Fluid Flow through Porous Medium

Contents
Darcy equation
Different flow patterns (Rectangular, Radial, Spherical)
Different fluid types (incompressible, slightly compressible,
compressible)
Diffusivity equation
The Basic Differential Equation For Linear Flow
The Basic Differential Equation For Radial Flow (RDE)
Solutions to RDE
Flow regimes & boundary/initial conditions
Steady state
Pseudo steady state

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 Lecture Outcome
At the end of the lecture, the students should be able to perform the following:

Derive Darcy equation for

Different flow patterns (Rectangular, Radial, Spherical)
Different fluid types (incompressible, slightly compressible, compressible)
Solve problems applying the above equations

Derive the Diffusivity equation for Rectangular & Radial coordinates

Explain steady and pseudo-steady state flow regimes
Explain the boundary and initial conditions related to the flow regimes
Derive the Solutions to RDE for steady and pseudo-steady state
Narrate and Explain the assumptions made for derivation and solution of RDE
Solve problems applying the above equations

Discuss the two flow equations- compare, contrast, limitations, applicability

The Basic Differential Equation For Linear Flow

Or
The Diffusivity equation for linear flow
(1 dimensional, 1 phase, rectangular coordinate)

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Assumptions
1. The reservoir is considered homogeneous in all rock properties and isotropic
with respect to permeability.
2. The formation is completely saturated with a single fluid.
3. Constant viscosity
4. Isothermal conditions.
5. One-dimensional flow.
6. Horizontal flow
7. Small fluid compressibility
8. Darcys equation applies

Basic Step
Flow equations for flow in porous materials are based on-
Conservation of mass
Conservation of momentum
Conservation of energy
Constitutive equations for the fluids and
Constitutive equations for the porous material.

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Conservation of Mass:
Consider the following one dimensional slab of porous material:

Mass conservation may be formulated across a control element of the slab, with
one fluid of density is flowing through it at a velocity u:

Continuity equation
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Conservation of Momentum:
Conservation of momentum is simplified for low velocity flow in porous materials
to be described by the semi-empirical Darcy's equation, which for single phase,
one dimensional, horizontal flow .

From the equation of Darcy

Constitutive equation for porous materials:

To include pressure dependency in the porosity, the following definition of rock
compressibility is used for constant temperature:

Constitutive equation for fluids:

Fluid compressibility at constant temperature:
1 1 dz
c g
p z dp 9

Let us substitute Darcys equation into the continuity equation

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The Diffusivity equation for linear flow (1 dimensional, 1 phase, rectangular
coordinate)

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The Basic Differential Equation For Radial Flow

The Diffusivity equation for radial flow

(1 dimensional, 1 phase, rectangular coordinate)
The Radial Diffusivity Equation (RDE)

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Assumptions:
1. The reservoir is considered homogeneous in all rock properties and isotropic
with respect to permeability.
2. The producing well is completed across the entire formation thickness thus
ensuring fully radial flow.
3. The formation is completely saturated with a single fluid.
4. Mobility k/ is independent of pressure and location
5. Slightly compressible fluid (liquid)

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Consider the flow through a volume element of thickness dr situated at a distance r

from the centre of the radial cell.

Applying the principle of mass conservation-

volume of the small element of thickness dr= 2rhdr

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 Which simplifies to

Darcy's law for the radial flow of single phase oil

Putting the value of q in equation (i) gives-

Which gives
1 k P
r
r r r t ii
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Applying the definition of compressibility

1 V P
c c (iii)
V P t t

Substituting equation (iii) into (ii)

This is the basic, partial differential equation
for the radial flow of any single phase fluid in a
porous medium. Also called the Radial
Diffusivity equation (RDE)
The equation is referred to as non-linear because of the implicit pressure dependence
of the density, compressibility and viscosity appearing in the coefficients k / and c.

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Linearization of RDE
k
1 P k r P k P k r 2P c P
r
r r r r r r r 2 t

m
1 P
c c
m P P r r

Substituting in above differential equation

k
1
2
P k c r P k P k r 2P c P
r
r r r r r r 2 t

Making the following assumptions:

1. Mobility k/ is independent of pressure and location
P P
2

2. r is small and
r is negligible 19

2
1 k P k r P P
c
r r r 2 t

or
2
1 P P c P
2

r r r k t

The diffusivity equation for slightly compressible fluid flow (liquid flow)
Or, the RDE in linearized form

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Classification of Flow Systems and Boundary Conditions
Radial Flow
Steady state flow: In this case the mass balance is written as:
Mass rate in = Mass rate out
i.e. the accumulation term is zero;
Mathematically:
P
0 for all r and t ;
t

The system responds to changes in pressure or flow rate in any part of the system
instantaneously. Water influx or water injection such that rate of withdrawal
matches the rate of injection steady state well.
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Semi (or pseudo) steady state

Suppose that there is a producing well in the middle of the linear reservoir
The well has been producing such that effect of the no-flow boundary is felt.
If the well is producing at a constant rate then the pressure at all points in
the reservoir will be such that:

P
const . for all r and t
t

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Transient condition
For the same reservoir with well, consider flow for a short duration, before
boundary effect is felt and reservoir appears infinite in extent.
Both pressure, P as well as the pressure derivative Pt , are complex
functions of r and t.
P
P g (r , t ) f (r , t )
t
Initial condition P=Pi at t=0 for all r

Boundary conditions
Assume a constant rate q into the well; by Darcys law:
P qB
Lim r
r rw r 2 kh
Assume that well is a thin line in a large reservoir, i.e. influence of well production not felt at the
outer boundary. Transient/infinite acting condition
P=Pi at r for all t

