the
Pressure Transient Testing of Fractured Wells. SPE 13056,
SPEFE. 1 (5): 470-480.

Escobar F.H., Ghisays-Ruiz A. and Bonilla L.F. 2014.

New Model for Elliptical Flow Regime in Hydraulically-
Fractured Vertical Wells in Homogeneous and Naturally-
Fractured Systems. Journal of Engineering and Applied
Sciences. ISSN 1819-6608. 9(9): 1629-1636.

8273