,,

Two-Phase Flow of Volatile Hydrocarbons

)
GEOPETROLE
V, J. KNIAZEFF
S. A. NAVILLE SN REPAL
PARIS, FRANCE

,,
i
ABSTIU)CT ‘ships for the pressure and the maturations vs the . ,
space coordinates and th,e time.
The problem of unsteady-state condensate-gas
The equations contain, the laws governing the
flow tbiough porous media leads to a set of second.
comptisition and the. motion of the phases. The
order non- linear partial difjerentia 1 equations. Such
problim so defined is solved. wiih the assurnptiop
a set of equations is numerically soiued in the
that the compositions of the phases at any pressure
case of radial two-phase flow around a well, taking
consideration both the therrnodynamical
are’ respectively the same as rhose observed in a
into
PVT measuring cell under differential liberation.
properties of the fluid and the mechanical propertied
Irr a first series of computations, it “was assumed
of the reservoir. .
The fluid properties, reflecting the PVT relation= that the flow obeys the ‘generalised ‘2arcy’s Iaw.
A satisfactory reptesentstion of the retrograde
ship of the gaseous and liquid phases, are expressed
condensation around ,tbe well was thus obtained.
by using the partial speci[ic masses of the two
In Addition, the trend toward decreasing effective
main separator products in these phases. The flow
permeabilities was obtained, And the computed
prc>erties of the reservoir rock are expressed by
composition of the effluent checked the laborato~
the generalized Darcy’s law for the liquid phase
values. However, it has’ not been possible within
and by a quadratic reZationsh ip bet ween the rate of
this basic assumption co represent the non-linear
flow and the pressure ,gradient for the gaseous
relationship be”tween the production rate and the
pbasc,
bottom-hole, pressure drawdown as observed for
The numerical solution of the equations for
gas wells in the field.
pressure and saturation. us radius and time is
Following the advice of M. A. Houpeurt it was
worke~ out through programs written for a computer.
The evolution o/ bottom-bole pressures, well
decided to consider .r+e relative permeability to
gas as a function of the velocity of ‘the gas phase. I
productivity ies or deliuer~bilitr’es and effluenz
con+os itions with the depletion of the reservoir is The necessary ~hy:ical determinations wer~ made
easily deriued. by E. Costaseque using a method devised by
The application to the, Saharian gas.condensat e Messieurs A. Houpeurt and R. Iffy.
As numerical processing of the equations pro-
field iiassi R ‘Mel +d to a better understanding oj
tke drainage mecbanisn A zone o{ fairly high liquid
gressed, several difficultiess were encountered
saturation develops around the wells, reducing the which were overcome through co Elaboration with
effective permeability, and represents a loss of
the coinputer manufacturer.
condensable products in addition to the PVT-like This mathematical model. of two-phase flow in
porous media had been primarily intended for and
retrograde condensation. Inside this zone; near
the well, the deviation from Darcy’s law for the
extensively applitid to the case of ‘the Hassi R’Mel
gae-condensate field, operated by SN Repal for
flow 0/ the gaseous phase governs the well deliver.
ability. A back-pressure test has be~n computee’
SEHR, a joint subsidiary of SN Repal and CFP,
(A). The programs have also found their applications
and correlates with the field results.
to forecast the behavior of several fields in the
Sahara area cc~taining light and volatile hydro-
INTRODUCTION
carbons.
Two-phase flow of voIatile hydrocarbons, Iike
BASIC EQUATIONS
condensate gas or light crude oil, may be treated
as the fIow of a binaty mixture by ‘an arbitrary We wiil %&hsider a zone in &e porous reservoir
division of the chem!cal components into two where the flow properties ahd the in situ cbmposi tion
groups. This is translated; into two equations of of the flujds can be assumed to be uniform. A part .
mass continuity, which constitute a set of relation- of the equations of transient flow can be written
with the specific gra~ity of the fluids being taken . . . .
Orlgiml manuscript received in .sOCietY of petroleum equal to ‘the sum of the contributions due to the
Engineers office Aug. 14, 1964. RevIsedT%_anuscrlptreceived
~e:t$,, !96S. Riper presented et WE 39th Annual Fall
tR#ef&es given at” end of r-r-

MARCH, 1.96.S a?

