Chapter 1

Principles of Well Testing

Introduction
The aim of well testing is to get information about a well and as well as reservoir. To get this information, the well flow rate is varied and the variation disturbs the existing pressure in the reservoir. Measuring the variations in pressure vs. time and interpreting them gives data on the reservoir and the well.

The well response is usually monitored during a relatively short period of time compared to the life of the reservoir, depending upon the test objectives.

The pressure can be measured: - in the well where the flow rate has been changed: this is the method used in most tests; - or in another well: this is the aim of interference tests.

- Before opening the well on production, the initial pressure pi is constant and uniform in the reservoir.
- The resulting pressure change with time is measured by a pressure gauge in the well near the depth of reservoir under study.

- The variations in pressure are interpreted using a number of laws of fluid mechanics. During the flowing period, the drawdown pressure response p is defined as follows:

p = pi - p(t )
When the well is shut-in, the build-up pressure change p is estimated from the last flowing pressure p(t=0):

p = p(t ) - p(t = 0)

Fig. 1. Drawdown and buildup test sequence.

Darcys Law Darcys law is used to describe fluid flow in a porous medium. It states that the flow rate of a fluid flowing through a rock sample is proportional to: - the pressure gradient applied to the rock sample; - the samples cross-section, S; - the mobility of the fluid, k/.

Darcys law is valid within a time interval when the flow rate and other parameters are constant. It does not depend on the porosity of the medium, or on the compressibility of either the fluids or the rock. The vectorial expression of Darcys law is as follows:

k k q = - Sgrad p = - p
A well test studies the variations in the pressure that occur after a flow rate variation. Since the flow rate has varied, Darcys law can not be applied macroscopically to

describe the flow around the well. Darcys law in radial flow is expressed by:

k p q = 2rh r
It can be integrated between two values of distance from the well, rw and re (Fig. 2):
2 kh p w - p e q = rw ln re

Fig. 2

Compressibility
All the information from a well test is obtained because the rock and the fluids are compressible. The compressibility of any material is defined by the relative change in the materials volume per unit of pressure variation at constant temperature:

c = -(1/V ) ( / )T V p
It can also be expressed in terms of density:

ce = (1/) ( / )T p

Total compressibility of an oil reservoir: In an oil reservoir several components are compressible: - the oil; - the water, even at irreducible saturation;

- the pore volume itself.

When the decompression occurs, the fluid is produced: - by expansion of the fluids: - oil: V = -c S V p
o o o p

water:

Vw = -c wSw Vp p

- by a decrease in the pore volume Vp When decompression occurs, the fluid pressure decreases while the litho-static pressure remains constant. The pore volume decreases, thereby causing general fluid production;

Vp = -c p Vp p
In contrast, the compressibility of the material itself is negligible in comparison.

The overall compressibility of a pore volume unit is due to the sum of all its compressible components:

c t = coSo + c wSw + cp
The storativity capacity of a unit volume of the porous medium is equal to ct . Equivalent compressibility The reservoir is modeled by: - an incompressible porous rock with a porosity of S0; - and a fluid of equivalent compressibility:
ce = c 0S0 + c wSw + c p S0

(1.11)

The diffusivity equation is written as follows in radial

flow:

p 1 1 p p =0 2 + r K r r t
2

(1.15)

where porous medium.

k K= c t

is called the hydraulic diffusivity of the

Compressible zone
The flow at a distance r from the well at time t can be calculated based on Darcys law and by solving the diffusivity equation which describes the pressure variations as: 2 q(r, t ) = qB exp(-r / 4Kt) (1.17)

where : q = is the wellhead flow rate; qB= is the bottom hole flow rate Fig. 1.2 shows the flow profile at time t vs. the distance from the well.

Fig. 1.2 Flow profile ( from Bourdarot, G, 1996)

It can be seen on the graph that between the wellbore and r1 the flow rate has almost the same value as near the wellbore. There is a negligible flow through the areas located beyond r2. The pressure drop between r2 and an infinite distance is negligible.

Let us see at the variations in the flow profile between two times t and t (Fig. 1.3)

Fig. 1.3 (from Bourdarot, G, 1996)

The area located between the well and r1 there is a flow close qB. From t to t the pressure drop between the well and r1 is small.

The area located beyond r2 is not yet involved in the flow. The pressure drop between r2 and an infinite distance remains negligible. Between t and t the pressure drop between an infinite distance and the well is therefore mainly due to what is occurring between r1 and r2.

It is in this area that the reservoirs compressibility, allowing the flow to go from 0 to qB, comes into play. This area is compressible zone.
The pressure drop in the well mainly reflects the reservoir properties in the compressible zone.

This is what enables a well test to: - characterize the average properties far way from the, permeability for example; - detect facies heterogeneities; - identify permeability barriers.