Estimation of Radial Permeability Distribution From Well-Test Data

Summary This paper presents a method of estimating a radial permeability distribution that would reproduce the pressure data obtained in a well test. The method is applied to three examples: permeability variation in a composite reservoir, porosity variation in a composite reservoir, and permeability variation with inaccurate data. The permeability estimates obtained are shown to be smoothed versions of the actual permeability distribution, and an estimate for the resolution width of the smoothing is provided. One significant advantage of the solution method applied in this paper is the ability to estimate permeability variation without dividing the reservoir into zones of constant permeability.