Petroleum Production

Technical Training Program

Phase I

Internal Use Only

 Where are we

• Found the reservoir

• Drilled the Well
• Logged the Well
• Ran and Cemented Casing
• Perforated
• What’s next ?????

Internal Use Only

 Objectives
• Define the basic concepts and terminology used in reservoir
engineering.
• Determine the expected production rate from a given
scenario.
• Describe the skin effect and explain its affect on production.
• What is the main driving force behind production
optimization?
• Understand and determine how much oil and gas is in the
reservoir.
• Be able to determine the type of hydrocarbon that is in the
reservoir.
• Be able to explain and define drawdown.
• Be able to explain how water impacts relative permeability and
production
• Be able to compare well production based on Productivity
Index

Internal Use Only

Internal Use Only
What is the goal of the customer?

To maximize petroleum production

in a cost-effective manner

Internal Use Only

Basic Production Engineering Principles

Internal Use Only

How much?

• Reservoir understanding

• OOIP/ OGIP

• Type of fluid

• Boundaries

Internal Use Only

Reservoir Understanding

Internal Use Only

Petrophysical properties

Porosity pore volume

• Primary: From deposition
• Secondary: Post deposition bulk volum e

Water saturation

Volume ratio of
Water
Oil

Internal Use Only

Petrophysical properties

Permeability: Ability to transmit fluids

• Absolute: Only one fluid

• Effective: 2 or more fluids present

• Relative: ratio of Effective to Absolute

Remember Billy Bobs!!!

Internal Use Only

Formation Volume Factor

Oil  Gas Volume at Reservoir


Oil  Gas Volume at Surface

o Oil in formation contains

dissolved gas

o Gas comes out when

pressure decreases

Internal Use Only

 Original Oil In Place (OOIP)

Data required:
– Rock porosity

– Size and extent of

reservoir (bulk volume)

– Fluid saturation

– Volume factor ( >1)

Internal Use Only

 Original Oil/ Gas In Place

7758 * A * h * * (1  Sw)
OOIP 
o
43560 * A * h * * (1  Sw)
OGIP 
g i
Where:
A= Area of reservoir (Acre) Sw: Water saturation (ratio)
h: Height of formation (ft) o: Volume factor (oil) (reservoir bbl/ stb)
 : Porosity of formation (ratio) gi: Volume factor (gas) (reservoir cuft/ scf)

Internal Use Only

Type of fluid

Each hydrocarbon reservoir has

a phase diagram, a PVT curve
Reservoir types:
• Under saturated: Above B.P.
• Saturated: Below B.P. (two phases)
• Dry Gas: Above D.P Fluid is gas
• Retrograde condensate: Below D.P.
Liquid is formed and
then re evaporates

B.P.: Bubble Point

D.P.: Dew Point

Internal Use Only

Black Oils

• Large, heavy,
non-volatile
molecules

• “Low
shrinkage oil”

Internal Use Only

 Volatile Oils

• Fewer heavy
molecules

• “High shrinkage
oil”

• Large release of
rich gas

Internal Use Only

Retrograde Condensate

• Initially totally a
gas
15%Liquid
• Condensate
typically won’t
flow

Internal Use Only

Wet Gases

• PVT below
reservoir
temperature

• Remains gas

Gas while in reservoir

but liquid fraction at
surface conditions

Internal Use Only

 Dry Gases

• No liquid forms

• Primarily methane

Gas while in reservoir

and at surface
conditions

Internal Use Only

Type of fluid

Internal Use Only

Exercise # 1

Initial Final
Temperature Pressure Pressure Initial fluid Final fluid Type of reservoir

°F Psi Psi (oil/ gas) (oil/gas)

100
Group I 3700 2600 Oil Oil Under saturated

105 Group II 2600 1500 Oil (80%) Oil (20%) Saturated

Gas Gas (92 Retrograde
175 Group III 2500 1750 (95%) %) condensate
300
Group IV 3500 1500 Gas Gas Dry Gas

