Oil Well Performance

by
Dr Anil Kumar
Performance of oil wells
Predicting the relationship between the flowrate and the
pressure drop is very important for continuous production
optimization in the field.
The analysis of the production performance is essentially
based on the following fluid and well characteristics:

• Fluid PVT properties

• Relative permeability data
• Inflow-performance-relationship (IPR)
Performance of oil wells
Predicting the relationship between the flowrate and the
pressure drop is very important for continuous production
optimization in the field.
The analysis of the production performance is essentially
based on the following fluid and well characteristics:

• Fluid PVT properties

• Relative permeability data
• Inflow-performance-relationship (IPR)
Performance of oil wells
A commonly used measure of the ability of the well to produce is
the Productivity Index.
Defined by the symbol J, the productivity index is the ratio of the
total liquid flow rate to the pressure drawdown.
For a water-free oil production, the productivity index is given by:
(1)

Pr = volumetric average drainage area pressure

(static pressure)
pwf = bottom-hole flowing pressure
Δp = drawdown, psi
Performance of Index
Productivity oil wells
and IPR
It is important to note that the productivity index is a valid
measure of the well productivity potential only if the well is
flowing at pseudo SteadyState conditions.

Therefore, in order to accurately measure the productivity

index of a well, it is essential that the well is allowed to flow
at a constant flow rate for a sufficient amount of time to
reach the pseudo steady-state.
Performance
Productivityof oil wells
Index and IPR

Productivity Index during flow regime

 Performance
ProductivityofIndex
oil wells
and IPR
The productivity index can be numerically calculated in terms
of semi steady-state flow conditions.

(2)

The above equation is combined with Equation-1

(3)
 Performance
Productivity ofand
Index oil wells
IPR
The oil relative permeability concept can be introduced into
Equation -3.

(4)

By monitoring the productivity index during the life of a

well, it is possible to determine if the well has become
damaged due to completion, workover, production,
injection operations, or mechanical problems.
 Performance
Productivity ofand
Index oil wells
IPR
If a measured J has an unexpected decline, one of the indicated
problems should be investigated.
A comparison of productivity indices of different wells of same
reservoir having different rate of production indicate that some
of the wells may be damaged during completion.
Variation in productivity indices from well to well may be due to
variation in thickness of the reservoir, it help to normalize the
indices by dividing each by the thickness of the well. This is
defined as the specific productivity index Js, or:

(5)
 Performance
Productivity ofand
Index oil wells
IPR
Assuming that the well’s productivity index is constant,
Equation-1 can be rewritten as:

Qo = J (pr − pwf ) = J Δp (6)

where Δp = drawdown, psi

J = productivity index

Equation-6 indicates that the relationship between Qo and

Δp is a straight line passing through the origin with a slope
of J.
Performance of oil wells

Figure: Qo vs. Δp relationship.

 Performance
Productivity ofand
Index oil wells
IPR
Equation-6 can be written as:

(7)

The above expression shows that the plot pwf against Qo is a

straight line with a slope of (−1/J).

The graphical representation of the relationship that exists

between the oil flow rate and bottom-hole flowing pressure is
called the inflow performance relationship and referred to as
IPR.
 Performance of oil wells
When pwf equals
average reservoir
pressure, the flow
rate is zero due to
the absence of
any pressure
drawdown.
Maximum rate of
flow occurs when
pwf is zero.

Figure: IPR

This maximum rate is called absolute open flow and referred

to as AOF. AOF = J pr
 Performance
Productivity ofand
Index oil wells
IPR
Example
A productivity test was conducted on a well. The test results
indicate that the well is capable of producing at a stabilized
flow rate of 110 STB/day and a bottom-hole flowing
pressure of 900 psi. After shutting the well for 24 hours, the
bottom-hole pressure reached a static value of 1300 psi.

Calculate:

• Productivity index
• AOF
• Oil flow rate at a bottom-hole flowing pressure of 600 psi
• Wellbore flowing pressure required to produce 250
STB/day
 Performance
Productivity ofand
Index oil wells
IPR
Solution
a. Calculate J from Equation-1:

b. Determine the AOF :

AOF = J (pr − 0)
AOF = 0.275 (1300 − 0 ) = 375.5 STB/day
 Performance
Productivity ofand
Index oil wells
IPR
Solution
c. Solve for the oil-flow rate by applying Equation -1:

Qo = 0.275 (1300 − 600) = 192.5 STB/day

d. Solve for pwf by using Equation-7:

 Performance
Productivity ofand
Index oil wells
IPR
Equation- 6 Qo = J (pr − pwf ) = J Δp
suggests that the inflow into a well is directly
proportional to the pressure drawdown and the
constant of proportionality is the productivity index.

