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WCP1 Course

Introduction to Well
Testing
and Interpretation
Dominique Bourdet

Well Testing and Interpretation

Introduction
Well Testing Procedures and Hardware
Examples of Typical Flow regimes
Conclusions

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P re s s u re , p

Description of a Well Test

pi

t Dd
p BU

p Dd

R a te , q

p(t=0)

drawdown

t BU

build-up

Time, t

Drawdown :
Build-up :

p pi p(t )
p p(t ) p( t 0)

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Well Test Objectives

EXPLORATION WELL
APPRAISAL WELL
DEVELOPMENT WELL

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Well Test Objectives

EXPLORATION
Nature and rate of produced fluid
Initial pressure
Reservoir properties

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Well Test Objectives

APPRAISAL
Reservoir properties
permeability
heterogeneity
reservoir boundaries

Well productivity
Fluid properties (sampling)

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Well Test Objectives

DEVELOPMENT
Reservoir properties
drainage mechanism (permanent gauges)
communication between wells

Well productivity
Average pressure

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Information obtained from Well Testing

RESERVOIR DESCRIPTION
Reservoir responses
Reservoir in dynamic condition (flow lines are
established)
Large volume investigated (averaging)

Results
Permeability (horizontal k and vertical kv)
Reservoir heterogeneities
natural fractures,
layering,
change of characteristics.
Pressure (initial pi and average p )
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Boundaries (distance and shape)

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Information obtained from Well Testing

WELL DESCRIPTION
Results
Production potential
productivity index PI,
skin factor S

Well geometry

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Interpretation Methodology
I

input

system

O
output

Inverse problem : O / I = S
Direct problem :

1
0

I *S = O

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Input Data required for Well Test Analysis

TEST DATA
Flow rate (sequence of event)
Bottom hole pressure

WELL DATA
Wellbore radius rw and geometry
Depths (formation, gauges)

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Input Data required for Well Test Analysis

RESERVOIR AND FLUID PARAMETER
Formation thickness h (net)
Porosity
Formation volume factor B
Oil viscosity
Compressibility of oil co, water cw and formation
cf, water saturation Sw
c t co 1 S w c w S w c f

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Types of Well Tests

PROCEDURE
Drawdown test
Build-up test
Injection test / fall-off test
Interference test and pulse test
Gas well test
Flow after flow test,
Isochronal test,
Modified isochronal test
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Types of Well Tests

COMPLETION
Production test
Drill stem test (DST)

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R at e , q P r e ssur e , p

Test Sequence (oil well)

Initial
shut-in
Clean
Variable
up
rate

Build-up
Stabilized
rate

Time, t

Clean-up period (drilling and completion fluids, no measurement)

Initial shut-in (pressure gauge at depth, initial pressure pi)
Variable rate (start of rate measurement)
Stabilized rate (main flow)
1
5

Shut-in: build-up period

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Drill Stem Test

ONSHORE
TESTING

Flowhead
BOP Stack

Casing

Tubing
Test tool

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Packer

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Drill Stem Test

OFFSHORE TESTING
Fixed point at
Packer

Fixed Rig (100 m maximum)

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Drill Stem Test

DST STRINGS
Open hole

Open hole
packer

Barefoot

Zonal Isolation

Cased hole

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Surface Equipment
FLOW HEAD: flowing, killing, wireline
CHOKE MANIFOLD: positive & adjustable
HEATER: hydrates, high viscosity
SEPARATOR: metering of three phases
TANK: oil rate
BURNER

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Surface Equipment
SURFACE SETUP
Flowhead

Burner

Choke
maniflod
Heater

Gas

Rig HP
pump

Gas
manifold

Separator

Water

Air

pump

compressor

Water
Surge

Oil
Oil
manifold

tank

Burner
Transfer pump

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Test Separator

Gas

Effluent

Water

Oil

THREE PHASES: oil, water and gas

RATE MEASUREMENT
Oil and water: positive displacement
Gas: orifice meter
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Down Hole Equipment

PRESSURE GAUGES: memory or surface read out
DOWN HOLE VALVE: DST, sampling
BOTTOM HOLE SAMPLER: PVT analysis
RFT, MDT: initial pressure, gradient & contacts,
permeability

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Safety
EQUIPMENT: pressure, temperature, sour gas
PROCEDURE: pressure test, emergency shut-down,
day / night, safe area
ENVIRONMENT: burning, oil drop out

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Wellbore Storage

rw

pi
pw

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Pressure, p

Wellbore Storage
tDd
pDd

pBU
tBU

Rate, q

q Surface
q Sand Face
Time, t

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Wellbore Storage
C : wellbore storage coefficient

V
C
coVw (Bbl/psi)
p
with
co

: fluid compressibility

Vw

: wellbore volume

non-eruptive well:

2
6

Vu
C
g
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Wellbore Storage
Pressure change, p

Straight line on linear scale (at the beginning of

the response)

qB
p
t
24C

Elapsed time, t
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Radial Flow Regime (infinite

homogeneous behavior)

p
pi

rw

ri

S=0
pwf
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Radial Flow Regime

(infinite homogeneous behavior)
p
pi

ri

rw

S>0

pwf(S=0)
p skin
pwf(S>0)

pi
Pwf(S<0)
Pwf(S=0)
2
9

S<0
p skin

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Radial Flow Regime

(infinite homogeneous behavior)
SKIN:

kh
S
pSkin
141.2qB

DAMAGED WELL (S > 0): poor contact

between the well and the reservoir (mud-cake,
insufficient perforation density, partial penetration) or
invaded zone

STIMULATED WELL (S < 0): surface of

contact between the well and the reservoir increased
(fracture, horizontal well) or stimulated zone
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Radial Flow Regime

