Seminar on Well Performance Analysis

Politecnico di Torino, 3/2/2011

Giuseppe Tripaldi/RESM
giuseppe.tripaldi@eni.com
www.eni.it

Well Performance: the basic plot

n IPR

BHP

Inflow Perfomance Relationship

Related to the reservoir response

o VLP
Vertical Lift Performance
Related to the tubing response
Also known as OPR (Outflow
Performance Relationship)

(0;0)

Bottom
Hole
Pressure
(BHP)
plotted vs. surface rate (Q) at
standard/stock tank conditions

Well Performance: the basic plot

P* = Static Reservoir Pressure
(no flow)

BHP
P*

IPR

AOF = Absolute Open Flow

(Maximum Theor. Rate)

VLP

P0
(Q0;P0) = Current Working Point

(0;0)

Q0

AOF

When
1.
1. Well
Well Testing
Testing
2.
2. Completion/workover
Completion/workover design
design
3.
3. Artificial
Artificial lifting
lifting
4.
4. Production
Production optimization
optimization
5.
5. Surface
Surface network
network optimization
optimization
6.
6. Integrated
Integrated asset
asset modeling
modeling
7.
7. Reservoir
Reservoir management/monitoring
management/monitoring
8.
8. Reservoir
Reservoir studies/modeling
studies/modeling
4

Agenda

1. Nodal Analysis for Well Performance

2. Inflow Performance Relationship (oil, gas)
3. Vertical Lift Performance (single phase oil/gas, two-phases)
4. IPR/VLP Matching and Workflow
5. Some Applications
6. Further Issues

Nodal Analysis

Pi-1
Q
Pi

For each segment can be

established a relationship:

Segment

Nodes

Pi Pi 1 = Pi (Q)

Nodal Analysis
NODE
Separator end-point

SEGMENT

i
Separator

Flow-line outlet

h
Flow-line

Flow-line inlet

g
Choke

Well-Head

f
Tubing

Bottom-hole

e
BH completion

Sand-face

d
Reservoir

Reservoir end-point

Nodal Analysis
NODE
Separator end-point

SEGMENT

i
Separator

Flow-line outlet

h
Flow-line

Flow-line inlet

Well-Head

Bottom-hole

Usual

Sometime

Well
Performance
Analysis whitin Well
Testing Framework

BH
BH completion
completion can
can be
be detailed
detailed
describing
perforations,
Chokedescribing
perforations, gravel
gravel
pack
packetc.
etc.
Usually
Usuallyititisisaccounted
accountedby
bythe
thetotal
total
skin
Tubing
skinof
ofthe
thereservoir
reservoirsegment
segment

BH completion
Sand-face

d
Reservoir

Reservoir end-point

Nodal Analysis
NODE
Separator end-point

SEGMENT

1. Well Profile

i
Separator

Flow-line outlet

Tubing
segment
isis
refined
Tubing
segment Flow-line
refined
(internally
by
the
software)
to
(internally
by
the
software)
to
Flow-line
inlet
g
take
into
account
different
flow
take into account different flow
regimes
regimesdue
dueto:
to:
Choke
Well-Head

f
Tubing

Bottom-hole

e
BH completion

Sand-face

d
Reservoir

Reservoir end-point

2. PVT

Agenda

1. Nodal Analysis for Well Performance

2. Inflow Performance Relationship (oil, gas)
3. Vertical Lift Performance (single phase oil/gas, two-phases)
4. IPR/VLP Matching and Workflow
5. Some Applications
6. Further Issues

10

IPR-Oil

BHP
P*
Linear trend
(undersaturated conditions)

Pb
Non-linear P(Q)
(saturated conditions)

(0;0)

Qb

AOF

11

IPR-Oil (Undersaturated Conditions)

P* and J (Productivity Index)
measured with a test

PI ENTRY

TRANSIENT

k: Effective Permeability (mD)

h: Net Pay Thickness (ft)
: Oil viscosity (cP)
B: Oil formation factor (rb/stb)
S: Skin

t:
rw:
:
ct:

Production time (hrs)

Wellbore radius (ft)
Porosity
Total compressibility (1/psi)

