A Little Recognized Source of Water Cut in Hydrocarbon-Producing Wells

作者：Ransom Robert C

来源：Petrophysics, 2010, 51(4): 271-272.

Ground surface subsidence is commonplace over aquifers in the agricultural and commercial water-production industry. It is not unreasonable to expect that subsidence also might be occurring over hydrocarbon-bearing reservoirs actively being produced. The Rubey-Hubbert equation of 1959 expresses an equilibrium relationship between overburden, grain-to-grain stress, and pore pressure (Rubey et al., 1959). As pore pressure continually diminishes with continued production of oil or gas, the increased stress on the mineral structure allows compaction of shales to occur. The result is the expulsion of pore water from the shales as the structure yields to the weight of overburden. If compaction is to take place, then where does the expelled water go? It can be entrained in the produced fluids in the form of an un-predicted water cut. This is a little recognized part of hydrocarbon-recovery history.

• 出版日期2010-8