Well Test 2

Bambang Kustono
University Trisakti
ESPA-Antananarivo

Gross Permeability Test

The test is conducted by cold water injetion into the well.
Then the effect injection rate can be monitor by :

Plot stabilized Pressure against injection rate, the slope of

the curve is injectivity of the well.

Pressure Transient Analysis, to get transmisivity or

permeability thickness of the well.

The pressure recorder tool used in the test must be placed at

right depth, otherwise the pressure recorded might be
affected by fluid flow having different density due to
different feed point temperature.

The term gross permeability is applied caused by

difficulty in geothermal reservoir to obtain
permeability value which can represent reservoir
formation due to irregular extent of fracture.
The transient test analysis is used to obtain
permeability thickness (kh), or transmisifity. It is
a usual practice to apply pressure fall off test for
this purpose.

Example of good measurement which can be analized

Example of bad measurement which cannot be analized

 The

next figure show example of pressure

against injection rate of Well KA-23 (New
Zealand) the pressure is recorded at major feed
zone.
The slope of the plot is injectivity of the well

Pressure against Injection Rate of Well KA - 23

Pressure Transient Test

The principle of Transient Test in Geotermal Engineering is
adapted from the similar transient test of Petroleum
Engineering, which is pressure recording against time. A
comprehensive development of Pressure Transient analysis is
developed by Matthews and Russell (1967) and Earlougher
(1977).
In Geothermal Engineering, the information obtain from the test
are :
Permeability thickness
Skin factor
Reservoir pressure
Storativity

The information obtained from such test can be used to

analyse :
The cause of production decrease in a well
Distribution of permeability thicknes throughout the
reservoir.
Formation capacity to produce geothermal fluid.
Modelling the Reservoir.

Analysis Method
Pressure response of transient test is analyse by Line
Source solution, with assumption of aquifer/reservoir and
fluid conditions are :
Uniform

horizontal aquifer
Homogeneous and Isotropic
Sealed above and below
Infinite radial extent
The fluid is in vertical equilibrium with depth all the time.
In geothermal actually it is difficult to determine boundary
due to irregular extent of fracture.

Pressure changes around a wellbore due to the skin effect

(modified from Horne, 1995)

Skin Factor, which is additional pressure drop at the well face

due to formation damage is

Superposititon of Pressure Transient equation

From the superposition of the equation then,

Plot of P against (t + t )/t at semilog curve is known as

Horner Plot (Earlougher, 1977)

= ( t + t )/ t is known as Horner time

This Horner Plot can be used for transient analysis. The

example is given in an exel file.

Typical pressure responses for difference reservoir models

(Bodvarson and Witherspon, 1989)

Type of Transient test used to be conducted in

geothermal well are :
Pressure

Drowdown Test

This is measurement of downhole pressure in constant

production rate. There are 2 type of this test, short
term test and long term test.
Pressure

Buid Up Test.

In this test bottom hole pressure is measured while

the well is in shut in condition. Before and after shut
in, the pressure is recorded against time interval.

a. Drawdown test, b. Build-up test, Injection test, c. Falloff test

Injectivity Test
The test is conducted by down hole pressure mesurement
in certain period of time with constant injection rate.

Interference Test
The test involve more than one well, there are active well
and monitoring well. It is conducted to gain information
whether there is interference between active and
monitoring well. If there is interference, it is indication
connection between those well. The monitoring well can be
more then one. The informaion obtained from this test is :
- The extent of reservoir boundary.
- Transmissivity, storativity and initial pressure.

 Pressure Fall Of Test

This test is the most common test conducted in
geothermal well. The test is done after injection test,
then the well is shut in, where decreasing of pressure is
then recorded against time. Pressure fall off test is
identical with pressure buid up test. See the next figure.
The example calculation of Water loss test, Gross
Permeability Test and Fall Off Test are given in an exel
file.

Pressure Build Up and Pressure Fall Off

P,
Time

Time

For

Example see Excel file

Reference
Armstead, H. C. H, Geothermal Energy, Its past, present and future contribution on the enery
needs of man 2nd Edition, E. & F. N. Spon Ltd, London, New York, 1983
Geothermal Energy System, Edited by Ernst Huenges, WILEY VCH Verlag GmbH & Co,
Weinheim, 2010
Grant, M.A. and Bixley, P. F, Geothermal Reservoir Engineering, 2 nd Edition, Academic Press,
Elsevier, USA, 2011
Lynell, S., Pressure, Temperature and Flow Logging in Geothermal Wells, Proceeding WGC 2000,
Kyushu Tokyo, Japan.
2000.
Patrick Corbett, et.al, Basic Concept in Well Testing for Reservoir Description, Heriot Watt
University, Aberden, 2011.
Pertamina Geothermal Energy, Well Test Report, 2009
Saptadji, N. pHD, Teknik Eksploitasi Panabumi, Institute of Technology Bandung, Bandung,
Indonesia.
Uwera Rutagarawa, The Role of Well Testing in Geothermal Resource Assesment, University of
Iceland, 2012.

Misaotra