Detection of A Linear Boundary

Detection of a Linear Boundary

• A linear boundary is a physical boundary such as a sealing
fault, the oil-water contact, permeability pinchout, or an
abrupt change in the diffusivity, , defined by:

• Suppose that the tested well is located near a linear

boundary, as shown in the following figure.
• Intuitively, one would expect the pressure drop as observed
in the testted well to be greater than the pressure drop that
would occur if the boundary did not exist.
 Detection of a Linear Boundary
To account for the additional pressure drop due to the
presence of the linear boundary, an image well is placed on
the other side of the boundary at a distance equal to the
distance between the original well and the boundary, and
the boundary itself is removed.
 Detection of a Linear Boundary
The pressure drop at the original well would be the sum of
the pressure drop as calculated by Equation 2 and the
pressure drop due to the image well . The pressure drop at
the tested well is given by:

At the beginning of the test, when t is very small, the

exponential integral is essentially equal to zero, then the
pressure drop at the well is

As t increases, the exponential integral is represented by

the logarithmic approximation
 Detection of a Linear Boundary
and thus thre pressure drop is given by:

According to Eq. (2) and (4), the slope of the straight line on the
semilog plot doubles as t becomes large. Thus in the presence of
a linear boundary, a plot of P versus t on semilog produces the
straight line of slope m, and as t becomes large, the slope
gradually increases to 2m.
 Detection of a Linear Boundary
The skin factor, s, can be determined by the following
Equation by finding Pwf1hr on the straight line of slope m.

The distance to the linear boundary may be estimated by

using Equation (6) where tx is the time at which the straight
lines of slope m and 2m intersect.
• For long time,

• For not totally sealing faults use FOG FACTORS (for q

of image well):
• 1 = sealing
• 0 = no fault
• -1 = water drive (constant P)
 Boundaries...
Intersecting faults (90 degree)
Need three image wells

90 degree intersecting fault 90 degree intersecting

geologic model fault mathematical model
 Boundaries...
Intersecting faults (45 degree)
Need seven image wells

45 degree intersecting 45 degree intersecting

fault geologic model fault mathematical model
Problem # 1 (Detection a single fault using PDD Test)

 = 0.12  = 0.8 Ct = 15.55x10-6 psi-1

In our example, tx = 0.45. Thus, the distance, L, is given by

Solution

0.45
Slope doubling caused by a succession
of two radial flow regimes (sealing
fault).
Detection of Faults & Other Flow Barriers using PBU Test

• Comparing PBU
equation of no fault
and that of a reservoir
with fault, it is seen
that a fault causes two
straight lines, the
second having a slope
twice the first as shown
beside
• K and S can be computed in the normal manner
using the slope of the first straight line. P* for
computing P is obtained from extrapolating the
second line to a unit time ratio.
• When tp >> Δt, the distance from the well to the
fault can be calculated using the following equation
suggested by Gray:

• This equation, strictly was for DD test and injectivity

test but considered approximately for PBU
 Example
• A geologist suspect a fault near a newly drilled well. To
confirm this fault and to estimate distance from it, the
company run a pressure buildup test. Well and reservoir data
include the following

• The well produced only oil and dissolved gas. Before shut in a
total of 14206 STB had been produced
• Analysis of these data show that after flow distorts none of
the data recorded after shut-in times of one hour or more.
Plot Pws vs HTR
 Plot Pws vs HTR
5000
y = -532.7ln(x) + 5853.5
4800 R² = 0.9993

4600

4400

4200
Pws

Pws
4000
y = -270.2ln(x) + 5010.1
3800 R² = 0.9999

3600 pws1hr=3491

3400
1 10 tx
(t+t)/t HTR 100 t1hr=280 1000
Find intercept between two straight line
 162.6 q o Bo
kh 
m
162.6 1221 0.6 1.31
k  31.38
621.70  8
 P1 jam  Pwf k 
S  1.151    log  3.23 
 m   Ct rw 2

 3491  3103 31.38 
S  1.151   log 5
 3.23 
 614.7 0.15  0.6 1.04 10 0.5 2

 1.30
kt x
L  0.01217
Ct
31.38 11.46
L  0.01217
0.15  0.6 1.04 10 5
 239 ft