Gas Field Development

250 25
Pressures Pc, Pw, Pt (bara) and Field

Pc (Average Reservoir)

Required Number of Wells, Nw

Pw (Bottomhole Flowing)
Pt (Tubinghead Flowing)
Gas Rate qgF (1E6 Sm3/d)

200 qgF 20
Nw

150 15

100 10

50 5

0 0
0 5 10 15 20 25

Time, years

Unit Conversion Units

1. Gas field development involves the optimal selection of well number, well placement, well tubing
size, and pipeline characteristics to deliver a specified contract rate (DCQ - daily contract
quota) and specified contractual (plateau) period.

2. The engineering tools required are (a) reservoir material balance(s); (b) well rate equations for
reservoir and tubing; and (c) pipeline rate equations. Reservoir simulation is often not
necessary, but may be convenient.

3. Data acquisition is needed early to estimate key parameters in the calculations mentioned in
(2). These include core data, log interpretation, geologic mapping, and well testing.

4. Field gas rate ‘swing’ considerations may be important, accounting for a seasonal variation in
production rate demand (maximum in winter).

5. Compression design may be important during the contractual period, but almost certainly
during the decline period of production.

6. Uncertainty analysis should focus on the parameters which are known to be important and
known to be uncertain (IGIP, kh, skin, aquifer strength).

June 18, 2020 e-notes (c) Curtis H. Whitson 1

 References
1. Van Dam, Planning of Optimum Production from Gas Fields.
2. Fetkovich, Multipoint Testing of Gas Wells (backpressure analysis).

Examples
1. Gas Field Production Forecasting Worked Example

2. Gas Field Production Forecasting (xls).

Notes

June 18, 2020 e-notes (c) Curtis H. Whitson 2