THE BASIC DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION FOR RADIAL FLOW IN A

POROUS MEDIUM

The basic equation will be derived in radial form to simulate the flow of fluids in the
vicinity of a well (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Diagram of a circular reservoir with a well at the center (Ezekwe, 2010)

Simplifying assumptions

 Homogeneous reservoir in all rock properties

 Isotropic reservoir with respect to permeability
 The producing well is completed across the entire formation thickness thus
ensuring fully radial flow
 The formation is completely saturated with a single fluid.

Consider the flow of fluid through a volume element of thickness “dr” situated at a
distance “r” from the center of the wellbore radius “rw” (Figure 2).

1
 Figure 2. Radial flow of a single-phase fluid in the vicinity of a producing well (Dake, 1978)

Apply mass conservation:

Mass flow rate IN – Mass flow rate OUT = Rate of change of mass in the volume element

𝜕𝜌
𝜌𝑞]𝑟+𝑑𝑟 − 𝜌𝑞]𝑟 = 2𝜋𝑟ℎ∅𝑑𝑟 (Eq. 1)
𝜕𝑡

2𝜋𝑟ℎ∅𝑑𝑟 = the volume of the small element of thickness dr

Expand LHS equation:

𝜕(𝜌𝑞) 𝜕𝜌
𝜌𝑞]𝑟 + 𝑑𝑟 − 𝜌𝑞]𝑟 = 2𝜋𝑟ℎ∅𝑑𝑟 (Eq. 2)
𝜕𝑟 𝜕𝑡

which reduces the equation in the following form

𝜕(𝜌𝑞) 𝜕𝜌
= 2𝜋𝑟ℎ∅ (Eq. 3)
𝜕𝑟 𝜕𝑡

Insert Darcy’s law for radial horizontal flow:

2𝜋𝑟𝑘ℎ 𝜕𝑃
𝑞= (Eq. 4)
𝜇 𝜕𝑟

2
 𝜕 2𝜋𝑟𝑘ℎ 𝜕𝑃 𝜕𝜌
( 𝜌 ) = 2𝜋𝑟ℎ∅ 𝜕𝑡 (Eq. 5)
𝜕𝑟 𝜇 𝜕𝑟

or
1 𝜕 𝑘𝜌 𝜕𝑃 𝜕𝜌
( 𝑟 𝜕𝑟 ) = ∅ 𝜕𝑡
𝑟 𝜕𝑟 𝜇
(Eq. 6)

We have the time derivative of the density at the RHS of equation, which can be
expressed in terms of time derivative of pressure by using isothermal coefficient of
compressibility.
1 𝜕𝑉 1 𝜕𝜌
𝐶=− ] = ] (Eq. 7)
𝑉 𝜕𝑃 𝑇 𝜌 𝜕𝑃 𝑇

Differentiate with respect to time:

𝜕𝑃 𝜕𝜌
𝐶𝜌 ] = ] (Eq. 8)
𝜕𝑡 𝑇 𝜕𝑡 𝑇

Substitute into mass conservation equation:

1 𝜕 𝑘𝜌 𝜕𝑃 𝜕𝑃
( 𝑟 𝜕𝑟 ) = ∅𝑐𝜌 𝜕𝑡
𝑟 𝜕𝑟 𝜇
(Eq. 9)

This is the basic partial differential equation for the radial flow of any single-phase
fluid in a porous medium. It is a non-linear equation since the coefficients of the
𝑘𝜌
both sides ( and ∅𝑐𝜌) include pressure dependent terms C, µ and . In that respect,
𝜇

it is not possible to find simple analytical solutions of the equation without

linearizing it so that the coefficients somehow lose their pressure dependence.

3
LINEARIZATION

Expand the left hand side of Equation 9 by using the chain rule of differentiation:
1 𝜕 𝑘 𝜕𝑃 𝑘 𝜕𝜌 𝜕𝑃 𝑘𝜌 𝜕𝑃 𝑘𝜌 𝜕2 𝑃 𝜕𝑃
⌈ ( ) 𝜌𝑟 𝜕𝑟 + 𝜇 𝜕𝑟 𝑟 𝜕𝑟 + + 𝑟 ⌉ = ∅𝑐𝜌 (Eq. 10)
𝑟 𝜕𝑟 𝜇 𝜇 𝜕𝑟 𝜇 𝜕𝑟 2 𝜕𝑡

On the other hand:

𝜕𝑃 𝜕𝜌
𝐶𝜌 ] = ] (Eq. 11)
𝜕𝑟 𝑇 𝜕𝑟 𝑇

Substitute into Equation 10:

1 𝜕 𝑘 𝜕𝑃 𝑘 𝜕𝑃 2 𝑘𝜌 𝜕𝑃 𝑘𝜌 𝜕2 𝑃 𝜕𝑃
⌈ ( ) 𝜌𝑟 𝜕𝑟 + 𝜇 𝑐𝜌𝑟 ( 𝜕𝑟 ) +
𝑟 𝜕𝑟 𝜇 𝜇 𝜕𝑟
+
𝜇
𝑟
𝜕𝑟 2
⌉ = ∅𝑐𝜌 𝜕𝑡 (Eq. 12)

