Numerical Modeling of Fully-transient Flow in the Near-wellbore Region during Liquid Loading in Gas Wells

Zhang, H., Falcone, G. , Valko, P. and Teodoriu, C. (2009) Numerical Modeling of Fully-transient Flow in the Near-wellbore Region during Liquid Loading in Gas Wells. In: SPE Latin American and Caribbean Petroleum Engineering Conference 2009, LACPEC 09, Cartagena, Colombia, 31 May-3 June 2009, ISBN 9781615670994

Abstract

In oil and gas field operations, the dynamic interactions between reservoir and wellbore cannot be ignored, especially during transient flow in the near-wellbore region. A particular instance of transient flow in the near-wellbore region is the intermittent response of a reservoir that is typical of liquid loading in gas wells. Despite the high level of attention that the industry has devoted to the alleviation of liquid loading, the fundamental understanding of the associated phenomena is still surprisingly weak. This applies not only to the flows in the wells, but also to the ways in which these flows interact with those in the reservoir. The classical way of dealing with these interactions, inflow performance relationships (IPRs), relate the inflow from the reservoir to the pressure at the bottom of the well, which is related to the multiphase flow behavior in the tubing. These relationships are usually based on steady-state or pseudo steady-state assumptions. However, such IPRs may be inadequate when a transition from an acceptable liquid loading regime to an unacceptable occurs over a relatively small range of production rates and, hence, over a relatively short time. The most satisfactory solution would be to couple a transient model for the reservoir to a transient model for the well. This paper presents the results of a numerical modeling effort focused on the identification of the transient pressure profile in the near-wellbore region during fully transient flow conditions. The preliminary results, obtained for a single-phase (gas) situation and for a three-phase (oil-water-gas) situation, show a "U-shaped" pressure profile along the reservoir radius. The existence of a similar pressure profile could be the explanation for the reinjection of the heavier phase into the reservoir during liquid unloading in gas wells.

• Item Type: Conference Proceedings
• Additional Information: SPE Latin American and Caribbean Petroleum Engineering Conference Proceedings, volume 3, 2009, pages 1141-1155.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Falcone, Professor Gioia
• Authors: Zhang, H., Falcone, G., Valko, P., and Teodoriu, C.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Systems Power and Energy
• ISBN: 9781615670994