Introduction

Sh. Kord 1
 Contents

• Introduction to Reservoir Engineering Tools and Methods

• Review on Basic definitions and concepts

• Well Test functions and Objectives

• Brief introduction to Different Types of Tests

• Data Input and output system and mathematical model

• Summary

Well Testing: Introduction 2 Sh. Kord

 Reservoir Engineering Road Map

Reservoir
Engineering

EOR Reservoir Reservoir

Fluid &
PVT
characterization
Reservoir

and Reservoir
Simulation

managementRock
Well Test

Fluid Flow

Well Testing: Course Outline 3 Sh. Kord

Road Map of Reservoir Engineering of Conventional Reservoirs

Sweep and Displacement Efficiency

Well and Reservoir Performance Hydraulic Fracturing/Artificial Lift

World
Production Reservoir
Original HC in
Place
Reserve
Estimation
Production
Optimization
EOR/IOR
Methods
Scenarios and
Predictions Management
Development
Plan Oil
Market

Reservoir Simulation
Performance Analysis Tools

Volumetric calculation Reservoir Fluid Properties

Material Balance Method Reservoir Rock Properties

Decline Curve Analysis Recovery Drive Mechanisms

Reservoir Simulation Well test Analysis

Well Testing: Course Outline 4 Sh. Kord
 FDP

Completing
Evaluating
Monitoring
Implementing
Developing
plan
Setting goals
and plans

Revising/ Optimizing

Well Testing: Introduction 5 Sh. Kord

 Reservoir Evaluation
• One of the greatest problems facing the petroleum engineer is that of characterizing the

physical nature of the hydrocarbon reservoir.

• The significance of sophisticated numerical simulations of reservoir performance is entirely

dependent on the quality of reservoir description.

• The main difficulty in reservoir characterization is obtaining a reliable description stems from

the large scale and heterogeneous nature of the reservoir considering the very limited number

of points, i.e., wells, at which observations can be made and gathered samples.

• In the case of an offshore reservoir, this difficulty is compounded by the fact that the well

spacing is much larger than that typical of onshore operation.

Well Testing: Introduction 6 Sh. Kord

 Reservoir Evaluation: Data Gathering

There are several ways by which it is possible to gain information about the reservoir

characteristics; the most important are given below:

a) Seismic and associated geological studies

b) Information obtained during the well drilling program; this comprises the following:

1) The analysis of cuttings and cores

2) The interpretation of various logs

c) Wireline formation testing

1) Virgin reservoir (exploration and appraisal wells)

2) Produced reservoir (new development wells)

d) Transient pressure testing of wells (including production logging)

e) Analysis of reservoir performance, e.g., through history matching a simulator

Well Testing: Introduction 7 Sh. Kord

 Reservoir Evaluation: Data Gathering
1. Pre-drilling methods:
• Geological methods
• Geophysical methods

2. During drilling methods:

• Drilling cuttings analysis
• Core analysis
• Well logging
• MWD/LWD
• Drill Stem Test (DST)

3. After drilling methods:

• Production data
• Production logging
• Single well testing
• Multiple well testing

Well Testing: Introduction 8 Sh. Kord

 Res. Eng. Performance Analysis Tools
Commonly used res. performance analysis and reserves evaluation techniques and their results:

Volumetric calculation:
• Original hydrocarbon in place (OHCIP)

• Reserves based on the assumption of ultimate recovery

• Is applicable during development and production phases with fair accuracy

Decline curve/type curve:

• Reserves

• Ultimate recovery

• Reservoir properties

• Is applicable only during the production phase when an identifiable trend in production decline is established.
Accuracy of this method can improve when more data is available.

Classical material balance:

• Original hydrocarbon in place

• Natural recovery mechanism

• The method Assuming a homogeneous formation, can give good results during production phase. However,
the technique requires pressure data at various stages of production.

Well Testing: Introduction 9 Sh. Kord

 Res. Eng. Performance Analysis Tools
Well test interpretation:
• Reservoir rock properties

• Geological heterogeneities affecting reservoir performance

• Characterization of reservoir boundary

Mathematical simulation of the reservoir model:

• Original hydrocarbon in place

• Reserves

• Ultimate recovery

• Well and reservoir performance prediction under various scenarios, including drilling of
new and recompleted wells, and during secondary or tertiary recovery

• Is the preferred method to predict reservoir performance during delineation,

Development, and production. The results can vary from fair to good or even very good,
accuracy.