.: .“ 1
!,, .
. . .
—. .-. _.
.—— —.— ._. .,. —_— ____ _—_____
 , 1. . ,>
1

,. ,
,--- -. . . -. .,

independent constituents. chromatography of gas samples;

Q
The equations of mass continuity for the inde- 3. the specific mass of this gas phase ‘VS
pendent” constituents are: pressure;
4. the analysis of the Iiquid !ttase vs pressure,
for instance computed by dividing the molecular
concentrations in the gas phase by the equilibrium
div (p,R)=’&(IP p,) .,* . . (I) .
coefficients;
5. the specific mass of’ this liquid phase, by
interpretation of laboratory measurements, or by
In thecase of”flow involving chemical rea’ctions,
correlations using the composition of the liquid
it is necessary to take as constituents the elements
phase; and ,
or undissoci~ted groups of elements within the
prevailing reactims. However, in the case under 6. the distribution by weight of the various
consideration here, of flow without chemical components of the effluent in the two main separator
reactions, constituents are either the .ehemical products. This will be obtained preferably using
species or defined groups of chemical species. the records of the actual field separation plant,
Additional information on the flow properties .of but can be supplemented by equilibrium flash
the constituents should be combined with the above computatioir ,or interpretation of a laboratory
separation test often “included in the PVT. report.
equations, but we are concerned with case’s where
Now, thi four partial specific masses are the
the flow properties are given for the phases and
not for the constituents. Consequently, this in- following functions of the pressure only:
formation should express first the relationships
between constituents and phases, and second,
the flow properties of the phases themselves.
Taking into consideration the existepce of phases
the equations of continuity become:

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
CONSTITUENTS AND PHASES These definitions assume thermodynamic
The following method to establish the relation- equilibrium between the phases. l%e coefficients
ship between the constituents and the phases, Xh are determined for a given, status” of the field
has been devised. It is assumed that in the and of the sepamtion process, and, strictly speaking,
reservoir, all the molecules CObe produced and ro they hold only at the time of sampling. Practically,
be separated as rhe main commercial product (i.e.’ their validity extends over a large interval” of the r
pipe-line gas in the case of a condensate field, productive life of the field but it is only natural
or tank-oil for an oil field) bear a distinctive that the accuracy of the four functions declines .
mark. with time. The four sDecific. masses are functions i
l%e four partial specific rnaks of the two of the pressure only and not of the” satutatioh,
constituents in the two phases are dkfined as because the practice of PVT studies on given
“ follows for the case of a condensate-gas field: ~g separator sampies recombined at variou”s ratios
shows that the composition of the””phases (liquid
mass of molecules+ to become commercial gas,
in unit pore space volume of reaetvoir gas phase;
and gas)ara determined pressure is insensitive,
mass of the ‘,ocher products in same unit to the relative amounts of the phases, i.e. of the
P2
vo f ume; plo mass of molecules to become com- saturation, either in a flash (o! constant mass)
mercial gas in unir pore space volume of reservoir study, or in a differential liberatl on.
liquid phase;” and ~. mass of other products in Finally the form given to the equations (2) is
same unit volume. the following: ,.
AIt.ernate definitions for an oil reservoir are
straightforward. ”
PRACTICAL DETERMINATION OF
THE PARTIAL SP~CIFIC MASSES

Referring to the PVT report on a sampIe of

r ,.
effluent from the ‘field under consideration, it is
possible to read or compute: REPRESENTATIVE POLYNOMIALS AND
L. the analysis o’f the effluent;. ~. CHECK. OF THE PARTIAL SPECIFIC MASSES . :—
2. the analysis of the gas phase at reservoir For use in the programs as they have actually
temperature and at iarious pressirres, preferably been designed, the four partial specific masses
obtained during a ‘ differential. liberation, by
30 . SOCIETY OF PETROLBUM ENQ1NEEE9 ZOUItNAL

. .
 . ,: “ -!

