Publications

In many gas-condensate reservoirs, well deliverability is reduced by condensate banking around the wellbore, which is formed when the bottomhole pressure drops below the dewpoint. Modeling this blockage effect is important in order to predict the correct production forecast and the number of wells required to meet gas targets. Many authors have shown that immiscible relative permeability curves tend to overestimate the blockage effect.A condensate blockage study has been conducted on the North Belut field, located in the West Natuna Sea, Indonesia. North Belut is a large gas-condensate field with generally low permeability rocks. The study included detailed reservoir simulation as well as steady-state relative permeability experiments work on North Belut cores. The steady-state gas condensate relative permeability measurements show an increase in gas relative permeability with increasing flow rates in all three composite cores.The results of the condensate blockage study have been included in the full-filed simulation either as a condensate blockage skin factor or as special relative permeability curves, which are applied at a well connection level. Even though condensate blockage is predicted for the North Belut field, the impact is estimated to be minor.