Hor

nerTi
me
Hor
nerti
mei sati
mef unct
ionusedtospecif
icall
y anal
yze 
buil
dupt estdat
a. 
Hor
nerti
meisdef
inedas
t
hespecial
caseof 
superposi
ti
on(radi
al)t
ime forasingle,
constantratefl
owper
iodf
oll
owedbyashut-
i
n(i
.e.abuil
dup)
. I
tisderi
vedasfoll
ows.
 
Super
posi
ti
oni
nti
meoft
he 
radi
alf
lowequat
ion 
fort
hecaseofabui
ldupt
esti
sasf
oll
ows:
 

 
Theconst
antr
atesol
uti
on(
foroi
lorwat
er)f
or 
anal
yzi
ng 
radi
alf
low 
dat
ais:
 

 
Super
posi
ngt
hisequat
ion:
 

 
Fort
heconst
antr
ateof
 q,
star
ti
ngatt
imezer
o:
 

 
Fort
heconst
antr
ateof
 -
q,st
art
ingatt
i t
me c:

 
Summi
ngt
hese,
yiel
ds:
 

 
Thet
imef
unct
ioni
nthi
sequat
ioni
scal
ledHor
nert
imedef
inedas:
 

 
Bypl otti
ng pws 
versusHor nerti
meonasemi -l
og(r
adi al
)plot
, 
radialflow buil
dupdat aappear sasa
straightli
neandcant husbe analyzed t
odet er
mine permeabili
ty(k) and apparentortotalskin(s'
). 
Not
e
thatbasedont heabovedef i
nit
ion,Hornerti
medecr easesas shut -i
nt i
me(deltati
me)i ncr
eases, and
as shut-inti
me appr oachesinfi
nity,Hor
nertimeappr oachesthel i
mi tofone. Duet othisinverse
rel
at i
onshipwi t
h shut-i
ntime,thet i
meaxi sonthesemi -l
og(radial)plotisplot
tedinr ever
sesot hat
i
ncr easing 
shut-i
nt i
me  i
sstil
lrepresentedfr
om lef
ttor i
ght.
 
SinceHornerti
mei sbasedont he r
adialfl
owequat ion,i
tshouldonl
ybeusedf or
 anal
yzi
ng 
radialf
low.
 
For  
li
near
 or 
bil
inear
 f
low,
 l
inear 
or 
bil
inearti
me  f
unctionsshouldbeusedinsteadfor 
anal
ysi
s. Horner
ti
mei svali
donlywhent hereservoi
ris 
infi
nit
e-acti
ng andtheratepr
iort
oshut -i
nwasconstant. When
theratehasnotbeenconstant, 
superposit
ionradialti
me shouldbeusedinstead.
Fl
owRegi
mes
Fl
owoff
lui
dint
her
eser
voi
rfl
owsi
ndi
ff
erentwaysatdi
ff
erentt
imes.Thi
sisof
tenaf
unct
ionoft
heshape
andsi
zeoft
her
eser
voi
r.I
nthi
ssect
ion,
thebasi
cfl
owr
egi
mesar
ecat
egor
izedi
nter
msofwhi
cht
imer
egi
on
t
heyoccur
,andwhatki
ndofwel
lbor
e(ver
ti
calorhor
izont
al)wasusedt
odr
il
lint
othef
ormat
ion.

Thef
oll
owi
ngar
etypi
calder
ivat
iveandpr
essur
e-t
imepl
otswi
tht
hedi
ff
erentt
imecat
egor
iesmar
ked:

 Ear
lyTi
me(
E.T.
)

 St
eadySt
ate(
S.S.
)
  Pseudo-
steadySt
ate(
P.S.
S.)

