Well Productivity in
Gas/Condensate Reservoirs
Well productivity in a moderately-
rich-gas/condensate reservoir
decreased rapidly and then
increased as the reservoir was
depleted. Compositional reservoir
simulation indicated that, during
early production, a condensate ring
formed around the wellbore when
near-wellbore pressure dropped to
below dewpoint pressure. The high
condensate saturation in the ring
severely reduced effective perme-
ability to gas, resulting in reduced
gas production. After pressure
throughout the reservoir declined to
below dewpoint pressure, conden-
sate formed throughout the reser-
voir and gas flowing into the ring
became leaner, decreasing conden-
sation in the ring and causing gas
productivity to increase.
Introduction
In gas/condensate reservoirs, well pro-
ductivity often declines rapidly when
near-wellbore pressure drops below
dewpoint pressure. Radial composi-
tional-reservoir-simulation models
often are used to investigate this pro-
ductivity decrease. These models
clearly show that the productivity
decrease is caused by liquid dropout
around the wellbore. This ring of
increased condensate saturation
around the wellbore reduces effective
permeability to gas and results in
rapid well-productivity decline. The
effect of condensate blocking is more
evident in low-permeability reser-
voirs. Other authors have reported
that the recovery factor of gas/conden-
sate wells is affected by condensate
blocking only if the permeability-
thickness product, kh, is less than
This article is a synopsis of paper SPE
59773, “Investigation of Well Produc-
tivity in Gas/Condensate Reservoirs,”
by A.H. El-Banbi, SPE, and W.D.
McCain Jr., SPE, Schlumberger
Holditch-Reservoir Technologies, and
M.E. Semmelbeck, SPE, Battlecat Oil
& Gas, originally presented at the 2000
SPE/CERI Gas Technology Symposium,
Calgary, 3–5 April.
APRIL 2000
1,000 md-ft. For higher kh values,
productivity loss is not very severe.
History Match
Production Data. Production data for
wells in this field were unusual. Gas-
production rates initially declined
rapidly, stabilized, and then increased
for more than 10 years (Fig. 1). The
time at which the gas-production rates
stabilized coincided with the begin-
ning of condensate-yield decline.
Thus, gas productivities appeared to
be related to dewpoint pressure.
Model. A radial, single-well composi-
tional model was constructed to
investigate the behavior of Well A.
The model consisted of one layer with
36 gridblocks in the radial direction.
A 0.5-ft gridblock was used nearest
the wellbore and gridblock size
increased logarithmically to
Gridblock 10. From Gridblock 10 to
Gridblock 36, 100-ft gridblocks were
used. A nine-component equation-of-
state formula and an imbibition
gas/oil relative permeability data set in
the presence of irreducible water were
used. History matching was per-
formed to explain well behavior. The
model was constrained by gas rate,
while reservoir properties were
Gas-Production Rate, Mscf/D
Time, days
Fig. 1—Gas-production rate and condensate yield (CY) for Well A.
changed to match average reservoir
pressure and condensate-production
rate. Permeability, porosity, and per-
meability distribution were altered to
achieve the history match.
Simulation Results
After the successful history match of
Well A, several reasons for observed
well behavior became apparent. Gas
productivity declined when near-well-
bore flowing pressure dropped below
dewpoint pressure. This productivity
decline was caused by an increase in
condensate saturation around the
wellbore. Fig. 2 shows condensate
saturation vs. time for three grid-
blocks representing near wellbore,
middle of the reservoir, and far reser-
voir. Condensate saturation near the
G a s Te c h n o l o g y
wellbore increased to approximately
70%, which was significantly greater
than maximum condensate saturation
predicted by the constant-volume-
depletion experiment.
Relative Permeability Effects.
Relative permeability to condensate
and gas is determined by both con-
densate and gas saturation. Relative
permeability to condensate near the
wellbore continuously declines as
incoming gas becomes leaner.
Condensate Yield, bbl/MMscf
Gas CY
67
 Condensate Saturation, fraction
Time, days
Fig. 2—Condensate saturation vs. time.