(infinite homogeneous behavior)
Radial steady state flow:
k

ks

rs

rw

141.2qB
r
141.2qB
r
ln S
ln S
kS h
rw
kh
rw
kh
pw,S pw,S 0 k 1 ln rS
S
141.2qB
rw
kS

pw, S pw, S 0

Equivalent wellbore radius:

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rwe rw e S
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Radial Flow Regime

(infinite homogeneous behavior)

qB
k
p 162.6
log t log
3.23 0.87 S
2

kh
ct rw

Semi-log
straight
line

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Radial Flow Regime

(infinite homogeneous behavior)
RESULTS:
1. the semi-log straight line slope m : the permeability k

qB
kh 162.6
m
2. the straight line intercept: the skin factor S

p1 hr

k
S 1.151
log
3.23
2
ct rw
m

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Radial Flow Regime

(infinite homogeneous behavior)
- Low
permeability

pressure, psi

6000

no skin

4000
moderate skin
2000
0
0

10

20

30

40

30

40

time, hours

permeability

pressure, psi

- High

6000
high skin
4000
very high skin
2000
0
0

3
4

10

20
time, hours

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Radial Flow Regime

(infinite homogeneous behavior)
- Low
permeability

pressure change, psi

3000

moderate skin

2000

1000

p skin

no skin

0
0.001

0.01

0.1

10

100

time, hours

- High
permeability

pressure change, psi

3000

very high skin

2000

p skin

1000

high skin

0
0.001

3
5

0.01

0.1

10

100

time, hours

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Fractured Well: Linear Flow Regime

INFINITE CONDUCTIVITY FRACTURE

xf

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Fractured Well: Linear Flow Regime

Straight line
with the
pressure versus
the square root
of time

ct k

P re s s u re c h a n g e , p

qB
p 4.06
hx f

t
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Example
SEMI-LOG ANALYSIS
3000

pr e s u r e c h a n ge, ps i

2500

Flow rate : 1000 BOPD

Fluid Volume-Factor : 1.2000 vol/vol
Fluid Viscosity
:0.500E+00 CP
porosity
: 25.0000 %
net thickness
: 30.000 FEET
well-bore radius
:0.300E+00 FEET
Total Compres:0.185E-04 1/psi

2000

1500

Straight line slope :

Straight line pressure at 1 hour :
Permeability thickness :
Skin factor

1000

m=
Dp(1hr)=
kh =
S=

psi/cycle
psi
md.ft

500

0
1.00E-03

1.00E-02

1.00E-01

1.00E+00

1.00E+01

1.00E+02

time, hours

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Example

P
PSI
3000. 3500. 4000. 4500. 5000. 5500.

SEMI-LOG ANALYSIS

10 -3

3
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1996/01/01-1000 : OIL

slope of the line = -256.673 PSI/cycle

R(inv) at 1.188 hr = 81.7 FEET
R(inv) at 22.63 hr = 356. FEET
prod. time=0. hr at rate=1000.000 STB/D
skin
= 5.69
permeability = 12.7 MD
Perm-Thickness = 380. MD-FEET

SLOPE

10 -2

10 -1
Delta-T (hr)

10 0

10 1

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Closed Reservoir: Pseudo Steady

State Regime
rw

pi

re

pw

4
0

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Closed Reservoir: Pseudo Steady State Regime

pi

rw

re

pw

4
1

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Closed Reservoir: Pseudo Steady

State Regime
pi

rw

re

pw

4
2

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Closed Reservoir: Pseudo Steady

State Regime
Straight line on linear scale

Pressure, p

pi

ppseudo s
tea

dy state

slope m*

Time, t
4
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Closed Reservoir: Pseudo Steady State Regime

At late time,

qB
qB
p 0.234
t 162.6
ct hA
kh

A
log r 2

log C A 0.351 0.87 S

Result: the reservoir pore volume

qB
hA 0.234
ct m *
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Well Responses
FLOW REGIMES
Geometry of the flow lines :
radial, linear, spherical, etc.
Pressure : (t) = log t ,

t , 1

etc.
Straight line on a specialized pressure versus time plot.

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Well Responses
WELL RESPONSES
Fractured well:
1. Linear
2. Radial

Well in a channel:
1. Radial
2. Linear
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Build-up analysis
Semi-log scale: Horner plot

Pressure, psia

4000
slope m

3750
3500
3250
3000
1

4
7

101

102
(tp + t) / t

103

104

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Type Curve analysis

D im e n sio n le ss P res su re,
D p

Log-log Scale
102

CDe2S

10

10-1

4
8

Start of semi-log radial flow

10-1

10
102
Dimensionless time,tDCD

103

104

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Derivative Analysis
Well with wellbore storage & skin in a
homogeneous reservoir
1.0E+03

p and p', psi

pressure
1.0E+02

derivative

1.0E+01

1.0E+00
1.0E-03

1.0E-02

1.0E-01

1.0E+00

1.0E+01

1.0E+02

t, hours
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Derivative Analysis
Well with wellbore storage & skin in a
homogeneous reservoir

Dimensionless pressure, pD

102
60

10
40

10
1030

10

60

50

50

10

DAMAGED

1020

10

10
Approximate
40
10
10
10
30
end of
10
10
20
wellbore
10
10
10
storage 1015
10

1015

NORMAL

10

1060
1050
1040
1030
1020
1015
10810
10
6
10 104
103 102
10
1
3
0.3

ACIDIZED

CD e 2S

10

4
3

10

10
3
1
0.3

10

10

10

CD e 2S

10

10-1
10-1

10

102

103

104

105

Dimensionless time, tD/CD

5
0

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Testing

End of Module