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Solution to the Radial Diffusivity Equation

The compressibility in the flow equations is the total (rock+fluid) compressibility:
c t c o S o c w S wc c g S g c formation

Diffusivity equation:
1 P 2P ct P
2

r r r k t
Derive solutions for following conditions or flow regimes:
1. Pseudo-steady state (PSS)
2. Steady state (SS)
The solutions are usually referred to as the Well Inflow Equations For Stabilized
Flow Conditions

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Well Inflow Equations For Stabilized Liquid Flow Conditions
(case 1: semi-steady state solution)

Pressure distribution and geometry appropriate for the solution of the radial diffusivity
equation under semi-state conditions
At the time when the solution is being sought the volume averaged pressure within the cell
is

V is the pore volume of the radial cell, Pi is the initial reservoir pressure,
q is the constant production rate, and t is the total flowing time
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For the drainage of a radial volume cell, the semi-steady state condition

dp q
2
dt re h c

From the radial diffusivity equation

After substitution of dp/dt into radial diffusivity equation

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 After integration
dp qr2
r 2
c1
dr 2 re kh
where C1 is a constant of integration.
At the outer no-flow boundary p/r = 0
Hence the constant can be evaluated as C1 = q/2kh
After substitution the value of C1

2
r w
Term 2 is considered to be negligible
re

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The above equation is a general expression for the pressure as a function of the
radius.
In the particular case when r = re then

The productivity index may be defined as-

This is the well inflow equation under semi-steady state conditions

One unfortunate aspect concerning the application of this equation is that, while
both q and pwf can be measured directly, the outer boundary pressure cannot. It is
therefore more common to express the pressure drawdown in terms of (pavg pwf )
instead of (pe pwf ), since pavg, the average pressure within the drainage volume
can be determined from a well test.

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Equation in these terms requires the determination of the volume averaged
pressure within the radial cell as

Where V= r2h
So, dV = 2rhdr

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From the general expression

After putting the expression of average pressure into the general form of PSS
solution

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The first term in the integrand is evaluated using the method of integration by
parts

while the integration of the latter term

Combining these two results and including the mechanical skin factor results in
the modified inflow equation

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Well Inflow Equations For Stabilized Flow Conditions

(Case 2: Steady State Solution)
From the radial diffusivity equation

in this case, since p/t = 0,

p
( r ) 0
r r
p
r c 1
r
p c 1
r

r
(1)
p c ln r c
1 2
A
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 Boundary conditions: at r=rw; p=pw ; and at r=re; p=pe
From the boundary conditions we find
pw =C1 lnrw+C2 pe =C1 lnre+C2
Solving for the integration constants yields
p e p w
C 1
re
ln
rw
p e p w p e p w
C 2 p w ln r w p e ln r e
re re
ln ln
rw rw

Substituting in equation (A)back yields

pe pw r pe pw r
p pw ln pe ln
r rw r re
ln e ln e
rw rw 33

Case-3: when r=re; p=pe

Case-2: when r=rw; q=qw
From the boundary condition 3 we find
pe =C1 lnre+C2
From equation 1
p c 1

r r

kA p

c 1 kA 2
r r
c 1 kA
q
r

From the boundary condition 2

k * 2 r w h c 1
q w
rw
q
c 1 w 3
2 hk 34
 From equation 2 and 3 we find c2
qw
c 2 p e ln r e
2 kh
Substituting the value of c1 and c2 in the equation (A),

q w re
p p e ln
2 kh r

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Radial inflow equations for stabilized flow conditions

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 Skin
Assume steady state condition
For Ideal condition, pressure drop

For real condition, pressure drop

Difference between ideal and real condition.

Near well bore zone with altered permeability

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Near well bore zone :Ideal and real bottom hole flowing pressure
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 Negative skin (stimulated formation)

Positive skin (damaged formation)

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Application of inflow equations for stabilized flow conditions

Stimulation by steam soaking

Consider the case of a well which has been stimulated by steam soaking. In this type of
stimulation several thousand tons of steam are injected into the well and, upon re-opening,
the well will produce at a greatly increased rate.

As a first approximation it will be assumed that, due to the steam injection, the temperature
distribution can be described by a temperature step function1 so that, for rw < r < rh, the
temperature Ts is uniform and initially equal to the condensing steam temperature at the
sand face.

During production, Ts will decrease due to heat losses by conduction and convection. For r
> rh, the temperature is the original reservoir temperature Tr.

oh and oc are the viscosities of the oil at temperatures Ts and Tr, respectively and the
inflow equations are formulated under steady state flow conditions,

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Well Bore Damage

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Problem-01:

Answer:

Infield unit the inflow equation for SS condition:

qB r
pe pw ln e ( p ) skin
0 . 00708 kh rw
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So the improved permeability can be calculated-

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Problem-02:

Answer:

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Problem-03:

Answer:

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Problem

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Solution
1. Productivity index 3. Skin factor

2. Average permeability

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Darcy Equation & Diffusivity Equation

Both Darcy and Diffusivity equations describe the flow of fluid through
porous medium.
Darcy equation was derived from experimental data, so it is empirical in
nature.
Diffusivity equation is derived from Conservation of mass, momentum
and energy, and constitutive equations for the fluids and for the porous
material, following rigorous mathematical procedure.
Darcy equation does not account for the time dependency of the flow
system
Diffusivity equation covers the time dependency, so it is more general
Darcy equation is used in the derivation of the diffusivity equation
It can be shown that Darcy equation the solution to the diffusivity
equation for the steady state case.

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