,/
—

have to be written as polynomials of which the In the case of condensate-gas wells, and as a
pressure is the variable. It is necessary to check consequence of the non-linear relationship between ,,
that the four polynomials closely refIect the PVT the production rate of the wells and the bottom-
properties from which they have been obtained. To hole preaaure drawdown, it has been necessary
carry out this check, an unit volume cell containing to take into account the effects of deviation from
some of die two phaaes in equilibrium at pressure Darcy’a law. These effects are especially marked
p is considered. Th& mass of fluids ‘in this cell isi in the well vicinity, where Vg is greatea t. A
quadratic expression for ,th~” relationship between
!1 ‘g (pig+ ~zg)+ % (P1O + P20) the gss-phase rate vs the preaaure gradient was
takens and arranged as follows:
~1
I The mass of fluids in the cell is now:
,’
(Sg + ~Sg) (Pig + ~pig +’ P2g +- dp28) + (So
,
+ also) (Plo + d~o + Pzo + d P20).

where v is the parameter associated with-” the

If second-order infinitesimal terms are.neglecced, cieviatio;gfrom Darcy’s law. Where applicable, the
end the equation rearranged, variation of mass of generalized Darcy’s law is used by selecting a
Constituent I will be, for any infinitesimal with- very high value for v in Eq. S.
drawal, Most of the informa%on required for the effective
Sg dplg + so dplo’+ dsg plg + dso plo. use of the 13qs, 4 and- 5 is obtained through weIl
known procedures, except in the case- where
Expressing that variations of maas of Constituent %formsdon ia needed about non-Darcy flow. For .
I and of Constituent 2 are in the ratio pig/p Zggives such a case, a special laboratory test has been
the foIlowing differential system: designed by which the two functions krg and Vcg J

S, alp,.+ Sodp,o-(p,q-p,JdS. =~
of the two parameters gas saturation and gas-phase
flow rate are determined.
S9 d P29+ s. d P2,- [P2g-P2J d So f32,
EXPERIMENTS ON NON-DARCY FLOW
S,+so= constant
Reliable measurements on non-Darcy flow for
The initial conditions are usually the saturation two-phase condensate gas at high rate in near
pressure and .a value of zero for So or for Sg the wellbore conditions would theoreti tally require
depd%iing on whether it is a case of condensate- an experimental set-up operating uni er Simultaneous
~as or volatile oil. We have sometimes used in permanent flow of the two phases in a restored
this check an analog computer and on other state. In practice, this has proved to be too
occaaiona, a step procedure with a desk calculator. difficult. Ii fieId flowing conditions the relative
*Our experience is that the fit with the volumetric permeability for the gaseous phase ia always at
PVT behavior of the fluids ia always very easy for least 10 times that of the liquid, and at the same
oil field cases, but it is usually necessary to time the liquid- ohase viscosity is at least 10
make further slight adjustinenta to the polynomials
when dealing with condensate-gas atudi es. The
principle of such adjustments ia that the part of
wL-----
the curves near the saturation point has to -b&
represented more accurately .&an the low-pressure
region.
A graph of the four partial specific masses ,iri
the case of the effluent of a condensate gas fikl$
is given in Fig. 1. The opposed concavity of the
curves pig and p20 in the higher part of ti:e
pressure scale is typical of the retrograde colt-
densation phenomenon. 0.!0

EXPRESSION 0)? ROCK

FLOW PROPERTIES

For the liquid phase, we have obtained satis-

factory results with the generalized Darcy’s law
and not found it necessary to make further refine-
rnenrs. The expression is well known and is written
as follows:
.. m?wm ( b,tcmv
ml )
-ii
00 am aoo

FIG, 1 — I-IASSI R’ MEL” FIELD PARTIAL SPECIFIC

MASSES.

