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tech/Reservoir/MBE/Equations, Single Phase
tech/Reservoir/MBE/Equations, Single Phase
tech/Reservoir/MBE/Equations, Single Phase
Related reading
Craft et al., Sections 7.5-7.6, p. 231-234.
Dake: Sections 5.1-5.4, p. 131-139.
Earlougher: Sections 2.1-2.3, p. 4-6.
Horne, p. 35.
Matthews and Russel: Sections 2.1-2.3, p. 4-7.
6.0 Synopsis
The flow of a single, compressible fluid through porous, permeable rock can be described using a
partial differential equation known as the diffusivity equation. Modified forms of the diffusivity
equation can be used to describe gas flow. A similar equation can be derived for multiphase flow
as well, and that equation is the basis for reservoir simulation. Clearly, the diffusivity equation is
at the very heart of reservoir engineering and an intuitive understanding of this equation is
essential to all who would do reservoir engineering.
Key Concepts
Mass conservation
Use of constitutive equations for velocity and density
The form of the linearized diffusivity equation
Assumptions in the linearized diffusivity equation
Dimensionless variables
Definitions of steady, pseudosteady, and transient flow
Radius of investigation
Diffusivity
We will derive the conservation equation for a radial flow geometry, because this geometry is
especially useful for well testing and inflow analysis. We could do it for any geometry we chose.
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PETE 4052 Well Testing Spring 2002
Lecture 6 Equations for Single-Phase Porous Media Flow February 22
Figure 6.1 Radial control volume. The area of the outer face is 2 r r h . The volume of the shell
is exactly 2
r r r 2 h . If r is small, this is approximately equal to 2rrh . The pore volume
can be computed simply by multiplying by the porosity.
The mass balance for this shell is
(Flow in at r) - (Flow out at r r) Accumulation between r and r r
Let us consider each of the terms in Eqn. (6.1) in turn:
Equation (6.4) is the conservation equation in radial coordinates. It states that the sum of the
partial differential derivatives in r and t is zero. This is also known as a divergence equation; all
conservation equations (for any quantity, in any coordinate system) can be expressed in a form
very similar to Equation 6.4.
This equation must be manipulated further to be useful: it includes dependent variables , , and
u, whereas we really want an equation in p only. We will use constitutive equations for these
quantities to get the desired equation.
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Lecture 6 Equations for Single-Phase Porous Media Flow February 22
k p k p
2
c o r r
r r r
Similarly, expanding the right-hand side of Eqn. (6.9a),
t
R exp c o ( p p R R exp c f ( p p R
p
R R c o c f exp c o ( p p R exp c f ( p p R ........................(6.9c)
t
p
(c 0 c f )
t
Recombining Eqns. (6.9b) and (6.9c),
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PETE 4052 Well Testing Spring 2002
Lecture 6 Equations for Single-Phase Porous Media Flow February 22
k p
2
k p p
c
o r
r (c 0 c f )
r
r r r t
2
k p 1 k p p
c o r (c 0 c f ) ........................(6.10)
r r r r t
2
k p 1 k p p
c o r c t
r r r r t
where c t (c 0 c f ) . For systems with connate water and/or immobile gas, the definition of total
compressibility can be extended to be
c t c f S o c o S w c w S g c g ............................................(6.11)
Notice that the only dependent variable is now pressure; however, the porosity is still a function
of pressure.
The gradient-squared term is often small because (1) the gradient is small and (2) the oil
compressibility was assumed to be small. If these assumptions are made (see discussion), then the
linearized diffusivity equation can be written as
1 k p p
r c t ............................................(6.12a)
r r r t
If k/ is constant,
1 p c t p
r ............................................(6.12b)
r r r k t
This equation is very important! It will form the basis of our study of inflow and pressure
transient analysis (or well testing).
6.5 Dimensionless Variables
We used the concept of a dimensionless variable when we discussed the skin factor. We will
extend that discussion now to better understand the linearized diffusivity equation. It seems
sensible to make radius dimensionless on the wellbore radius,
r
rD
rw
r rD rw .............................................(6.13)
dr 1
D
r dr rD rw rD
With this substitution, the diffusivity equation is
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PETE 4052 Well Testing Spring 2002
Lecture 6 Equations for Single-Phase Porous Media Flow February 22
1 1 k 1 p p
rw rD c t
rw rD rw rD r r t
w D
...............................(6.14)
1 k p 2 p
rD c t rw
rD rD rD t
This definition needs no unit conversions; it works in consistent and field units. If we assume k
and are constant,
1 p c t rw2 p
rD .......................................(6.15)
rD rD rD k t
As for our case with skin, we will define the dimensionless pressure as
2kh
pD ( p i p ) ................................................(6.16a)
q B
in consistent units or
0.00708kh
pD ( p i p ) ...........................................(6.16b)
qB
in field units. Now the differential equation is
1 p D c t rw2 p D
rD ......................................(6.17)
rD rD rD k t
(We can choose the definition of dimensionless pressure pretty freely because p appears in all
terms in the equation; the reasons for this choice should be clear from the form of Darcys Law
and we will discuss it more later in the course). Because all other terms are dimensionless, the
definition of dimensionless time can be deduced from Eqn. (6.17):
kt
tD ......................................................(6.18a)
c t rw2
in consistent units or
0.0002637kt
tD ................................................(6.18b)
ct rw2
in field units, t is given in hours if it were in days, the conversion factor is 24 times larger.
