Well test interpretation in

hydraulically fractured
wells
 Content

• Introduction.

• Flow patterns in hydraulically fractured wells.

• Specialised methods for post-fracture well test

analysis.
 Introduction
• Many wells, specially gas wells in low permeability
formations requires hydraulic fracturing to be
profitable.

• Interpreting the transient data in such wells is vital

in evaluating the success of fracture treatment.

• It is a graphical technique, including semi-log, log-

log and cartesian coordinates for analysing post
fracture pressure transients test.
Flow patterns in hydraulically fractured
wells.
• There exist a number of flow patterns (periods) in fractures and formation
around hydraulically fractured wells such as:-

• Fracture linear,

• characterised by half-slop straight line; after a transition flow period.It is a

very short lived and may be masked by well-bore storage effects. During
this flow period, most of the fluid entering the wellbore comes from fluid
expansion in the fracture and the flow pattern is linear. Because it only
lasts for short period of time , this period (fracture linear time) is of no use
in well test analysis.

• During of fracture linear flow is estimated by :-

• where tLfD is the dimensionless time in terms of fracture half length

• and fracture conductivity

• and hydraulic diffusivity is

• Bilinear. (may not happen)

• characterised by one-for th-slope

straight line. It only evolves in finite-
conductivity fractures as fluid in the
surrounding formation flows linearly into
the fracture. Fractures are considered to
be finite conductivity when fracture
conductivity (CrD<100). Most of the fluid
entering the wellbore during this flow
period comes from the formation.
During this time
1/4 the BHP (Pwf) is a linear
function of t on cartesian coordinates.

• A log-log plot of (Pi-Pwf) as a function of

time exhibits a slope of one fourth.

• The duration of bilinear flow depends on

dimensionless fracture conductivity :-
• formation linear flow

• occurs only in high conductivity (CrD>100) fractures. This period

continues to a dimensionless time of tLfD = 0.016
1/2
• Pwf is a linear function of t .

• all cases the system reaches a :-

• pseudoradial flow occurs with fractures of all conductivities. After

a sufficient long flow period, the fracture appears to the reservoir
as an expanded wellbore. At this time the drainage pattern can
be considered a circle for practical purposes.

• The larger the fracture conductivity, the later the development of

an essential radial drainage pattern. Usually this flow pattern
begins at tLfD = 3. The higher the conductivity the higher the time
this flow takes to start.
• The physical interpretation for these flow patterns is
that the pressure has build up to an essentially
uniform value throughout a particular region at a
given time during the build up test.

• For example, at a given time during a bilinear or

formation linear flow, pressure has built up to a
uniform level throughout an approximately
rectangular area around the fracture. And at a
given time during a pseudoradial flow, pressure
has built up to a uniform level throughout an
approximately circular region centred at the
wellbore.
Example
Solution
Specialised methods for post-
fracture well test analysis.

• Usually the objectives of post-fracture pressure

transient test analysis are the assess the success
of the fracture treatment and estimate the fracture
half-length, conductivity and formation
permeability. We now discuss three methods for
analysing post fracture pressure transient tests.
Pseudoradial flow method

• The pseudo radial flow method applies when short

highly conductive fracture is created in a high
permeability formation so that pseudo radial flow
develops in a short time. The time required to
achieve pseudo radial flow for an infinitely
conductive fracture (CrD>100) is either flow test or
a pressure build up test is estimated by
• T h e b e g i n n i n g o f p s e u d o r a d i a l fl o w i s
characterised by the flattening of the pressure
derivative on a log-log plot and by the start of a
straight line on a semiology plot. Thus when this
flow is achieved, conventional semilog analysis ( in
previous chapters) can be used to calculate
permeability and skin factors.

• For highly conductive fracture, skin factor is related

to fracture half length by: -
Procedures for calculation

• this method has the following limitations:-

• The conditions that are most favourable for the occurrence of this
flow are short, highly conductive fractures in high permeability
formations. However, these formations are rarely fractured.

• Only applied for high conductivity fractures.

 Bilinear flow method

• The bilieanr flow methods applies of test data

obtained during the bilinear flow regime in wells
with finite conductivity vertical fractures.

• Bilinear flow is indicated by a quarter slope line on

a log-log graph of (Pi-Pwf) vs t.
Procedure for analysing

• 1) For a constant-rate flow test, plot Pwf vs t1/4 on

Cartesian coordinate paper.

• Determine the slope m of the linear region of the

plot.

• Estimate fracture conductivity, wfkf with m from :-