MAE2CH, 196$ S9

...
.;. .
 I ,.
~...
times th~t of the gas phase. This means that’the
mobility of the liquid phase is less than 1 per
cent of the niobility of the gas phase, and it led
COthe idea of freezing the liquid phase in a field
sampIe. In this way the liquid saturation is fixed
at a value representative of that in the formation,
as is also the relative position of the wetting and
less mobile phase in the porous network.
The experiments were’” performed on reservoir
rock plugs-using water as liquid phase and nitrogen
as gas phase. The best method of establishing
liquid saturation and freezing’ it was determined
in- the laboratory. The measurement of the gas
rate and of” the pressure grarKent were carried out
as in a determination of absolute permeability.
Various ‘gas rates w_ere obtaiqed by changing the
nitrogen input pressure.
The result of the experiment is a set of ctirves
of the effective permeability of the core. ”Each
curve corresponds to a value of the liquid saturation
and represents effective permeability vs gas
through-put rate. At low gas rate, the r~tio of this
effective permeability co the absolute permeability
can be compared to classical measurements of the”
relative permeability to gas phase. These com-
parisons were, at first used to define ~e best
procedure for’ the experiments, but were later
employed for checking on their validity.
When using the set of curves to obtain values of
the functions .kVgand Vcg it is assumed that & is
a function of the gas saturation onIy, obtaine rf by
interpretation of the low rate part of the curves. It
has been found that Vcg may be considered constant
for Iiquid phase saturations up to 30 per cent and a
function of the gas saturation only in the practical
field range of gas-phase flow rate. For use in the
programs k ~g and, when necessary, Wcg are
1
expressed as polynomials vs the gas saturation.
In a practicaI application to a sandstone in the
300-md range of permeability, the value of vcg
has been measured-as 0.15 cm/sec. ,.
The polynomials used to. represent the relative
permeability curves were the following:
k rg = 0.9232 Sgs + 0.07668 Sg2 ,
k,. = 0.85 (1 - Sg)G -0.013281.
This last polynomial is used iri the range of
;:, saturation where it is positive. Elsewhere the
..
relative permeability to the liquid phase IS zero.
NUMt3RICAL PROCESS
All the data necessary to complete the two-
phase flow equations are now avaiIable.
The steps of detailing the equations for the case
of two-phase flow azound a well draining a circular
and concentric area a“nd outlining the computer
prog%rns .?!s described at K!?. end Of this. papgr..
It must be admitted” that it ia laborious to ensure
the stability and the convergence of such numerica~
processes. The mosr difficult cases are when the
40
— .— —.--
.. .,
,,---
pressure drawdown is low or when the conditions
of flowing approach a stationary configuration.
This is due to the fact that the program is
specifically wri ten to dea 1 with transient flow, and
f
an effective variation of the pressure and saturation
vs time is mandatory in order to avoid nullifying
‘ both members of the involved firiite difference
equations.
APPLICATION TO THE CASE OF
H&X3 R’MEL FIELD
the
The field of Hassi R’Mel produces an effluent
which is a condensate gas at a dew point nearly
equal to the reservoir ~resaure. It is not ‘known j
whether or not some Iicmid-whase saturation existed !
A
/
in the porous medium ‘at the time of di scove;y of /.
the field. The prevailing conditions of pay thickness
and permeability in the completed wells enable
economical production rates to be obtained with
moderate bottom-hole pressure drawdowns.
The information necessarv to forecast the future
behavior of the wells o; long-term production
through present field measurements is very scarce,
and this has justified extensive theoretical studies.
Field measurements consist of pressure build-ups,
bottom-hole pressure records and isochronous
back-pressure tests at four rates. The pressure
build-up takes place over a very short time interval,
as usual in a gas field” of good permeability.
Taking into account the effect of rhe well
recompression after the surface shut-in, it provides
only a _check on “the general permeability of the
reservoir.
The back-pressure tests indicate a deviation
from Darcy’s law for the rapid flow of the gas in
the vicinity of the wells. For routine interpretation,
the usual empirical formula is used as,, recalled
beIow:
At Ieast yearly measurements by back-pressure
test are performed on those wells which have
produced significant volumes of gas. Notwith itand-
_- ing the negligible pressure decline of the reservoir
up to the present date, some deterioration of initial
well characteristics shows through the evolution of
the parameters C and n. Correlating this information
and the hereafter reported studies, it is concluded
that the liquid phase originated by the retrograde
condensation due co the ‘pressure drawdown
accumulates in a growing zone around the wellbore
up to a certain salutation. This effect diminishes
the effective permeability to gas near the well.
THEORY OF THE DRAINAGE
PROCESS. SATURATION DISTRIB JTXON
For a description of the : drainage, we have
selected the case of a well. draining 25 sq km
(about- io sq tiles), the well” being equivalent to”
a bsre=foot completion of 8% in. diameter open to
a thickness of 110 ft. The main data on p~trophysics
sOCIETY OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERs JOURNAL
.... ... .
.
,,
. . .. .

