Petro 450

Class 5

Buildup Test

Horner Plotting Method

Ideal Test
A test in an infinite, homogeneous isotropic reservoir with a slightly
compressible single phase fluid.

Assumptions
1) Infinite reservoir, no boundary effects
2) Formation and fluid properties are uniform
3) Horners time is applicable

When shutting a well we can use superposition

Which becomes

So the shut in bottom hole pressure BHP, pws, should be a straight line
function of log(tp + t/t). This line should have the slope of
By convention the absolute value is used for the slope

If this line is extend to infinite shut in time (tp + t/t)=1, the pressure
at this time will be initial pressure of the reservoir pi. Thus the
permeability k can be calculated by finding the slope of the line.

The procedure, find the tp using the horner approximation, plot the
data, BHP vs (tp + t/t) on semilog paper. Extend the line to
(tp + t/t)=1, find the slope of the line.

The skin can also be found using the idealized test

At shut in time t

Combining and solve for s

Any t can be used but the industry practice is to use t =1 as long as it
is on the straight line. Also assume that the log of (tp + t/t) is
negligible. With these simplifications

m is always considered positive

So from an ideal buildup test the pi, k, and s can be found for the well.

Example
Well produces 500 STBPD, for 3 days before being shut in for a buildup
test. The well properties are, h=22ft, porosity of .2, ct =30x10-6 with a
wellbore of radius of .3ft. The fluid properties are, Bo=1.3 RB/STB,
viscosity of 1 cp. Need to find the pi, k, and s.

t pws
0 1150
2 1794
4 1823
8 1850
16 1876
24 1890
48 1910
Solution
Plot pws vs (tp + t/t) on semilog plot, tp is 3 x 24 = 72hrs

This plot is a straight line with a slope of 100 psi/cycle

Since the value pws at (tp + t/t) =10 is 1850 psi then the value of pws
at (tp + t/t) =1 is 1950 psi.

S = +1.43 the well has damage.