Analysis of Production Decline Type Curves Considering Water Influx in Naturally Fractured Gas Reservoirs

Abstract

In the development of fractured gas reservoirs with edge and bottom water, water invasion is a pervasive issue. However, most production decline analysis models focus on primary depletion with closed boundaries rather than secondary depletion with water influx. Therefore, this article aims to develop decline type curves for analyzing and interpreting production data from existing natural water influx in fractured gas reservoirs. First, a transient dual porosity flow model is developed considering water influx in naturally fractured gas reservoirs, and the functions of Blasingame decline type curves are derived and obtained. Subsequently, the Blasingame production decline type curves of a vertical well in naturally fractured reservoirs experiencing natural water influx are plotted. These new type curves can estimate water invasion and dual-medium parameters, offering valuable insights for production decline analysis in fractured reservoirs with water influx. The Blasingame production decline curves are divided into six regimes based on characteristics. Then, the effects of various formation parameters and water invasion cases on the type curves are discussed and analyzed. Compared with Blasingame type curves without water influx at the external boundary, the behaviors of those presented in this article are quite different at the boundary responses. Finally, through the analysis of a case well, it is found that theoretical type curves considering dual-medium and water invasion are more consistent with actual production data. This suggests that these new type curves provide more accurate estimation for understanding and managing issues related to water invasion in fractured gas reservoirs.