Summary
The deconvolution analysis technique that evolved with development of the
deconvolution algorithms by von Schroeter et al. (2004), Levitan (2005), and
Levitan et al. (2006) became a useful addition to the suite of techniques used
in well-test analysis. This deconvolution algorithm, however, is limited to the
pressure and rate data that originate from a single active well on the
structure. It is ideally suited for analysis of the data from exploration and
appraisal well tests. The previously mentioned deconvolution algorithm can not
be used with the data that are acquired during startup and early field
development that normally involve several producing wells.
The paper describes a generalization of deconvolution to multiwell pressure and
rate data. Several approaches and ideas for multiwell deconvolution are
investigated and evaluated. The paper presents the results of this
investigation and demonstrates performance of the deconvolution algorithm on
synthetic multiwell test data.
Introduction
Pressure-rate deconvolution is a way of reconstructing the characteristic
pressure transient behavior of a reservoir-well system hidden in the test data
by well-rate variation during a test. The deconvolution analysis technique that
evolved with development of the deconvolution algorithms by von Schroeter et
al. (2004), Levitan (2005), and Levitan et al. (2006) became a useful addition
to the suite of techniques used in well-test analysis. It has been implemented
in commercial well-test analysis software and is routinely used for analysis of
well tests.
This deconvolution algorithm, however, is applicable only for the case when
there is just one active well in the reservoir. It is ideally suited for
analysis of exploration and appraisal well tests. The previously described
deconvolution algorithm cannot be used for well-test analysis when there are
several active wells operating in the field and the bottomhole pressure
measured in one well during a well test is affected by the production from
other wells operating in the same reservoir. The deconvolution algorithm has to
be generalized so that it is possible to remove not only the effects of rate
variation of the well itself but also the pressure interferences with other
wells in the reservoir. As a result, we would be able to reconstruct the true
characteristic well-pressure responses to unit-rate production of each
producing well in the reservoir. These responses reflect the reservoir and well
properties and could be used for recovering these properties by the techniques
of pressure-transient analysis.
Multiwell deconvolution thus becomes in a way a general technique for
interference well-test analysis. The problem, however, is that the interference
pressure signals produced by other wells are small compared to the pressure
signal caused by the production of the well itself. These pressure interference
signals are delayed in time and the time delay depends on the distance between
respective wells. All this makes multiwell deconvolution an extremely difficult
problem.
© 2007. Society of Petroleum Engineers
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History
- Original manuscript received:
21 June 2006
- Meeting paper published:
24 September 2006
- Revised manuscript received:
27 May 2007
- Manuscript approved:
31 May 2007
- Version of record:
20 December 2007
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