Use of the Fourier-Laplace transform and of diagrammatical methods to interpret pumping tests in heterogeneous reservoirs

Advances in computer power and in reservoir characterization allow simulation of pressure transients in complex reservoirs generated stochastically. Generally, interpretation of these transient gives useful information about the reservoir hydraulic properties: a major goal is to interpret these transients in the stochastic context. First we ensemble average the pressure over all the random permeability field realizations to derive an equation which drives the ensemble averaged pressure. We use the Fourier transform in space and the Laplace transform in time, in conjuction with a perturbation series expansion in successive powers of the permeability fluctuations to obtain an explicit solution. The Nth order term of this series involves the hydrodynamic interaction between N permeability heterogeneities and after averaging we obtain an expansion containing correlation functions of permeability fluctuations of increasing order.Next, Feynman graphs are introduced allowing a more attractive graphical interpretation of the perturbation series. Then series summation techniques are employed to reduce the graph number to be summed at each order of the fluctuation expansion. This in turn gives useful physical insights on the homogenization processes involved. In particular, it is shown that the sum of the so-called ‘one-particle irreducible graphs’ gives the kernel of a linear integro-differential equation obeyed by the ensemble average pressure. All the information about the heterogeneity structure is contained in this renormalized kernel, which is a limited range function.This equation on its own is the starting point of useful asymptotic results and approximations. In particular it is shown that interpretation of pumping tests yields the steady-state equivalent permeability after a sufficiently long time for an infinite reservoir, as expected.