Transient Flow Characteristics of Low Permeability Gas Reservoirs and Improvement of Deliverability by Nuclear Explosion

Abstract

Abstract A program for computing the transient radial flow of natural gas, taking into account significant variable properties of the fluid and of the porous medium was used in an investigation of flow characteristics of formations for which the permeability-thickness product kh is 1 to 100 md-ft. A graphic summary of the results obtained may be used with well flow-test data to estimate kh for the formation in which the well is completed. Assuming that a nuclear explosion in a gas-containing formation would create a rubble-filled chimney with a diameter of 170 ft and fissures radiating from the chimney wall out to a distance of 255 ft, formation pressure gradients were computed for the recovery of gas with a well drilled into the chimney. These computations for 640-and 160-acre spacing indicate that diminution of the radius segment re - rf over which flow occurs in unaltered formation provides for markedly greater ultimate recovery of gas in place than is possible with conventional well completions. A formation drilled with conventional wells 1.0 mile apart must have a productivity product of kh = 197 md-ft to deliver for 20 years 1.0 MMscf/D of gas into a pipeline operated at 300 psi. Aided by nuclear stimulation, one well can meet the same performance requirements with a kh of only 49 md-ft for the native formation. With a spacing of 160 acres and nuclear stimulation, kh need be only 9 md-ft. Introduction Project Gasbuggy of the El Paso Natural Gas Co. and government agencies is concerned with the creation by nuclear explosion of a chimney and radiating fissures in a low-permeability formation containing natural gas. A well is to be drilled and completed in this chimney and tests will be made on this well and other wells in the vicinity to determine the economic feasibility of nuclear stimulation for recovery of the gas. Engineering studies of the Bureau of Mines pertaining to parts of this project have been in progress since 1963. Because of the complexity of the experiment, its cost, and possible economic significance, it is desirable to define the reservoir flow problem, determine by computing the relative importance of the parameters involved, and obtain a measure of the benefits that may be expected. The results should be generalized for application to other projects. Two parts of this problem have been investigated:determination of average properties of the native formation from flow tests of wells, andevaluation of the transient flow performance of a low-permeability formation in which a relatively high-permeability area has been created to receive a recovery well. Matthews and Russell have reviewed the difficulties of testing gas wells in low-permeability formations that stabilize slowly if at all, in this investigation a means was sought for using transient flow information obtained on such wells to determine reservoir properties, including the product kh. The investigation of nuclear stimulation was conducted with emphasis on determining what transient flow performance may be expected over the 20-year period of significance to gas producers. BASIC EQUATIONS The partial differential equation for transient radial flow of a gas phase, (1) was integrated in the range rd r re. With rd/re = 0.005 and 640-acre spacing rd = 14.9 ft, so that flow over most of the radius is computed by means of Eq. 1. A program previously described by the authors was used for this purpose. SPEJ P. 209ˆ