Abstract:

This study presents the mathematical background which justifes the use of Laplace space in well test analysis. It enables us to perform the whole parameter identifcation (CD, Skin. kh...) in Laplace space, or at least gives us a powerful tool to treat the pressure data in order to recognize the model to use for the parameter identifcation in real space. It shows a manner in which the Laplace transform can be plotted, showing exactly the same behaviour as the real pressure function so the plots keep their familiar shape. The coeffcients of the dimensionless parameters remain the same, too. This enables us to display a new set of characteristic and easily understandable type curves in Laplace space.

The mathematical background also sheds light on the use of the Laplace transform to achieve flowrate deconvolution, using modifcations of earlier techniques which had been found to be extremely sensitive to noise in the data.

The treatments displayed are numerically stable, and it is explained why numerical instability can occur in flowrate deconvolution. The effectiveness of the treatments is explained whenever possible, and the effect of the late-time extrapolation is discussed as well.

The Laplace space approach provides an entirely new way of examining and understanding well test results. It has been succesfully applied to noisy, simulated data where a conventionnal interpretation could not illuminate ambiguities.

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Copyright 1992, Marcel Bourgeois: Please note that the reports and theses are copyright to their original authors. Authors have given written permission for their work to be made available here. Readers who download reports from this site should honor the copyright of the original authors and may not copy or distribute the work further without the permission of the author, Marcel Bourgeois.