Well Testing: Introduction 10 Sh. Kord

 Res. Eng. Performance Analysis Tools

Data Requirements Volumetric Material Balance Decline Curve Reservoir Simulation

Geometry A, h No No A, h
Rock Phi, S No No Phi, S, Kr, C
PVT PVT
Fluid Bo (homogeneous reservoir No (heterogeneous reservoir
model) model)
Well No No No Locations, perforations, PI
Production and injection No Both Production only Both
Pressure No Yes No Yes

Results

Initial hydrocarbon in
Yes Yes Yes (needs RF) Yes
place

Ultimate recovery Yes (needs RF) Yes Yes Yes

Rate vs. time No Yes (needs PI data) Yes Yes

Pressure vs. time No Yes (needs PI data) No Yes

Practical Enhanced Reservoir Engineering: Assisted with Simulation Software, By: Abdus Satter, Ghulam M. Iqbal, James
L. Buchwalter, 2007

Well Testing: Introduction 11 Sh. Kord

 Res. Eng. Performance Analysis Tools

Applicability and Accuracy of Techniques

Volumetric Decline Curve Material Balance Reservoir Simulation

Exploration Yes? No No No

Discovery Yes? No No No

Delineation Yes? No No Yes, Fair

Development Yes, Fair No No Yes, Good

Production Yes, Good Yes, Fair Yes, Fair to Good Yes, Good to Very Good

Practical Enhanced Reservoir Engineering: Assisted with Simulation Software, By: Abdus Satter, Ghulam M. Iqbal, James
L. Buchwalter, 2007

Well Testing: Introduction 12 Sh. Kord

 Dynamic Flow Analysis

Well Testing: Introduction 13 Sh. Kord

 Production System: Nodal Analysis
PA
Production System: Process engineers

• Surface

PWH

Forces in the reservoir

• Gravity force
Production and
• Well
drilling engineers • Capillary force

• Viscous force

• Diffusive force

PF
• Reservoir Reservoir engineers
PR

Well Testing: Introduction 14 Sh. Kord

 Well

Well is the key component of the welltest process:

• A communication tool:
• The reservoir can be evaluated by the well

• The reservoir is monitored through the well

• A production tool:
• The reservoir production capacity depends on the well/ reservoir
communication quality

Well Testing: Introduction 15 Sh. Kord

 Concepts and Definitions

• Well Testing (In-Situ Testing) is an essential component in reservoir

evaluation

• It is ‘nice’ to estimate formation parameters (e.g. k, porosity and reservoir

pressure) from core samples or geophysical surveys or other tests, but if
large scale reservoir parameters are required, well tests need to be
conducted.

• Many different well tests exist. It is the test engineer’s decision to select the
appropriate test methodology and test tool to get maximum data return

Well Testing: Introduction 16 Sh. Kord

 Formation Evaluation

nr. Method Approximate Depth of Investigation

1 CORING 10 cm

2 LOGGING 50 cm

3 DST/RFT 1-10 m

4 WELL TESTING 50-500 m

5 PRODUCTION Whole Reservoir

Well Testing:
Transient Pressure
Introduction
Testing: Introduction 17 Dr. Shahin
Sh.Kord
Kord
 Definition
• What is a Test?

– Measurement of rate, time and pressure under controlled condition.

• Why Test?
Test Type

– Reservoir pressure
– Permeability
– Wellbore damage
– Deliverability
– Reservoir management
– Reservoir description
– Fluid samples

Well Testing: Introduction 18 Sh. Kord

 Definition
• What is a Well Test (In-Situ Test)?

– It is an experiment which is performed within a reservoir to

estimate specific physical parameters

– Formation Pressure and Flow Rate are Measured as a

Function of Time

– The aim of a well test is to understand and characterize the

hydraulic system of the isolated geologic formation

Well Testing: Introduction 19 Sh. Kord

 Input-System-Response

2 3

Inverse problems has no unique solution:

Non-Unique Solution

Well Testing: Introduction 20 Sh. Kord

 Definition

• Well tests characterize reservoir parameters which are not measurable directly
• The parameters are derived from the response of the system on a defined
signal by using a certain flow model

• This approach is called Inverse Modelling

Well Testing: Introduction 21 Sh. Kord

 Tests Objectives in general

• Tests on oil and gas wells are performed at various stages of drilling,
completion and production.

