Numerical Well Testing-- A Method to Use Transient Testing Results in Reservoir Simulation

Transient testing is facing a challenge to have the information it provides incorporated in numerical simulators used to predict reservoir performance. The main reason for the problem is that transient testing technology, developed largely via analytical solutions, provides average reservoir parameters not suited to the numerically discretized environment of current reservoir simulators. Previous efforts to include transient testing data in numerical reservoir simulation studies focused on history matching the pressure behavior during the test on a Cartesian-type plot just like matching stabilized production rates and pressures. Such approach neglects the wealth of information contained in the transient behavior of the tests.A method called Numerical Well Testing (NWT) is proposed in this talk to preserve the information obtainable from traditional well test analysis and deliver it in a form suitable for direct use in numerical reservoir simulation. NWT is a systematic method that consists of five steps starting with traditional well test analysis, locally refining grids based on the analysis results, modifying full field numerical models, upscaling the results, and predicting future reservoir performance. Two field examples are used to illustrate the method. The talk concludes by describing the software developments needed to make NWT a routine analysis method.Bio - Medhat M. Kamal is a Technology Project Manager with Chevron Energy Technology Company in San Ramon, California. Prior to that he worked for ARCO, Schlumberger and Amoco. Kamal has 32 years of industry experience in well testing, reservoir description, and production and reservoir engineering and has published repeatedly in various SPE journals. He holds a BS degree from Cairo U. and MS and PhD degrees from Stanford U. all in petroleum engineering. Kamal has served SPE sections in Stanford, Tulsa, Houston, Dallas and San Francisco in various capacities since 1970, including chairing the Dallas section in 1993. A distinguished SPE member since 1983, Kamal has served as member and chairman of SPE's Textbook, Monograph and Cultural Diversity Committees. He received the SPE 1977 Cedric K. Ferguson Medal. and was a distinguished lecturer in 1998. He also received the SPE Formation Evaluation Award, 2004; SPE Distinguished Service Award, 2004; SPE Regional Service Award in North, East and Central Texas Region, 1998 and was selected as the Texas Society of Professional Engineers Petroleum Engineer of the year for 1994. Kamal is the current Co-Executive editor of SPEREE and the Editor of the upcoming monograph on Well Testing.

Location: Hedco Pertroleum and Chemical Engineering Building (HED) - CO 116

Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

Contact: Takimoto Idania