The effect of stress-dependent permeability on gas production and well testing

Conference · Wed Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1982 · Soc. Pet. Eng. AIME, Pap.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5452055

Ostensen, R W

The effect of stress-dependent permeability on gas production and well testing in tight gas sands was studied by using a modified pseudopressure that included the stress dependence. This work assumes that information on cores is applicable to reservoir behavior. Since microcracks are the primary path for flow through tight gas sand cores, average stress-dependent permeabilities were found as an average over all crack orientations in a nonuniform stress field, with a horizontal stress only 0.6 times the vertical one. Initial in-situ permeabilities are found to be 2 to 5 times the values obtained from uniformly restressed cores. Stress dependence decreases initial gas production by roughly 30% with the loss increasing with reservoir depletion. Buildup tests yield reliable results for the properties at average reservoir pressure. Drawdown tests are more sensitive to stress effects and are much less reliable.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Laboratories
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 5452055
• Report Number(s): CONF-820927-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Soc. Pet. Eng. AIME, Pap.; (United States) Journal Volume: SPE11220
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
030300* -- Natural Gas-- Drilling
Production
& Processing
DRILL CORES
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
LEAKS
NATURAL GAS
NATURAL GAS WELLS
PERMEABILITY
PRODUCTION
RESERVOIR PRESSURE
ROCKS
SANDSTONES
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
STRESSES
TESTING
WELLS