Soil vapor extraction (SVE) is an effective and cost efficient method of removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and petroleum hydrocarbons from unsaturated soils. However, soil vapor extraction becomes ineffective in soils with low gas permeability, for example soils with air permeabilities less than 1 Darcy. The aim of this study is to investigate numerically the performance of a prefabricated vertical drain (PVD) as a SVE well, and the pattern of the induced air flow. A validated numerical model for a single PVD extraction well is developed based on the result of a well-designed laboratory model test. The validity of the simple analytical approach to determine air permeability based on the results of model tests is also discussed.