Speci
fi
cfl
owr
egi
mest
hatoccurwi
thi
neachoft
hef
lowr
egi
mecat
egor
iesar
eli
stedbel
ow(
forbot
hver
ti
cal
andhor
izont
alwel
ls)
:
Well
bore
Conf
igur
a Ear
lyTi
me Mi
ddl
eTi
me Tr
ansi
ti
on Lat
eTi
me
ti
on

 Wel
lbor
e  Radi
alFl
ow  Si
ngl
eNo  Pseudo-
St
orage Fl
ow St
eady
Boundar
y St
ateFl
ow
 Li
near
Fr
act
ure  Li
near  St
eady
Ver
ti
cal Fl
ow ChannelFl
ow St
ateFl
ow
Wel
ls
 Bi
li
near
Fr
act
ure
Fl
ow

 Spher
ical
Fl
ow
 Well
bore
Conf
igur
a Ear
lyTi
me Mi
ddl
eTi
me Tr
ansi
ti
on Lat
eTi
me
ti
on

 Wel
lbor
e  Hor
izont
al  Li
near  Pseudo-
St
orage Radi
alFl
ow ChannelFl
ow St
eady
St
ateFl
ow
 Ver
ti
cal
Radi
alFl
ow  St
eady
Hori
zont St
ateFl
ow
alWell
s  Li
near
Hori
zont
al
Fl
ow

 El
li
pti
cal
Fl
ow

 
 Wel
lbor
e  Ear
lyLi
near  Pseudo-
St
orage Fl
ow(towar
d St
eady
fr
act
ures) St
ateFl
ow
 Ver
ti
cal
RadialFlow  Ear
lyRadi
al
wit
hint he Flow( around
fr
actures eachf r
acture
Multi- priorto
Fractured i
nt erf
erence
Horizonta
 Li
nearFl
ow
wit
hinthe bet weenf r
acs)
lWel l
s
f
ractur
es
(MFHWs)
 Compound
 Bi
li
nearFl
ow Li
nearFl
ow

 Lat
eRadi
al
Flow(around
MFHW &
fr
acture
network)

Hydr
aul
ical
lyFr
act
uredReser
voi
rs

Ingener
al,
af r
actur
ecouldbecl
assif
iedasani
nfi
nit
econduct
ivi
tyf
ract
urewhent
he
dimensi
onlessfr
actur
econduct
ivi
tyi
sgreat
ert
han300,i
.e.
,FCD.300.

Therearefourfl
owr egi
mes,asshownconcept
ual
lyi
nFi
gur
e1.
71,
associ
atedwi
tht
het
hree
typesofvert
ical
fractur
es.Thesear
e:

(
1)f
ract
urel
inearf
low;

(
2)bi
li
nearf
low;

(
3)f
ormat
ionl
inearf
low;
(
4)i
nfi
nit
e-act
ingpseudor
adi
alf
low.

Theseflowperiodscanbeident
if
iedbyexpr
essingthepressuretransi
entdat
aindiff
erent
typesofgraphs.Someofthesegraphsar
eexcellentt
ool
sf ordiagnosi
sandident
if
icati
onof
regimes,si
ncetestdat
amaycor r
espondtodif
ferentf
lowper i
ods.

Thespeci
ali
zedgr
aphsofanal
ysi
sforeachf
lowper
iodi
ncl
ude:

•agr
aphofΔpvs.sqr
toft
imef
orl
inearf
low;

•agr
aphofΔpvs.sqr
toft
imef
orbi
li
nearf
low;

•agr
aphofΔpvs.l
og(
ti
me)f
ori
nfi
nit
e-act
ingpseudor
adi
alf
low.

Theset
ypesoff
lowr
egi
mesandt
hedi
agnost
icpl
otsar
edi
scussedbel
ow.

Fr
act
ureLi
nearFl
ow.

Thisist hef i
rstflowperiodwhichoccur sinafr
acturedsyst
em.Mostoft hefl
uidentersthe
well
bor edur i
ngt hisperi
odoft i
measar esul
tofexpansi
onwi t
hinthefractur
e,i.
e.,
thereis
negli
giblefluidcomi ngfrom t
hef ormat
ion.Flowwithint
hefractureandfrom thefr
actureto
thewellboredur ingthisti
meper iodisl
inearandcanbedescr i
bedbyt hediff
usivi
tyequation
asexpr essedi nal i
nearform andisappliedt
obotht hef
ract
urel i
nearfl
owandf ormation
l
inearflowper i
ods.

Bi
li
nearFl
ow.

