CHAPTER 5

Well Rates And Pressures

Well Equations

Comparing Simulator Pressure to Pressure Build-Up

Summary of Well Rate and Pressure Equations

Data

Well Rates And Pressures

Well Equations
The simulation equations use pressures at the center of the gridblocks. These pressures
represent material balance average pressures in the gridblock. However, if a well is located in the
center of a gridblock, the gridblock pressure, pi,j, is not the wellbore flowing pressure, pwf. These
equations compute the gas flow from gridblock to gridblock but do not model the very high
pressure gradients near the wellbore. So if a well is located in a cell, we need additional equations to
relate the well performance to the cell variables. We assume that steady state flow occurs within a
cell and use the following three equations:
kr
q o = J model

n+ 1
i, j

- p wf

(1)

q w = J model

kr

n+ 1
i, j

- p wf

(2)

q g = J model

kr

n+ 1
i, j

- pwf + Rsn1 q o

(3)

The fluid and rock properties are the same as for the cell.
We now have 3 equations with 4 unknowns: q o, qw, qg and pwf. This means that the user
must specify one of these unknowns. This is the condition under which the well will produce. For
example, if the user specifies qo, then qw, qg and pwf are calculated from Eqs. 1-3. Similarly if we
specify pwf , we can calculate qo, qw and qg from the above equations.
Peacemans Equations. Jmodel is a "productivity index" or "well index" that has a special meaning
which will be discussed later. It is not the same as the well's actual productivity index, J. J model is
calculated as follows:
2
Chapter 5 - Well Rates and Pressures

J model =

2 (0.00633) kh
ln r o / r w + s

(4)

where "ro" is calculated using following equations :

(1) whenx =y, kx = ky
ro = 0.2x

(5)

(2) otherwise

ro =

0.28

k x / k y y

k y / k x x +
2

1/4

( ky / kx)

1/4

2 1/2

+ ( kx / k y )

(6)

(3) for Radial Systems

ro =

r w r r1

(7)
Sometimes the user may want to specify total reservoir rate "qt". Eqs. 1-3 can be substituted
into the "qt" equation

0
to give:

q t = q o Bo n1 + q w Bw n 1 + q g - Rs n1 q o Bg

kr
qt = J model

kr

+
o

kr

+
w

n+ 1
i, j

n 1

- p wf

(8)

(9)

A number of other variations are possible to simulate actual field operating conditions. Notice that a
Bn+1/Bn factor has been omitted from each term in Eq. 9. These can be added, of course, if a new
estimate of Bn+1 is available.
Implicit Draw-Down.

Notice that the draw-down in Eqs. 1-3, (pi,jn+1 - pwf), uses the n+1 value of
3
Chapter 5 - Well Rates and Pressures

cell pressure. This is important if pwf is specified as a producing condition. Otherwise, the rates will
oscillate and may blow up for sequential timesteps.
Rate Specified.
If qo, qw, qg, or qt are specified, then qo, qw, and qg are calculated before the
timestep and put into the right-hand-side of the IMPES pressure equation. At the end of the
timestep, pwf can then be calculated. This is simple and stable (as long as k rn does not cause
stability problems).
pwf Specified. If the user specified pwf, then none of the rates are known until after the timestep. It
then becomes necessary to solve for the three-phase rate in the IMPES pressure equation. The
IMPES pressure equation is in units of reservoir flow rate. The rate term is q t. Thus, the
relationship in Eq. 9 can be used, rewritten as:

qt = J model r t pi,n j+ 1 - p wf
where rt is the total relative mobility,
k
k
k
rt r r r
o w

(10)

(11)

The term, Jmodel rt , is added to the main diagonal term, ac. The other term Jmodel rt pwf stays on the
right hand side.
At the end of the timestep, qo, qw and qg are calculated.