Internal Use Only

Boundary Condition

– Steady-State Performance
Constant outer boundary pressure
– Pseudo-Steady State Flow
Decreasing outer boundary pressure
– Unsteady State
Period before stabilized flow is achieved

Internal Use Only

Understanding Production

Internal Use Only

Fluid Transfer

B • Fluid always move from higher to

lower pressure conditions

A
• Pressure losses result
in flow reduction

• An oil/ gas well is a system where

pressure losses occur in several
places

Internal Use Only

Pressure Loss Analysis

Pressure losses occur at:

• Reservoir
• Perforations
• Wellbore
• Christmas Tree
• Choke
• Surface lines
A

Internal Use Only

Production types

• Natural • Artificial

Internal Use Only

Production types
Electronic
Controller
Lubricator Drive
Head

Control Catcher
Armored Equipment w/ Arrival
Sensor
Sucker
Cable
Rod
Gas-Lift
Pump Valve
Rod Pump
Plunger
Floater/
Packer Bumper
Tubing Pump Electric Stator
Anchor Standing Spring
Motor Valve Tubing
(Optional) Stop

Rod Pump Submersible

Electric
Hydraulic Pump Gas Lift Plunger Lift Progressive-
Pump Cavity Pump

Internal Use Only

Flow Trough Porous Media

Internal Use Only

Darcy

q  KP

– Pressure (P)
– Permeability (K)
– Fluid viscosity (μ)
– Length of flow (L)

1
q
L

Internal Use Only

 Radial flow

Radial Coordinates
q
kA dp A  2rh
 dr

Pwf
h Pe
(Reservoir pressure)

re
(drainage radius/
rw outer boundary)
(wellbore radius)

Internal Use Only

Steady State condition

– Assumes rate is constant

– Specific reservoir production mechanism
– Constant pressure (pe) at boundary (re)
– Near wellbore condition critical for well production

Internal Use Only

 Oil field units

141.2q  re 
p e  p wf   ln 
kh  rw 
Where:
– Pe = pressure at boundary- reservoir (psi)
– pwf= flowing bottomhole pressure (psi)
– q = flow rate (STB/day)
–  = formation volume factor (res bbl/STB)
–  = viscosity (cp)
– k = permeability (md)
– h = height (ft)
– re = outer boundary radius (ft)
– rw = wellbore radius (ft)

Internal Use Only

Exercise # 2

• Steady-State Example:
– Calculate the production rate if the flowing bottomhole
pressure is equal to 4,500 psi.

– Given:

Pe= 5,561 psi  = 1.7 cp

k= 8.2 md re = 2980 ft
h= 53 ft rw = 0.328 ft
 1.1 res bbl/STB

Internal Use Only

Production Optimization

Internal Use Only

Draw Down

Difference between reservoir pressure (pore pressure) and

bottom hole flowing pressure

• Drives fluid movement

• Controlled by pressure reduction at surface
• Prevent undesired conditions

Pe = Reservoir pressure (psi)

Pwf= Bottom hole flowing pressure (psi)

Internal Use Only

Production engineering

• Increase flow rate for a giving

driving force

• Minimize draw down for a given

rate

Internal Use Only

Draw Down

Pwf
Internal Use Only
Productivity Index (J)

q kh
J 
Pe  Pwf 141.2(ln( re )
rw

• Draw down differences

• Meaningful comparison
• Gas well (J) = Oil well (J)

Internal Use Only

Exercise # 3

• Steady-State Example:
– Describe a mechanism to increase the flow rate by 50%.

