Decline Curve Analysis and Diagnostic Methods for Performance Forecasting - DCA

Program Overview

This course provides comprehensive training on decline curve analysis, a widely used technique for forecasting future production and reserves. The course also covers advanced analysis methods for reservoir characterization, including flow regime identification, hydrocarbons-in-place estimation, and fracture property determination.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

Decline curve analysis has been called the most commonly used and misused technique for forecasting future production and remaining reserves. This course will give the learner a better understanding of how fundamental reservoir properties and drive mechanisms affect the shape of the production decline curve and how to avoid many of the mistakes commonly found in decline curve forecasts. The course also examines the use of modern production decline type-curves to evaluate reservoir properties and predict future performance.

Objectives:

Participants will learn how to:

• Use the exponential, hyperbolic and harmonic decline curve equations
• See the relationships between reservoir recovery mechanisms and decline curve types
• Use multiple methods to avoid overestimating reserves
• Recognize reservoir performance characteristics based on actual field examples
• See the impact of reservoir heterogeneities such as faulting, permeability variance, and layering
• Perform analysis on a multi-well basis without introducing common errors
• Use alternative methods including diagnostic performance plots (e.g., log WOR vs. Np, Stagg's, P/Z vs. Gp, etc.)
for rate and reserves analysis
• Use advanced decline curve and production data analysis for reservoir characterization: flow regime, hydrocarbons-in-place, permeability, skin, drainage area, fracture properties, etc.

Teaching:

• One personal computer is provided, at additional cost, for each two participants.
• This course covers both conventional and unconventional reservoirs.
• Instructors: PetroSkills Specialist Richard Henry

Other:

• This course is also available upon request as a private, on-site seminar.
• Target Audience: Engineers or technical assistants who are responsible for making forecasts of future production using decline curves analysis.
Economists, managers, or geoscientists who are interested in developing a greater working knowledge of decline curve methods and how to make better forecasts will also benefit from this course.