Analyzing and forecasting the performance of water drive gas reservoirs

Abstract

The manner of estimating water drive gas reservoir recovery can vary considerably. Several mathematical models have been developed for estimating water influx in petroleum industry, but the current paper will address the application of Fetkovich aquifer model to predict the gas reservoir performance considering the pressure changes that gradually occur within the aquifer and between the aquifer and reservoir. The applicability of this model has proven to be extremely useful in estimation of initial gas resources, aquifer volume and its parameters, confirming the producing mechanism but also forecasting the production performance of the gas reservoir. The authors will highlight through some case studies, the importance of the water influx analysis and prediction, in particular for natural gas reservoirs, which subsequently allows for adequate planning in optimizing the reserves' recovery.