– Given:

pi= 5,561 psi  = 1.7 cp

k= 8.2 md re = 2980 ft
h= 53 ft rw = 0.328 ft
 1.1 res bbl/STB


Internal Use Only

 Exercise # 4

• The HTC #1 was tested for 8hr at a rate of about 38 STB/D. Wellbore
flowing pressure was calculated to be 585 psia, based on acoustic
liquid level measurements. After shutting the well in for 24hr, the BHP
reached a static value of 1125 psia, also based on acoustic level
readings. The rod pump used on this well is considered undersized,
and a larger pump can be expected to reduce wellbore flowing
pressure to a level near 350psia (just above the bubble-point
pressure). Calculate the Following:

1. Productivity index J
2. Oil rate for a wellbore flowing pressure of 350 psi
3. Wellbore flowing pressure required to produce 60STB/D

Internal Use Only

Production Limiters

Internal Use Only

Water Production

• Draw down pressure

• Water zones present
• Water conning
• Water disposal on surface
• Effective Permeability

Internal Use Only

Water Production

• Absolute Permeability (K): One fluid

• Effective Permeability (Kx): 2+ fluids
• Relative permeability (Krx): Kx/K

Internal Use Only

Sand Production

Negative effects of sand production:

•Reduced production rates

•Sand bridging in tubing/ casing
•Erosion of down hole and surface equipment
•Disposal and removal of sand

Internal Use Only

The Near Wellbore Conditions

Internal Use Only

Near wellbore
rs
Pe

r
w

Well centerline
ideal
h
re P
real
Where: Ks Kf
– Pe = pressure at boundary- reservoir
P= pressure at wellbore
k = permeability rw
h = height
re = outer boundary radius
rs
rw = wellbore radius re
rs = skin radius

Internal Use Only

 Oil field units

141.2q  re 
p e  p wf   ln  S 
kh  rw 
Where:
– Pe = pressure at boundary- reservoir (psi)
– pwf= flowing bottomhole pressure (psi)
– q = flow rate (STB/day)
–  = formation volume factor (res bbl/STB)
–  = viscosity (cp)
– k = permeability (md)
– h = height (ft)
– re = outer boundary radius (ft)
– rw = wellbore radius (ft)
– S = Skin

Internal Use Only

Near wellbore

ps  pwf ,real  pwf ,ideal

q q rs q rs
s ln  ln
2kh 2k s h rw 2kh rw

k  rs
So skin is…
s    1 ln
 k s  rw

Internal Use Only

 Exercise 5

Kf rs Kf: Formation permeability, md

S  (  1) * ln( ) Ks:
rs:
Permeability of skin zone, md
Skin radius, ft
Ks rw rw: Wellbore radius, ft

•What would be the skin damage value for a 7” (32#/ft) well that has been
damaged 4 ft away from the wellbore resulting in reduction of the original
permeability from 100 md to 10 md ?
•What if the reduction is from 100 md to 1 md?

Internal Use Only

Components of Skin

• Sd: Damage Skin: Reduction of formation permeability

• Sc+q: Partial completion: Ratio of perforated height to net height
•Slant: Deviation angle (well exposure)
•Sp: Perforation skin: Depends on dimensions, number and phasing
• “Pseudo skins”: Phase and rate dependent skin

Internal Use Only

 Skin Values
Kf rs
S  (  1) * ln( )
Ks rw
• Water Blocks • Horizontal Wells
• Bacteria • Acidizing
• Multiphase Flow + - • Hydraulic fracturing
(bypassing)
• Emulsions
• Clay Swelling
• Fines/Clay Migration
• Precipitation

Internal Use Only

 Production Impact

• Lower Production Rates • Well Fails to Produce According to Darcy’s

• Lost Production Intervals • Reduction In Permeability

• Premature Abandonment • Specific to Near Wellbore Area

Internal Use Only

Review

•For fluid movement to occur a differential pressure is needed.

•The differential pressure for fluid to flow into a wellbore is called drawdown.
•Wells that do not have sufficient drawdown to flow on their own need
artificial lift. (gas lift or down hole pumps)
•Darcy’s law says that flow rate is proportional to drawdown.
•Customers goal is to maximize J in a cost effective manner.
• Water and Sand production adversely affects well performance
• Skin is an additional steady-state pressure drop near the wellbore.
•The presence of several fluids impedes the flow of each fluid

Internal Use Only