CASE STUDY

PressureXpress-HT Services Pretesting Provides

Pressure Profile at Temperatures Above 320 degF
Accurate pressure and mobility measurements are immune to thermal effects
that distort conventional formation tester results, Gulf of Thailand
CHALLENGE

Obtain accurate pressure measurements

for determining the pressure gradient
in high-temperature wells with lowpermeability formations.
SOLUTION

Perform pretests at multiple depths with

PressureXpress-HT* high-temperature
reservoir pressure service, which
is specifically engineered for hightemperature environments and provides
precise control of pretest volume and rate
for efficiently and accurately measuring
reservoir pressure and mobility, even in
low-permeability formations.
RESULTS

Used PressureXpress-HT services accurate

pressure measurements to construct a
valid pressure gradient and definitively
identify the fluid contact for targeting
perforation intervals.

Accurate pressure measurements needed in high-temperature,

low-permeability conditions

The Gulf of Thailand is known for its high temperature gradient. One major operators wells
usually have bottomhole temperatures in excess of 320 degF [160 degC]. A slim formation tester
tool was needed to obtain crucial reservoir pressure measurements, which along with fluid type
and mobility measurements would be used to select the perforation intervals. However, because
conventional multifunctional tools for formation testing employ hydraulic control for pretesting,
the resulting pressure would not be sufficiently accurate for determining the pressure gradient,
especially for low-permeability formations.

Effective thermal design incorporating versatile, enhanced pretest system

PressureXpress-HT high-temperature reservoir pressure service is specifically engineered

for pressure and mobility testing at up to 450 degF bottomhole temperature. Compared with
conventional multifunction formation tester tools that also collect fluid samples,
PressureXpress-HT service significantly reduces the time and risk involved with testing
operations by making highly accurate reservoir pressure and mobility measurements typically
in less than a minute.
Innovative tool architecture enables the superior thermal stability of the HPHT quartz gauge
and extended holding timeup to 14 hwhile eliminating the need for gauge temperature
stabilization. By combining these capabilities with the precision of electromechanical pretest
control, PressureXpress-HT service provides accurate gradients and overall data quality not
achievable by either conventional standard or high-temperature formation testers.

Reservoir pressure gradient determined from accurate pressure measurements

The precise control of pretest volume and rate provided by the enhanced pretest system of
PressureXpress-HT service enabled performing pretests at multiple depths to produce a profile
of pressure versus depth and accurately establish the reservoir pressure gradient. With this
critical information, the operator was able to optimize the selection of perforation intervals.

Formation Evaluation

CASE STUDY: PressureXpress-HT reservoir pressure measurement in high temperatures, Gulf of Thailand

140

Delta-T
us/ft

Array Induction 2-ft

Resistivity A90
40 0.2
ohm.m 200

Thermal Neutron
Porosity for
Limestone Matrix
0.45

Depth,
ft

ohm.m

2,335

Formation tester survey

PressureXpress-HT survey

Array Induction 2-ft

Resistivity A30

ft3/ft3 0.15 0.2

Formation Pressure
psi

2,295

200

Array Induction 2-ft

Resistivity A10
Bulk Density
1.95
ohm.m 200
g/cm3 2.95 0.2
X,975

X,985

X,995

0.319 psi/ft

Y,005

Y,015

0.401 psi/ft

Y,025

Y,035

Y,045

The accuracy of PressureXpress-HT services measurements that results from precise control over both the pretest volume and drawdown rate
made it possible to determine a valid pressure gradient and establish the fluid contact in the high-temperature conditions. The measurements from a
conventional formation tester tool (green) are influenced by transient temperature effects. By using a flasked design to eliminate the need for gauge
thermal stabilization, PressureXpress-HT service does not experience build-down effects.

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