CalculatingWaterInfluxByTheCarterTracyMethod

C.AMERCADO(EMIS.C),J.P.ESTIKLE(EMIS.C)

discussedanexamplesofresultsusingbothmethodswillbe
given.
ABSTRACT
Carter&Tracyisamethodproposedin1960basedon
anapproachbyHurstthatwasdevelopedforcalculating
water influx behavior. Using this method, superposition
calculations may be eliminated. The main difference
between Carter & Tracy and Hurst is that, over finite
intervalsoftime,constantoilproductionratesareassumed
byHurstwhereasconstantwaterinfluxratesareassumed
inthepresentlydescribedmethod.
Byadoptingtheassumptionofconstantwaterinfluxrate
forfinitetimeperiods,Carter&Tracydevelopedamethod
for calculating water influx behavior which lends itself
convenientcombinationwiththematerialbalanceequation
intheSchilthuisform.Abovethebubblepoint,anequation
is given for the explicit stepwise calculationof pressure
history for a prescribed oilproduction history. Use of
Carter & Tracy method for calculating water influx
behaviorshouldresultinaconsiderablesavingoftimeas
compared to superposition calculations when the
calculationscouldbecomemorecomplicated.
TheconnectionisshownbetweenCarter&Tracymethod
and the method developed by Van Everdingen and Hust
(which requires superposition calculations). Also, results
obtainedusingthetwomethodsarecompared.
INTRODUCTION
WhileVanEverdingenHurstmethodologyprovidesin
manyaspectsasatisfactoryreferencemethodforcalculating
water influx behavior, the superposition calculations
involved make it a tedious procedure to make and
sometimes difficult to reach a comprehensive and easy
understanding.
Toreducethecomplexityofwaterinfluxcalculations,
Carter & Tracy proposed a calculation technique that
eliminates superposition calculations allowing direct
calculationofwaterinflux,inmanycasesatsmallexpense
toaccuracy.Itisthepurposeofthispapertoexplainthis
methodwhichisbasedontheapproachofHurstandwhich
may be conveniently combined with the material balance
equationintheSchiltuisform.TherelationbetweenCarter
& Tracy and Van Everdingen and Hurst method will be

CalculatingWaterInfluxByTheCarterTracyMethod

MATHEMATICALDEVELOPMENT

Dn
t

We

TheequationsfortheCarterTracymethodweredeveloped
by expressing cumulative water influx as a function of
varyingpressurewiththeaidofaconvolutionintegral.

p ( t Dn )= po p( t Dn) ............

tDj

We(tDj)= B p ()QD(tDj)d....
0

(1)

Intermsoffieldunits,

B=1.119cthr2R(/360)forradialflow.(2)
B=0.178cthLforlinearflow.(3)
Also, in terms of field units, dimensionless time t D, is
definedas:

tD=

0.00633 k t
forradialflow.
c t r 2R

(8)

The intermediate equations before arriving Eq. (7) are

shownin thepaper by Carter and Tracy;pD and pD for
finite and infinite acting aquifers can be obtained from
polynomialsdevelopedbyFranchi.
Similar polynomials for infinite acting aquifers were
published by Edwardson and coauthors. These polymials
are recommended because the reported average error of
0.2% is less than the average error of 1.5% reported by
Franchi.AlsoisveryimportanttomentionthatEdwardson
and coauthors (1962) developed the following
approximationofpDforaninfiniteactingaquifer.

.(4)

tD=

0.00633 k t
forlinearflow.
c t L2

..(5)

Byapproximatingwaterinfluxbyaseriesofconstantrate
intervals, Eq. (1) can be represented with the following
alternateforms:
j1

..(9)

The dimensionless pressure derivative can then be

approximatedby:

P' D =

n=0

W e ( t Dj )=W e ( t Di ) + q Dn(t Dn+1t Dn ) .(6b)

716.441
+46.7984 (t D ) +270.038(t D) +71.0098(t D )1.5

0.5

n=i

1.5

F=1296.86(t D ) +1204.73 (t D )+618.618(t D ) +

CombiningEqs.(1)and(6b),

Thefollowingapproximationcouldalsobeusedbetween
td>100:

tDj

QD

0.5

j1

E
..................
F

(10)

W e ( t Dj )= q Dn( t Dn+1t Dn ) .....(6a)

B p ()

370.528 t D +137.582 t D +5.69549 (td )1.5

PD =
328.834+265.488 t D + 45.2157t D +(td )1.5

(tDj)

PD=0.5[Ln(tD)+0.80907]..........(11)

j1

W e ( t Di ) + q Dn (t Dn+ 1t Dn) .........