and effhaenc are shown in Table 1. TABLE 1

In ‘incorporating the data in our programs, no Permwbllity 300 md
initial liquid-phase saturation is considered and the Porosity 17 per cent
Water saturation 20 per cent
hydrocarbon content is taken to be exactly at dew.
Specific mass of effluent 0.156 gin/cc
point pressure under initial conditions. (reservoir conditions)
When production starts, the Iiquiti-phase saluta- V1scOstty of effluent 0,027 Cp
tion being initially zero, only the gaseous phase. (reservoir conditions”)
flows toward the wellbore. l%epressure distribution Gus production rate 1.5 x 106 std cu m/day
,(computed case) .; [ (1 cu m = 35.3 cu ft)
is very similar to the case of a monophasic flow of .. k.’.
gas, and the pressure losses are concentrated in ,,
~he”vicinity of.the weI1. recovery is,” in fact obtained, but this is considered
Thesc$ pressure losses initiate a retrograde mainly as a verification of the correctness of*
deposition of liquid phase. In the well vicinity, program. ,
where the mass of the flowing materials is many
times the mass of the inplace- hydrocarbons, such. PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION AROUND THE WELL
,. /.
a retrograde condensation accumulates as an The pressure distribution around the ‘well may
immobile wetting phase until a liquid saturation be described by comparison with the reference case
comp~tible with an effective liquid~phase permea- of incompressible “radial monophasic flow according
bility is reached. According to the results of the to Darcy’s law, where the pressure diarribution is
computation, there are three concentric saturation linear vs the logarithm of the radius. In the
zones around the wells (see Fig. 2). The inner description of the drainage process, we have seen
one is a zone. of near-constant satiation. , in which that the “liquid saturation reaches a near constant
the liquid condensate deposited by the pressure value in a ratige of about 10 m (33 ft) around the
loss of the effluent is balanced by the flow of wellbore after a ~.:i~ductive Iif e of a few months.
condensate into the well. [n this inner zone. the The pressure Iosscs due to non-Darcy flow take
effluent travels as a two-phase flow, at a constant place in about the same range, and are concentrated
composition. The intermediate zone prestints a very near the sand face.
marke’d variation of liquid saturation rind of gas A graph of pressure distributicz vs radius on
effective permeability vs the” radius. In this zone, semilog paper is presenred in Fig, 3, and descrfbes
its low Iiauid
s
saturation does not allow a constant the transient phases of liquid saturation” and non-
composition effluent to cross the zone, and some Darcy flow near the weHbofe as given by electronic
liquid phase is retained by che porous network.
In the external pare of the reservoir outside the lim**.lQ
intermediate zone, the Iiquid saturation is deter- 1
mined by the thermodynamic properties of the

‘r
reservoir fluids. Obviausly, the effect of liquid
deposition tends to enlarge the inner and the
intermediate zones, until a time when the field /
pressure declines below the pressure of the maximum ON
liquid phase condensation. ‘T%ll%!l’lrr
A descript~on of the general static-pressure /’ C /

“l-
decline of the field is not provided here, since M for Da flow
Me plm rca ,

this is not the essential purpose of the programs.