• The tests objectives at each stage range from simple identification of

produced fluids and determination of reservoir deliverability to the
characterization of complex reservoir features.

• The objectives could be categorized as:

• Reservoir Evaluation (‫)ﮐﻣﯾت‬
• Reservoir Management (‫)ﮐﻠﯾت‬
• Reservoir Description (‫)ﮐﯾﻔﯾت‬

Well Testing: Introduction 22 Sh. Kord

 Well Test Objectives: Reservoir Evaluation
• Deliverability (conductivity; kh)
• Design of well spacing
• Number of wells
• Wellbore stimulation

• Properties (initial reservoir pressure )

• Potential energy of the reservoir

• Size (reservoir limits)

• Closed or open (with aquifer support) reservoir boundaries

• Near well conditions (skin, storage and turbulence)

• Damage extent
• Flow regime

Well Testing: Introduction 23 Sh. Kord

 Well Test Objectives: Reservoir Management and Description
Reservoir Management:

• Monitor performance and evolving condition of well

• Monitoring reservoir pressure and production to better forecast of the
reservoir production strategy
• To find the candidates for workover or stimulation
• Establish location of fluid front and potential for stimulation
• Calibration of simulation models

Reservoir Description:

• Rock types, stratigraphic interfaces, Faults, Barriers

• Estimation of bulk reservoir properties
• Reservoir characterization
• fluid properties
• Special Core Analysis (SCAL): 2-phase flow, rel. permeability, capillary pressure, …

Well Testing:
Transient Pressure
Introduction
Testing: Introduction 24 Dr. Shahin
Sh.Kord
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 Production System: Available Data
Common Pressure Transient Test Data:
• Bottom hole Pressure (High Frequency/High Resolution)
• Separator Flow rates (on the hour or day (at best))

Common Production Data:

• Wellhead Pressure (Daily)
• Separator Flow rates (Daily)

Downstream:
Surface Measurements:
• Pressure
• Pressure
• Temperature
• Temperature
• Flow rate
• Fluid Sampling

Bottom hole Measurements:

• Pressure
• Temperature

Well Testing: Introduction 25 Sh. Kord

 Types of Tests

Well Testing: Introduction 26 Sh. Kord

 Types of Test

Well Testing: Introduction 27 Sh. Kord

 Types of Test
Type of tests is governed by the test objective.

• Transient tests which are relatively short term tests are used to define reservoir
characteristics. Transient Pressure Testing is performed by distribution of pressure disturbance in the
reservoir and recording the pressure responses as a function of time.

• Drawdown Test
• The results of these tests are:
• Build up Test • Effective permeability
• Injection Test • Formation Damage or Stimulation
• Falloff Test • Flow barriers & Fluid contacts
• Interference Test • Volumetric average reservoir Pressure
• Drainage pore volume
• Drill Stem Test • Detection, length, capacity of fractures
• Multi-rate test • Communication between wells
• Pulse Test

• Stabilized tests which are relatively long duration tests are used to define long term
production performance.
• Reservoir limit test
• AOF (single point and multi point)
• IPR (Inflow Performance Relationship)

Well Testing: Introduction 28 Sh. Kord

 Types of Test: Drawdown Test
Conditions:
• An static, stable and shut-in well is opened
to flow .
• flow rate is supposed to be constant.

Objective:
• To obtain average permeability of the
reservoir rock within the drainage area of
the well
• To assess the degree of damage or
stimulation
• To obtain pore volume of the reservoir
• To detect reservoir inhomoginiety within the
drainage area of the well.

Well Testing: Introduction 29 Sh. Kord

 Types of Test: Buildup Test
Conditions:
• A well which is already flowing (ideally
constant rate) is shut-in.
• Downhole pressure measured as the
pressure builds up.

Objective:
• To obtain average permeability of the
reservoir rock within the drainage area of
the well
• To assess the degree of damage or
stimulation
• To obtain initial reservoir pressure during
the transient state
• To obtain the average reservoir pressure
over the drainage area of the well during
pseudo-steady state

Well Testing: Introduction 30 Sh. Kord

 Types of Test: Injection Test
Conditions:
• An injection test is conceptually identical to a
drawdown test, except flow is into the well rather
than out of it.

