An efficient algorithm to compute transient pressure responses of slanted wells with arbitrary inclination in reservoirs  

作　　者：Wang Haitao Zhang Liehui Guo Jingjing Liu Qiguo He Xinming 

机构地区：[1]State Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Exploitation,Southwest Petroleum University,Chengdu,Sichuan 610500,China [2]Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration&Production,Sinopec Northwest Company,Urumqi,Xinjiang 830011,China

出　　处：《Petroleum Science》2012年第2期212-222,共11页石油科学（英文版）

基　　金：financial support from the special fund of China’s central government for the development of local colleges and universities―the project of national first-level discipline in Oil and Gas Engineering, the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars of China (Grant No. 51125019);the National Program on Key fundamental Research Project (973 Program, Grant No. 2011CB201005)

摘　　要：Compared with vertical and horizontal wells, the solution and computation of transient pressure responses of slanted wells are more complex. Vertical and horizontal wells are both simplified cases of slanted wells at particular inclination, so the model for slanted wells is more general and more complex than other models for vertical and horizontal wells. Many authors have studied unsteady-state flow of fluids in slanted wells and various solutions have been proposed. However, until now, few of the published results pertain to the computational efficiency. Whether in the time domain or in the Laplace domain, the computation of integration of complex functions is necessary in obtaining pressure responses of slanted wells, while the computation of the integration is complex and time-consuming. To obtain a perfect type curve the computation time is unacceptable even with an aid of high-speed computers. The purpose of this paper is to present an efficient algorithm to compute transient pressure distributions caused by slanted wells in reservoirs. Based on rigorous derivation, the transient pressure solution for slanted wells of any inclination angle is presented. Assuming an infinite-conductivity wellbore, the location of the equivalent-pressure point is determined. More importantly, according to the characteristics of the integrand in a transient pressure solution for slanted wells, the whole integral interval is partitioned into several small integral intervals, and then the method of variable substitution and the variable step-size piecewise numerical integration are employed. The amount of computation is significantly reduced and the computational efficiency is greatly improved. The algorithm proposed in this paper thoroughly solved the difficulty in the efficient and high-speed computation of transient pressure distribution of slanted wells with any inclination angle.Compared with vertical and horizontal wells, the solution and computation of transient pressure responses of slanted wells are more complex. Vertical and horizontal wells are both simplified cases of slanted wells at particular inclination, so the model for slanted wells is more general and more complex than other models for vertical and horizontal wells. Many authors have studied unsteady-state flow of fluids in slanted wells and various solutions have been proposed. However, until now, few of the published results pertain to the computational efficiency. Whether in the time domain or in the Laplace domain, the computation of integration of complex functions is necessary in obtaining pressure responses of slanted wells, while the computation of the integration is complex and time-consuming. To obtain a perfect type curve the computation time is unacceptable even with an aid of high-speed computers. The purpose of this paper is to present an efficient algorithm to compute transient pressure distributions caused by slanted wells in reservoirs. Based on rigorous derivation, the transient pressure solution for slanted wells of any inclination angle is presented. Assuming an infinite-conductivity wellbore, the location of the equivalent-pressure point is determined. More importantly, according to the characteristics of the integrand in a transient pressure solution for slanted wells, the whole integral interval is partitioned into several small integral intervals, and then the method of variable substitution and the variable step-size piecewise numerical integration are employed. The amount of computation is significantly reduced and the computational efficiency is greatly improved. The algorithm proposed in this paper thoroughly solved the difficulty in the efficient and high-speed computation of transient pressure distribution of slanted wells with any inclination angle.

关 键 词：Arbitrary inclination slanted well transient pressure behavior efficient algorithm variable step-size piecewise integration 

分 类 号：TP271.2[自动化与计算机技术—检测技术与自动化装置] O242.23[自动化与计算机技术—控制科学与工程]