PRINCIPLE OF SUPERPOSITION or
DUHAMEL’S THEOREM
Multi-Well Reservoirs
The Ei function appears to be applicable only for
describing the pressure distribution in an infinite
acting reservoir, caused by the production of
a single well at constant rate beginning at time
zero. The principle of superposition eliminates
these restrictions.
Module 4 – Principle of Superposition Prof. Ibrahim Sami Nashawi 1
The principle of superposition states that the
total pressure drop at any point in a reservoir is
the sum of the pressure drops at that point
caused by the flow in each of the wells in the
reservoir.
Module 4 – Principle of Superposition Prof. Ibrahim Sami Nashawi 2
Assume we have three wells producing at
different flow rates from an infinite acting
reservoir as illustrated in the figure:
Fig. 1. Multiple-well system in infinite reservoir
Module 4 – Principle of Superposition Prof. Ibrahim Sami Nashawi 3
The pressure drop in well A caused by the
production from all wells is given as:
( pi p wf ) at well A ( pi p ) due to well A ( pi p ) due to well B ( pi p ) due to well C
In terms of Ei functions:
70 .6 q A B 948 ct rw2
pi p wf Ei 2 s
kh kt
70 .6 q B B 948 ct rAB
2
Ei
kh kt
70 .6 qC B 948 ct rAC
2
Ei (1)
kh kt
Module 4 – Principle of Superposition Prof. Ibrahim Sami Nashawi 4
This method treats any number of wells in an
infinite acting reservoir.
Note: Interference test and pulse test are based
on this idea.
Module 4 – Principle of Superposition Prof. Ibrahim Sami Nashawi 5
Example 1 (Calculation of Pressure Drop in a
Well Located in Multi-Wells Reservoir)
Assume well A is located with two other wells B
and C in the same reservoir as shown in Fig. 1.
Calculate the pressure drop in well A after 10
days of production in all wells.
Module 4 – Principle of Superposition Prof. Ibrahim Sami Nashawi 6
Given:
All three wells have the same fluid and rock
properties.
q A 100 STB / D , q B 200 STB / D , q C 300 STB / D ,
r AB 500 ft , and r AC 600 ft . In addition, wells A,
B, and C have skin factor, s , of 5, 2, and 3,
respectively.
o 0 .72 cp B o 1 .475 bbl / STB p i 3,000 psi
k 100 md 23 .4 % rw 0 .33 ft
h 15 ft c t 15 x 10 6 psi 1
Module 4 – Principle of Superposition Prof. Ibrahim Sami Nashawi 7
Solution
The pressure drop in well A is given as:
70 .6 q A B 948 c r 2
p i p wf Ei 2s
t w
kh kt
70 .6 q B B 948 c r 2
Ei
t AB
kh kt
70 .6 q C B 948 c t r AC 2
Ei
kh kt
Module 4 – Principle of Superposition Prof. Ibrahim Sami Nashawi 8
70 .6 (100 ) (1.475 )(0.72 ) 948 (0.234 )(0.72 )(15 x10 6 )(0.33 2 )
pi p wf Ei 2 ( 5)
(100 )(15 ) (100 )(10 x 24 )
70 .6 ( 200 ) (1.475 )(0.72 ) 948 (0.234 )(0.72 )(15 x10 6 )(500 2 )
Ei
(100 )(15 ) (100 )(10 x 24 )
70 .6 (300 ) (1.475 )(0.72 ) 948 (0.234 )(0.72 )(15 x10 6 )(600 2 )
Ei
(100 )(15 ) (100 )(10 x 24 )
pi p wf 4.99848 Ei 1.0871 x 10 8 10 9.99696 Ei ( 0.024956 )
14 .99544 Ei ( 0.035937 )
Module 4 – Principle of Superposition Prof. Ibrahim Sami Nashawi 9
For 0 x 1, Ei is approximated by:
Ei ( x ) ln( x ) 0.57721566 0.99999193 x 0.24991055 x 2
0.05519968 x 3 0.00976004 x 4 0.00107857 x 5
Thus,
8
Ei ( 1.0871 x 10 ) 17 .76
Ei ( 0.024956 ) 3.13823
Ei ( 0.035937 ) 2.78439
Then:
pi p wf 4.99848 ( 17 .76 10 ) 9.99696 ( 3.13823 ) 14 .99544 ( 2.78439 )
211 .8837 psi
Module 4 – Principle of Superposition Prof. Ibrahim Sami Nashawi 10
Bounded Reservoir (Well Near a No Flow
Boundary)
Consider a well a distance “ L ” from a single no
flow boundary (sealing fault). We assume that
there is another well (image) on the other side
of the fault with the same properties of the
original well and of equal distance from the
fault as shown in the figure. Ounce the image
well is considered the fault is removed and the
two wells are assumed to be in an infinite
acting reservoir.
