Open Access

ARTICLE

A Transient-Pressure-Based Numerical Approach for Interlayer Identification in Sand Reservoirs

by Hao Luo¹, Haibo Deng¹, Honglin Xiao¹, Shaoyang Geng^2,*, Fu Hou¹, Gang Luo¹, Yaqi Li²

1 Tight Oil and Gas Exploration and Development Project Department, PetroChina Southwest Oil and Gas Field Company, Chengdu, 610051, China
2 Energy College, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, 610059, China

* Corresponding Author: Shaoyang Geng. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Advances in Solid Waste Processing and Recycling Technologies for Civil Engineering Materials)

Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing 2024, 20(3), 641-659. https://doi.org/10.32604/fdmp.2023.043565

Received 06 July 2023; Accepted 13 October 2023; Issue published 12 January 2024

Abstract

Almost all sandstone reservoirs contain interlayers. The identification and characterization of these interlayers is critical for minimizing the uncertainty associated with oilfield development and improving oil and gas recovery. Identifying interlayers outside wells using identification methods based on logging data and machine learning is difficult and seismic-based identification techniques are expensive. Herein, a numerical model based on seepage and well-testing theories is introduced to identify interlayers using transient pressure data. The proposed model relies on the open-source MATLAB Reservoir Simulation Toolbox. The effects of the interlayer thickness, position, and width on the pressure response are thoroughly investigated. A procedure for inverting interlayer parameters in the reservoir using the bottom-hole pressure is also proposed. This method uses only transient pressure data during well testing and can effectively identify the interlayer distribution near the wellbore at an extremely low cost. The reliability of the model is verified using effective oilfield examples.

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