Objective:
• Injection well testing has its application in water
flooding, pressure maintenance by water or gas
injection, gas recycling and EOR operations.
• In most cases the objective of the injection test is the
same as those of production test (k, S, Pavg).
• Determination of reservoir heterogeneity and front
tracing.

Well Testing:
Transient Pressure
Introduction
Testing: Introduction 31 Dr. Shahin
Sh.Kord
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 Types of Test: Fall off Test
A pressure falloff test is usually proceeded by an injectivity test of a long duration.
Injection then is stopped while recording the pressure. Thus, the pressure falloff test is
similar to the pressure buildup test.

As with injection test, falloff test, interpretation is more difficult if the injected
fluid is different from the original reservoir fluid.

Well Testing: Introduction 32 Sh. Kord

 Types of Test
Interference Test:
• In an interference test one well is produced and pressure is observed in a different
wells.
• To test reservoir continuity
• To detect directional permeability and other major reservoir heterogeneity
• Determination of reservoir volume

Drill Stem Test (DST):

• It is a test commonly used to test a newly drilled well (since it can only be carried out
while a rig is over the hole).
• In a DST, the well is opened to flow by a valve at the base of the test tool, and
reservoir fluid flows up the drill string.
• Analysis of the DST requires the special techniques, since the flow rate is not
constant as the fluid rises in the drill string.

Well Testing: Introduction 33 Sh. Kord

 Primary Reservoir Characteristics
Types of fluids in the reservoir:
• Incompressible fluids
• Slightly compressible fluids
• Compressible fluids

Flow regimes All the information from a welltest can be

• Steady-state flow obtained because the rock and the fluid are
• Unsteady-state flow
compressible
• Pseudo steady-state flow

Reservoir geometry:
• Radial flow
• Linear flow
• Spherical and hemispherical flow

Number of flowing fluids in the reservoir

• Single-phase flow (oil, water, or gas)
• Two-phase flow (oil–water, oil–gas, or gas–water)
• Three-phase flow (oil, water, and gas)

Well Testing: Introduction 34 Sh. Kord

 Fluid Types
Isothermal compressibility defined as:
1 𝜕𝜕𝜕𝜕 1 𝜕𝜕𝜕𝜕

Volume
Density
𝑐𝑐 = − =
𝑉𝑉 𝜕𝜕𝜕𝜕 𝑇𝑇
𝜌𝜌 𝜕𝜕𝜕𝜕 𝑇𝑇

 Incompressible fluids (𝑐𝑐 = 0)

𝜕𝜕𝜕𝜕 𝜕𝜕𝜕𝜕
= =0 Pressure Pressure
𝜕𝜕𝜕𝜕 𝜕𝜕𝜕𝜕

Density

Volume
 Slightly compressible fluids

(𝑐𝑐 = constant and small)

𝜌𝜌 = 𝜌𝜌ref 1 − 𝑐𝑐 𝑝𝑝ref − 𝑝𝑝
Pressure Pressure
𝑉𝑉 = 𝑉𝑉ref 1 + 𝑐𝑐 𝑝𝑝ref − 𝑝𝑝 Density

Volume
 Compressible fluids (𝑐𝑐 ≠ constant)

1 1 𝜕𝜕𝜕𝜕
𝑐𝑐g = −
𝑝𝑝 𝑍𝑍 𝜕𝜕𝜕𝜕 𝑇𝑇 Pressure Pressure

Well Testing: Introduction 35 Sh. Kord

 Flow Regimes
Steady state flow: If the pressure at every location in the reservoir

Pressure
remains constant, i.e., does not change with time.
𝜕𝜕𝜕𝜕
=0
𝜕𝜕𝜕𝜕 𝑟𝑟

Time
Pseudo (quasi or semi) steady state flow: When the pressure at different
locations in the reservoir is declining linearly as a function of time at a

Pressure
constant decline rate

𝜕𝜕𝜕𝜕
= costant
𝜕𝜕𝜕𝜕 𝑟𝑟 Time

Pressure
Unsteady state (transient) flow: If the rate of change of pressure with
respect to time varies as a function of position and time in the reservoir