12

IPR-Oil (Undersaturated Conditions)

PSEUDO-STEADY STATE

k: Effective Permeability (mD)

h: Net Pay Thickness (ft)
: Oil viscosity (cP)
B: Oil formation factor (rb/stb)
S: Skin
x: Drainage Area Factor

For radial flow: x= re /rw

rw: Wellbore radius (ft)
re: External boundary radius (ft)

Generally,

A: Drainage Area (ft2)

CA: Dietz Shape Factor
: Eulers constant
(1.781)

13

IPR-Oil (Dietz Shape Factors)

31.6

25

14

Vogel Approximation
(SPE 1476)

P/P*

IPR-Oil (Saturated Conditions)

Q/AOF

15

IPR-Gas

BHP
Generally speaking, non linear
shape due both non-Darcy
effects and, below dew point,
saturated reservoir conditions

(0;0)

AOF

16

IPR-Gas (Rawlins-Schellardt Formula)

17

IPR-Gas (Forcheimer)
Rigorously:

Approximately:
A: Non-Darcy Coefficient
B: Darcy Coefficient
o
o
o

(0;0)

Q
18

IPR-Gas (Jones)

Pseudopressure (psi2/cp)

Q:

Gas rate (Mscf/D)

Turbulence factor (1/ft)

g:

Gas specific gravity

T:

Reservoir temperature (R)

hp: Perforated interval (ft)

rw: Wellbore radius (ft)
g:

Gas viscosity (cP)

K:

Gas effective permeability (mD)

S:

Skin

x:

Drainage area factor

19

IPR Matching
4800

120
110

4700
100
4600

90

60
50

4300

Models output: k, S etc.

40
30

4200

20
4100
10
0
4000
130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200 210 220 230 240 250 260 270 280 290 300 310 320 330 340 350 360 370 380 390
Elapsed time (hrs)

BHP

Well testing provides

match points

BHP

Use unknown as
match parameter

Pressure (psia)

70
4400

Gas Rate (MMscf/D)

80
4500

Target: to find
a suitable IPR

(0;0)

(0;0)

20

Agenda

1. Nodal Analysis for Well Performance

2. Inflow Performance Relationship (oil, gas)
3. Vertical Lift Performance (single phase oil/gas, two-phases)
4. IPR/VLP Matching and Workflow
5. Some Applications
6. Further Issues

21

VLP - (Introduction)
Mechanical Energy Balance Equation

Kinetic Potential
Energy Energy Friction

Shaft
Work

g: gravitational acceleration
gc: conversion factor
: fluid density
f: friction factor
u: fluid velocity
D: tubing diameter

NO
Negligible in singlephase flow except at
atmospheric pressure
or blow-out

22

VLP: Single Phase Oil

Incompressible flow: constant

Potential energy, gravity

or hydrostatic term.

1
Friction term

23

VLP : Friction factor, Moody Diagram

0.001

Typical value

24

VLP: Single-Phase Gas

Compressible fluid

+
Mech. energy balance
(negligible kinetic energy)

From real gas law

Velocity from
volumetric rate at sc

+
Numerical integration because Z, T are function of z

Non-Horizontal well, Oilfield units, P1 = BHP

25

Annular

Churn

Slug

Bubble

VLP: Liquid-Gas Flow (Main Regimes in Vertical Pipes)

26

VLP:Liquid-Gas in Vertical Pipes

Region 1. Bubble and low velocity slug
Region 2. High velocity slug and churn
Region 3. Annular
Transition. From a liquid continuous to
a gas continuous system

Velocity Numbers

qg,ql: gas and liquid rates

A: cross-section area
g: acceleration of gravity
: liquid-gas interfacial tension
l: liquid density

27

VLP: Popular Multiphase Correlations

28

VLP: Pressure-Traverse Calculation

29

VLP Matching

1, 2, matched with statistical regression

They should range in [0.9, 1.1]
More tolerance in 2 if there are uncertainties on downhole equipment

30

VLP/IPR Matching

Good < 5 %
Fair < 10%
Otherwise improve
match playing with
input data.

Usually < 0.1 %

31

Case Study 3

32