Modeling Gas-Condensate Well Deliverability

Abstract

Summary This paper gives an accurate method for modeling the deliverability of gas-condensate wells. Well deliverability is calculated with a modified form of the Evinger-Muskat1 pseudopressure (originally proposed for solution-gas-drive oil wells). The producing gas/oil ratio (GOR) is needed to calculate pseudopressure, together with pressure/volume/temperature (PVT) properties (black-oil or compositional), and gas/oil relative permeabilities. The proposed method is successfully tested for radial, vertically fractured, and horizontal wells. Using the proposed deliverability model, we show that fine-grid single-well simulations can be reproduced almost exactly with a simple rate equation that uses pseudopressure. The key is knowing the producing GOR accurately. The effect of near-wellbore damage, vertical fracture, or flow improvement caused by horizontal well trajectory is readily incorporated into the rate equation as a constant skin term. The effect of gas/oil relative permeability is studied. We show that well deliverability impairment resulting from near-wellbore condensate "blockage" is dependent only on relative permeabilities within the range defined by 1 <krg/kro < 50. Usually this represents gas and oil relative permeabilities ranging from 0.05 to 0.3. Gas relative permeabilities at low oil saturations (krg > 0.3) affect deliverability only for richer gas condensates. A key observation and conclusion from this study is that critical oil saturation has no direct effect on well deliverability. We also show that interfacial tension (IFT) dependence of relative permeability has little or no effect on gas-condensate well performance (e.g., length of plateau production). The most important application of this study is to provide a simple method for calculating bottom-hole flowing pressure (BHFP) in coarse-grid models. We show that the proposed pseudopressure method is readily calculated for each well grid cell on the basis of only grid-cell pressure and saturation (i.e., producing GOR). Local grid refinement near wells is not necessary, and relatively large well grid cells can be used and still provide an accurate description of well deliverability.