Muskat and Evinger (1942) and Vogel (1968) observed

that when the pressure drops below the bubble-point
pressure, the IPR deviates from straight-line
relationship.
 Performance
Productivity ofand
Index oil wells
IPR

Figure: IPR below Bubble point pressure

 Performance
Productivity ofand
Index oil wells
IPR
Recalling Equation- 4

Or

(8)
 Performance
Productivity ofand
Index oil wells
IPR
Thus coefficient c is

Equation-8 reveals that the variables affecting the productivity

index are those that are pressure dependent, i.e.:
• Oil viscosity μo
• Oil formation volume factor Bo
• Relative permeability to oil kro
(8)
 Performance
Productivity ofand
Index oil wells
IPR

Figure: Effect of pressure on Bo, μo, and kro.

 Performance
Productivity ofand
Index oil wells
IPR

Figure: kro/Bo, μo as a function of pressure.

 Performance
Productivity ofand
Index oil wells
IPR

Figure: Effect of Reservoir pressure on IPR.

 Performance
Productivity ofand
Index oil wells
IPR
There are several empirical methods that are designed to
predict the non-linearity behavior of the IPR for solution gas
drive reservoirs.
Most of these methods require at least one stabilized flow
test in which Qo and pwf are measured.
All the methods include two computational steps:
• Using the stabilized flow test data, construct the IPR curve
at the current average reservoir pressure pr
• Predict future inflow performance relationships as to the
function of average reservoir pressures.
The following empirical methods are designed to generate
the current and future inflow performance relationships:
• Vogel’s Method • Wiggins’ Method
• Standing’s Method • Fetkovich’s Method
• The Klins-Clark Method
 Performance
Productivity ofand
Index oil wells
IPR
Vogel plotted the dimensionless IPR curves for all the
reservoir cases and arrived at the following relationship
between the above dimensionless parameters:

(9)

where Qo = oil rate at pwf

(Qo)max = maximum oil flow rate at zero wellbore pressure,
i.e., AOF
pr = current average reservoir pressure, psig
pwf = wellbore pressure, psig
 Performance
Productivity ofand
Index oil wells
IPR
Vogel’s method can be extended to account for water production by
replacing the dimensionless rate with QL/(QL)max where QL = Qo + Qw.
This has proved to be valid for wells producing water as high as 97%.
The method requires the following data:

• Current average reservoir pressure pr

• Bubble-point pressure pb
• Stabilized flow test data that include Qo at pwf

Vogel’s methodology can be used to predict the IPR curve for the
following two types of reservoirs:

• Saturated oil reservoirs pr ≤ pb

• Under saturated oil reservoirs pr > pb
 Performance
Productivity ofand
Index oil wells
IPR
Saturated Oil Reservoirs
When the reservoir pressure equals the bubble-point pressure,
the oil reservoir is referred to as a saturated-oil reservoir.
The computational procedure of applying Vogel’s method in a
saturated oil reservoir to generate the IPR curve for a well with a
stabilized flow data point, i.e., a recorded Qo value at pwf, is
summarized below:
Step 1. Using the stabilized flow data, i.e., Qo and pwf, calculate:
(Qo)max from Equation -9, or
 Performance
Productivity ofand
Index oil wells
IPR
Saturated Oil Reservoirs
Step 2. Construct the IPR curve by assuming various values for
pwf and calculating the corresponding Qo from:
 Performance
Productivity ofand
Index oil wells
IPR
Saturated Oil Reservoirs
Example
A well is producing from a saturated reservoir with an
average reservoir pressure of 2500 psig. stabilized
production test data indicated that the stabilized rate and
wellbore pressure are 350 STB/day and 2000 psig,
respectively. Calculate:
• Oil flow rate at pwf = 1850 psig
• Calculate oil flow rate assuming constant J
• Construct the IPR by using Vogel’s method and the
constant productivity index approach
 Performance
Productivity ofand
Index oil wells
IPR
Saturated Oil Reservoirs
 Performance
Productivity ofand
Index oil wells
IPR
Saturated Oil Reservoirs
 Performance
Productivity ofand
Index oil wells
IPR
Saturated Oil Reservoirs
 Performance
Productivity ofand
Index oil wells
IPR
Saturated Oil Reservoirs
 Performance
Productivity ofand
Index oil wells
IPR
Undersaturated Oil Reservoirs
There are two possible outcomes to the recorded stabilized
flow test data that must be considered,
 Performance
Productivity ofand
Index oil wells
IPR
Undersaturated Oil Reservoirs
Case 1. The Value of the Recorded Stabilized pwf ≥ pb
Beggs outlined the following procedure for determining the IPR
when the stabilized bottom-hole pressure is greater than or
equal to the bubble point pressure.
Step 1. Using the stabilized test data point (Qo and pwf) calculate
the productivity index J:

