PETE 324

Lecture 21
Rosalind Archer
21.2 Analysis of Drawdown Tests
• Infinite-acting radial flow in a
homogenous reservoir is governed by:

qB  kt 
p wf  p i  162.6 log 2
 3.22 0.8686s 
kh  c t rw 

• This is of the form:

p wf  p1hr  m log( t )
21.3 Analysis of Drawdown Tests
where :
qB
m  162.6
kh
 k 
p1hr  p i  m log 2
 3.22  0.8686s 
 c t rw 

• This implies the pressure data should form

a straight line on a semilog plot.
21.4 Analysis of Drawdown Tests
• Analysis procedure
– Plot all data!
– Fit a straight line to the data, remembering this
solution does not account for radial flow which
may distort the early time data. If the pressure
derivative is also plotted it should be at a
constant level during infinite-acting radial flow
(m=2.303p’)
– Use the slope of the semilog straight line (m) to
determine permeability (k)
– Use the value of p(1hr) [read from the semilog
straight line] to determine skin (s).
21.5 Analysis of Drawdown Tests
• If the data departs from the semilog straight line in late
time in indicates the presence of boundaries:
21.6 Analysis of Drawdown Tests
• Time can be related to radial distance in a
well test via the concept of the radius of
investigation:
2 kt
rinv  2.434  10
c t

• This can be used to estimate the distance

to the reservoir boundary based on the time
at which the pressure data departs from the
semilog straight line.
21.7 Analysis of Buildup Tests
• Pressure buildup tests involve recording
pressure data while a well is shut in after a
period of flow.
21.8 Analysis of Buildup Tests
• The pressure response for a buildup can be
constructed by using superposition and the
drawdown solution.
– An fake injection well (located at the same
location as the production well) is turned on at
t = tp. It’s rate is -q.
qB   t p  t 
p ws  p wf ( t  0)  162.6 log(t p )  log  
kh   t 
 k  
 log   3.22  0.8686s 
2 
 c t rw  
21.9 Analysis of Buildup Tests
• This implies a plot of pws versus (tp+t)/t
should be a straight line. (Horner plot)
21.10 Analysis of Buildup Tests
• Analysis procedure
– Plot all data (p versus (tp+t)/t)
– Fit straight line to middle time region (early
time is distorted by wellbore storage).
– Find slope (m) and extrapolation
k of straight line
to pws(1hr)
qB
k  162.6
mh

 p (1hr )  p ( t  0)  t p
  k  
s  1.151 ws wf
 log   log  2 
 3.22
 m  t p  1  c t rw  
21.11 Analysis of Buildup Tests
• Average reservoir pressure is estimated
using p* (extrapolated from the straight line
on the Horner plot) using the Matthew-
Brons-Hazebrok (MBH) technique (not
covered).

• Remember t =t-tp i.e. time since the well

was shut-in.
21.12 Analysis of Buildup Tests
• In practice the production time (tp) may be
unknown. Rather than assuming a value
for tp it is ignored. This is strictly valid if the
reservoir has been produced to
pseudosteady state conditions.

• Miller-Dyes-Hutchinson (MDH) analyzed

this situation.
21.13 Analysis of Buildup Tests
qB
p ws  p wf (t  0)  162.6 log t 
kh
 k  
log   3.22  0.8686s 
2 
 c t rw  
21.14 Analysis of Buildup Tests
qB
k  162.6
mh

 p ws (1hr)  p wf (t  0)  k  
s  1.151  log  2 
 3.22
 m  c t rw  
21.15 Variable-Rate Tests
• The pressure response of a test with a
sequence of variable flow rates can also be
constructed using superposition.

 n
p i  p wf  162.6 
kh j1
(q j  q j1 ) log(t  t j1 )

q n B   k  
 162.6 log 
2 
 3.22  0.8686s 
kh   c t rw  
21.16 Variable-Rate Tests
• It is convenient to normalise both sides of
this equation by the current flowrate:

p i  p wf  n (q j  q j1 )
qn
 162.6 
kh j1 qn
log(t  t j1 )

B   k  
 162.6 log   3.22  0.8686s 
2 
kh   c t rw  
21.17 Variable-Rate Tests
• This equation is a straight line (Odeh-Jones
plot):
y  mx  b

where :
n (q j  q j1 )
x log(t  t j )
j1 qn
(p i  p wf )
y
qn
B
m  162.6
kh
  k  
b  m log  2 
 3.22  0.8686s
  c t rw  
21.18 Wellbore Storage
• Definition of wellbore storage coefficient:
– Fluid filled wellbore
Cs  c wb Vwb

– Rising or falling liquid level

144 A wb
Cs 
5.615 (g / g c )
21.19 Wellbore Storage
• During wellbore storage dominated flow the
following pressure-time relationships hold:

– Drawdown
qB
p wf  pi  t
24Cs

– Buildup
qB
p ws  p wf (t  0)  t
24Cs
21.20 Wellbore Storage
• Dimensionless wellbore storage coefficient

5.615C
CD  2
2c t hrw
21.21 Type Curve: Pressure
21.22 Type Curve: Press. Derivative
21.23 Last Words
• Be consistent!
– whatever is characterized as wellbore storage,
radial flow etc on one plot e.g. Cartesian must
be consistent with the presentation of the data
on all other plots e.g. semilog/Horner.