Condensate in the far reservoir (Cell
36) does not move because its satura-
tion does not become sufficiently high
to build any relative permeability.
After the initial near-wellbore perme-
ability decline, relative permeability to
gas increases with time. This increase
in near-wellbore gas productivity is
G a s Te c h n o l o g y
caused by a decrease in near-wellbore
condensate saturation.
Compositional Changes. Simulation
results show that composition of both
condensate and gas in the reservoir
changes with decreasing reservoir
pressure. The compositional changes
around the wellbore are more dramat-
ic than those in the reservoir. The sur-
face tension reflects the closeness of
condensate and gas compositions.
Around the wellbore (Cell 1), higher
surface tension reflects considerable
difference between condensate and
gas compositions. In the far reservoir
(Cell 36), surface tension is much
lower than in the near-wellbore area.
Compositional changes affect both
gas and condensate viscosity.
Condensate viscosity increases while
gas viscosity decreases as reservoir
pressure decreases, resulting in
increased gas mobility.
Condensate-Ring Development.
Fig. 3 illustrates condensate buildup
around the wellbore and shows how
condensate-saturation profiles change
with time. When near-wellbore pres-
sure drops below the dewpoint, con-
densate saturation increases to
approximately 70% near the wellbore.
This condensate saturation is signifi-
cantly greater than predicted in static
68
Cell 1
Condensate Saturation, fraction
Cell 20
Cell 36
Distance from wellbore, ft
Fig. 3—Condensate-saturation profile vs. time.
laboratory pressure/volume/tempera-
ture (PVT) studies. Condensate satu-
ration decreases to zero a short dis-
tance from the wellbore and is zero
throughout most of the reservoir
where pressures are above dewpoint
pressure. The diameter of the
increased-condensate-saturation ring
grows with time, but, as long as pres-
sure in most of the reservoir is above
the dewpoint, maximum condensate
concentration near the wellbore
remains at approximately 70%. After
6 years’ production, the condensate
ring expands to approximately 300 ft
into the reservoir.
Between the sixth and seventh years
of production, pressure throughout
the reservoir drops below dewpoint
pressure. Condensate saturation in
the reservoir increases to the level pre-
dicted by laboratory PVT results,
causing leaner gas to flow into the
near-wellbore area. Because the leaner
gas contains less condensate, near-
wellbore condensate saturation
decreases, allowing partial recovery of
gas production.
During the next 7 years, condensate
saturation throughout the reservoir
increases as pressure decreases and
condensate saturation near the well-
bore decreases. This results in an
increase in gas saturation near the
wellbore, which increases gas produc-
tivity. At year 20, some revaporization
occurs and condensate saturation in
the reservoir decreases slightly.
Saturation. In this example, conden-
sate saturation near the wellbore
increased to approximately 68%,
which, with a 20% irreducible water
saturation, reduced gas effective per-
meability to less than 0.1. When pres-
sure in the rest of the reservoir fell
below the dewpoint, condensate
dropped out throughout the reser-
voir. After this occurred, gas flowing
into the wellbore was leaner and had
less condensate to drop out near the
wellbore. This allowed the conden-
sate saturation in the ring to decline
to approximately 55%. Although this
change does not appear to be dramat-
ic, it resulted in a 25% gas saturation,
which increased gas relative perme-
ability to approximately 0.2, increas-
ing gas productivity. Leaner-gas
production reduces both hydrostatic
and frictional pressure-drop compo-
nents in the tubulars, which also
improves productivity.
Conclusions
1. Compositional simulation
showed that the severe gas-produc-
tivity decline early in the life of these
gas/condensate wells was caused by a
condensate-ring buildup near the
wellbore resulting from near-well-
bore pressure dropping below dew-
point pressure.
2. Because condensate builds up in
the reservoir when reservoir pressure
drops below dewpoint pressure, gas
flowing into the near-wellbore
becomes leaner and gas productiv-
ity increases. JPT
Please read the full-length paper for
additional detail, illustrations, and ref-
erences. The paper from which the
synopsis has been taken has not been
peer reviewed.
APRIL 2000