Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
NTNU
Department of Petroleum Engineering
and Applied Geophysics
PRESSURE BUILDUP
It is difficult to keep the rate constant in a producing well. This is not an issue in a
buildup test since the well is closed. The rate is zero. This test may be conducted any
time. The disadvantage is that the well has to be closed for a period. Since the well is
closed, it will not generate income during this period. Hence the shutin time should be
as short as possible.
Procedure
1. Produce the well at a constant (stabilized) rate. At time tp close the well.
2. Measure the last flowing pressure which we call pwf and the
shutin pressure pws.
3. Make interpretation.
In the above figure, tp and ∆t denote production time and shutin time respectively.
Infinite-acting reservoir
For a new well, the pressure wave associated with the flow period may not
have reached the outer boundary. Then the following equation applies:
1
p qµB ⋅1.15 t p + ∆t
ws = pi − 2πkh log ∆t
Determination of permeability
Note that the rate profile of Fig. 1 is idealized. Instantaneous shutin is not
possible. There will always be some afterflow (see wellbore storage). As a
consequence the measured pressure will not obey the Horner equation initially.
Observe that the shutin time, ∆t, increases to the left in the Horner plot, Fig. 2.
The Horner ratio Hr will decrease as ∆t increases.
m = qµB1.15
2πkh
Hence the permeability may be determined from the following equation:
m = log Hr − log Hr
1 2
m = p1 – p2
pws = pi for Hr = 1
The Horner ratio will approach 1 for infinite shutin time ∆t. Hence the initial
reservoir pressure may be obtained by extrapolating the straight line back to Hr = 1.
The technique is illustrated in Fig.2.
qµB ⋅
1.15 t p + ∆t kt p
p −p
ws wf = log − log 2 − 0.351 + 0.87S
2πkh ∆t ϕµct rw
Usually the shutin time is small in comparison with the production time. Hence
tp+ ∆t ≈ tp
Then the above equation will simplify since the production time tp disappears.
p ws ∆t =1h
− p wf k
S = 1.15 − log 2 − 3.91
m ϕµct rw
Observations:
1. The skin factor is controlled by the distance ∆
∆ = pws ∆t = 1h - pwf
3. The measured wellbore pressure at 1 hour may not be on the straight Horner
line. Then the line is extrapolated until it intersects the Hr ∆t= 1h vertical line.
This is illustrated in the below figure. The Horner ratio at 1 hour may be computed
from Hr∆t = 1h = tp + 1
Bounded reservoir
Sooner or later the pressure wave associated with the flow period will hit the outer
boundary. Suppose this is of no-flow type. If the well is closed during pseudo-steady
flow, then the pressure will build up towards the average pressure rather than the
initial pressure. This is illustrated below.
The effect of the outer boundary appears at the late part of the Horner plot while the
early part essentially remains unchanged. The boundary effect will show up as a
break off from the straight line.
The Horner equation for the straight line section may be written:
qµB1.15 t + ∆t
pws = p * − log
2πkh ∆t
where p* is the intersection with the Hr =1 axis. The intersection has been called the false
pressure. It has no physical interpretation but it is related to the average pressure,
kt p
tDA =
ϕµct A
4. Look up the MBH-curve that corresponds to the estimated shape of the
drainage area, and find PDMBH.
5. Calculate the average pressure from the formula:
mp
p=p*− DMBH
2.303
The difficult part in this calculation procedure is point 2. Estimation of the size
and shape of the drainage area is beyond the scope of these notes.
The average pressure is used in material balance calculations. Also it is used
to calculate the flow efficiency, FE.
p−p − ∆p
FE = wf S
p − pwf
Horner time
As mentioned previously it is difficult to keep the flow rate constant for any length of
time. The rate may have fluctuated significantly during the production period. Horner
proposed the following correction:
Np
tp = q
LAST
where Np is the cumulative production since the last major shutin period and qLAST
is the last stabilized rate.