SPE 15481
SPE
Transient Analysis of Acoustically Derived Pressure and
Flow Rate Data
by C.S, Kabik, Schlumberger Well Services; F.J. Kuchuk, Schfumberger Doll Research;
and A.R. Hasan, U. of North Dakota
SPE Members
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A pressure bulidup test conducted on a sucker-rod
punping well is often alstorted by long-duration
wellbore storage. In fact, this distortion can
be so severe that oven a week's ahutein period
nay not allow a aanitag anaiyete. “A longer ghat-
An petted “becones economically discouraging
Decause of lost production.
Tow energy and ow transstesivity in the
reservoir, coupled with {noveaged £1ui4 comptes
sibility,” contrtbute 0 thia long-duration
storage ‘Phenomenon. One vay of handling thts
peoblen clearly lies in the atnultaneoas treat~
Rent of dovahole pressure and flow rate, esti
mated from r4aing annular Mqutd-level data by
acoustic well sounding (AWS). dacertatning. the
quality of the indirectly measured pressure and
Fate data constitutes one of the objectives of
thks sendy.
Several methods exist to translate the AVS data
‘to downhole pre:
transtent analyate. ae even an
enptrical hydrodynamic correlation provides sat~
Astactory transient data for convolution and de-
convolution analyses for moderate pumping liquid
columns. when long annular Lula colusne are
encountered, translating the AVS data with a
mechanistically based hydrodynanic model appears
to be a prudent approach.
Interpretation of several transient tests shows
that autonattc convolved-type-curve or Matory
matching of fleld data {ss povorful tool for
reservoir paraneter (total nobility, skin,
Fracture half-length, storage cooffteten:) esti-
mation, Use of downhole rate for the convolved
Watorences aid Uitasteations at end OF papery
typeccurve matching reducss the stotage coefficient ty
several orders of magnitite, thovely enhancing the
quality of the estintes, Deconvolution of ‘damhote
Deeasure and rate date algndficantly aided ia
well /reservoir flow sodel identification.
A segontal analysts of the infint te-conductivity
vertically fractured motel {s developed in this
work for a rapld, Lterative-type computation used
in automatic convolved-type-curve analysts.
Testing pumping wells presents an interesting
chaltenge because one needs to deal with inskrect
Reasurenents of downhole pregauve and flow races
Pecause of econonte considerations, direct
Pressure seasuronents, after renoving the pusp
hardwaces, are not cononly practiced. thus
questions often arise regarding the vaildtey of
indirect measuxenonts and thedr subsequent inter=
pretation=-leading to eatination of permeability,
skin, average pressure, fracture half-length,
There are two approaches for estimating downhole
Pressure and flow rate data, The first method
involves tracking the movesont of the gea-liquid
interface during a translent test, ‘waing an
Acoustie well sounding (AMS) device.!"> trans
lation of hese data to domhole pressure and
zate 4s nade, using a wellbore nydredynanis model/
corretatton."48" ‘the, second appronch uses. tho
fmass balance prinotple’~® 9 acconplish the sane
tasks Both methods have cevtain linttationss
Por example, in a foaming annulus the A¥S method
4s not particularly euitable. Howaver, the major
apparent uncertainty in the AMS method’ stems fron
the use of a hydrodynanc model/correlations on
‘the other hand, any leak in the systen (wellhead
leak, for instance) or vellbore crossflow duriag
well’ shut-in causes problens “in” the secon!TRANSIENT RIALYSIS OF ACOUSTICALLY DERIVED PRESSURE AND RATE DATA Pe 15401
sethods thus, simultaneous use of both nathods
appears to be a prudent data-gathering approach:
Typleally, in a pasping well one is confronted
with a long teat because of long-duration weli-
bore storage distortion pertod. This atorage
Aistortion problen surfaces from low reservoir
transmissivity and high syston compressibility
because of high gas aatiration in the reseivotr/
wellbore vicinity. the problen 19 further com
pounded by low reservoir energy aagoclated with
panping welts.
