Effects of Water Coning on the Performance of Vertical and Horizontal Wells—A Reservoir Simulation Study of Hassi R'Mel Field, Algeria

摘要

Generalized empirical correlations have been developed to predict (1) critical oil rate and (2) water breakthrough time in vertical and horizontal wells. Water coning is a serious problem in many producing oil wells, which increases the cost of producing operations and reduces the overall oil recovery. A numerical simulator was used to analyze the most relevant fluid properties and reservoir parameters that affect water coning using a 3-D radial vertical well model and a 3-D Cartesian horizontal well model.rnA stepwise procedure was developed to determine the average oil column height below perforations at breakthrough (hwb) for various water oil ratio, fluid properties, and reservoir parameters. Several simulation runs were performed to determine the effect of the various parameters on water coning. Regression analysis was used to develop relationship between (hwb) and the various variables. Results of the simulation runs showed that coning tendency is more severe in heavy oil reservoirs and less severe in reservoirs with low water-oilrnmobility ratios. Furthermore, results showed that the use of horizontal wells can significantly reduce water coning, improve ultimate oil recovery, and increase water breakthrough time compared to vertical wells.rnAn extensive parametric sensitivity analysis was performed to provide input data for developing a predictive correlation needed to calculate breakthrough time and height as function of fluid properties and reservoir parameters. The simulation outputs were used to develop empirical water coning correlations to predict critical oil rate and water breakthrough time for vertical and horizontal wells. The parameters were grouped based on the regression analysis. The developed empirical correlations are illustrated with several field examples from Hassi R 'Mel oilfield in Algeria