RADIUS OF INVESTIGATION

CONCEPT
 BEHAVIOUR OF PRESSURE
1 r D2
p D = − E i (− )
2 4tD
3

2
pD

0
0.01 0.1 1 10 100
2
t D /r D
 BEHAVIOUR OF PRESSURE WITH TIME
5

rD = 10
4
rD = 30
rD = 100
3
pD

0
100 1000 10000 100000 1000000
tD
 BEHAVIOUR OF PRESSURE
4

3
pD

0
0.001 0.01 0.1 1 10 100 1000
r D2 /tD
BEHAVIOUR OF PRESSURE WITH DISTANCE
10

tD = 1000
8
tD = 100000
tD = 10000000
6
pD

0
1 10 100 1000 10000
rD
 RADIUS OF INVESTIGATION
It is defined as the point in the formation beyond
which the pressure drawdown is negligible.
It is a measure of how far a pressure transient has
moved into a formations following any rate change.
It is also the point of maximum rate of change of
pressure with time.
rD2
∂[ E i (− )] r D2
∂pD 1 4tD 1 −
= − = e 4 tD
∂tD 2 ∂tD 2tD
The maximum can be found by setting the derivative
of the above equation with respect to tD equals to zero.
 RATE OF PRESSURE CHANGE WITH TIME
1E-02

rD = 10
rD = 20
1E-03 rD = 50
rD = 100
rD = 200
rD = 500
dpD/dtD

1E-04

1E-05

1E-06
10 100 1000 10000 100000 1000000

tD
 RADIUS OF INVESTIGATION
r D2 r D2
∂ pD
2
1 r 2 − 1 −
= [ D
e 4t D
− e 4t D
]= 0
∂t D
2
2 4t D
3
t 2
D

r D2 r D2
−1 = 0 ⇒ =1
4t D 4t D
r D2
rD = 2 t D ⇒ tD =
4
9 4 8ϕ µ c t r 2
=1
kt
kt
r =
2

9 4 8ϕ µ c t
 RADIUS OF INVESTIGATION
T he radius of investigation at any tim e is given by:
kt
ri =
94 8ϕµ c t
T he tim e it takes a preesure transient to reach a
given radial distance is obtained from :
9 4 8ϕµ c t ri 2
t =
k
T he pr essure drop at a poi nt w h e r e the distance
is equals to the radius of investigation i s given by:
1 rD2 1 0.219
pD = − E i (−1 ) = − E i ( − 1) = = 0. 1095
2 4t D 2 2
 RADIUS OF INVESTIGATION
141.2 qB µ
∆p = p i − p (r ,t ) = × 0.1095
kh
15.46 qB µ
=
kh

T he rate of pressure change is given by:

rD2
∂p D 1 − 1 −1 0.18394 0.73576
= e 4t D
= e = =
∂t D 2t D 2t D tD rD2
∂p 25.972 qB µ qB
= =
∂t kh t 36 .5ϕ hc t ri 2
 EXAMPLE OF APPLICATION
k = 120 md h = 50 ft ϕ = 0.18 ct = 20x10-6 psi-1
B = 1.2 bbl/STB µ = 0.5 cp q = 2000 STB/D

9 4 8ϕ µ c t
= 1 .4 2 2 × 1 0 − 5
k
1 4 1 .2 q B µ
= 2 8 .2 4
kh
Time ri ∆p dp/dt

24 1298.1 3.10 .218

48 1837.3 3.10 .108

96 2598.3 3.10 .054