WELCOME

UTC

Well Testing
Techniques

Module PKR09

RAJNESH GOGOI
 WHAT IS WELL TEST

•Well testing is the technique

UTC and method
for the evaluation of well conditions and reservoir
characteristics.

•It involves producing a well at a constant rate or

series of rates, some of which may be zero (well
closed in), while simultaneously taking a continuous
recording of the changing pressure in the well bore
using some form of pressure recording device.
Module PKR09
 WHY TEST A WELL

To determine the following

UTCparameters

•Initial pressure (p)

•Average pressure within the drainage boundary (p)
•Permeability thickness product(kh) and
permeability(k)
•Mechanical skin factor (S)
•Area drained (A)
•Dietz shape factor (CA)
Module PKR09
 Types of Well Tests
• Productivity Well Test

• Descriptive/Reservoir Test
 Productivity Well Tests
Pwf
• Well is produced at several flow
rates
• Stabilized BHP is measured
• Plot of Pwf Vs Q = IPR
• Slope of lines indicative of well
productivity

Q
 Applications of Productivity Well Tests

• Identify produced fluids

• Measure reservoir pressure and temperature

• Obtain samples for PVT analysis

• Evaluate completion efficiency

• Evaluate workover or stimulation treatments

 Descriptive/Reservoir Testing
• Involves introducing abrupt changes in production

• Associated changes in BHP monitored

• Disturbances penetrate more than near-wellbore

• Other reservoir properties can be determined

– Shape of Pw Vs time curve is defined by reservoir
characteristics
 Applications of Descriptive Tests
• Evaluate Reservoir parameters

– Skin,Flow Efficiency,Productivity index

– Permeability
– Reservoir pressure
• Characterize reservoir heterogeneity

• Reservoir extent/geometry

• Hydraulic communication
 Well Testing In Different Phases
• Drilling phase
– Open hole testing(Descriptive )
• DST
• RFT
• Completion Phase
– Productivity Tests
• Production phase
– Cased hole testing
• Descriptive Tests
 Important datas required in well testing
Core,log data(to check homogeneity,dual porosity,OWC,GWC etc.)

RFT,pressure depth profiles(to check pressure equilibrium and thus

homogeneity)

Geological model(for structural interpretation,position of OWC,GOC)

Drive mechanism

PVT fluid properties(Pb,Bo,Co,

Well completion(partial completion and partial penetration)

Tests in neighbouring wells completed in the same reservoir

Equipment (position of pressure gauge from reservoir datum depth)

 Types of Well Tests
• Pressure Drawdown
• Pressure Build up
• Multirate
• Injection/fall-off
• Interference
• Pulse
 Pressure Drawdown Tests
• Shut in the well till
Pwf
pressure reaches
static level & then
flowing the well at a
constant rate ,q &
measuring Pwf. rate Shut in
q
time t
 Pressure Drawdown Tests
• BASIC EQUATION OF PRESSURE DRAWDOWN TEST:

Pwf=Pi – (162.6qµBo/kh)((log t + log (k/ФµCtrw2)–3.23+0.87s)

This is the equation of a straight line with slope

m = 162.6(q µ Bo /kh)

From slope permeability and skin can be calculated as

k = 162.6(q µ Bo /mh)
and
skin,S = 1.151(((P1hr - Pwf)/m) - log(k/ ФµCtrw2 )+3.23)
 Pressure Drawdown Tests
• Advantages:
– Suitable in new wells
– No need to lose production
– K,S,reservoir size can be determined
• Disadvantages:
– Difficult to maintain constant production rate.
– Long shut in so that Pi is achieved is required.So suitable in new
wells.
 Mulitrate Tests
Pwf
• Accounts for variable rate
history Pi
• Applications
– Rate variations
– kh product, Pr
– Boundary q2
qn-1 qn
q1
configurations
0 t1 t2 tn-1 tn
– Skin,FE,PI etc.
Time,hrs
 Mulitrate Tests
• Advantages:
– No problem with variable flow rate
– No loss of production
– Reduced wellbore storage
• Disadvantages:
Q3
– Rate fluctuations are difficult
Q1 to
Q2

measure,especially on a continuous basis.