A check of the material baIance and estimate of
0.9? —— A e

urallon
rw* @
ofIlow—
1 mlnult
I I
2 4 hwra
k-l,
I
CWVMIO,” Cmmmt
9
8 6m Ith,
.40
Utikum St.p numb” ram

m
/-—— .- . -.,- ——
,s0

,20
\

ON ..— .- ...—

.10
.“
~ ,,
.108=Y
.-
mai!ls
n!%lu.
L.-...4 11Irk ,0.
.’hrs
.. -.
1A” 10;,,,,s Ra+lils m A“* FIG, “‘3“-- PRESSURE DISTRIBUTK7k ‘AROUNb “:’ A
WELL (TRANSIENT AND ESTABLISHED FLOW),
FIG. 2 — FRACTION OF HYDROCARBON PORE AFTER COMPUTATION FOR g = 2 MILLION “CU M/
SPACE OCCUPIED BY LIQUID PHASE. ‘ DAY,

MARCH, 196S 41
 .,-
.,
. —. .. ,,- ------ -,- --- -- -.

computer. Curve 3 is a graph of pressure’ profile in to both cases of volatile’ oil and of condensate-gas.
the reservoir after six months of conqtant rate To facilitate the comparison between the computed
production. Part AB of the graph is affected by results and the field measurements, the thermody -
deviation from Darcy’s law and the curvature, namical properties of the fluids are exptessdd with
variable vs the radius and the race of production, close reference to commercial field products. To
reflects the effects responsible for $e production- meet the case of non-Darcy. flow of gas in condensate
presaure drawdown relationship for gas wells, wells, a quadratic relationship between the veloci~’
usually represented by the empirical formula:
-. of the gas phase and the pressure graditmt is used,
t incorporating parameters which ard measured by a
newly designed laboratory experiment on field
q = c (p:-p;)“ ,.
cores.
The cost of the computation is moderate. Further-
TIM Part BC is nearly straight and represents more the continuous trend toward the use of more
#’
the pressure loss in the zone where effective rapid and powerful electronic computers tends tol
permeability is reduced by the liquid ‘saturation. reduce the cost of a given computation made by an
Above C, the low slope of the curve corresponds existing program. /
to the pressure profili in the outer zone. FinalIy
a general pressure’ decline of the drained a,rea is NOhNCLATURE
noticeable.
Curves 1 and 2 illustrate the transient phenomena a = well aand face radius
assuming the well is opened to production for the C = ‘back pressure curve coefficient
first time in Ian instantaneous and ideal way. On c = molar concentration ,
Curve 1, one minute after starting the flow, we di~ .= differential operator on a vector
see that the pressure decline has not reached the
full drainage- radius, and that, at any point, the grad = differential operator on a function
slope of the curve is smaller than in Curve 3 g = dimensionless masa per unit volume
because the liquid saturation ‘has barely started h = net pay thickness
to bui Id up. On Curve 2 after four hours, the slope k = permeability
at rhe beginning of the curve is about the same as m = dimensionless viscosity
at Point A of Curve 3, but a sharp change of slope
M = molecular weight
as at Point C is not yet noticeable.
n = expone’n: of back pressure curve for a gas
COMPUTED DESCRIPTION OF A PRESSURE “ ‘well
BUILD-UP’, BACK-PRESSURE TEST
p = pressure
The programs have been used to simulate a q = production rate “
pressure build-up and an isochronous back preskure Q = mass production rate
test at four different gas ratea. The period allowed
for the build-up is two days, by-which time nearIy
perfect equalization of the pressures occurs, with
no noticeable change in the saturation distribution
established at the date chosen t? initiate the build-
uP”. me back-pressure test cormsrs of, four 12.hour
periods of constant-rate production, separated by
shut-in times of equal duration. No sigtiificant change
of the salutation profile occurs because the fluid
withdrawal due to the back-pressure test is. very
little compared with the previous production before
the build-up.
Fig..4 represents the four pressure profiles, with
the same conventions as in Fig. 3. Due” to the non-
Darcy flow. in the well vicinity, the production rate.
is a non-linear kaction of the bottom-hole pressure
drawdown. The exponent n associated with this
,back-pressure test has a value of 00.83.
The “value of this exponent is in cIose agreement”
with that obtained from the Iast annual back-pressure
test performed -on the well used to suppiy the
.c.amputation data.
1 I& 10matm - ‘ 10011’if*rs
CONCLUSIONS
.— .- mm.mhw---y=!- .. .
Me problem of transient two -phase- flow “is BACK-
FIG. 4 — PRKSSURE DISTRIBUTION IN
numerically solved on a large digital computer. PRESSURE TEST AFTER SIX MONTHS OF PROtXJC-
The program defined for this purpose is common TIONo

