2--Fluid Flow in Porous Media

Exercise 2-1—Calculate Time to Reach Radius of Investigation

A. Undersaturated Oil Reservoir. Given the following data, calculate the time required
to reach a radius of investigation of 880 feet.
k = 10 md, φ = 0.18, µ = 0.35 cp, ct = 12×10-6 psi-1

Solution: 948φµct ri 2
t=
k

=
(948)(0.18)(0.35)(12 × 10−6 )(880 )2
(10 )
= 55.5 hrs

B. Saturated Oil Reservoir. Given the following data, calculate the time required to reach
a radius of investigation of 880 feet.
k = 10 md, φ = 0.18, µ = 0.35 cp, ct = 120×10-6 psi-1

Solution: 948φµc t ri 2
t=
k

=
(948)(0.18)(0.35)(120 × 10 −6 )(880 )2
(10)
= 555 hrs

C. Low Pressure Gas Reservoir. Given the following data, calculate the time required to
reach a radius of investigation of 880 feet. Pressure is approximately 500 psia.
k = 10 md, φ = 0.18, µ = 0.015 cp, ct = 2×10-3 psi-1

Solution: 948φµc t ri 2
t=
k

=
(948)(0.18)(0.015)(2 × 10 −3 )(880 )2
(10)
= 396 hrs

D. High Pressure, Low Permeability Gas Reservoir. Given the following data, calculate
the time required to reach a radius of investigation of 880 feet. Pressure is
approximately 5,000 psia.
k = 0.01 md, φ = 0.085, µ = 0.025 cp, ct = 140×10-6 psi-1

Solution: 948φµc t ri 2
t=
k

=
(948)(0.085)(0.025)(140 × 10 −6 )(880 )2
(0.01)
= 21,840 hrs

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Exercise 2-2—Calculate Radius of Investigation

A. Given the following data, calculate the radius of investigation achieved at the end of a
24 hour drawdown test.
k = 38.6 md, φ = 0.25, µ = 0.455 cp, ct = 19.48×10-6 psi-1

Solution:

kt
ri =
948φµct
(38.6)(24 )
(948)(0.25)(0.455)(19.48 × 10−6 )
=

= 664 ft

B. Given the following data, calculate the radius of investigation achieved at the end of a
36 hour buildup test.
k = 39.8 md, φ = 0.21, µ = 0.362 cp, ct = 16.3×10-6 psi-1

Solution:

kt
ri =
948φµct

=
(39.8)(36)
(948)(0.21)(0.362 )(16.3 × 10 − 6 )
= 1,104 ft

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Exercise 2-3—Calculate Skin Factor

A. Drilling fluid invasion has reduced the permeability from 100 md to 10 md within a
radius of 3 feet from the axis of the wellbore. The wellbore radius is 0.25 feet.
Calculate the skin factor.

Solution:

The skin factor is given by

⎛ k ⎞ ⎛r ⎞
s = ⎜⎜ − 1⎟⎟ ln ⎜⎜ a ⎟⎟
⎝ ka ⎠ ⎝ rw ⎠
⎛ 100 ⎞ ⎛ 3 ⎞
=⎜ − 1⎟ ln⎜ ⎟
⎝ 10 ⎠ ⎝ 0.25 ⎠
= 22.4

B. You are planning to stimulate a well in a limestone reservoir by performance an acid

treatment. The wellbore radius is 0.33 ft, and the formation permeability is 5 md. If
the acid stimulation treatment can increase the permeability to 150 md out to a
distance of 5 feet from the axis of the wellbore, what will the skin factor be?

Solution:

The skin factor is given by

⎛ k ⎞ ⎛r ⎞
s = ⎜⎜ − 1⎟⎟ ln ⎜⎜ a ⎟⎟
⎝ ka ⎠ ⎝ rw ⎠
⎛ 5 ⎞ ⎛ 5 ⎞
=⎜ − 1⎟ ln⎜ ⎟
⎝ 150 ⎠ ⎝ 0.33 ⎠
= − 2.63

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Exercise 2-4—Calculate Apparent Wellbore Radius

A. Well A has been acidized, giving a skin factor of -2.5. Calculate the apparent
wellbore radius if the true wellbore radius is 0.33 ft.

Solution:

rwa = rw e − s
= (0.33)e − (− 2.5)
= 4.02 ft

B. Well B has been hydraulically fractured, giving a skin factor of -6.0. Calculate the
apparent wellbore radius if the true wellbore radius is 0.375 ft.

Solution:
rwa = rw e − s
= (0.375)e − (− 6 )
= 151 ft

C. Well C has a significant degree of damage caused by mud filtrate invasion, giving a
skin factor of +20. Calculate the apparent wellbore radius if the true wellbore radius
is 0.25 ft.

Solution:
rwa = rw e − s
= (0.25)e − (+ 20 )
= 5.15 × 10 −10 ft
= 1.57 × 10 −10 m
Comment:

For comparison, the diameter of a hydrogen atom is approximately 1.06×10-10 m.

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Exercise 2-5—Calculate Pressure Drop Due to Skin

A. You have a well in an oil reservoir with a permeability of 7.5 md. The well has a +12
skin factor. The oil formation volume factor is 1.1 bbl/STB, the oil viscosity is 5 cp,
and the net pay thickness is 50 ft. If the well produces at 10 STB/D, what is the
pressure drop due to skin factor?

Solution:

The additional pressure drop due to skin factor is given by:

141.2qBµ
∆ps = s
kh
141.2(10)(1.1)(5.0)
= (12)
(7.5)(50)
= 248.5psi

B. You have a well in a gas reservoir with a permeability of 900 md. The well has a skin
factor of +750. The gas formation volume factor is 0.7 bbl/Mscf, the gas viscosity is
0.026 cp, and the net pay thickness is 550 feet. If the well produces at 25,000
Mscf/D, what is the pressure drop due to skin factor?

Solution:

The additional pressure drop due to skin factor is given by:

141.2qBµ
∆p s = s
kh
141.2(25,000)(0.7 )(0.026)
= (750)
(900)(550)
= 97.3psi

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Exercise 2-6—Calculate Wellbore Storage Coefficient

A. Well A is filled with water having compressibility 3×10-6 psi-1. If the well is 4,250 ft
deep and the ID of the casing is 4.892 in, what is the wellbore storage coefficient?

Solution:
πd 2 π (4.892 12 )2
A= = = 0.13053 ft 2
4 4

Vwb = Al = (0.13053)(4250 ) = 555 ft 3 = 98.8 bbl

( )
C = Vwb cwb = (98.8) 3 × 10 −6 = 2.96 × 10 −4 bbl psi

B. What would the wellbore storage coefficient of Well A be if it were filled with single-
phase gas having a compressibility of 5.0×10-4 psi-1?

Solution:

( )
C = Vwb cwb = (98.8) 5 × 10 −4 = 0.0494 bbl psi

C. What would the wellbore storage coefficient of Well A be if the well had a rising
water level? Assume the water has a density of 62.4 lbm/ft3.

Solution:

C = 25.65
Awb
= 25.65
(0.13053) = 0.0536 bbl psi
ρ wb (62.4 )

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