Well Test 2 Course

Types of Test
Day 1 – Session 2
Global Training Course
Oil & Gas Well Testing

Types of Well test

From the last course we discussed the two types of test:

Descriptive/Reservoir
Production (or Productivity)
We also discussed what happens during a Well Test two
things.
Flow the well (drawdown)
Shut in the well (buildup)
All tests are made up from these two components.
Dependent on the frequency of these will
determine what type of test is taking place.

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Global Training Course
Oil & Gas Well Testing

Drawdown
When only doing a drawdown, the amount of
information gathered is minimal and therefore not
recommended.
However if you were to flow the well for long enough
you may be able to determine the limits of the reservoir.

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Global Training Course
Oil & Gas Well Testing

What is the object of any well test?

The engineer is trying to describe the reservoir,
primarily in terms of size and shape, and then by
Properties.

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Global Training Course
Oil & Gas Well Testing

Buildup

Buildups can only be carried out after flowing the well, therefore
you cannot just do a buildup.
The purpose of this procedure is to gather information on the
pressure buildup.
Information is gathered by measuring Bottom Hole Pressure and
pressure measured at the Wellhead.
This will enable the reservoir engineer to calculate the permeability
of the well and also if any formation damage has occurred.
Buildup should continue until such time as there is a
stabilization of pressure.

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Global Training Course
Oil & Gas Well Testing

Oil Well Tests - PI Test. (Productivity Index Test)

This will consist of flowing the well at several stable

rates and measuring the drop in pressure to the flow
rate. From this information the engineer can work out
the PI.
How?
PI = Total Production Rate/(static BHP pressure – Flowing BHP).
This in turn will tell the engineer how many barrels of oil
he will produce for a drop in pressure of 1psi.

PI = __Q___
Pwi - Pwf

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Global Training Course
Oil & Gas Well Testing

Productivity Index

The productivity index allows him to make

future decisions on the well.
What?
Stimulate to remove skin effect.
Frac the well.
Improve production by changing production
techniques.
Mechanical intervention – recomplete/sidetrack.

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Global Training Course
Oil & Gas Well Testing

Gas Well Tests - Multirate Back Pressure Test

What happens?
You will flow the well at several rates dictated by the
backpressure seen at the BHP.
You will record all flow rates at these pressures.
The lowest rate must be enough to lift the fluids in the
tubing.
Other considerations are that there may be water
saturated formations close or that the well will produce
sand above certain rates. Therefore the highest rate
must be below these factors.

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Global Training Course
Oil & Gas Well Testing

Conventional Back Pressure Test

Commonly known as Rate after Rate or Flow after Flow

Test.
Mostly used with wells of high permeability or high flow
rates, but can be used for wells which stabilize quickly.
Stable rates must be achieved and held during
the different flow rates otherwise the information
gathered is of no validity.
Do not adjust choke during flow periods –stability not
exact rate is primary objective!

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Global Training Course
Oil & Gas Well Testing

What happens?

You will start with the well cleanup, however long this takes. Then build up to reservoir
pressure.
Open up the well and start with lowest flow rate holding rate for approximately 3 to 8
hours (stable flow). After this rate open the well more and continue 3 to 8 hours (stable
flow).
Continue with 3rd and 4th flow periods following the same pattern. Shut in after the fourth
flow period and build up pressure to reservoir pressure and stable.

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Global Training Course
Oil & Gas Well Testing

Isochronal Test
What type of test is this?
It means a test of equal times.
It is similar times to the Multirate Test but
instead of continuous flow there is a build up
after each flow period.
You do not have to stabilize the rates in the
first three flow periods, but on the last you
must.
The time it takes for the well to build up to
Reservoir pressure may be lengthy.
Not recommended for wells with low
permeability.

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Global Training Course
Oil & Gas Well Testing

Modified Isochronal Test

What does this test consist of?

It is a test of equal times both for flow and build up.
All the periods are of the same length, except for the last flow
period where you will flow until rate is stable.

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Global Training Course
Oil & Gas Well Testing

What do we mean by a stabilized flow?

A well is considered to have "stabilized“ or reached

stabilized flow when for a given choke size or producing
rate, the flowing bottom hole pressure reaches
equilibrium and remains constant.

What would you look for?

• Constant wellhead pressure
• Constant gas production rate
• Constant oil production rate

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Global Training Course
Oil & Gas Well Testing

Absolute Open Flow

The absolute open flow (AOF) potential of a well is the rate at which the
well would produce against zero sandface back pressure. It is
used as a measure of gas well performance because it quantifies
the ability of a reservoir to deliver gas to the wellbore.
Deliverability tests make possible the prediction of flow rates
against any particular back pressure, including AOF when the back
pressure is zero. This result is illustrated on the following inflow
performance relationship (IPR) plot.

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 Oil & Gas Well Testing

®Copyright Expro 2007 WELL FLOW MANAGEMENT