Analyzing Well Production Data Using Combined-Type-Curve and Decline-Curve Analysis Concepts

Abstract

Summary This paper presents new production decline curves for analyzing well production data from radial and vertically fractured oil and gas wells. These curves have been developed by combining decline-curve and type-curve analysis concepts to result in a practical tool which we feel can more easily estimate the gas (or oil) in place as well as to estimate reservoir permeability, skin effect, fracture length, conductivity, etc. Accuracy of this new method has been verified with numerical simulations and the methods have been used to perform analyses using production data from several different kinds of gas wells. Field and simulated examples are included to demonstrate the applicability and versatility of this technology. These new production decline-type curves represent an advancement over previous work because a clearer distinction can be made between transient- and boundary-dominated flow periods. They also provide a more direct and less ambiguous means of determining reserves. The new curves also contain derivative functions, similar to those used in the pressure transient literature to aid in the matching process. These production decline curves are, to our knowledge, the first to be published in this format specifically for hydraulically fractured wells of both infinite and finite conductivity. Finally, these new curves have been extended to utilize cumulative production data in addition to commonly used rate decline data.