More generally, if the appropriate scaling is used in bounded or non-radial problems, one can
define dimensionless pressures that have this same property (for example, for a fractured well or
a well in the center of a square). We need not compute solutions for all different combinations of
parameters the dimensionless solution is the scaled solution that can be used for all of these
cases.
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Lecture 6 Equations for Single-Phase Porous Media Flow February 22
Discussion
Assumptions
The steps and assumptions used to derive the linearized diffusivity equation are summarized in
Table 6.1, below:
Table 6.1 Derivation of the Linearized Diffusivity Equation
Eqn. Step Assumptions
6.4 Conservation Equation h is constant; radial geometry
6.6 Constitutive Equation for velocity Darcy's Law holds
Porosity and fluid density are exponential
Constitutive Equation for density; nonlinear
6.11 functions of pressure; the pore and fluid
diffusivity equation
compressibility are constant
The product fluid compressibility times the
6.12a Diffusivity Eqn with variable k,
square of the gradient of pressure is small
6.12b Linearized diffusivity equation k, and are constant
The assumptions are very important to be familiar with. Study this table! In particular, consider
the following:
The compressibility of gas may not be small or constant. Thus, this form of the diffusivity
equation may not be accurate. We will consider an alternative form, in real gas potential (or
pseudopressure) later in the course.
The assumption that the product of the compressibility times the square of the gradient term
is small may not be valid (1) for gas or (2) near the well, where the gradients are high. These
problems can also be addressed using real gas potential.
Unconsolidated rocks may have very high pore compressibilities, cf. This can make the
p
equation nonlinear, because both and depend on pressure. This problem is not solved
t
using pseudopressure, but may be reduced (but NOT eliminated) using pseudotime.
The mobility k/ may not be constant, especially for gas or highly compressible rocks. This
can introduce an additional nonlinearity. Pseudopressure corrects for the viscosity variation,
and can be generalized to correct for permeability varying with pressure.
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Lecture 6 Equations for Single-Phase Porous Media Flow February 22
r 2kh
ln() ( p i p(r )) ( p i p(rw ))
rw qB
and introduce the definitions of rD (Eqn. 6.13) and pD (Eqn. 6.16) to get
ln( rD ) p D ( rD ) p D (1)
If we use a special definition of pD that is sensible for steady-state systems (where pw is constant),
2kh
pD ( p pw )
qB
Then the dimensionless steady-state equation is simply
p D ( rD ) ln(rD ) ....................................................(6.22)
The dimensionless form is simpler for steady state systems, as well. As we will see later, we can
get this equation by solving the linearized diffusivity equation.
Diffusivity
k
The group appears in the diffusivity equation in all coordinate systems. It is known as the
c t
diffusivity and is usually represented with the symbol or eta:
k
.........................................................(6.23a)
c t
or, in field units,
k ft 2
0.0002637 ..........................................(6.23b)
c t hr
The diffusivity is important because it controls the speed with which pressure information travels
through the reservoir. In general, higher values of mean more rapid transmission of
information; you can see this because the diffusivity is multiplied by t (and divided by the square
of the wellbore radius) to get the dimensionless time. Thus, at same dimensional time a reservoir
with higher diffusivity will have a greater dimensionless time things happen faster. Increasing
permeability has the same effect as decreasing any of the other three parameter (, , ct).
Consider why
Higher mobility, k/ causes more rapid pressure transmission
Higher porosity and compressibility cause slower transmission (ct is also known as the
storativity).
Radius of Investigation
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Lecture 6 Equations for Single-Phase Porous Media Flow February 22
In transient flow, the radius of investigation is a useful concept (Horne, p. 35). As we will see
later, that the solution of the partial differential equation predicts that there is an infinitesimally
small pressure change everywhere, instantly. However, from a physical and practical point of
view, the pressure changes propagate more slowly. One definition of the radius of investigation is
that, at any time, it is the closest boundary that would have had a detectable effect at the well. For
an infinite-acting well, this gives
kt
rinv 0.03
ct .................................................(6.24a)
0.03 t
With our previous definition of tD, Eqn. (6.18b),
k ct rw2 t D
rinv 0.03
ct 0.0002637 k .....................................(6.24b)
rDinv 1.8 t D
Sometimes an alternative definition of dimensionless time is used, based on area rather than
wellbore radius
0.0002637kt
t DA ................................................(6.25a)
ct A
For a well in the center of a circle,
0.0002637 kt kt
t DA 8.938 10 5 ............................(6.25b)
ct re2
ct re2
As we will see later, boundaries affect this system when t DA 0.1 so
kt
0.1 8.938 10 5 2 ........................................(6.25c)
ct rinv
Solving for rinv,
8.938 10 5 kt
rinv
0.10 ct rinv
2
.........................................(6.26)
kt
0.02897
ct
Eqn. (6.26) is about the same as Eqn. (6.24a), which was obtained by a much more complicated
analysis using derivatives of Greens functions.
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Lecture 6 Equations for Single-Phase Porous Media Flow February 22
reservoir being investigated is far beyond the skin region. Wellbore weirdness (storage and
temperature transients on the pressure gauges) will usually obscure these data.
The difference in these two time scales is solely due to the differences in diffusivity, . Example
1 is high-diffusivity, example 2 is low-diffusivity.
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