SOCIETY OF PETROLEUM ENG1NE~f19 JOURNAL

. !,. .
. . . . . . .
 r u radius Gaa’.Wells”, Trans., AIME (1955) Vol 204, i37.
S = saturation ~ 7. bay,. S.: ~$on tile Theoretical Derivation of Darcy
% and Forchheimer Formulas}), ‘fkms,, A.G. U. (1958)
t = time , VOL 39,4, 702,
u = logaiithm of dimensionless tadiua 8. Carter, R D., Miller, S. C, and Rilew, H. ~:
(f~ete~nation of StabUized Gae Well Performance
v s velocity
from %ort F1ow,, Tests”, JOUY.Pet. Tech. (June,
V = dimensionless velocity 1963) 651.
x = proportion of a given component of the 9. 8wift, G. W. and Kiel, P. G.: ~~’lhe Prediction of
reservoir phase’ present in co~ercial
Gas Well Performance Including the Effect of Non.
Darcy Flow”, ]our. Pet. !?’ecb. (July, 1962) 791.
gas
10.EiIe~~, K, C,: ~~Integration of partial IDlfferentlal
p .U viscosity ‘ Equation for Transient Linear Flow of Gaa-
p = mass per unit volume condensate Fluids fn Porous Structures~~, Sot. pet.
i%g. low, (Dec., 1964) 291, ,
#1 = porosity .1 , /
iiPPENDrx ,f
f- ‘!
/SUBSCRIPTS /’
kg = component ‘k in gaseous phase ADAPTATION OF ~13 EQUATIONS FOR ~i
ko .= component k in Iiquid phase RADIAL CIRCULAR FLOW ;
D = dimensionless The” equations of two-phase flow have been
e = at external boundary written as follows:
w = at bottom hole
jgo = of phaae j, of @s, of Iiquid
:
, j = index of phase j
cg = velocity parameter for ~n&-Darcy flow
k = index of the component.
g = in gas phase
i = part of constituent i
ij = part of constituent i in phase i
o ,= in oil phase
1 = part of surface gas
2 x p&t of surface oil
+$@iiifp
. . ..J4)
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
They ari to be completed by” the relationship
The authors wish to express their appreciation to +
the Soci&& d’Exploitation des Hydrocarbures de . ..sg+se+sw=
1,
.-.
I-iassi R’Mel for their authorization to release the
matters presented in this paper, and to $e Geopetrole in which the water saturation is given aa a constant,
Co,, *especially for the support given to the present as is frequently the caae, or to be included in a
theoretical developments by its laboratory work. third equation of the Type 3. t
The boundary conditions which can be assoc~atied
REFERENCES with the equationa are:
“ 1, for the outer boundary, A. given pressure and
it Houpeufi, A,: cl~ tie Flow ~f Gsse~ in p~ro~s
aatutations vs time and B. closed ~oundary.
Media”, Revue de l’lnstiwt Francais & pkle
at Anna2es des Combustibles LiguMas (May, i962) 2., for the inner boundary; A. given pressure at
Vol. XVII, NO. 5. ‘&e sand-face vs rime artd B. given production mass ~‘
2. Iffy, R.: ##Etude de p Ecoulement des Gaz clans ~s rate of a constituent or of a phase. For instance
.
Milieux Pore~x~*, RSVUS de ~fnstitvt i+atzcais du a g:ven producuon rate of the surface gas is
P&o& (June, 1956) Vol. XI, No; 6 and (Sept., expressed by
1956’) Vol. XI, No, 8. 1’
3. Bruce, G. H., Peaceman, D. W., Rachford, H. I-I,, Jr.
and Rice, J, D,: ctCalculations of Unsteady-state qs 2 K ah (P,,v, + P,.v.j
Gis FIOW tbroufih Por&s ?dertia”, Twrns., AIME
. (1953) Vol. 198,-”79. These equations are now written for a circuiar
4. West, W. J., Garvin, W. W. and Sheldon, J. W.: area drained by a central weli and. reduced to a
~~801u~onof the Equatiorq of Unsteady-state TWO-
dimensionless expression
phase ‘Flow in oil %eervoirs”, Trans., AIME
(1954) vol. 201, 217.
5: Rowan, G. and Clege, hf. W: l#ATI4uxoximate
& ( 9@’w + 9#v0 )=e’uA(at. % s ‘+ ae”s’) :
... .-.: MeUiod for ‘-non-D*rcy ~dtal Gas FIow’>, “SOC. ._.
Pet, Eng. Jorw. (June, 1964).
6, Cullender, M H.: t~~e Isochronal performance
& (9#v9 )
+ ~oe”vo =e2”*9(92,s9+ 92.3.)
Method of Determining the Flow Characteristics of
I
I MARCH. 196S
 ‘,
● ✎ ...”