The wellbore storage problen can be handled tn
several ways. One approach is to simaltaneously
analyse, the tranoient pressure and flow rate
datal®!2” “using convolution and deconvolution
approaches. The other approaches that ye. ox
plored are deconvolution with constraints’? and
the automated eypenourve analyoia. Recently the
Latter was used for onogensous, reservotrs"® and
naturally fractured reservoirn'® without consiaq
ering the downhole rate data. Subsequently, a
hunber of studies used the automate convolved
sype-curve snatching tp, interpret testa fro
homogeneous “resgcvotx,"7 faulted reservote,
fractured well,’? low-transminatvlty reservoir,
and layered reservoirs”! using the downhole pees
sure and flow rate data,
another way of testing puaping wella ijge in
adapting the unconventional teat method and
Perforning interpretation with elther pressurs
and rate data simultaneously or pressure da
The purpose of thts study te twofold: First, to
search for a su{table wellbore hydrodynantc mode!
Yo generate the downhole pressure data; second,
to search for an appropriate reservolr flow model
wyemodel) for interpreting the test data.” In
addition, we wanted to explore the quality of
indirectly measured flow raze data through decon=
volution analysis because technology for direct
measurenent of low flow rates (< 100 RE/D),
Prevalent im punping wells, 4s not readily
available.
Indirectly measured downhole transient pressure
and rate data ina punpipg vell can be treated by
the convalution Antegual
i
Bano 7 LP a5t0) tal = 8) +L ae
seteseeeeeee(D
Py. 1 implicitly ascuses that no storage volume
exists beneath the point of rate and pressure
Measurenent. This assumption {s, hovevery not
valid because of dead storage volume below the
perforations, storage volume below the point of
measurement, and storage in the fracture Lf the
well intercepts an Anfinite-conductivity
fracture.'?/14 evan though the meaguvenent,
Eeference point could be nade at the perforations in
® pumping well, strictly speaking, the flow
seasurenent is required within the’ perforation
‘tumals to elininate the storage effect in a
nonfractured well. Thus, we can largely reduce
the effects of storage’ on transtent pressure
behavior by etther measuring or deducing downhole
rate. Pig. 1 {llustrates this potnt
Schenattcally.
Assuming the system to be Linear, one can write
point,
By. 1 to incorporate the atorage helow
of measuranent ae follows
OPge Pa, + Wye 9
where
tege = pressure-drop at the true sandface at the
{nner boundary,
cee ee
APye = pressure-drop betwean th
WE geasurenant and the sandface.
point of
‘the formation paranetera of permeability and skin
can be estinated by convolving a py-model, re~
Hlecting the well/eassrvotr flow geometey, with
measured rate, day. Althoagh we convolve. tndi~
rectly measured ‘Pressure with rate, search for
the ‘storage costficiont {2 nade nonetheless in
the autosated or conplterized type-curve match
Sng, along with permeability and skin. Typteally,
the value of the storage costfictent is orders of
wnagnitude sealler than the values normally ob-
tained without using the rate. Th this ceapect
wwe observe that the avsonated cype-curve matohing
with downhole rate! 719 te superior to logarith=
‘mic-convolution’? and other nethods!! becaase the
storage effect below tho point of measucenent 13
considexed in the automatic convolved=type-curve
approach, Furthermore, logartthelc-convolution
oes not work for early-tine analyse dn low-per~
noability rerervolze whan t, ¢ 25.
iteratively, one could geazch for a pp-nodel,
and then its paraneters (perneabtiity and akin)
by using the deconvolution nethod.'? ‘thus,
deconvolution aids well/reservotr flov geometry
Adentification, However, for the reasons die~
cussed above, deconvolution does not yleld com
pletely storage-froe data for conventional. inter~
pretation: the storage effects are only reducod
to a large degree. Recently, a nuaber of inyegs
Hlgations “mccaaafully deconvoived “ffeis gata, 'S29
Walle others .gseg both synthetic?! 1428/99 ang
Field data’?r'7/18+25 c5 genonetiate the benefits
of early-tine convolution analyais.
