Surface Well Testing

Course

Hatem Hussein
Senior CWI Engineer
 • + 11 years of rich diversified experience in Completion, Well Intervention and
Workover Operations with HPHT experience.
• Shell CWI Round 2 certified Engineer with in-depth experience in Workover /
Completions operations.
• Worked for Badr El-Din Petroleum Company (BAPETCO), Shell Egypt, Cheiron as
Senior Completion & Well Intervention Engineer.

Instructor
Hatem Hussein
Senior CWI Engineer
 What is Well Testing? 2022

• Well Test a period of time during which the

production of the well is measured to gain
more information from the farthest
reaches of the reservoir.

Surface Well Testing 3

 1) Overview of Well Testing 2022

• Well testing is fundamentally the collecting of "data" from a newly drilled or established oil or gas well.
• The major purpose of testing a well drilled into a formation is to determine the ability of the formation to produce reservoir fluids. The basic test method is to
create a pressure drawdown (pressure reduction) in the well bore which causes formation fluids to enter the well bore.
• The simultaneous measurement of flow rate and the pressure in the well-bore during production (flowing) or the pressure build-up during a shut in period can
be used to deduce accurate reservoir characteristics for the purpose of reservoir evaluation.

Surface Well Testing 4

 2022

2) Reasons For Well Testing

The objectives of an exploration well test usually fall into three major categories:

• to provide a proper model describing flow from a reservoir.

Reservoir Description • Including fluid sampling, measuring the initial pressure.

• to determine if the reservoir parameters are satisfactory for commercial and economical production
• Including estimation for reservoir volume, evaluating the well permeability and skin effect and identifying
Reservoir Evaluation
reservoir boundary.

• to optimize continued production from the reservoir.

•
Reservoir Management Data collected from "established" wells provides an update on any changes to the well flow characteristics
since its initial production, and therefore will also play an important part in future reservoir management
decisions.

Surface Well Testing 5

 2022

3) Methodology of Well Testing

• Well Testing Fundamentals

1. Well and formation tests, which entail taking measurements while flowing fluids from the reservoir, are conducted at all stages in the life of oil and gas
fields, from exploration through development, production and injection. Operators perform these tests to determine whether a formation will produce, or
continue to produce, hydrocarbons at a rate that gives a reasonable return on further investments. Operators also use test data to determine the limits of
the reservoir and to plan the most efficient methods for producing wells and fields.

2. During testing, operators measure formation pressure, characterize the formation fluids and reservoir and determine permeability and skin—damage to the
formation incurred during drilling or other well operations. Data that indicate how the formation reacts to pressure increases and decreases during a test
can also reveal critical information about the reservoir.

3. Well and formation tests are also primary sources of critical data for reservoir models and are the principal means by which engineers confirm or adjust
reservoir model parameters. Engineers use these models to understand how reservoir fluids, the formation and the well interact and use that knowledge to
optimize completion and development strategies.

Surface Well Testing 6

 2022

4) Well Testing Classifications

Surface Well Testing 7

 2022

5) Well Test Program Design

• TYPICAL WELL TEST PROGRAMME CONTENTS

• For each individual testing operation, a program should be issued containing all important information, instructions and

safety regulations for a planned well test.

• Any operations or procedures which are at the preliminary stages when the program is issued (e.g. perforation interval)

should be indicated as "to be updated" prior to issue of the final test program.

• The well test program must also address contingency planning.

• Appendices should include:

➢ full details of all testing equipment such as make-up torques of tubulars and downhole tool

➢ operating pressures if APR tools are being used. Design calculations should be summarized and include values for tubing

movement and maximum forces and pressures expected at different Phases during the test (e.g. during firing of TCP guns Horizontal Separator

or if a tubing leak occurs).

➢ Well test program should mention types of test required, outline for flowrates and choke sizes to be utilized and specific

equipment requirements based on expected well behavior and well fluids characteristics.

Surface Well Testing 8

 2022

6) Standard Well Test Workflow

Well testing is basically a series of flow and shut in operations. The pressure and temperature at the reservoir and

at the surface are accurately monitored and recorded during these periods.

Well test sequence

Surface Well Testing 9
 2022

7) Real-time technology in well testing

• Pressure and temperature sensors are installed upstream and downstream of each equipment in the surface well testing facilities.

• In the wellbore, wireless acoustic pressure gauges are positioned mid tubing, above the downhole shut-in tool and below.

• You can also have some distributed temperature surveys inside the perforating guns, giving you a real-time temperature profile along the perforations.

• Real time well testing helps to monitor all the data and trends as the operations unfold. This is used to make a real-time decisions to ensure safe operations, to
quality and to optimize the operations check and validate the data and to optimize the operations, leading to less flaring and lower cost.

• New well testing tools and techniques on these real-time data will help to bring a better understanding of the reservoir and well performance.

• Safety point of view

➢ With a fit-for-purpose DST string, with multiple real-time gauges in the tubing, the operator can spot the different types of fluids coming up in the well and
understand better the operations. For example, the presence of gas could be detected in the wellbore, before reaching the surface. The multiple real-time gauges
will also help when killing the well at the end of the operations.

Surface Well Testing 10

 2022

7) Real-time technology in well testing

• Wireless Telemetry

• This new technique permits downhole data to be transmitted electronically without wireline in the hole.