4
Chapter 5 - Well Rates and Pressures

Comparing Simulator Pressure to Pressure build-up data

It is possible to match bottom-hole flowing pressure, pwf. However, that data is usually not
available and is also not very reliable because of possible inaccuracies in rate data. It is more
common and much more reliable to match pressure build-up data when it is available. The problem
is - how to match the pressure build-up data. The time scale of the pressure build-up test is usually
too short to model accurately with a field scale grid because the gridblocks are too large.
Peaceman has provided a method for comparing simulator gridblock pressures to pressure
build-up pressure. Fig.1 shows a profile of pressure in a gridblock containing a producing well.
The pressure profile is assumed to be at pseudo-steady state. It is seen that the gridblock pressure
(the material balance average pressure inside the gridblock) is somewhere between pwf and the
average reservoir pressure. Fig. 2 shows the corresponding pressure build-up curve from field data.
The gridblock pressure corresponding to the proper field build-up pressure lies on the semi-log
straight line at time of to which is calculated by the following equation:

t o (hrs) =

67.5 ct x 2
k

(12)

The "match pressure", po corresponds to the steady state pressure at 0.2x . If po is the same
as the gridblock pressure, pi,j, then the simulator is properly matching field behavior.

wellbore
p

wellbore
gridblock

po
p - p wf

p wf

p o p wf

Fig.1 - Pressure profile in a gridblock containing a producing well.

5
Chapter 5 - Well Rates and Pressures

Example Problem.

Find the "match pressure" from the following field pressure build-up test.

q
k

ct

= 23,000 scf/D
= 0.15 md
= 0.18
= 5 x 10-6 psi-1
= 0.216 cp
Shut-in time Build-up pressure
t
ps
(hrs)
(psia)
___________
__________
0.10
2854.5
0.23
2861.5
0.39
2865.5
0.84
2871.5
1.56
2875.6
3.50
2881.0
7.38
2886.2
15.11
2891.0
30.53
2895.5
61.31
2900.0
122.72
2904.1
245.24
2907.1
489.71
2909.3
840.00
2910.4
Model data:
x= 100 ft
Solution.

The solution follows these simple steps:

(1) plot the build-up data on a log t plot

(2) draw a "semi-log straight line".
(3) calculate to,
(4) find po at to on the "semi-log straight line", extrapolated if necessary.
The value of po "match pressure" which will be compared to the simulator gridblock
pressure at the time of the pressure build-up test.
Fig. 2 shows the field build-up data plotted on a semi-log plot. The match pressure is found
by calculating to as follows:
6
Chapter 5 - Well Rates and Pressures

 to =

(67.5)(0.18)(0.216)(5x 10 -6 )( 100 2 )
= 0.8746 hrs
(0.15)

Then we find the corresponding pressure on the semi-log straight line: po = 2872 psig.
This pressure is then compared to the simulator gridblock pressure when evaluating a history match
run.

p (psi)

2940 s
2920
2900

=
2880

2860
2840
0.1

10

100

1000

Fig. 2 - Pressure build-up curve for example problem.

7
Chapter 5 - Well Rates and Pressures

Summary of Well Rate and Pressure Equations

A.

Bottom-hole pressure, pwf, and rate:

kr
q o = J model

n+ 1
i, j

- p wf

B. Productivity Index or Well Index :

J model =

2 ( 0.00633 ) kh
ln r o / r w + s

where, s = skin factor

C.

Value of ro:
(1) whenx =y, kx = ky
ro = 0.2x
(2) otherwise

ro =

0.28

k y / k x x2 +

/ k x

1/ 4

kx / k y y

+ k x / k y

1/ 4

2 1/ 2

(3) for Radial Systems

ro =

D.

r w rr 1

Comparison of cell pressure, pcell, with Field Build-up Test

8
Chapter 5 - Well Rates and Pressures

67.5 c t ( x )2
t o (hrs) =
k

9
Chapter 5 - Well Rates and Pressures

EXERCISES
PROBLEM NO.1
Calculate the following for a producing well. Use the data of Problem no. 4.3 with Rs/p = 0.2
scf / STB.
(a) pwf
(b) producing GOR (scf/scf)
(c) shut-in time at which the cell pressure is on the semi-log
straight line of a field build-up test, po.
PROBLEM NO.2
A build-up test gives the following pressure behavior;
(a) calculate Jmodel
(b) calculate to
(c) determine pcell
(d) calculate pwf.
t
(hrs)

ps
(psia)

0.3
0.5
1.0
2.5
5.0
10.0
20.0
30.0

1600
1690
1782
1852
1884
1918
1948
1968

Other data
qo= 617.65 scf/D
Bo= 1.3
o= 1.9 cp
rw = 0.25 ft
h = 25 ft

ct = 15.0E-6 psi-1
= 0.15
kro= 0.7
s = 2.0
x= 200 ft

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Chapter 5 - Well Rates and Pressures