PRESSURE DERIVATIVE ANALYSIS

Pressure derivative analysis is based on the observation the pressure variation that occurs during a well test is more significant than the pressure itself. The use of pressure derivatives makes the well test interpretation easier in a number of ways: Derivative type curves increase the possibility of converging to a unique model (i.e., solution). Derivative analysis makes it easier to identify a semilog straight line. Derivative analysis makes it easier to identify the type of reservoir heterogeneity, because the signatures or patterns it provides are more definitive.

Note that pressure derivative analysis does not necessarily provide additional information over that provided by conventional analysis. Rather, it accentuates certain events and helps us recognize events that would otherwise be hidden in the response.

DRAWDOWN TEST AND PRESSURE DERIVATIVE ANALYSIS

Transient flow period:
In radial flow geometry, the pressure drop during the transient period is expressed by:

k 3.23 p i p wf = p = m Log t p + Log r2 ct w

where

m=

162.6q sc B kh

and m < 0

From the above equation,

dt p d( p ) d( p ) ( p ) dt p = = 2.3026d d(Log t p ) dt p d(Log t p ) dt p d(Ln t p )

or

d( p ) d( p ) = 2.3026 t p =m d(Log t p ) dt p
The above development implies that a log-log plot of [d(p)/d(Log tp)] versus tp should yield a horizontal line with an intercept equal to m (Figure 1 ).

Figure 1

Derivative type curve for drawdown analysis in dimensionless terms:

During early times when wellbore storage effects dominate,

pD =

tD cD

where cD is the wellbore storage constant. By taking the logarithm of both sides, we obtain

Log pD = Log tD -Log cD

The above equation shows that log pD versus log tD is a unit slope line when wellbore storage effects dominate. Now we can examine the behavior of the derivative

dp D =1 tD d cD
Therefore, when wellbore storage effects dominate, the derivative of the pressure curve with respect to tD/cD also has a unit slope (Figure 2 , Daltaban and Wall (1998)courtesy Imperial College Press).

Figure 2

During the radial flow period, the dimensionless form of the drawdown equation is:

pD =
Then,

1 tD 2s Ln c + 0.8097 + Ln( c D e ) D 2

dp D 1 = d t D 2 c D
The above equation implies that the derivative plot during radial flow will generate a horizontal line with a value of 0.5 (Figure 2).

Derivative plots from field data:

The drawdown equation indicates that (note that pwf

= pi -pwf )

d( p wf ) d( p wf ) dt p = = p 'wf t p d(Ln t p ) dt p d(Ln t p )

This shows that drawdown data needs to be plotted on a log-log graph paper as Dtpwf' versus tp.

PRESSURE BUILDUP TEST AND PRESSURE DERIVATIVE ANALYSIS

The derivative type curve developed for drawdown interpretation can also be used for buildup analysis. However, it is important to recognize that this analogy is based on the following observation:

pws = pws -pwf (@ t=0)

The fundamental pressure build up equation is:

t p + t p ws = p i + mLog t
where

m=

162.6qk B kh

The above expression can be written as

pws -pwf (@ t = 0) = pws = pi -pwf (@ t=0) +m

Then

d( p ws ) t p + t d Log t

t p + t d( p ws ) d( t ) = p 'ws t t d( t ) t p + t Log d t

Again, the above expression shows that field data should be plotted on a log-log graph as

t p + t p 'ws t t

versus

t.

In pressure buildup data, as pressure stabilizes, the pressure derivative approaches zero, giving the impression of the response of a constant pressure boundary. A suggested correction for this is to use an effective shut-in time

t e =

1+

t tp

When this correction is not helpful, then the effect of a nearby boundary should be suspected (in the presence of a boundary, the pressure derivative will also tend to zero in the case of a drawdown test).

Derivative Calculation
The major disadvantage of derivative analysis is calculating the derivative from measured pressure data. Any kind of pressure oscillation or noise in the data causes the derivative to jump around, and some smoothing of the data becomes necessary. In derivative calculations, the finite-difference method is used as a numerical tool. For data with no noise, forward, backward and/or central differences probably will work fine. If noise is present, the effect can be suppressed by using various algorithms. Some of the more commonly used algorithms are presented below:

( t i t i 1 ) p i +1 ( t t 2t i ) p i ( t i + 1 t i ) p i 1 dp t + i +1 i = dt i ( t i+1 t i )( t i+1 t i1 ) ( t i+1 t i )( t i t i1 ) ( t i t i1 )( t i+1 t i1 )

The above algorithmic equation is not found to be very effective in removing the noise. As a well test progresses, data are plotted over increasingly large time intervals. Under such conditions, it is recommended to use the following expression that uses numerical differentiation with respect to the logarithm of time.

t t t t t Ln i+1 i1 p i Ln i p i+1 Ln i+1 i1 p i1 t2 t t dp i i 1 i t + = t t t t t t dt i Ln i+1 Ln i+1 Ln i+1 Ln i Ln i Ln i+1 t t t t t t i i 1 i i 1 i 1 i 1

Horne [1990] suggests another method for reducing noise. This algorithm, which uses data points that are separated by at least 0.2 of a log cycle, is given below:

t Ln i p i+ j t dp ik t = t i+ j t i + j dt i Ln t Ln t i i k
where

t i + j t i k t i+ j p Ln Ln i t2 t p i k i i + t i+ j t i t t Ln Ln i Ln i+ j Ln t t t t i k i k i ik

Ln (tj+1) -Ln ti 0.2 Ln (ti) -Ln (ti-k) 0.2

DERIVATIVE TYPE CURVES

Derivative type curves are powerful diagnostic tools. They are particularly useful when the original data is influenced by some factors that are not considered in the conventional well test model. A characteristic derivative type curve will look like the schematic plot shown in Figure 3 (after Boudarot, 1998courtesy Editions Technip).

Figure 3

Almost all of the pressure derivative type curves are plotted together with the pressure type curves. With this presentation of type curves, it is possible to analyze the test data without going through the Horner plot. Figure 5 and Figure 6

Figure 6

(after Boudarot, 1998courtesy Editions Technip) show three of the most commonly used pressure/pressure derivative type curves. The procedure for using infinite-acting and homogeneous reservoir pressure derivative type curves is as follows:

Figure 5

Plot p versus t and p' versus t on a log-log graph with the same scale as that of the type curve. Align the horizontal segment of the Dp' versus t curve with the constant slope=0.5 line segment of the pressure derivative type curve. The onset of the horizontal segment of the Dp' versus Dt curve signifies the start of the infiniteacting (transient) flow period. With the vertical axis (pD) set, shift the field (real) pressure plot to the left or right until the first few points of the data fall on the unit slope segment of the type curve. This match will set the horizontal (tD/cD) axis. From the match, note the following entries the curve matched and value of cDe2s the pressure match, (DpD/p)M the time match (tD/cD/Dt)M the start of radial flow, t the end of wellbore storage (departure from the unit slope line), t

Calculate (kh) from the relationship:

 p D kh p = 141.2qB M
Calculate (c) from the relationship

kh t Dk D = 0.000295 c t M
Calculate (s) from the relationship

(c

e 2s

0.8936 c 2 s e 2 c t hr w

(since cDe2s is known from the curve matched, (s)can be back-calculated from the above equation).