Dynamics of the oil reservoir depletion

Abstract

In order to study the dynamics of depletion in heterogeneous oil reservoirs on the base of combined finite-element-difference method for the non-stationary problem of piezoconductivity we have carried out a numerical simulation of the pressure distribution in vicinity of the operating well. At that we have taken into account the heterogeneous distribution of filtration characteristics inside the reservoir and the oil infiltration parameters on the boundaries of the reservoir. The developed method for solving the non-stationary problem of piezoconductivity in deformed oil formations allows us adequately to describe the distribution of pressure near production and injection well systems in real operating conditions. We have shown that depletion processes in vicinity of the active well mainly depend on the intensity of oil production and the degree of oil infiltration at the boundaries of the reservoir’s area and to a lesser extent on the filtration parameters inside the reservoir. Therefore, in order to maintain the proper level of oil production in the reservoir’s area, it is necessary, for example, thanks to the use of modern technologies (system of injection wells), to ensure a sufficient inflow of the oil phase at the borders of the considered area. We have shown that in the cases of low oil infiltration at the boundaries of the reservoir area, the value of depletion is directly proportional to the production power of the well. At the same time, a decreasing of the reservoir permeability leads to a slow downing of depletion processes. The limiting value of the oil boundary infiltration coefficient, which allows achieving industrial oil production, is m. At that, the time of reaching of the stationary productive regime is directly proportional to the value of the oil permeability coefficient inside the reservoir. Before installing a system of production and injection wells in heterogeneous oil reservoirs, it is necessary to carry out a systematic analysis of the degree of depletion of the working reservoir’s areas in order to place them in such a way that would ensure the effective dynamics of filtration processes around these areas.