Oilfield Interference in Aquifers of Non-Uniform Properties

Abstract

Introduction Nonsteady-state flow of slightly compressible liquids in porous media of non-uniform properties has been the subject of a number of recent studies. Most of these studies considered one-dimensional flow in systems with cylindrical geometry and with the properties of the porous medium varying with radial distance only. A. Houpeurt studied the problem in its general form by examining the solutions of the differential equation, (1) In Eq. 1, the permeability and the porosity are arbitrary functions of radial distance. Houpeurt concluded that, except for special forms of the functions the problem is not well suited for mathematical treatment, but lends itself to high-speed digital computation. Carslaw and Jaeger discussed the solution of Eq. 1 for the case in which the permeability varies as a power of the radial distance. P. Albert analytically studied the pseudo steady-state solutions in systems of finite radial extent and non-uniform properties. He also obtained some numerical solutions for non steady-state flow using a high-speed computer. William Hurst examined the interference pressure drop due to a point sink located in an infinite system consisting of two permeability regions in series. In this case, the permeability changed at a radial distance from the point sink. Interference Between Oil Fields in a Non-Uniform Aquifer The interference pressure drop for oil fields located in an extensive aquifer of uniform properties is discussed in a number of places in the literature. This work considers the interference pressure drop for oil fields located in a non-uniform extensive aquifer comprising two regions of different properties as shown in Fig. 1.