This week we wanted to highlight and share a paper we think everyone in tight unconventionals should read, namely URTeC 2967, “Numerically Enhanced RTA Workflow – Improving Estimation of Both Linear Flow Parameter And Hydrocarbons In Place” by Braden Bowie and James Ewert. The paper is a few years old now, but is one our our favorite papers.
The goal of Rate Transient Analysis (RTA) is to quantify early time well performance using the Linear Flow Parameter (LFP) and to determine the Original Oil In Place (OOIP) volume being drained. These parameters are important for understanding the effects of completions, geology, and depletion, and can inform strategies for optimizing the economics of future development. This paper outlines limitations in the traditional RTA analysis of oil wells and proposes a new workflow that is more accurate and consistent in obtaining values for LFP and OOIP. A blind study of 10 Apache engineers found that the average error for traditional RTA methods exceeded 100% in some cases, while the proposed workflow had an average error of less than 10%. The proposed workflow was also more accurate when compared to numerical models, and the values it generated could be taken directly into a numerical model without the need for parameter modification.
More info can be found here in the whitson+ manual: https://manual.whitson.com/modules/well-performance/numerical-rta/
Want to learn more? Download the paper →→→here←←←.
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whitson supports energy companies, oil services companies, investors and government organizations with expertise and expansive analysis within PVT, gas condensate reservoirs and gas-based EOR. Our coverage ranges from R&D based industry studies to detailed due diligence, transaction or court case projects. We help our clients find the best possible answers to complex questions and assist them in the successful decision-making on technical challenges. We do this through a continuous, transparent dialog with our clients – before, during and after our engagement. The company was founded by Dr. Curtis Hays Whitson in 1988 and is a Norwegian corporation located in Trondheim, Norway, with local presence in USA, Middle East, India and Indonesia.