Tishk International University

Engineering Faculty
Petroleum and Mining Engineering Department
Well Testing
6.2.2023

Lecture 2:
Types Well Testing

Fourth Grade - Spring Semester 2022-2023

Instructor: Mohammed Ariwan Jamal
Email: mohammed.ariwan@tiu.edu.iq

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Content

• Types of Well Testing

• Pressure disturbance

• DST concept

• DST operation sequence

• DST Packers

• DST tester valves

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Types of Well Tests
• Exploration Stage
• Open hole DST
• Cased hole DST

• Production Stage
• Completion Test
• Reservoir Limit Test
• Interference or Pulse Test
• Early Production Facilities EPF
• Extended Well Testing

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 Open hole DST
PRINCIPLE
• Normally short tests (less than 12 hours)
• During the drilling phase

• When unexpected traces of hydrocarbons appears

• To determine whether a true reservoir exists or simply hydrocarbons
contained in tight rock and not producing
• A Flowhead is commonly used
DATA
• Representative fluid sample can be
retrieved
• Static & Flowing Bottom Hole Pressure can
be estimated
• Can justify further operations on the well
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 Cased hole DST
PRINCIPLE
• If logs, open-hole DST & others relevant information are
sufficiently promising, casing is run
• Well Testing may be carried out prior to completion
• Evaluates reservoir parameters
• A Flow head is used
• The test duration is normally a few days (3 to 10),
oil & gas are burnt
• These wells may be plugged & abandoned
DATA
• Reservoir parameters evaluation
• Good sampling conditions
• More precise and complete test
• Higher flow and injection rates
• Limits and Interference testing possible
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Completion Test
• Sometimes with a rig still present,
but in any case, long before the
existence of any permanent
production facilities
• Generally longer than DST, rates
can be more realistic, gain in
reservoir information is obtained
• X-TREE, permanent packer, SSD
are used.

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Reservoir Limit Test
• Long term test on a well to determine the extent of the reservoir.

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Interference or Pulse Test

• To establish communication between two or more wells, and to

determine inter-well reservoir parameters.

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Early Production Facilities - EPF
• Temporary (a few months to a few years) production installation
• Crude oil or gas exported
• Provide early cash-flow while permanent facility is under
construction
• Temporary replacement of existing production installation (shut-
downs for upgrade, etc.)
• Alternative for marginal fields

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Extended Well Testing
• Long term well testing (a few weeks to a few months) operation
using EPF set-up
• Enable comprehensive evaluation of complex reservoirs (long limit
tests) before deciding full size field development

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Pressure Disturbance

• Creation of a pressure disturbance depends on whether the

reservoir is producing or shut in:
• if the well has been shut in for a long time, flowing the reservoir
creates the disturbance. This is called drawdown
• if the well has been flowing for a long time, shutting in the well
creates the disturbance. This is called build up
• Disturbance can also be created by increasing or decreasing the
flow rate

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Pressure Disturbance

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Drill Stem Testing

• DST :Temporary completion of the well with downhole tools to

control the WELL under dynamic reservoir conditions
• A reservoir test can only be performed under dynamic conditions.
This means the reservoir must be exposed to a disturbance that
will cause the reservoir pressure to change
• This pressure change, when recorded and interpreted along with
the measured flow rates, will yield information about the reservoir
parameters and geometry

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DST Concept
• The primary DST functions, whether conducted in open hole or
cased wells, are to:

• Isolate the target zone.

• Control well flow.
• Convey fluid to surface.
• Acquire downhole data.

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DST Key Components
• The four-basic equipment for a DST
consist of a string (tubing or drill pipe),
a packer a tester and a circulating
valve.
1. The string channels the flow to
surface.
2. The packer is a rubber element
to isolate the zone to be tested.
3. The valve provides a method of
controlling the well near the
reservoir.
4. circulating valve provides
communication between annulus
and tubing.

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Downhole Pressure

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DST Tools
• The Packer isolates the formation from
the annulus, the two pressures (Ph and
Pf) must be isolated from one another.
• The Tester valve :
• Controls the formation.
• Shut the well downhole to minimize
wellbore storage effect
• Isolates annular fluid from cushion
while RIH, preventing U-tubing
• Provides a seal for pressure test
the string

• After the packer is set and sealed, the

test valve can then be opened, and
hydrocarbons can be produced to
surface.
• This will only occur if Pc < Pf
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DST Tools
The circulating valve can be used for
ending a DST :

1. Open the reverse circulating valve and

“Reverse out” (flush hydrocarbons from
drill pipe or tubing).
2. Close the reverse circulating valve.
3. Open the tester valve.
4. Pump mud into test string to kill the
tested interval.
5. Unseat the packer.
6. Pull the string out of the hole (POOH)

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DST Operation Summary
• During the initial phase of the test, the
well bore fluids, and later, the drilling
fluid (mud) that has invaded the
formation in the vicinity of the well bore
flow to surface. This is the cleanup. It is
complete when the well effluent at
surface is pure reservoir fluid.
• Once cleanup is complete, the main
flow period can be maintained for the
planned duration, during which
downhole pressure measurements and
surface flow rates are recorded. At the
end of the main flow period, the tester
valve is closed. Formation pressure
builds up against the valve while
downhole pressure measurement
continues.

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DST Sequence – Step 1

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DST Sequence – Step 2

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DST Sequence – Step 3

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DST Sequence – Step 4

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DST Sequence – Step 5

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DST Sequence – Step 6

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DST Sequence – Step 7

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DST Sequence – Step 8

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DST Sequence – Step 9

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Types of DST

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DST Packers
• PACKERS are designed to isolate the perforated interval from the
mud column. The weight applied on the packer compress its
rubber elements against the casing and creates a seal between
the annulus and tubing.
Three main types of Packers

- FlexPac packer
- PosiTest packer
- Positrieve packer

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 DST Tester Valves
Various types are available:
1. MFE (Multi Flow Evaluator)
Operated by manipulation of the test string.
Applications: Only fixed rigs (onshore & jack-up)

2. PCT (Pressure Controlled

Tester)
• Operated by annulus
(and tubing) pressure.
• Application: Offshore,
floating facilities, only
cased hole.
3. IRIS dual-valve tool (IRDV)
• (IRIS= Intelligent Remote
Implementation System)
• Operation & application
similar to PCT
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DST String
• An example of a
complete DST string

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