Well testing

Why we need it:

– For knowledge of formation properties (reservoir description)
– For optimizing completion ( reservoir development)
– Optimizing depletion plan (reservoir management)

Reservoir pressure
Transmissibility
Permeability
Well bore damage
Radius of drainage
Reservoir heterogeneity
Reservoir continuity
Success of Work Over Jobs
Effects of pressure maintenance
Fluid types
 FORMATION EVALUATION TECHNIQUES
• MUD LOGGING

• DRILLING OPERATION LOGS (MWD/LWD)

• CORE ANALYSIS

• WIRE LINE WELL LOGS (CASED HOLE)

• PRODUCTION TESTING/WELL TESTING

 – to generate data from bottom hole reservoir
BOTTOM HOLE OPERATION 1.Pressure measurement
2. Bottom hole sampling
3. Bottom hole temperature
4. Pressure transient test
WELL TESTING
1. Crown Block and Water Table
2. Catline Boom and Hoist Line
3. Drilling Line
4. Monkeyboard
5. Traveling Block
6. Top Drive
7. Mast
8. Drill Pipe
9. Doghouse
10. Blowout Preventer
11. Water Tank
12. Electric Cable Tray
13. Engine Generator Sets
14. Fuel Tank
15. Electrical Control House
16. Mud Pumps
17. Bulk Mud Component Tanks
18. Mud Tanks (Pits)
19. Reserve Pit
20. Mud-Gas Separator
21. Shale Shakers
22. Choke Manifold
23. Pipe Ramp
24. Pipe Racks
25. Accumulator
 WELL TESTING SETUP AT DRILLSITE – A
SKETCH
BOTTOM HOLE
DRILLING RIG WINCH VAN

CABLE

MEMORY
GAUGE
WELL HEADS
WELL TESTING SETUP DURING
PRODUCTION TIME – A SKETCH
 Well Testing /
Production Testing
 Temperature sensor(Pt-100)
• Pt-100 : Measurement of the resistance of two wires of
Platinium glued on a ceramic (100 ohms resistance at 0°C)

• Temperature Quartz crystal : Measurement of the

shift of frequency of a quartz.
 Pressure sensor types
• Mechanical sensors
• Piezoresistive and Quartz sensors
• Up to 500 deg F
• Very low accuracy (4 times under a piezo sensor and
20 times under a quartz sensor)
• Using a Bourdon tube to measure the pressure
 Pressure sensor types
• Mechanical sensors
• Piezoresistive and Quartz sensors
– Higher accuracy, resolution and reliability
– Used with electronic memory
– Thermally compensated

P1
Σ1 (V, i,F)
Sensor

T1

P1
Sensor Σ2 (V, i,F)

T2
 Schlumberger Sapphire Sensor

Thin layer of Sapphire

Vaccumed box
Temperature
compensation resistor
Quartz transducer: Quartzdyne
 – Is a flow experiment that we
carry out in the reservoir
– In a well testing we flow a
well at a constant rate or
pressure and
– Measure the Pressure changes
or rate as function of time
– Most common one is flow in
constant rate and measure the
pressure

Why we need it:

– For knowledge of formation properties (reservoir description)
– For optimizing completion ( reservoir development)
– Optimizing depletion plan (reservoir management)
Well Testing Procedure
WELLS IN RESERVOIR
 Types of transient testing may be divided into
Two major categories
Single well:
(1) Drawdown tests
(2) Build up tests
(3) Injectivity tests
(4) Fall-off tests

Multi well:
(1) Interference tests

Each group may be divided into

Constant rate
Multiple rate
Constant pressure (varying rate)
 Pressure Transient testing of Wells
What is well testing
– Is a flow experiment that we
carry out in the reservoir
– In a well testing we flow a
well at a constant rate or
pressure and
– Measure the Pressure changes
or rate as function of time
– Most common one is flow in
constant rate and measure the
pressure
Objectives of Well testing
– Obtain information about the reservoir/well system

– Particularly recover information about factors/parameters which

help us for reservoir description and influences reservoir
deliverability and reservoir productivity

– So that we use them in our design analysis work to improve

reservoir performance, optimize reservoir development and
management and so on.
Objectives of well testing for Exploration wells
• porous zone identification on logs with respect to HC
• to measure initial pressure
• rough estimates of reservoir permeability