For liquid flow the following assumptions can be made:

 Viscosity is practically independent of pressure and may be regarded as

constant
𝜕𝑃 𝜕𝑃 2
 is small, therefore ( ) can be neglected
𝜕𝑟 𝜕𝑟

These two assumptions eliminate the first two terms in the left hand side of Equation
12.
𝜕2 𝑃 1 𝜕𝑃 ∅𝜇𝑐 𝜕𝑃
+ = (Eq. 13)
𝜕𝑟 2 𝑟 𝜕𝑟 𝑘 𝜕𝑡

or
1 𝜕 𝜕𝑃 ∅𝜇𝑐 𝜕𝑃
𝑟 𝜕𝑟
(𝑟 𝜕𝑟 ) = 𝑘 𝜕𝑡
(Eq. 14)

Final assumption is constant isothermal coefficient of compressibility

∅𝜇𝑐
= 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡
𝑘

4
For the flow of liquids, the assumptions that were made are quite reasonable and
have been frequently applied. However, it was shown in the literature that those
assumptions are valid for the conditions when the CP product is much less than 1
(CP<<1).

CONDITIONS OF SOLUTION

In principle, infinite number of solutions can be obtained for Equation 13 depending

on the initial and boundary conditions imposed. The most common and useful
solution is called the CONSTANT TERMINAL RATE solution for which the initial
condition is that at some fixed time, at which the reservoir is at equilibrium pressure
Pi, the well is produced at a constant rate q at the wellbore, r = rw (inner boundary
condition). There are three most common solutions for CONSTANT TERMINAL
RATE solution depending on the applicable OUTER BOUNDARY CONDITION,
which are observed at different times after the start of production.

a) Transient condition:
This condition is only applicable for a relatively short period after some pressure
disturbance has been created in the reservoir. In the time for which the transient
condition is applicable it is assumed that the pressure response in the reservoir is not
affected by the presence of outer boundary (Figure 3), thus the reservoir appears
INFINITE in extent. The condition is mainly applied to the analysis of well tests in
which the production rate of the wellbore is deliberately changed and the resulting
pressure response in the wellbore is measured and analyzed during a short period of
time (a few hours). Then, unless the reservoir is extremely small, the boundary
effects will not be felt and the reservoir is, mathematically infinite.
In this solution, both the pressure and pressure derivative, with respect to time, are
functions of both position and time.
5
 𝜕𝑃
𝑃 = 𝑓(𝑟, 𝑡) 𝑎𝑛𝑑 = 𝑓(𝑟, 𝑡) (Eq. 15)
𝜕𝑡

Figure 3. Transient flow diagram showing pressure distribution (Dake, 1978)

b) Semi-steady state (Pseudo Steady State – PSS) condition:

This condition is applicable to a reservoir which has been producing for a sufficient
period of time so that the effect of outer boundary has been felt (Figure 4). It is
considered that the well is surrounded, at its outer boundary, by a solid “BRICK
WALL” which prevents the flow of fluids into the radial cell.

𝜕𝑃
=0 𝑎𝑡 𝑟 = 𝑟𝑒 (Eq. 16)
𝜕𝑟

If the well is producing at a constant rate then the cell pressure will decline in a such
way that

𝜕𝑃
≈ 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑟 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡 (Eq. 17)
𝜕𝑡

If isothermal coefficient of compressibility is utilized (Equation 7)

6
 𝑑𝑃 𝑑𝑉
𝐶𝑉 =− = −𝑞 (Eq. 18)
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡

For the drainage of a radial cell,

𝑑𝑃 𝑞 𝑞
=− =− (Eq. 19)
𝑑𝑡 𝐶𝑉 𝐶𝜋𝑟𝑒2 ℎ∅

Figure 4. Pseudo-steady state flow diagram showing pressure distribution (Dake, 1978)

c) Steady state condition:

The steady state condition applies, after the transient period, to a well draining a cell
has a completely open outer boundary. It is assumed that, for a constant rate of
production, fluid withdrawal from the cell will be exactly balanced by fluid entry
across the outer boundary and therefore,

𝑃 = 𝑃𝑒 = 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑎𝑡 𝑟 = 𝑟𝑒 (Eq. 20)

and
𝜕𝑃
=0 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑟 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡 (Eq. 21)
𝜕𝑡

7
This condition is appropriate when pressure is being maintained in the reservoir due
to either natural water influx or the injection of some displacing fluid.

Pe = constant
P
Pwf Fluid
Influx

rw r re

Figure 5. Steady state flow diagram showing pressure distribution

REFERENCES

Dake, L.P., (1978) Fundamentals of Reservoir Engineering, Developments in

Petroleum Science, 8. Elsevier.
Ezekwe, N., (2010) Petroleum Reservoir Engineering Practice, Prentice Hall,