4/20/2022

Well Testing Analysis

(Concept of Pressure Derivative)
2022

Hesham Mokhtar Ali

Senior Reservoir Engineer
in/heshammokhtarali/

©Hesham Mokhtar 2022

Type Curves Approach

• It was introduced in the petroleum industry by Agarwal et al. (1970).
• It is a graphical representation of the theoretical solutions to flow equations.
• The type curve analysis consist of finding the theoretical type curve that “matches” the actual.

• Type curves are usually presented in terms of dimensionless variables (pD, tD, rD, and CD) rather than
real variables (Δp, t, r, and C).
Where:
• Any variable can be made “dimensionless” by Qo = oil flow rate, STB/day
multiplying it by a group of constants with k = permeability, md
opposite dimensions. h = thickness, ft
s = skin factor
• Dimensionless pressure drop, pD: Bo = oil formation volume factor, bbl/STB
μo = oil viscosity, cp
Dimensionless psi−1 *psi pi = initial reservoir pressure, psi
pwf = bottom-hole flowing pressure, psi
C = wellbore storage coefficient, bbl/psi
CD = dimensionless wellbore storage factor
ct = total compressibility coefficient, psi−1
rw = wellbore radius, ft
t = time, hours

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Type Curves Approach

• Darcy’s equation:

• Rearranging:

Difference between log(pD) &

log(Δp) is:
Group A=f(kh, µ, B)
Dimensionless psi−1 *psi

GROUP A Vertical shift

©Hesham Mokhtar 2022

Type Curves Approach

• The dimensionless time, tD:
tD = B * t
Dimensionless 1/hr *hr

Group B=f(kµ, Ct)

Horizontal shift

If the 2 curves matched, the reservoir

parameters will be the data of type
• A graph of log(p) vs. log(t) will have an identical shape
(parallel) to a graph of log(pD) vs. log(tD). curve.

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Gringarten Type Curve

• pD is plotted vs. the time function tD/CD, with a parameter CDe2s.
• Adjacent pairs of curves can be quite similar, and this fact can cause UNCERTAINTY when we try to
match test data to the “uniquely correct” curve.
100 100

WBS coefficient
Skin factor
CDe2s CDe2s=1060 Type
curve

PD CDe2s=100 PD
CDe2s=0.01

Stem

0.01 100,000 0.01 tD/CD 100,000

tD/CD Time group
Similarities of curves make matching difficult

©Hesham Mokhtar 2022

Pressure Derivative
Bourdet et al. (1983)

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Pressure Derivatives
 Derivative (DER) is the slope of the semilog plot plotted on log-log coordinates, combined with a
plot of ΔP curve.
 DER is used for flow regime diagnostics.

 Why derivative?
 It reduces the uniqueness problem in type curve matching and gives greater confidence in the results.
 Features that are hardly visible on the Horner plot or that are hard to distinguish because of
similarities between a reservoir system and another are easier to recognize on the pressure derivative
plot.
100 100

pD PD

0.01
0.01
100,000 100,000
tD/CD tD/CD

©Hesham Mokhtar 2022

Pressure/Derivative Type Curve

• Plot pressure change (pD) and

100
pressure derivative [tD(∂pD/∂tD)] on Combining curves
gives each stem
the same graph.
value two distinctive
shapes
• On this graph, a specific value of
the parameter CDe2s refers to a pair pD
of curves:
• 1 pressure-change curve.
• 1 pressure-derivative curve.

0.01 100,000
tD/CD

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Pressure Derivative- Wellbore Storage

• Bourdet et al. (1983) defined the
pressure derivative as the derivative of
pD with respect to tD/CD:

• Complete WBS distortion:

qBt
p 
24C
• Derivative:
p qBt
t   p
t 24C

• Pressure difference & derivative has a

UNIT slope line on log-log plot.
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©Hesham Mokhtar 2022

Pressure Derivative - IARF

• Infinite-Acting Radial Flow: 70.6qB   1688ct rw2  
p   ln   2 s  p 70.6qB
• Derivatives:
kh   kt   t 
t kh
p p 70.6qB
t  
t  ln t  kh

• This derivative will stabilize during

radial/pseudo-radial flow period.

 The pressure derivative will become

constant during IARF period.

70.6qB
Stabilization _ level  f ( )
kh Log-log plot
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The Diagnostic Plot

• Field (MEASURED) data is plotted.
• The data will be matched with a specific model by changing the model parameters.

Unit-slope
line Infinite-acting
behavior
Boundary
(best estimate of k ) effects
(WBS)

Partial penetration, phase

redistribution, fracture conductivity
ETR MTR LTR

Elapsed time (Δt ), hrs

©Hesham Mokhtar 2022

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