Objectives of well testing for delineation wells

to test potential zone, which has been identified on exp. Wells
evaluate their thickness and depth, and locate fluid contacts
to generate PVT data
investigate areal extension of producing zone in the viscinity of the well
Objective of well testing for Development Wells
• to measure formation damage around the well bore
•to know whether damage has been removed by stimulation job or
not. If removed, efficiency
•to know the exact ‘kh’ value of the producing zone in that well and if
necessary, run selective tests on sub layers in banded reservoir
• to monitor reservoir pressure, run pressure build up tests
periodically in few selective wells and analyze pressure response
• to test vertical communication in two producing zone (by vertical
interference test)
• to monitor the pressure maintenance
• to identify thief zone, if any
 Pressure transient testing concepts
• Radius of investigation
• Pseudo steady state flow in various geometries
• Productivity index (PI)
 Pressure transient testing concepts
• Time regions of pressure transient
plots
• Wellbore storage effects ( Early
times phenomenon)
• Damage stimulation effects ( Early
times phenomenon)
• Average reservoir kh effects (
middle time phenomenon)
• Boundary effects ( late time
phenomenon)
• Nondarcy Flow Effects in ET
(mostly for gas flow)
BOUNDARY EFFECTS
DIFFERENT PLOTS FOR ANALYSIS
 Classification of Reservoir Flow Systems

• Reservoir geometry:
–Linear
–Radial
–Spherical
 Linear Flow

Linear flow is also quite common, occurring in channel reservoirs, hydraulically

fractured wells, and horizontal wells.
Causes of linear flow
- Well with a high-conductivity fracture
- Well in a channel reservoir (reservoir with parallel no-flow boundaries)
- Horizontal well
 Bilinear Flow

Bilinear flow occurs primarily in low-conductivity hydraulically fractured

wells.
Causes of bilinear flow
-Well with a low-conductivity fracture (common)
-Fractured or horizontal well in a transient dual porosity reservoir
 Radial Flow

Radial flow occurs in many common situations.

Causes of radial flow
- Vertical well
- Fractured well after transient has moved beyond tips of fracture
- Horizontal well before transient reaches top and bottom of zone
- Horizontal well after transient has moved beyond ends of wellbore
 Spherical Flow (Flow in space)

Spherical flow occurs when the pressure transient is free to

propagate in three dimensions. This can occur for wells that
penetrate only a short distance into the pay zone, or in wells that
have only a limited number of perforations open to flow. Causes of
spherical flow
- Vertical well with only a few perforations open
-Vertical well with only a small part of the zone perforated
 • Reservoir rate of flow:
– Non-steady-State
Conditions do Change with time
FLOW REGIMENS – Steady-State
Conditions do not Change with time

Non-steady-state flow Steady-state flow

Transient flow Pseudo-steady-state flow

The radius of pressure
wave propagation from The pressure at any point in The pressure at any point in the
wellbore has not reached the reservoir declines at the reservoir remains constant over
any boundaries of the same constant rate over time time.
reservoir
 Non-steady state condition
A-Transient condition:
This condition is valid at an early, relatively short time, where the
pressure response in the reservoir is not affected by the presence
of an outer boundary, thus the reservoir appears infinite acting. In
well testing this condition is applicable when the production rate is
deliberately changed for a short time, the pressure response is
measured for a few hours and the boundary effects will not be felt
and therefore the reservoir is mathematically infinite.

B: Late Transient condition:

This condition exists in the period when the boundary effects start
to show up in the pressure response. This will occur when the well
test period takes a longer time, or the reservoir is smaller than
expected.
C: Pseudo-Steady State condition:
The Pseudo (or semi) Steady State condition occurs after the late
transient condition and is valid for a reservoir which has been
producing for a sufficient period of time so that the boundary
effects has been felt by the pressure response. The outer
boundary could be impermeable to fluids (no flow boundary) or a
constant pressure boundary.

Steady State condition:

The steady state condition occurs also after late transient period. This condition
is applicable when the production rate is constant and fluid withdrawal will be
exactly balanced by fluid entry across the open boundary, so that there is no
change in pressure with time in the whole reservoir
 Ideal Reservoir Model
• Several assumption will be needed to simplify the
solution of equation for fluid flow in porous media
• These assumption are to needed to combine;
– Principle of mass conservation
– Equation of fluid motion
– Equation of state (EOS)
 The petroleum engineers are also interested in multiphase flow in the
reservoir with complex geometries.

Fluid Flow

Horizontal flow Flow in space

Steady state Non-steady state Steady state Non-steady state

Single phase Multiple phase Single phase Multiple phase

Linear Radial Pattern Linear Radial Pattern

Compressible Incompressible Compressible Incompressible

 BUILD UP TEST
A well which is already flowing (ideally at constant rate) is shut in and the down hole
pressure measured as the pressure builds up
Testing procedure:
• Pressure recorder is lowered to the bottom of
a flowing well
• The well is closed for build-up duration (24 to
96 hours) with the instrument inside the well
• The recorder is pulled out from the well after
build-up and the recording data is analyzed.

Analysis is used for finding:

• Reservoir Pressure
• Reservoir permeability
• Skin factor
 DRAWDOWN TEST
In a draw down test a well that is static stable and shut in is open to flow and
bottom hole pressure is recorded during flowing condition

Testing procedure:
• Pressure recorder is lowered to the bottom of a
closed well
• The well is closed for longer period for recording
SBHP
• Well is produced at a constant flow rate
• Bottom hole pressure is continuously recorded.

