Method to determine frictional pressure losses from fluid flow through wells, perforations in wells, and in the near-wellbore region from analysis of water hammer

A method for determining fluid friction pressure losses in a well into which fluid is being pumped, comprising:

• a. measuring fluid pressure in the well while pumping the fluid at a first flow rate;
• b. changing the first flow rate to a second flow rate different than the first flow rate and measuring the fluid pressure after the changing for a selected time;
• c. modeling a pressure response of the well using a selected value of a parameter related to pipe friction factor f,
• d. comparing the modeled pressure response to the measured pressure;
• e. adjusting a value of the parameter related to f and repeating the modeling and comparing until the modeled pressure response substantially matches the measured pressure;
• f. changing at least one composition parameter of the fluid being pumped and repeating (a) through (e), and determining a relationship between the value of the parameter related to f and the at least one composition parameter.

A method for determining fluid friction pressure losses in a well into which fluid is being pumped, comprising:

• a. measuring fluid pressure in the well while pumping the fluid at a first flow rate;
• b. changing the first flow rate to a second flow rate different than the first flow rate and measuring the fluid pressure after the changing from the first flow rate to the second flow rate at least until a first reflected tube wave event is detected in the measured pressure;
• c. changing the second flow rate to a third flow rate different from the first flow rate and the second flow rate and measuring the fluid pressure after the changing from the second flow rate to the third flow rate until a second reflected tube wave event is detected in the measured pressure;
• d. modeling fluid pressure in the well using selected initial values for frictional pressure loss in the well, frictional pressure loss in well pipe perforations and frictional pressure loss in a near wellbore zone in a reservoir formation;
• e. comparing the measured pressure to the modeled fluid pressure and adjusting the initial values of the frictional pressure loss in the well, frictional pressure loss in well pipe perforations and frictional pressure loss in the near wellbore zone and repeating modeling the fluid pressure in the well;
• and
• f. repeating (e) until the modeled fluid pressure in the well matches the measured pressure in the well for all of the first flow rate, the second flow rate and the third flow rate.

A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions operable to cause a programmable computer to perform a process for determining fluid friction pressure losses in a well into which fluid is being pumped, the process comprising actions comprising:

• a. causing the computer to accept as input measurements of fluid pressure in the well made while pumping the fluid at a first flow rate;
• b. causing the computer to accept as input measurements of fluid pressure in the well after changing the first flow rate to a second flow rate different than the first flow rate and made at least until a change in pressure for a selected time;
• c. in the computer, modeling a pressure response of the well using a selected value of a parameter related to pipe friction factor f,
• d. in the computer, comparing the modeled pressure response to the measured pressure;
• e. in the computer, adjusting a value of the parameter related to f and repeating the modeling and comparing until the modeled pressure response substantially matches the measured pressure;
• f. accepting as input to the computer measurements of pressure made after changing the first flow rate, and in the computer repeating (a) through (e), and determining a relationship between the value of the parameter related to f and the first flow rate.

A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions operable to cause a programmable computer to perform a process for determining fluid friction pressure losses in a well into which fluid is being pumped, the process comprising actions comprising:

• a. accepting as input to the computer, measurements of fluid pressure in the well made while pumping the fluid at a first flow rate;
• b. accepting as input to the computer measurements of fluid pressure in the well after changing the first flow rate to a second flow rate different than the first flow rate made for a selected time;
• c. in the computer, modeling a pressure response of the well using a selected value of a parameter related to pipe friction factor f,
• d. in the computer, comparing the modeled pressure response to the measured pressure;
• e. in the computer, adjusting the value of the parameter related to f and repeating the modeling and comparing until the modeled pressure response substantially matches the measured pressure;
• f. in the computer, changing at least one composition parameter of the fluid being pumped and repeating (a) through (e), and determining a relationship between the value of the parameter related to f and the at least one composition parameter.

A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions operable to cause a programmable computer to perform a process for determining fluid friction pressure losses in a well into which fluid is being pumped, the process comprising actions comprising:

• a. accepting as input to the computer, measurements of fluid pressure in the well made while pumping the fluid at a first flow rate;
• b. accepting as input to the computer, measurements of fluid pressure in the well made after changing the first flow rate to a second flow rate different than the first flow rate at least until a first reflected tube wave event is detected in the measured pressure;
• c. accepting as input to the computer measurements of fluid pressure in the well made after changing the second flow rate to a third flow rate different from the first flow rate until a second reflected tube wave event is detected in the measured pressure;
• d. in the computer, modeling fluid pressure in the well using selected initial values for frictional pressure loss in the well, frictional pressure loss in well pipe perforations and frictional pressure loss in a near wellbore zone in a reservoir formation;
• e. in the computer, comparing the measured pressure to the modeled fluid pressure and adjusting the initial values of the frictional pressure loss in the well, frictional pressure loss in well pipe perforations and frictional pressure loss in the near wellbore zone and repeating modeling the fluid pressure in the well;
• and
• f. repeating (e) until the modeled fluid pressure in the well matches the measured pressure in the well for all of the first flow rate, the second flow rate and the third flow rate.