• The technique uses low frequency electromagnetic transmission through the formation for both open and cased hole. Two

antennae, one at the surface and the other downhole are used as transmitting and receiving devices.

• The downhole antennae is located in the DST string, using an insulating gap to create the dipole.

• The technique relies on the resistivity of the formation as the higher the resistivity the greater the dissipation of the signal. The

technique only works in certain operating environments.

Surface Well Testing 11

 8) Well Testing Equipment 2022

Basic Well Testing equipment

Surface Well Testing 12

 2022

9) Well Testing Types

Type of tests
Drawdown Test Buildup Test

• In a drawdown test, a well that is static, stable and shut-in is
opened to flow
• For more accurate analysis, the flow rate should be stabilized
• In a buildup test , a well which is already flowing (ideally at constant rate) is shut in,
and the downhole pressure measured as the pressure builds up.
• The practical advantage of a buildup test is that the constant flow rate condition is
easily achieved since the flow rate is zero which also is disadvantage as production is
lost during the test period

Surface Well Testing 13

 2022

9) Well Testing Types cont.

Type of tests
Injection Test Falloff Test

• An injection test is conceptually identical to a drawdown test, • A falloff test measures the pressure decline subsequent to the closure of an injection.
except that flow is into the well rather than out of it. • It is conceptually identical to a build up test.
• Injection rates can often be controlled more easily than
production rates.

Surface Well Testing 14


9) Well Testing Types cont.
Type of tests
Interference Test
• In an interference test, one well is produced and pressure is
observed in a different well (or wells).
• This test monitors reservoir pressure changes out , at a distance
from the original producing well.
• It is useful to characterize reservoir properties over a greater
length scale than single-well tests.
• Can be used regardless of the type of pressure induced at the
active well (drawdown, buildup, injection or falloff)
Surface Well Testing
2022
Drill Stem Test
(DST)
• A drill stem test is a test which uses a special
tool mounted on the end of the drill string, it is
a test commonly used test newly drilled well,
since it can be carried out while a rig is over
the hole.
• In a DST test, the well is opened to flow by a
valve at the base of the test tool.
• A common test sequence is to produce, shut
in, produce again and shut in again.
15
 2022

10) Introduction to Well Testing Interpretation

Well test interpretation is used for evaluation of well conditions and reservoir
characterization.

The aim of well-test interpretation is to obtain from the analysis of pressure versus
time data or of simultaneously measured pressure and sandface flow-rate data, the
following parameters and functions:
1. Average permeability for the drainage area of the well
2. Reservoir initial or average pressure.
3. Sandface condition (damaged or stimulated)
4. Volume of the drainage area.
5. Degree of communication between wells.
6. Validation of the geological model
7. System identification (reservoir type and the mathematical model for its pressure
drop as a function of time)

Surface Well Testing 16

 2022

General Safety Recommendations

• Prior to the well testing operation a safety meeting will be held and should cover the following:

1. Pressure testing

2. Communications

3. Wireline operations

4. Perforating

5. ESD procedures

6. H2S

7. Fire prevention

8. Test sequence, flow period,…

Toolbox talks will be carried out discussing specific job safety analysis prior to the commencement of each critical operation.

➢ Hazar identification of all well test operations shall be highlighted on a daily basis with regular toolbox when required

➢ Adequate lighting to be provided to allow safe operations at the well test area during the hours of darkness.

Surface Well Testing 17

 2022

General Safety Recommendations

• After perforation, the opening of the well to unload the tubing contents and the initial flow through the separator shall be carried out in daylight.

Thereafter the production test may continue during hours of darkness.

The production test (onshore/offshore) should only be commenced under the following conditions:

1. All test facilities are fully pressure tested and checked.

2. Wind force and direction suitable to carry gases away from rig.

3. Fire, H 2S and abandon location drills are held.

4. Weather suitable for rescue operations.

5. Shipping and aircraft warned to stand clear during flaring.

6. Standby boat advised that this operation is to take place, and the action and precautions necessary until the operation is completed.

7. Verify that the wellhead and production valve ESD systems function correctly and that emergency shut-down activating buttons are manned in a safe

area throughout the test whilst flowing formation fluids to surface. ESD system checks must be auditable and compliance checked for prior to opening up

well.

8. Check that all piping unions are properly matched and according to agreed standardized type and pipe restrain system is installed properly

Surface Well Testing 18

 2022

General Safety Recommendations

Additional precautions during well testing operation:

1. Personnel not directly involved with the operation stay well clear of production lines.

2. Cooling water hoses shall be laid out on the flare side.

3. Glycol/water mixture and low freezing point hydraulic fluids should be used in all critical lines/systems pressure testing

4. Gas explosion meters, hydrogen sulphide detectors and sets of breathing apparatus must be available.

5. Gas must be checked for the presence of hydrogen sulphide. Contingency plans in the event of significant H2S production must be in place.

6. Equipment and material to fight oil spills should be available on site in the areas where such spills could give rise to a hazardous situation or have

an environmental effects.

7. After production testing all lines containing oil shall be flushed with water, brine or mud prior to disconnecting temporary pipe work.

Surface Well Testing 19

 2022

General Safety Recommendations

• Focus areas:

1. H2S & toxicity

2. Operations involving H2S

3. Hazardous zones

4. Warning and detection equipment

5. Hot Work

Surface Well Testing 20

Thank you