A particular case of time superposition that is of practical importance is where there are only two flow rates, such as when qB is q, starting at time zero, and qC is -q, starting at the time tp.
The effect of these two flow rates is the representation of a well which is produced for a time tp, at rate q, and then shut in (Figure 2.40).
This gives us a means to generate the pressure response during a buildup test, using the simple constant rate solutions generated for drawdown tests (as in Eq.
2.66).
(2.66)
This is illustrated in Fig. 2.41, and is true regardless of the reservoir model used.
Figure 2.40
Figure 2.41
While discussing this point, we can observe that this time superposition leads to a particularly simple result during infinite acting radial flow. During this flow regime:
(2.67) or,
(2.68) Thus a plot of pressure against the logarithm of (tp+t)/t will show a straight line of slope:
(2.69) Such a plot is known as a Horner plot, and we refer to (tp+t)/t as the Horner time (Fig. 2.42). Due to the definition of Horner time, it should be noted that
actual time increases to the left in Fig.
2.42. As the shut-in time t tends to infinity, the Horner time (tp+t)/t tends to 1.
Figure 2.42
The Horner plot may also be used to estimate the skin factor. Since the skin factor is a dimensionless pressure drop, the skin effect only influences the flowing period of the test. Thus it is necessary to include the data point representing the last flowing pressure -- this point is pwf(tp). The difference between the shut-in pressure and the last flowshut-ing pressure, assuming infinite-acting radial flow, is:
(2.70) If we substitute a value of t = 1 hour, then we can obtain an estimate of the skin factor:
(2.71) As with drawdown tests, it is important to note that the value of p1hr needs to
be taken from the Horner straight line, or the extrapolation of it This is due to the assumption of infinite-acting radial flow -- the flow regime at the arbitrary time of 1 hour may not be infinite-acting, and therefore the actual pressure data point at this time is not the correct one to use.
The Horner time is useful for semilog analysis, however we still have problems with log-log (type curve) analysis. This is because in type curve analysis of a drawdown test, we plot log (pi - pwf) against log t. We could do this correctly for shut-in tests if we could plot the logarithm of pws(t) - pwf (tp+ t) (see Fig. 2.41), by subtracting the "would have been" flowing pressure from the measured well pressure. Unfortunately we do not know what this "would have when the log approximation is valid (i.e., when tD > 10). For the time to be equivalent, we require that:
(2.72)
As long as each pressure varies as log t, then we can determine that:
(2.73)
This is the Agarwal equivalent time, and using it in place of Dt will allow
drawdown type curves to be used for buildup. This is strictly true only for infinite acting radial flow without wellbore storage, however has been shutting of the well. This generalization follows a derivation similar to that shown in Eqs. 2.58-2.62. If we have measured a series of N different flow rates prior to shut-in, the well shut-in pressure assuming infinite acting (semilog) behavior can be written:
2.74)
Notice here that qN is the last rate the well flowed at before being shut. Thus instead of plotting a semilog plot against Horner time, we may plot pressure against the log time variable:
(2.75) Such a plot would then have the familiar slope m, given by Eq. (2.69).
A discussion of the use and limitations of these types of semilog superposition approaches may be found in Larsen (1983).
2.15.1 Treating Buildups as Drawdowns As discussed earlier, it may be possible to treat a buildup the same as a drawdown if the preceding production time is three to five times as long as the period of shut in, although some care is required if boundary effects are present in either the drawdown or buildup responses. With computer-aided interpretation, it is not difficult to
A case of more practical interest is one in which the previous production history is unknown (perhaps due to collective production through a manifold, for example), and where the well has been in production for a long period of time. In such a case, any transient attributable to the production is likely to be very small during the duration of the buildup test.
Thus the buildup test may be reasonably treated as if an injection of fluid at the rate -q started at the time of the test, where q was the stabilized rate of production prior to shut in. Rather than include the production history back to the first flow of the well, it is adequate to treat the transient as if it had started just at the time of shut in.
2.15.2 Average Reservoir Pressure
One common objective for a shut-in test is to estimate the average reservoir pressure, which is expected to change as reservoir production occurs.
Finding the "initial" reservoir pressure pi can be an integral part of nonlinear regression analysis, whether the test is drawdown or buildup type. In a buildup analysis, the estimated value of pi obtained will be the estimate of average reservoir pressure. Even without nonlinear regression, the ability to
"simulate" extended duration shut-in tests makes it possible, in computer-aided interpretation, to extrapolate to the new reservoir pressure pi, if the drainage shape is known or assumed. However, the traditional methods will be described here for completeness.
The situation is straightforward if the actual initial pressure before production began is known, since the average reservoir pressure is then a simple matter of material balance, based on the equation for pseudosteady state behavior:
If the initial pi is unknown, which may be the case if the well has been in production for a long time, then a graphical technique due to Matthews, Brons and Hazebroek (1954) is used. An example of an MBH plot is shown in Fig.
2.45.
Figure 2.45
The procedure is to determine tDA, using the value of producing time tp, and an estimate or assumption of the drainage area. Next, the corresponding pDMBH is read from the MBH plot (such as Fig.
2.45), making use of a prior estimate or assumption about the shape and/or configuration of the boundary. Finally, the value of average reservoir pressure, , is determined from the definition of pDMBH:
(2.77)
(2.78) where m is the slope of the Horner straight line, and p* is the point at which the extension of the Horner straight line meets the axis (tp + t)/t = 1, as in Fig.
2.46. This point is sometimes known as the Horner extrapolated pressure or the Horner false pressure.
Figure 2.46
2.16 REFERENCES
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