Production Optimization in Gas Condensate Reservoirs Undergoing Different Depletion Mechanisms

Gas-condensate reservoirs exhibit complex phase and flow behaviors due to the appearance of condensate banking in the near-well region. A good understanding of how the condensate accumulation influences the productivity and the composition configuration in the liquid phase is very important to optimize the producing strategy, to reduce the impact of condensate banking, and to improve the ultimate gas recovery. A key factor that controls the gas-condensate well deliverability is the relative permeability, which is influenced directly by the condensate accumulation. The accumulated condensate bank not only reduces both the gas and liquid relative permeability, but also changes the phase composition of the reservoir fluid, hence reshapes the phase diagram of reservoir fluid and varies the fluid properties. Different methods for increasing recovery in gas condensate reservoirs exist, which their effect should be investigated economically, because these different producing strategies may impact the composition configuration for both flowing and static phases and the amount of the liquid trapped in the reservoir, which in turn may influence the well productivity and hence the ultimate gas and liquid recovery from the reservoir