Well Design for Optimal Efficiency by

Understanding and Minimizing Well

Losses at Source
Tanna DeRuyter, EIT and Michael Kenrick, PE, LHG
GeoEngineers, Inc. Redmond WA
Outline
 Current basis for Well Design
 Components of Well Losses
– Laminar Losses
– Turbulent Losses
 Step-Drawdown Tests
 Calculating Well Losses
 Optimizing Well Design
Well Design and Limiting Well Losses
 Design paradigms (filter-packed wells):
– Filter pack: D30 4 to 6 times aquifer d30
– Uniformity Coefficient: 2.5 or less
– Slot Size: to retain 90% of filter pack
– Screen Length: 80 – 90% of Aquifer Thickness
– Open Area: > 5% … or more?
– Entrance Velocity: < 0.1 ft/s
– Upflow Velocity: < 5 ft/s
– Casing size > Pump size: by 2, 4, 6 inches
Best Drilling Practices
 Construction paradigms:
– Generally follow BDPs…
– Best Drilling Practices!!!
– Balance water head to avoid heave
– Flush out fluid / suspended sediment
– Avoid wellbore skin
– Develop,
– Develop,
– Develop
 Q
Well Losses
Ground Surface

Original Piezometric Surface

sw

Water Level in Well

Confined Aquifer Flow

 Q sw = BQ + CQ2
Well Losses Jacob (1946)
Ground Surface

Original Piezometric Surface

BQ
sw

Water Level in Well CQ2

Confined Aquifer Flow

 BQ: Laminar flow
Q • head loss ∝ velocity
Well Losses • Darcy’s Law
• Aquifer Loss
Ground Surface

Original Piezometric Surface

BQ
sw

Water Level in Well CQ2

Confined Aquifer Flow

 Q CQ2: Turbulent flow
Well Losses • head loss ∝ velocity2
• Forchheimer
Ground Surface • Well Loss

Original Piezometric Surface

BQ
sw

Water Level in Well CQ2

Confined Aquifer Flow

Step-Drawdown Tests
 Step-Drawdown Tests

Step Test Analysis

Calculate sw/Q
Plot against Q
Intercept = B
Slope = C

Natapoc Example:

B = 0.0665 min/ft²
C = 0.000136 min²/ft5
Laminar Well Losses

 Occurs in: Conventional screened wells with filter pack (or naturally developed)
 Calculated by: Aquifer loss/drawdown equation (Thiem, for distance-drawdown)
Laminar Well Losses

1. Partial Penetration
• Flow path convergence
(blue)
• Non-uniform screen inflow
rate (red)

Source: Houben (2015)

Laminar Well Losses
No
Skin Factor

2. Wellbore skin (skin effect)

Laminar Well Losses
No Positive
Skin Factor Skin Factor

Positive skin
• Formation damage, clogging
• Increases drawdown
 Laminar Well Losses
Positive Skin

Filter Pack

Aquifer Material

Source: Houben (2015)

Laminar Well Losses
No Negative
Skin Factor Skin Factor

Negative skin
• Filter pack development
• Reduces drawdown
Well Screen Losses

3. Slot Convergence (Laminar)

• Flow path convergence at
the well screen slots
Turbulent Well Losses
 Occurs in: Conventional screened wells with filter pack (or naturally
developed)
 Calculated by: empirical equations
Turbulent Well Losses

1. Turbulent flow caused by

the filter pack
Turbulent Well Losses

2. Turbulent flow caused by

the screen slots
Turbulent Well Losses

3. Turbulent flow caused by

• Upflow inside the well screen
• 90-degree momentum change
Turbulent Well Losses

4. Turbulent flow caused by

upflow inside the well casing
Turbulent Well Losses

5. Turbulent flow caused by

flow around the pump motor
• Not yet modelled
Turbulent Well Losses

6. Turbulent flow caused by swirling

turbulence at the pump intake
• Not yet modelled
Does the Well Diameter make a difference?

“doubling the diameter of a 6-inch well creates an approximate 10%

increase in yield (tripling size increases yield by about 17%)”

—Sterret (2007); Groundwater and Wells

• But this is based on the Theim equation

• And it completely ignores well losses
• Turbulent well losses are strongly related to well
and screen diameter
Quantifying Aquifer and Well Losses
Houben’s 2015 WellDesigner Spreadsheet Model:
 Flow system broken down into the above series of stages
 Equations provided for the identified well losses
 Losses are grouped as both laminar and turbulent
 Reynolds Number used to differentiate turbulent flow
 All losses account for predicted or observed well drawdown
 Approach verified by comparison with step-drawdown tests
Converting WellDesigner to GoldSim
GoldSim Dashboard
GoldSim Simulated Step Test
Output Matrix
Costing out Efficiency Benefits
 Fixed Variables
– Design Flow Rate
– Total Dynamic Head
– Aquifer Depth
– Pump Size
 Sensitivity analysis
– Screen open area / number of slots
– Length of screen
– Diameter of screen
– Diameter of casing
– Pump setting depth
 Sensitivity Analysis
Less Expensive More Expensive

Larger diameter Smaller diameter

borehole borehole

Longer Screen Shorter Screen

Capital Cost versus Operating Cost
 Larger wells are:
– more efficient
– more expensive to construct
– less costly to operate
 Use WellDesigner in GoldSim to optimize design
 Include estimated uncertainty in key parameters:
– Aquifer Transmissivity
– Wellbore Skin
– Filter Pack Conductivity
Future Improvements
 Transient Flow
– Theis rather than Theim
– More complex aquifer hydraulics
 Unconfined Aquifers
– Reduced Aquifer Thickness
– Development of a Seepage Face
 Heterogeneous Aquifers
– Layered formations
– Vertical Anisotropy
 Wells with excessive well
losses: sw = BQ + CQP
 Fractured Rock Aquifers
– Non-laminar flow in fissures
– Turbulent entry losses
– Upflow in open wellbore
– (Atkinson, Gale & Dudgeon 1994)
 Well deterioration and
rehabilitation
– Fines migration
– Clogging of the filter pack
 Encrustation
 Precipitation
 Biofilm
Thank you