Module 4 – Principle of Superposition Prof. Ibrahim Sami Nashawi 11
Fig. 2. Well near no-flow boundary illustrating
use of imaging
Module 4 – Principle of Superposition Prof. Ibrahim Sami Nashawi 12
Thus, the pressure drop at the real well will be:
70 .6 qB 948 ct rw2
pi p wf Ei 2 s
kh kt
70 .6 qB 948 ct ( 2 L ) 2
Ei (2)
kh kt
or:
70 .6 qB 948 ct rw
2
pi p wf Ei 2 s
kh kt
948 ct ( 2 L ) 2
Ei (3)
kt
Module 4 – Principle of Superposition Prof. Ibrahim Sami Nashawi 13
in term of base 10 log. Eq. 3 can be written as:
162 .6 qB kt
pi p wf log 2
3.23 0.869 s
kh ct rw
kt
log 3.23
2
(4)
ct ( 2 L )
This method is also applicable for a well
surrounded by more than one boundary.
Module 4 – Principle of Superposition Prof. Ibrahim Sami Nashawi 14
Example 2 (Calculation of Pressure Drop in a
Well Located Near a Sealing Fault)
A producing well is located at a distance L = 75 ft.
East of a North-South sealing fault as illustrated
in Fig. 2. Calculate the pressure drop in this well
after 10 days of production at 200 STB/D.
Use the same fluid and rock properties as those
used in Example 1. Also, assume that the well is
neither stimulated nor damaged.
Module 4 – Principle of Superposition Prof. Ibrahim Sami Nashawi 15
Solution
The pressure drop is given as:
70 .6 qB 948 ct rw2 70 .6 qB 948 c ( 2 L ) 2
pi p wf Ei 2 s Ei t
kh kt kh kt
( 70 .6)( 200 )(1.475 )(0.72 ) 948 ( 0.234 )(0.72 )(15 x 10 6 )(0.33 ) 2
Ei 0
(100 )(15 ) (100 )(10 x 24 )
( 70 .6)( 200 )(1.475 )(0.72 ) 948 ( 0.234 )(0.72 )(15 x 10 6 )( 2 x 75 ) 2
Ei
(100 )(15 ) (100 )(10 x 24 )
9.99696 Ei ( 1.0871 x 10 8 ) 9.99696 Ei ( 0.002246 )
9.99696 ( 17 .76 5.52363 )
183 .07 psi
Module 4 – Principle of Superposition Prof. Ibrahim Sami Nashawi 16
Continuation of Example 2
1. What effect the fault has on the producing
well in terms of pressure drop? Hint: use the
solution of Example 1 to deduce the answer.
2. What the effect of the fault will be on the
well in terms of pressure drop if it were
closer to the producing well?
Module 4 – Principle of Superposition Prof. Ibrahim Sami Nashawi 17
Well Producing at Variable Flow Rate
The most important application of the
superposition principles is modeling variable-
rate-producing wells.
Consider the production history illustrated in
Fig. 3.
