Natural gas content of geopressured aquifers

Conference · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1977

OSTI ID:891252

Randolph, Philip L

It is hypothesized that free, but immobile, natural gas is trapped in pores in geopressured aquifers and that this gas becomes mobile as aquifer pressure is reduced by water production. Computer simulation reveals this hypothesis is a plausible explanation for the high gas/water ratio observed from the No. 1 sand in the Edna Delcambre No. 1 well. In this Delcambre well test, the gas/water ratio increased from the solution gas value of less than 20 SCF/bbl to more than 50 SCF/bbl during production of 32,000 barrels of water in 10 days. Bottom hole pressure was reduced from 10,846 to 9,905 psia. The computer simulation reveals that such increased gas production requires relative permeability to gas(k{sub rg}) increase from less than 10{sup -4} to about 10{sup -3} due to a decrease in fractional water saturation of pores (S{sub w}) of only about 0.001. Further, assuming drainage relative permeabilities are as calculated by the method of A.T. Corey{sup 1}, initial gas saturation of pores must be greater than 0.065. Means for achieving these initial conditions during geological time will be qualitatively discussed, and the effect of trapped gas upon long-term production will be described.

• Research Organization: AIME, Denver, CO
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• OSTI ID: 891252
• Report Number(s): CONF-771153-P1-14
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
AQUIFERS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
DRAINAGE
GAS SATURATION
GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
Geothermal Legacy
HYPOTHESIS
NATURAL GAS
PERMEABILITY
PRODUCTION
SAND
WATER
WATER SATURATION
WELL PRESSURE