Sonatrach

About: Sonatrach is a company organization based out in Algiers, Algeria. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Hydraulic fracturing & Structural basin. The organization has 460 authors who have published 494 publications receiving 6339 citations. The organization is also known as: Sonatrach SPA.

Analysis of Pressure Derivative Data of Finite-Conductivity Fractures by the Direct Synthesis Technique

Abstract: This paper extends Tiab's Direct Synthesis technique for interpreting the behavior of the pressure and pressure derivative data of a well intersected by a finite conductivity hydraulic fracture. In this technique log-log plots of pressure and pressure derivative data of a pressure drawdown or pressure buildup test are analyzed without using the type-curve matching or regression procedures. A log-log plot of pressure and pressure derivative versus test time for a fractured well in a closed system may reveal the presence of several straight lines corresponding to different flow regimes; bilinear flow, linear flow, infinite-acting radial flow, and pseudo-steady state flow. The slopes and points of intersection of these straight lines are unique and therefore can be used to calculate several well, reservoir and fracture parameters: permeability, skin factor, wellbore storage coefficient, fracture conductivity, half-fracture length, and drainage area. It is found that equations corresponding to the points of intersection are very useful in checking on the parameters obtained from the slopes, when the pressure derivative curve is not smooth. A new equation is derived for calculating (a) the half-fracture length in the absence of the linear flow regime straight line of slope 0.5 such as in the case of low conductivity fracture, (b) the fracture conductivity in the absence of the bi-linear flow line of slope 0.25, and (c) the skin factor in the absence of the infinite acting radial flow line such as in the case of a short test.

The ‘tight gas’ challenge: appraisal results from the Devonian of Algeria

Abstract: Projected future increases in Algerian gas production will, in part, come from more complex reservoirs within the Ahnet-Timimoun Basin; here, conventional quality reservoirs (>1 mD) are interbedded with volumetrically significant, low permeability sandstones ( The main tight gas sections are of Lower Devonian age. Grain rimming chlorite cement within thin intervals locally inhibited later pervasive quartz cementation; the quartz is the cause of reservoir degradation in the bulk of the sandstone resulting in permeabilities of One of the main structures, the Teguentour Field, has been evaluated through the drilling of two new wells. The first of these wells (Teg-14) evaluated interbedded tight and conventional sandstones, whilst the second (Teg-15) was a dedicated tight sandstone completion involving an induced fracture programme. The permeability range in the tight gas sandstones extends below the resolution of conventional porosity/permeability measurement; determination has been improved through mercury injection derived permeabilities. Water saturations determined from core and log suggest gas may be present in the low permeability rock. The presence of gas could not be confirmed by formation tester samples and thus dynamic data were required from the Teg-15 well which was completed within the tight sandstone interval; only the top 5 m was perforated to limit the possibility of a communication pathway down to conventional quality sandstones. After nitrogen lift, the well flowed gas to surface at c. 5 ×10 4 SCFD for several hours. The low leak-off coeffcient determined suggests there was no connection to a pervasive conductive fracture network, although fractures intersected by the wellbore may have contributed to flow. Also, large poro-elastic back stresses indicate that a connection to high matrix or fracture permeability was unlikely. On balance, the test is a positive indicator of gas presence in very low permeability/porosity rocks which may recharge associated conventional layers following suffcient drawdown.