Transient Near-Wellbore Thermo-Hydraulic Behavior and Its Influence on Surface-Measured Well Responses

• Andi Saputra

  Universitas Negeri Makassar, Jalan Daeng Tata Raya, Makassar 90222, Indonesia

  Author

• Maya Sari

  Universitas Jenderal Achmad Yani Yogyakarta, Jalan Ringroad Barat, Sleman 55292, Indonesia

  Author

Transient behavior in the region surrounding a wellbore is controlled by tightly coupled hydraulic and thermal processes within the reservoir and the well completion. In many production and injection operations, this near-wellbore zone exhibits pressure and temperature dynamics that evolve over time scales comparable to those of surface measurements, and these dynamics influence how surface signals are interpreted. Conventional well test analysis and rate transient analysis approaches often assume isothermal flow and negligible wellbore storage beyond simple lumped representations, which may mask or distort the impact of thermal effects and complex local hydraulics. In addition, distributed and pointwise temperature measurements along the wellbore are increasingly used to infer inflow profiles and reservoir properties, yet the relationship between near-wellbore thermo-hydraulic conditions and surface-measured signals remains intricate. This work examines the transient thermo-hydraulic behavior in the vicinity of the wellbore and discusses how it shapes the pressure and temperature responses recorded at the surface. A coupled description of flow and heat transport is considered, including the roles of rock and fluid compressibilities, heat capacity, thermal diffusion, convection along the wellbore, and localized completion features. By combining physical reasoning, mathematical formulation, and dimensionless analysis, the study outlines key time scales and parameter sensitivities that control the mapping between subsurface dynamics and surface measurements. The discussion highlights conditions under which thermo-hydraulic transients significantly affect surface responses and conditions under which they may be approximated by simpler representations. Implications for interpretation of well tests, production data, and temperature-based diagnostics are considered, together with potential strategies to incorporate thermo-hydraulic coupling into analysis and modeling workflows.

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