n=i

...........(7)
Therighthandsideoftheequationdescribeswaterinflux
historyfromtDj1totDj,anddonotexplicitlydescribewater
influxasafunctionoftimefortDtDj1.
CombiningEqs.(1)and(2b),Laplacetransformtechniques
canbeusedtosolvedforcumulativewaterinfluxintermsof
pressuredrop, pn :
CalculatingWaterInfluxByTheCarterTracyMethod

Withthederivateasgivenby:
PD=1/(2tD)................(12)
ItshouldbenotedthattheCarterTracymethodisnotan
exact solution to the diffusivity equation and should be
consideredanapproximation.
ThefollowingisanexampleoftheapplicationofCarter&
Tracysmethod.

538

Calculatethecumulativewaterinfluxattheendof6,12,18
and24monthsusingtheCarterTracymethod.

WiConstant.
B=20.4bbl/psi.
tD={0.9888t}

We

= 42,546 + [541.5 361]

( 20.4 )( 56 ) ( 42,546)(0.000923)
3.552(361)(0.000923)

We=104,406bbl

Step1. Foreachstep n,calculatethetotal pressure drop

pn=pipnandcorrespondingtD.

Weafter720days:

We

= 104.406 + [722 541.5]

( 20.4 )( 92 ) (104,406)(0.000693)
3.696(541.5)(0.000693)

We=202,477bbl

Fig.1 Resulttablefrom
calculations.

pn andcorrespondingtD

Step2. SincevaluesoftD aregreaterthan100,proceedto

useequations(11)&(12)tocalculateP D anditsderivative
PD.

The following table compares results of the CarterTracy

waterinfluxcalculationswiththoseofthevanEverdigen
Hurstmethod.

PD=0.5[Ln(tD)+0.80907]
PD=1/(2tD)

Fig.3 ComparationtablebetweenCarterTracyandvan
EverdigenHurstmethodresults.
Fig2.ResulttablefromPDcalculations.
Step 3. Calculate cumulative water influx by applying
Equation(7).

Weafter182.5days:

We

[180.5

( 20.4 )( 10 ) (0)(0.00277)
3.002(0)(0.00277)

0]

We=12,266bbl

Fig.4 FinalResultsfromchangingthetimeratein
CarterTracysmethod.

Weafter365days:

We

= 12,266 + [361 180.5]

( 20.4 )( 28 ) (12,266)(0.001385)
3.349(180.5)(0.001385)

We=42,546bbl

The above comparison indicates that the CarterTracy

method considerably overestimates the water influx. This
die,however,tothefact that alargetimetimestepof6
monthswasusedintheCarterTracymethodtodetermine
thewaterinflux.AccuracyoftheCarterTracymethodcan
beincreasedsubstancuallybyrestrictingthetimestepused
inperformingthewaterinfluxcalculationstolessthan30
days. Recalculating the water influx on monthly basis
producesanexcellentmatchwiththevanEverdingenHurst
methodasshownbelow.

Weafter547.5days:

CalculatingWaterInfluxByTheCarterTracyMethod

CONCLUSIONS
TheCarterTracymethodofcalculatingwaterinflux
behaviorhelpsustoeliminatethesuperposition
calculations,makingitamethodmoresuitableforfield
usageandalsogivingusresultswhichareaccuratetothose
obtainedwiththevanEverdingenHurstmethod.

ct=totalaquifercompressibility,psi1
h=netaquiferthickness,feet
rR=reservoirradius,feet
L=lengthofthereservoir,feet
=angleofencroachment,degrees
K=permeability,md
t=time,days
n=currenttimeinterval
n1=previoustimeinterval
p(tDn)=pressureatdimensionlesstimeinterval
We(tDn1)=cumulativewaterinfluxatdimensionlesstime
intervaltDn1
PD=derivativeofpD
Po=initialaquiferpressureatt=0

1.

2.
NOMENCLATURE
We=cumulativewaterinflux
B=constant
p=pressure
QD=dimensionlesscumulativewaterinflux
tD=dimensionlesstime
=porosity

CalculatingWaterInfluxByTheCarterTracyMethod

3.
4.

REFERENCES
VanEverdingen,A.F.andHurst,W.:The
ApplicationoftheLaplaceTransformationtoFlow
ProblemsinReservoirsTrans.,(1949)AIME186,
305.
Carter,R.D.andTracy,G.W.:AnImproved
MethodforCalculatingWaterInflux.Trans.,
1960.AIME219:415.
AdvancedReservoirEngineeringbyTarekAhmed
andPaulD.McKinney.
PetroleumReservoirEngineeringPracticeby
NnaemekaEzekwe,1stEdition.