ane
Above Storage Case
ve can approsinate dombole flow Fyeq, assuning
Sonstane wmtiboce fi0k4 density, aa! S84KUCHUK, Re Re HASAN
spe 15481 cu. kaWR, Fe ge
en,
a
ay (mat, Sree
i (t > ee
where
seis
g-
aapucyhe,?
‘The Laplace transform of the dinenatonless
velibore pressure solution for the constant well
bore storage and skin effect can be written by
combining tgs. 1 and 3 ae
siywoes
see
Byle) =
0 a 3
340,37 L3, (8) 481
where
8 = laplace transforw vartable.
fone can solve Bq. 4 using Stehfost algoxt thn!
provided the Taplace transfor solution, Py, for
‘the constant rate case 49 available for the? well/
reaervolr flow problem of intereot,
Solutions for Py) can also be obtained using a
Pprnodel, ataculsed, 4p the Appendix, fron the
PEllowing algortthae®’ 2
Pyoltoner) * fp(toner) #8 +S a
+705 Bgl )I/ + 275),
ceeeeeeee (SD
(ones >
too) > PCToaes > fo)?
ana
75 = GolP5C toner ~ Yon) + 81/(Soaet > ton)
Exponential Wellbore Rate Decline Case.
‘The wellbore, Flog rate can also be modeled by the
polationanap?}r88
bey
Grt-e oy
wheze @ 4s @ constant and is given as
fe atic, eaceanto"
The taplace transform of the dimensionless
wellbore pressure for the exponential rate cave
may be obtained by combining Bus. 1 and 6,
+8)
ol) = aS sD
‘Thus, solution of By. 1 depends upon avatiabtiity
of the pyrfunction in the real space, while
either By. 4 or 7 49 solved vhon py-function 4e
avaliable tn the Laplace spice. Invother words,
using Bq. 6, one can compute the wellbore pres
sore, Pyoy from akthor Bq. 1 or By. 7, In the
Appenaix”we present the A, models used in this
study.
INTERPRETAFTON MEnsopoLOGY
In thts study, several interpretation methode are
applied to obtain reservoir parmnatace of nobtlity,
itn, fracture half-Length, and storage coefficient. in
Conventional type-curve and MOH analyses do not
sasily lead to unique estimation of reservoir
parameters because of the doainating {nfluence of
‘the storage or afterflow effect. This storage
asstortion can be largely minimized by convolving
she Peenaure and cave data aimajcaneouely. Te
LogarithmLo-convolution aperoach'® presented a
problen because different wellbore geonetty,
hydrauleally induced fracture, was encountered
in the fleld exanples considered. Only the late=
tine data conforming to the psoudoradial flow
pertod could be straightened on the logavithnte=
Convolution plot.
In automated type-curve matching, ve conetder
matching model reoponse with f1eld pressure daca
with and without the downhole rete. We tara the
latter case as convolved-type-curve matching to
{ndleate convolution with rate data,
The objective of the sutonatic convolved-type
curve matching a to aininize, in a laaat-aquare
sense, the algforonce between a model (radial-
Gylindrteal, fracture, ees.) response and. che
observed fold data, Thus, the reservoir pacanee
ters azo deternined ny minimising the objective
Fonction, oC
3) 4 J eg0s) = wep?
ceoneeeeneeelB)
the marquarat?®
Bye 8.
algoritha {o used to minintze
EBL BeANPLES,
two field examples are discussed in detail to
provide insight into data interpretation, par=
tleularty that involving downhole pressure and
flow rate. A third example 1s also presented to
give a flavor of using the deconvoiution method