Analysis is used for finding:

• Skin factor
• Reservoir permeability
• Well bore storage coefficient
• reservoir limit – called Reservoir Limit Test
– A drawdown test run specifically to determine
the reservoir volume communicating with the
well.
 FALL OFF TEST
Falloff tests are conducted in fluid injection wells that are usually part of a pressure
maintenance or enhanced recovery program in a petroleum reservoir.
Testing procedure:
• Pressure recorder is lowered to the bottom of
a flowing well
• The well is first injected at a constant rate for a
sufficient period to achieve stabilization in
injection pressure, followed by shutting in of the
injector. As a result, the bottom hole pressure at
the well begins to decline
• The recorder is pulled out from the well and
analyzed.
Analysis is used for finding:
• the leading edge of the injected fluid bank
• the fluid phase boundary between the injected
water phase and in-situ oil phase
 MULTIRATE TEST
Pressure drawdown testing requires constant flowrate which is often impractical
or impossible to maintain for longer period. In such cases multirate testing are
done. In a multirate test, the well is flowed at multiple rates for definite time
interval, and the pressure response is recorded. Multirate tests are widely used in
gas reservoir in order to assess well potential and reservoir performance.

FLOW –AFTER – FLOW TEST

The well is flowed successively at different

but stabilized flow rates, and the bottom
hole pressure is recorded. During the test,
a step change in flow rate is made after the
flowing bottom hole pressure is found to
have stabilized.
Gas well deliverability test usually include four different flow rates in increasing
order as shown in fig. The test is also known as a gas well deliverability test or a
four point test, with the objective being to estimate the absolute open flow
potential of the well
 ISOCHRONAL TEST
Alternating sequences of drawdown and shut-in periods are implemented, with
monitoring of the pressure response. Drawdown rates are constant within a
sequence but vary from one sequence to another. In each sequence, shut in of the
test well continues until the bottom hole flowing pressure stabilizes.

However, in tight reservoirs, the time needed to attain

stabilization could be long. Hence, modified isochronal
tests are designed to minimize the loss in production
where the drawdown and shut-in periods are of equal
duration. Although stabilized bottom hole pressure is
not attained, the test can still provide meaningful
results when analyzed appropriately
 INTERFERENCE AND PULSE TEST
These test involve one active well and one or more observation wells located at a
distance in neighboring locations in the reservoir. A source of interference is
created at the active well in the form of predetermined step changes in the flow
rate. This interference leads to alteration of the pressure response in both active
and observation wells. In variation, an alternating sequence of flow and shut-in
periods, or pulses, is generated at the active well, leading to measurement of
pressure response in multiple wells.
Interwell reservoir characteristics influence
the nature and degree of the pressure
response at the observation wells. The time
lag between the initiation of interference in
the active well and the ensuing response in
the observation wells also depend on the
reservoir and fluid properties
Multiwell tests are usually implemented only
when complex issues arise in the reservoir, such
as the possible existence of reservoir unidentified
heterogeneities or premature water production
 DRILLSTEM TEST (DST)
A drillstem test is routinely conducted in a new well prior to completion in order to
assess the feasibility and potential of the new well in an unknown environment. The
test is usually comprised of short sequences of multiple flow and shut-in periods, as
follows:
1. A short flow period for 5 to 10 minutes followed by a buildup period of about 1 hour
in order to determine the initial reservoir pressure
2. A flow period of 4 to 24 hours in order to establish stabilized flow to the surface
3. The well is shut in again to conduct a buildup test, leading to the determination of
the permeability-thickness (kh) product and flow potential

The tool consist of a packer and a valve assembly that can be opened from the
surface. Following the opening or closure of the tool, fluid pressure is observed to
fall or build up accordingly. The resulting response is analyzed before a decision is
made to complete the well. A fluid sample is also collected during the test.
 SUGGESTED NAMES FOR RESERVOIR OPERATIONS
AND THEIR FREQUENCIES PER YEAR

Sl. no Operation Oil Wells (Self Oil Wells Gas wells

flowing) (Artificial lift)
1. FBHP/FBHP Gd. survey 2 4 2
2. SBHP/SBHP Gd. survey 1 1 1
3. FBHT/SBHT Gd. survey 1 2 1
4. Flow studies with 3 beans Once in all self flowing wells 1 out of 2 well
thereafter 1 out of 4 wells
5. Pressure build up studies 1 per well in 25 key well 1 out of 3 well
6. PVT sampling 1 out of 15 wells
7. Interference As and when required (1 out of 20)
8. Two rate flow test As and when required (1 out of 20) 1 out of 4 wells
9. RLT On requirement
INJECTION WELLS: FBHP, SBHP, Gd. And Pressure fall off test – 2 times/well/year