Water Coning Prediction: An Evaluation of Horizontal Well Correlations

Horizontal well application to mitigate water coning problems have gained wide industry acceptance. However, horizontal wells themselves have not been free from water coning (cresting) problems. A major challenge before industry operators is the effective modeling of water crest development in horizontal wells. More often, mathematical models developed for fluid flow in horizontal pipes have been adopted for modeling horizontal well performance but these have been largely inadequate. This paper presents a more encompassing tool for evaluating the performance of horizontal wells with bottom water drive which incorporates all the effects of perforations, 2-phase liquid-liquid flow and axial influx of fluid into the wellbore. A new value of equivalent pipe roughness function is developed for use in the numerical simulators to accommodate the inadequacies of the current commercial softwares. The empirical results using published data from the North Sea indicate a more practical representation of the phenomenon of water cresting in horizontal wells and the level of severity. Two major factors affected by the application of the new approach are; a reduction in the time to water breakthrough as previously predicted by analytical tools, and an effective representation of the geometry of water cresting in horizontal wells similar to field experiences. The paper also shows that direct application of horizontal pipe models in horizontal well is grossly inadequate. Finally it shows use of horizontal wells in the development of reservoirs underlain by water needs adequate evaluation.

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Horizontal Well Completion With Stinger for Reducing Water Coning Problems

10.2118/37464-ms ◽

1997 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

P. Permadi ◽

W. Wibowo ◽

Y. Alamsyah ◽

S.W. Pratomo

Keyword(s):

Horizontal Well ◽

Well Completion ◽

Water Coning

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Horizontal Well Water Cut Estimation due to Water Coning in Heterogeneous Formations with Vertical Flow Barriers

10.2118/182047-ms ◽

2016 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

D. A. Safin ◽

A. P. Korobkin ◽

A. N. Sitnikov

Keyword(s):

Horizontal Well ◽

Well Water ◽

Vertical Flow ◽

Water Coning ◽

Heterogeneous Formations ◽

Water Cut

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Simplified Near Wellbore Reservoir Simulation To Predict the Performance of Viscous Oil Horizontal Well With Water Coning From an Active Aquifer

10.2118/177146-ms ◽

2015 ◽

Author(s):

W. J. Jurus ◽

M. Stanko ◽

A. Parra ◽

Michael Golan

Keyword(s):

Reservoir Simulation ◽

Horizontal Well ◽

Viscous Oil ◽

Water Coning

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Experimental Study and Numerical Modelling of the Bottom Water Coning Flow to a Horizontal Well

10.2118/95-143 ◽

1995 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Q. Jiang ◽

R.M. Butler

Keyword(s):

Experimental Study ◽

Numerical Modelling ◽

Horizontal Well ◽

Bottom Water ◽

Water Coning

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Evaluating Water Coning Control for Horizontal Well in Bottom-Water Sandstone Reservoirs by Numerical Method

Advanced Materials Research ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.524-527.292 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 524-527 ◽

pp. 292-296

Author(s):

Rong Wang ◽

Kui Zhang ◽

Yong Gang Duan ◽

Ting Kuan Cao

Keyword(s):

Horizontal Well ◽

Bottom Water ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Oil Production ◽

High Water ◽

Control Effect ◽

Water Coning ◽

Sandstone Reservoirs ◽

High Water Cut Stage ◽

Water Cut

Horizontal well is the main technology to develop bottom-water sandstone reservoirs. Water coning has a significant influence on development effect, and shut-in coning control is one of coning suppression methods. Based on the geological model of a given oilfield, this paper has made an evaluation of water coning control by numerical simulation. It can be concluded that the method of shut-in coning control is effective for low water cut wells. When shutting in, the lower the water cut is, the greater decline extent of water cut can be obtained and the higher cumulative oil production can be achieved after well reopening. The longer the close time is, the better water coning control effect can be acquired, however it will affect oil production undoubtly. When horizontal well enters into high water cut stage, shut-in coning control not only has almost no effect, but also has a negative impact on the normal oil production.

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