 Pressure Build-up Tests
• Most preferred well testing Pwf
technique
Pi
• The well is first produced at a
constant rate till pressure is
stabilized and then the well is
shut in
• Pressure is recorded as a
function of time q flowing
Shut-in

tp t
 Pressure Build-up Tests
• The basic equation of pressure build up test is Pws
= Pi - (162.6qµBo/kh)log(tp+∆t/∆t) (Horner equation)
• This is the equation of a straight line when plotted as Pw Vs
log (tp+∆t/∆t) (Horner plot) with slope m
=162.6qµBo/kh and intercept Pi
• From this k & s can be determined as k=
162.6(qµBo/mh) and S=
1.1513(((P1hr-Pwf)/m)-log( k/ Ф µCtrw2 )+3.23) Fault
distance=(0.0122k∆tx/ Ф µCt)1/2 ∆pskin= 0.87ms
 Pressure Build-up Tests
• Advantages:
– Precise control of rate
– P* can be determined
• Disadvantages:
– Loss of production due to shut in.
Q(t)
 Well Test Planning
• Before designing a test an engineer should ensure that there should
not be
– more than one zone open to wellbore
– interzone communication due to poor cement bond
– partial zone completion
• It includes
– Test type
– Test duration
 Well Test Planning
• Operational requirements
– well completion data
– location and pattern of wells completed in the same
reservoir
– rate data
– fluid type
– pressure data
 Well Testing - Data Acquisition
• Downhole Recorders
– Record pressure and temperature
– Components
• Pressure Gauge
• Power Source
• Memory unit
– 1 to 2 recorders used
– Surface pressure readout
• Wireline link
 Well Test Data Analysis
• Diffusivity Equation

• Model Recognition

• Interpretation Software
 DARCY’S LAW AND ITS APPLICATION
• IN 1856, A FRENCH ENGINEER HENRY DARCY
FORMULATED THE LAW
• THIS IS THE MOTHER OF ALL RESRVOIR ENGINEERING
CALCULATIONS
• STUDY WAS ON UNCONSOLIDATED SAND FILTER BEDS
 DARCY’S LAW AND ITS APPLICATION
• DARCY’S LAW STATES THAT THE VELOCITY OF A
HOMOGENEOUS FLUID IN A POROUS MEDIA IS
PROPORTIONAL TO THE PRESSURE GRADIENT, AND
INVERSELY PROPORTIONAL TO THE FLUID VISCOSITY
• V= - (K/ µ) ( P/ L)=q/A
 DARCY’S LAW AND ITS APPLICATION
• APPLIES ONLY IN LAMINAR FLOW
• DOESNOT APPLY IN TURBULENT FLOW
• DOES NOT REPRESENT THE FLOW THROUGH
INDIVIDUAL PORE SPACES BUT AVERAGES THE
FLOW OF SEVERAL PORE CHANNELS.IT IS A
STATISTICAL LAW
 DARCY’S LAW AND ITS APPLICATION
• THE UNIT OF PERMEABILITY IS DARCY.
• A ROCK OF 1DARCY PERMEABILITY IS ONE IN
WHICH A FLUID OF 1 CP VISCOSITY MOVE AT A
VELOCITY OF 1CM/SEC UNDER A PRESSURE
GRADIENT OF 1ATMOSPHERE/CM.
 DARCY’S LAW AND ITS APPLICATION
• THE UNIT OF PERMEABILITY IS DARCY.
• A ROCK OF 1DARCY PERMEABILITY IS ONE IN
WHICH A FLUID OF 1 CP VISCOSITY MOVE AT A
VELOCITY OF 1CM/SEC UNDER A PRESSURE
GRADIENT OF 1ATMOSPHERE/CM.
 DARCY’S LAW AND ITS APPLICATION
APPLICATIONS
• TO CALCULATE THE FLOW RATE
• TO CALCULATE THE P.I. OF A WELL
• TO CALCULATE PRESSURE DRAWDOWN
• IN RESERVOIR SIMULATION
• TO INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY BY WELL
STIMULATION
 To sum up : Well Test
A properly designed, executed, and analyzed well test can provide information:

•about formation permeability

•reservoir initial or average pressure

•sand-face condition (well damage or stimulation)

•volume of drainage area

•boundary and discontinuities

•reservoir heterogeneity

•distance or extension of the fracture induced

•validation of geological model.

 To sum up : Well Test

Further, it is important to determine the ability of a formation to produce

reservoir fluids and underlying reason for a well's productivity.