.
. -. .- .-

The purpose of this reduction is to fit with a

‘“~(’”fa)=k%? feature of the programs, which is to consider a
diyiaion of the radial space by a geometrical pro-
_kwd gression of the radius, and w carry into the
e“ V.
m. IF’u programmed subroutines nuinbers of a moderate
order of magnitude to avoid an overflow in the
Sg+so+sw=q “ com~uter. The process of reduction is included
,. in our programs, but it remains optional to operate
where u is defined by T=?oeu ‘ the reduction with a desk calculator. ,’
t~ by t=?ot~
PROGRAMMING
~D by P ‘~o PD -.
ii!lg by plg = PO L?lg Three programs have been successi~ely written,
The first one, considers oil or condensate-gas
and the ‘same for the three other partial specific flowing at or below saturation pressure” in a .,
masses. ‘homogeneous closed-boundary area of drainage.
m is defined by pg = TZomg and ~e same for The second admita in addition the flow’ attwe
the t’ ~quid phase viscoaivi Fo, r., ?OB PO t ~0 are saturation prcs sure and the, case o,f constant
referen CA values for the lengths, times, pressures, boundaiy conditions. The third is-the more developed
specific masses and viscosities s,. It is good practice one, and admits, .in addition, the flow of a third
to select for To ehe radius of the draified circular phase (salt water), the deviation from Darcy’s
area, for PO the saturation pressure, for To the law for the gaseous phase, some radiai heterogeneity
, specific mass of “he gaseous phase at saturation of reservoir properties and various boundary con-
pressure and for jZo the corresponding viscosiV ditions at the well and at the external limit.
of the gaseous phase. The other reference values For the programs designed co compute the
ari dependent on these, and are given below: transient flow above and be~ow the saturation
pressure, the partial specific masses are defined
by two Sets of polynomials one beio,w the saturation
pressure and the other above. In this last set of
polynomials the functions representing die absent
phase are not called ‘for by the program and are
theoretically insignificant. It is good practice to
use for them constant values equal to their value
at saturation pressure., The two other functions are
proportional and refl,~ct the law of compressibility
of the single phase above $aturation pressure.
The language FORTRAN II has been used to
This $process of reduction of the equations is write the programs, and compiled for the IBM. 7094
~very similar to the one used by the authors of Ref. computer. ***
4..”’ ~

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.,

-.,

.,,

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SOCIETY OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERS JOURNAL

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