Modeling Relative Permeability Effects in Gas-Condensate Reservoirs With a New Trapping Model

Many gas-condensate wells show a significant decrease in productivity once the pressure falls below the dew point pressure. A widely accepted cause of this decrease in productivity index is the decrease in the gas relative permeability due to a buildup of condensate in the near wellbore region. Predictions of well inflow performance require accurate models for the gas relative permeability. Since these relative permeabilities depend on fluid composition and pressure as well as on condensate and water saturations, a model is essential for both interpretation of laboratory data and for predictive field simulations as illustrated in this article.