Well Test data when combined with hydrocarbon production data, and laboratory
data on fluid and rock properties:

•afford the means to estimate the original hydrocarbon in-place

•and the recovery that may be expected from the reservoir under various modes of
exploitation

•In addition, well test data and IPR well performance equations, combined with
production data, help to design, analyze, and optimize total well production system
or production optimization.
 Typical layout of well test setup

Surge Tank
Flare

Pumps

Lab cum data

center

I/Heater Choke 3 Phase

manifold seperator
48” THREE PHASE SEPARATOR
CHOKE MANIFOLD
3 HEAD SEA SNAKE BURNER
GROUND FLARE
 Diffusivity Equation
Assumptions:

Horizontal flow of a single phase fluid inward to a wellbore

located at the center of a radial volumetric element
Formation is both homogeneous and isotropic
The central well is perforated across the entire formation
thickness
Negligible gravity effect
Applicability of Darcy’s law
Ф,µ,Ct ,k are independent of pressure
Single phase fluid is present in the reservoir
 Diffusivity Equation
Partial differential equation

Describes physical processes occurring in the reservoir

Solutions depend on boundary conditions

Reservoir Extent
Initial Pressure

2p/ r2 + 1/r ( p/ r) = (Ct k) p/ t

 Pressure Build-up Tests
• MDH plots
ETR MTR LTR
Constant pressure boundary

Semi log straight line

Closed boundary
Pws Small wbs
Deep fracture,small wbs Pressure increase due to fault
+s,small wbs Q(t)
Pressure decline from offset production
No s,no wbs
- s,large wbs
+s,large wbs
No s medium wbs

log (∆t)
 LOG-LOG PLOTS
• Log-log plots are used in welltest interpretation
• It is a plot of pressure change Vs log( tp+∆t/∆t) in BU & Vs log∆t in DD
• In wellbore storage affected region it gives
unit slope line
• Derivatives are differentiation of pressure
change wrt time Pressure
change &
• Boundary effects are evident derivative by late time
variation of the derivative value Q(t)

Elapsed time
 LOG-LOG PLOTS
1=Infinite homogeneous reservoir
2=No flow barrier-faulted reservoir

Pressure change & derivative

3=Parallel faults-linear reservoir
1x104
4=Perpendicular faults
5=Constant pressure boundary
6=Parallel no flow &constant
pressure boundary
7=Net pay variation-linear 1x103

4
1x102
3
2
7

1x101 1

5
1.5 log cycles 6

1x100
0.010 0.100 1.000 10.000 100.000

Elapsed time
 Special Cases In Well Testing
• Afterflow
– occurs because of surface shut in
– end of this region can be approximately 1 1/2log cycle
away from unit slope
 LOG-LOG PLOTS

Pressure change & derivative

1x104

1x103

1x102

1x101

1.5 log cycles

1x100
0.010 0.100 1.000 10.000 100.000

Elapsed time
 Special Cases In Well Testing
• Partial penetration or completion
– results in additional pressure drop
– S=(ht/hp)sd+sp where s=total skin ht=total
formation thickness hp=perforated
interval sd=damage skin sp=partial penetration
skin
– sp=(ht/hp-1)(ln(ht/hp(kh/kv)0.5 )-2)
 Some Special Formation Types
• Composite System
– the fluid & rock properties varies in a steplike fashion
in radial direction away from the well

Zone 1: k1,ct1, Ф1, , µ1

. well

Zone 2:k2,ct2, Ф2 , µ2
 Some Special Formation Types
• Layered Reservoir:Two types
– layered reservoir with crossflow in which the layers
are hydrodynamically communicating at the contact
planes
– layered reservoir without crossflow in which the layers
communicate only through wellbore(commingled
production)
 Some Special Formation Types
• Double porosity system
– two distinct porosity types-matrix & fracture porosity
– the condition applies to fractured reservoir or layered
reservoir with a large contrast in rock properties
HORNER PLOTS(Double porosity system )

1x104
Dimensionless pressure

1x103

Pw

1x102

1x101

1.5 log cycles

1x100
0.010 0.100 1.000 10.000 100.000

Elapsed time
Elapstyed time
 Pressure Transient Analysis
 Methodology
Raw Data

Model
Identification
log-log analysis

Specialized
Analysis

Well and Reservoir

Parameters

Checking Procedures
 Pressure Transient Analysis - Steps

• 1. Draw diagnostic (log-log) plot

• 2. Identify flow regimes
• 3. Draw specialized plots(if any)
• 4. Calculate well and reservoir parameters
• 5. Choose basic well and reservoir model and
re-compute parameters using Type Curves
• 6. Check for consistency by comparing results
Model Recognition
 Step 5: Re-compute parameters using Type Curves

• Type Curves
– Generalized solutions to diffusivity equation
– Graphical form
– Depends on reservoir models and flow regimes
– Most common
• Homogeneous reservoir with wellbore storage
– Type Curve Matching
• Diagnostic Plot is matched with a Type Curve
• Calculate parameters from given equations
 Type Curve for a Homogeneous Reservoir
• Wellbore Storage Effect