Step 2. Calculate the oil flow rate at the bubble-point pressure:

Qob = J (pr − Pb) (7-10)
where Qob is the oil flow rate at pb
 Performance
Productivity ofand
Index oil wells
IPR
Undersaturated Oil Reservoirs
Step 3. Generate the IPR values below the bubble-point pressure
by assuming different values of pwf < pb and calculating the
corresponding oil flow rates by applying the following
relationship:

The maximum oil flow rate (Qo max or AOF) occurs when
the bottom hole flowing pressure is zero, i.e. pwf = 0, which
can be determined from the above expression as:
 Performance
Productivity ofand
Index oil wells
IPR
Undersaturated Oil Reservoirs
Example
An oil well is producing from an undersaturated reservoir that is
characterized by a bubble-point pressure of 2130 psig. The
current average reservoir pressure is 3000 psig. Available flow
test data show that the well produced 250 STB/day at a
stabilized pwf of 2500 psig. Construct the IPR data.
 Performance
Productivity ofand
Index oil wells
IPR
Undersaturated Oil Reservoirs
Solution
Step 1. Calculate J using the flow test data.

Step 2. Calculate the oil flow rate at the bubble-point pressure

Qob = 0.5 (3000 − 2130) = 435 STB/day
Step 3. Generate the IPR data by applying the constant J
approach for all pressures above pb and Equation 7-11 for all
pressures below pb.
 Performance
Productivity ofand
Index oil wells
IPR
Undersaturated Oil Reservoirs
Solution
 Performance
Productivity ofand
Index oil wells
IPR
Undersaturated Oil Reservoirs
Case 2. The Value of the Recorded Stabilized pwf < pb
When the recorded pwf from the stabilized flow test is
below the bubble-point pressure, the following procedure
for generating the IPR data is proposed:
Step 1. Using the stabilized well flow test data and
combining Equation 7-10 with 7-11, solve for the
productivity index J to give:
 Performance
Productivity ofand
Index oil wells
IPR
Undersaturated Oil Reservoirs
Step 2. Calculate Qob by using Equation 7-10, or:
Qob = J (pr - pb)
Step 3. Generate the IPR for pwf  pb by assuming
several values for pwf above the bubble point pressure
and calculating the corresponding Qo from:
Qo = J (pr - pwf)
Step 4. Use Equation 7-11 to calculate Qo at various
values of pwf below pb, or:
Productivity Index and IPRPerformance of oil wells
Undersaturated Oil Reservoirs
Example
An oil well is producing from an undersaturated reservoir that is
characterized by a bubble-point pressure of 2130 psig. The
current average reservoir pressure is 3000 psig. Available flow
test data show that the well produced 630.7 STB/day at a
stabilized pwf of 1700 psig. Construct the IPR data using the test
data.
 Performance
Productivity ofand
Index oil wells
IPR
Undersaturated Oil Reservoirs
Solution
An oil well is producing from an undersaturated reservoir that is
characterized by a bubble-point pressure of 2130 psig. The
current average reservoir pressure is 3000 psig. Available flow
test data show that the well produced 630.7 STB/day at a
stabilized pwf of 1700 psig. Construct the IPR data using the test
data.
Step 1. Solve for J by applying Equation 7-12 as the stabilized pwf
is less than pb.
= 0.5
 Performance
Productivity ofand
Index oil wells
IPR
Undersaturated Oil Reservoirs
Solution
Step 2. Qob = 0.5 (3000 − 21300) = 435 STB/day
Step 3. Generate the IPR data.
Performance of oil wells
Productivity Index and IPR
Undersaturated Oil Reservoirs
It is necessary to predict the well’s inflow performance for
future times as the reservoir pressure declines.

There are several methods that are designed to address the

problem of how the IPR might shift as the reservoir
pressure declines.

Some of these prediction methods require the application

of the material balance equation to generate future oil
saturation data as a function of reservoir pressure.

In the absence of such data, there are two simple

approximation methods that can be used in conjunction
with Vogel’s method to predict future IPRs.
 Performance
Productivity ofand
Index oil wells
IPR
Under saturated Oil Reservoirs
It is necessary to predict the well’s inflow performance for
future times as the reservoir pressure declines.

There are several methods that are designed to address the

problem of how the IPR might shift as the reservoir
pressure declines.

Some of these prediction methods require the application

of the material balance equation to generate future oil
saturation data as a function of reservoir pressure.

In the absence of such data, there are two simple

approximation methods that can be used in conjunction
with Vogel’s method to predict future IPRs.