Thisflowperiodiscall
edbil
inearflowbecausetwotypesoflinearflowoccursimult
aneousl
y.
Asoriginal
lyproposedbyCinco( 1981)
,onefl
owi sali
nearincompr essi
blefl
owwi t
hinthe
fr
actureandtheot heri
sali
nearcompr essi
blefl
owi nt
hef ormati
on.Mostoft hefl
uidwhich
enter
st hewell
boreduringt
hisflowperiodcomesf r
om theformation.Fract
ureti
peffect
sdo
notaffectwellbehaviordur i
ngbili
nearflowand, accor
dingl
y,i
twillnotbepossi bleto
determinethefracturelengthfrom thewel lbi
li
nearfl
owperioddata.However ,theact ualvalue
ofthefractur
econduct ivityFCcanbedet erminedduri
ngthisfl
owper iod.Thepr essuredr op
thr
ought hefractur
ei ssignifi
cantforthefinit
econducti
vit
ycaseandt hebili
nearflowbehavi or
i
sobser ved;however ,t
hei nfi
nit
econduct ivi
tycasedoesnotexhibitbil
inearfl
owbehavi or
becauset hepressuredr opinthefractur
ei snegli
gibl
e.Thus,i
dentifi
cationofthebi l
inearflow
periodisveryimpor t
antf ortworeasons:

(1)I
twi l
lnotbepossi
bletodeter
mineauniquefr
act
urel
engthf
rom t
hewellbi
li
nearf
low
peri
oddat a.I
fthi
sdataisusedtodeter
minethel
engt
hofthefr
act
ure,i
twi
llpr
oduceamuch
smallerfr
acturel
engt
hthantheactual.

(2)Theact
ualf
ract
ureconduct
ivi
tykf
wfcanbedet
ermi
nedf
rom t
hebi
li
nearf
lowpr
essur
e
data.

For
mat
ionLi
nearFl
ow.

Att heendoft hebil

inearflow,ther
eisat ransit
ionper iodaf terwhi chthefr
acturetipsbeginto
aff
ectt hepressurebehavi oratthewel l
boreandal inearf lowper i
odmi ghtdevelop.Thisli
near
fl
owper i
odi sexhi
bitedbyver ti
calfr
act ur
eswhosedi mensi onlessconductivi
tyisgr eat
erthat
300, i
.e.
,FCD.300.Asi nthecaseoff ract
ur el
inearflow, thef ormat i
onli
nearfl
owpr essur
e
datacol l
ectedduringthisper i
odisaf uncti
onoft hef racturel engthxfandfracture
conduct i
vit
yFC.Thepr essurebehaviordur i
ngt hi
slinearf lowper iodcanbedescr i
bedbyt he
dif
fusivit
yequat i
onasexpr essedinli
nearf orm.

I
nfi
nit
e-act
ingPseudor
adi
alFl
ow.

Duringt
hisper
iod,t
hef l
owbehaviori
ssimilartot
heradi
alreservoi
rfl
owwit
hanegativeskin
eff
ectcausedbythefractur
e.Thetr
adit
ionalsemi
logandloglogplot
soft
hetransi
entpressur
e
datacanbeusedduringthisperi
od.

Hor
izont
alwel
lfl
owr
egi
mes
Ci
rcul
arBoundar
ies

Cl
osedCi
rcl
e
Thewel
lisatthecenterofar
eser
voi
rli
mit
edbyasealingci
rcul
arboundar
y,r
adi
usr e.Unl
i
kel
inearf
aul
ts,
thi
smodelhasaradi
alsymmet
ryandcanbesol
vedwi
thoutt
heneedforimagewel
ls:

Fi
g.2-
1Ci
rcul
arBoundar
ies

Whent heboundaryisseendur inga drawdown,thepr essureresponsewi l

l 
tr
ansi
tion
fr
om r adi
al f
low t
o pseudo- steady stateflow, 
corr
espondi ng t
o depleti
on.During
pseudo-st
eadystat
ef l
ow, Dpispr oport
ional 
Dt,
foraconst antfl
owrate,sother
ewillbe
astrai
ghtlineonal inearplotandauni tslopestrai
ghtl i
neont hel og-
logplot
.The
deri
vati
veisalsoproport
ionalto Dt,andalsofol
lowsa unit-
slopestrai
ghtli
ne.

