A calculation model for water breakthrough time of gas wells in gas reservoirs with edge water considering interlayer heterogeneity: A case study of the Lower Triassic Feixianguan gas reservoirs in the Puguang Gas Field

Abstract

The existing models for calculating the water breakthrough time of gas wells in gas reservoirs with edge water ignore the effects of reservoir's interlayer heterogeneity, so their calculation results are more deviated from the actual water breakthrough time of gas wells. As a result, they cannot accurately and effectively guide the adjustment of gas well production system and the formulation of technical water control measures. In this paper, a water-flooding seepage experiment of parallel core was conducted by taking the gas reservoir with edge water of Lower Triassic Feixianguan Formation in the Puguang Gas Field of the Sichuan Basin as an example. Then, the effects of edge water inrush caused by the interlayer heterogeneity of reservoir on water breakthrough time of gas wells was analyzed by means of reservoir numerical simulation. Based on this, the inrush coefficient was introduced to characterize the interlayer heterogeneity of reservoir, and a model for calculating the water breakthrough time of gas wells in the commingled gas reservoir with edge water considering the influence of interlayer heterogeneity was established. Finally, five wells in the gas reservoir of Feixianguan Formation in the Puguang Gas Field were selected for case calculation. And the following research results were obtained. First, the interlayer heterogeneity of gas reservoir results in edge water burst. And the stronger the interlayer heterogeneity, the more severe the edge water coning and the sooner the water breakthrough. The water breakthrough time of gas wells depends on the water breakthrough time in the reservoir with the highest permeability. Second, a model for calculating the water breakthrough time of gas wells in the gas reservoirs with edge water considering the influence of reservoir interlayer heterogeneity is established based on the seepage theory. And the relative errors of its calculation results are in the range of −3.43–4.70%, which can satisfy the accuracy requirement of engineering errors. In conclusion, this newly established model can provide an effective method for accurately calculating the water breakthrough time of the gas well in the commingled gas reservoir with edge water. Furthermore, it is conducive to the adjustment of the production system of gas wells in the gas reservoir with edge water and the formulation of technical water control measures.