Module 4 – Principle of Superposition Prof. Ibrahim Sami Nashawi 18
Fig. 3. Production schedule for variable-rate well
Module 4 – Principle of Superposition Prof. Ibrahim Sami Nashawi 19
The pressure drop at the sandface of the well is:
70 .6 q1 B 948 ct rw2
pi p wf Ei 2 s
kh kt
70 .6 ( q 2 q1 ) B 948 ct rw
2
Ei 2 s
kh k (t t1 )
70 .6 ( q3 q 2 ) B 948 ct rw2
Ei 2 s
kh k (t t 2 )
(5)
Module 4 – Principle of Superposition Prof. Ibrahim Sami Nashawi 20
or:
70 .6 B 948 ct rw
2
pi p wf q1 Ei 2 s
kh kt
948 ct rw2
( q 2 q1 ) Ei 2 s
k (t t1 )
948 ct rw2
( q3 q 2 ) Ei 2 s
k (t t 2 )
(6)
Module 4 – Principle of Superposition Prof. Ibrahim Sami Nashawi 21
Example 3 (Calculation of Pressure Drop in a
Well Producing at Variable Rate)
Well PE539 produced at a rate of 200 STB/D for
10 days, then the rate increased to 300 STB/D
for 3 days, then the rate dropped to 100 STB/D
for 4 days. Calculate the pressure drop in this
well after 17 days of production.
Use the same fluid and rock properties as those
used in Example 1. Also, assume s 0 .
Module 4 – Principle of Superposition Prof. Ibrahim Sami Nashawi 22
Solution
The pressure drop is given as:
70 .6 B 948 ct rw2
p pi p wf q1 Ei 2 s
kh kt
948 c t rw2
( q 2 q 1 ) Ei 2s
k (t t 1 )
948 c t rw2
( q 3 q 2 ) Ei 2s
k (t t 2 )
Module 4 – Principle of Superposition Prof. Ibrahim Sami Nashawi 23
70 .6(1.475 ) (0.72 ) 948 (0.234 ) (0.72 ) (15 x 10 6 ) (0.33 2 )
p 200 Ei 0
(100 ) (15 ) (100 ) (17 x 24 )
948 (0.234 ) (0.72 ) (15 x 10 6 ) (0.33 2 )
(300 200 ) Ei 0
(100 ) (17 10 ) ( 24 )
948 (0.234 ) ( 0.72 ) (15 x 10 6 ) ( 0.33 2 )
(100 300 ) Ei 0
(100 ) (17 13 ) ( 24 )
p 0.0499848 200 Ei ( 6.39463 x 10 9 ) 100 ( Ei ( 1.55298 x 10 8 ) 200 Ei ( 2.7177 x 10 8 )
0.0499848 [ 200 ( 18 .29059 ) 100 ( 17 .40329 ) 200 ( 16 .84367 )]
0.0499848 ( 3,658 .118 1,740 .329 3,368 .734 ) 0.0499848 ( 2,028 .713 )
101 .4048 psi
Module 4 – Principle of Superposition Prof. Ibrahim Sami Nashawi 24
Continuation of Example 3
If the last flow rate increased instead of
decreasing, how would this affect the pressure
drop?
Module 4 – Principle of Superposition Prof. Ibrahim Sami Nashawi 25
Horner’s Approximation
Horner’s approximation can be used to avoid the
use of superposition in modeling the production
history of a variable rate well. With this
approximation, the sequence of Ei functions,
reflecting rate changes, can be replaced with a
single Ei function that contains a single producing
time and a single producing rate.
Module 4 – Principle of Superposition Prof. Ibrahim Sami Nashawi 26
The single producing rate is the most recent
nonzero rate at which the well was produced, qlast .
The single producing time, t p , is found by dividing
cumulative production from the well by the most
recent rate, qlast . Then, to model pressure behavior
at any point in a reservoir, the following simple
equation is used:
70 .6 qlast B 948 ct r
2
pi p Ei 2s
(7)
kh k t p
Module 4 – Principle of Superposition Prof. Ibrahim Sami Nashawi 27
Horner’s approximation is quite adequate when
the duration of the last constant flow rate is at
least twice as long as the duration of the previous
rate.
Module 4 – Principle of Superposition Prof. Ibrahim Sami Nashawi 28