Thebui l
d-upr esponse  i
sact ual
lythedi fferencebet ween2dr awdownr esponses,at
the same poi nti n space butshi fted i nt i
me.When t he pseudo-steady st
ate
approximati
onhol dsforbothr esponsest hepr essurebecomesconst ant,equaltothe
averagereservoirpressure,andthe derivativetendst ozero. 
  
  The dr
awdownr esponse inacl osed cir
cle( oranycl osedreservoi
r)is 
unmi st
akable,
a unit
-sl
opest r
aight li
neinlatetime,onbot ht helog-l
og andt hederi
vati
ve.
   
The buil
d-upresponse  i
st hesame  asf oraconst antpressurecir
cular
 boundary,as
seenbelow.(Iti
st oo st
eeptobeal i
nearconst ant 
pressure).
 Fi
g.2-
2Cl
osedCi
rcul
arBoundar
y

Const
antPr
essur
eCi
rcl
e:

Thegeometryi
sthesameasforthecl
osedci
rcl
e,but
 t
hepressur
eatt heboundar
y
radi
us(r
e)isconst
ant
.Themodelagai
nhasradi
alsymmetr
y,andi ssolvedwi
thno
i
magewells.

Thequalit
ati
vebehavioristhe 
sameasf oraconstantpr
essureli
nearboundar
y,
namelyapr essur
e st
abi
li
zati
onindi
cat
edbyaplungi
ngderi
vati
ve,butforaci
rcul
ar
boundar
y t
het r
endissharper
.

Dr
awdownsandbui
ld-
upsl
ookt
hesame:

Fi
g.2-
3Const
antpr
essur
eci
rcl
e
Par
all
elFaul
ts(
Channel
)

Thewel
lisei
therbet
weenpar
all
elf
aul
tsori
nachannel
:

Fi
g.4-
1Par
all
elFaul
ts

The l
atet i
mebehaviorwi l
lbel i
nearflow,r
esul
ti
ngina 1/
2-unitsl
opeonbot hthel
og-
l
ogand  deri
vat
iveplots,asf oraf ract
ureinearl
yti
me.Bef orethatther
emaybe
i
nfini
te-acti
ngradialfl
ow, andtheremaybeadoubl i
ngoft hederivat
iveduetothe
fi
rstfaultbei
ngalotcloserthant hesecond:
 Fi
g.4-
2Par
all
elFaul
ts

Notet
hatthe360/ r
ulesti
llappl
iestothetotalj
umpi nthederi
vati
ve;inthiscase,
when 
 i
s0°,
iti
s i
nfi
nit
e,andthederi
vati
veincr
easesconti
nual
lyata 
1/2-
uni
tslope.

I
nter
sect
ingFaul
ts

Ifthef i
rstf aultisf arenoughaway,i nfinit
e-actingr adi
alflow i
sest abli
shedafter
wellbor
est orage. 
Untilaf aul
tisseen,i twi l
lhavenoef fectont hepressurecurve.
Similar
ly,thef i
rstfaultwi
llalways causet heder ivativetodouble,
asunt i
liti
sseenthe
secondf aultwi l
lhavenoef f
ect.Thef i
nal stabil
izationleveli
sdeterminedbyt heangle
betweent hef ault
s :

Ifthewelliscentered(1)
, 
therewi l
lbeasi nglejumpt o 
thefi
nalst
abil
izati
on,at
a val
ue 
360/ t
imestheini
ti
al 
radialfl
ow st
abil
izat
ion.Ifthe wel
lismuchcl oserto
one f
aul
t( 2),the si
ngl
ef ault
 doubl
ing ofthe derivat
ive 
may be seen beforea
second 
jump.
                            Fi
g.2-
3Const
antpr
essur
eci
rcl
e

Whenatl eastoneoft he 

fault
si saconstantpressure,
 thepressur
ewillst
abil
ize
and t
heder ivat
ivewilltendto zero.Theconst
antpr essure 
boundarywi
lldominate
the 
pressureresponse,sothat
 nothingmor
edist
antwillbe obser
ved.