Impact on Oil Production

If gas exsolves from oil during production, capillary seals may reduce production. Capillary barriers can be accounted for by changing Darcy's law to a plastic flow law wherein a small pressure gradient must be exceeded for any flow to occur. For a typical reservoir system gas exsolution and capillary barriers might reduce hydrocarbon flow to a well by 20% in 183 days. The damage will be fastest and greatest for the best producing wells because the drawdown cone for such wells extends further and encounters more capillary barriers. If production is stopped, the pressure will recover, the exsolved gas will dissolve, and the well will produce as it did initially [65]. Shosa seals have production implications.
