Chapter 7 - Predicting Future Deliverability Using Empirical Relationships

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of deliverability testing, which is a commonly used technique for predicting short term and long-term behavior of gas wells. Typically, a well is flowed at different rates, and the pressure–rate–time response is recorded. From analysis of these data, information is obtained regarding the deliverability of the well, and its ability to produce against a given backpressure at a given stage of reservoir depletion. Such forecasting is often required input for designing production facilities, planning field development, estimating payout time, and setting allowable rates. Deliverability testing is done using multipoint flow tests. The chapter explains empirical equations to predict current and future gas well deliverability. It also discusses deliverability calculations for both unfractured and fractured gas wells. Finally, the chapter presents simplified procedures for gas deliverability calculations using dimensionless IPR curves and includes a discussion of a new method or deliverability calculations of fractured and unfractured gas wells, which eliminates the need for conventional multipoint tests.