𝜕𝜕𝜕𝜕
= 𝑓𝑓 𝑟𝑟, 𝑡𝑡
𝜕𝜕𝜕𝜕 𝑟𝑟 Time

Well Testing: Introduction 36 Sh. Kord

 Flow Geometries

Linear flow

Spherical flow

Plan View
Radial flow
Wellbore Hemispherical flow
Side View

Flow Lines

Well Testing: Introduction 37 Sh. Kord

 Number of Flowing Fluids in the Reservoir
The mathematical expressions that are used to predict the volumetric performance and
pressure behavior of the reservoir vary in forms and complexity depending upon the
number of mobile fluids in the reservoir.

There are generally three cases of flowing systems:

• Single-phase flow (oil, water, or gas)

• Two-phase flow (oil-water, oil-gas, or gas-water)

• Three-phase flow (oil, water, and gas)

The description of fluid flow and subsequent analysis of pressure data becomes more
difficult as the number of mobile fluids increases.

Well Testing: Introduction 38 Sh. Kord

 Mathematical Model of a Reservoir
A Reservoir is a hydrocarbon bearing, three dimensional, heterogeneous, anisotropic rock domain
and saturated with fluids of different composition. So, mathematical formulation of a reservoir
contains:

 Balance (governing) equations  Constraint equations

‒ Mass or mole balance (continuity) ‒ Mole constraints

‒ Momentum balance (Darcy’s Law) ‒ Saturation constraint

‒ Energy balance

 Other equations
 Rock and fluid equations ‒ Source/Sink

‒ Rock properties ‒ Adsorption equations

‒ Fluid properties (PVT)

 Initial and boundary conditions

‒ Dirichlet and Neumann boundary condition

Well Testing: Introduction 39 Sh. Kord

 Mathematical Model-Governing Equation

cp
psia
1/psia

1 ∂  ∂p  ϕµ ct ∂p
  r  =
r  ∂r  ∂r  0.000264 k ∂t

hr
ft
ct = c f + c o S o + c w S w md

Well Testing: Introduction 40 Sh. Kord

 Components of Well Test Models

Well Testing: Introduction 41 Sh. Kord

 Components of Well Test Models
• Infinite-Acting
• Circle
• Rectangle
• Faults

Well Testing: Introduction 42 Sh. Kord

 Input-System-Response

Well Testing: Introduction 43 Sh. Kord

 Verification Process

Well Testing: Introduction 44 Sh. Kord

 Data Required for Well Test Analysis
• Test data:
• Flow rate and bottom hole pressure as a function of time.
• The test sequence of events must be detailed, including any operational
problems that may affect the well response.

• Well data:
• Wellbore radius, rw
• Well geometry (such as inclined or horizontal well)
• Depths (formation, gauges)

• Reservoir and fluid parameters:

• Formation thicknessh (net),
• Porosity Φ,
• Compressibility of oil: co, water: cw, and formation: cf
• Water saturation Sw,
• Oil viscosity μ
• Formation volume factor B

Well Testing: Introduction 45 Sh. Kord

 Output of Well Test Analysis

C: wellbore storage coefficient

CD: dimensionless wellbore storage coefficient
S: skin factor
k: effective permeability
re: distance to a boundary or fault
ω: storativity ratio or dimensionless storage coefficient
λ: transmissivity ratio or interporosity flow coefficient
Ae, Vp: drainage area and drainage pore volume

Well Testing: Introduction 46 Sh. Kord

 Summary
• Principle:
– How to use P and q to evaluate formation surrounding a
tested well.
– To do so, we need to understand:
– Theory of fluid flow in porous media
– PVT relations for fluid system.

• Purpose:
• To determine the ability of a formation to produce
reservoir fluid.
• To determine he underlying reason for a well
productivity
Well Testing: Introduction 47 Sh. Kord
 Summary
• Results:
– Formation permeability
– Extent of wellbore damage or stimulation
– Reservoir pressure
– Reservoir boundaries and heterogeneity

• General test method:

• Create a pressure drawdown in the wellbore causes formation fluid
to enter into the wellbore
• Procedure:
• If we measure the flow rate and the pressure in the wellbore during
production or the pressure during a shut-in period following
production, we usually will have sufficient information to
characterize the tested well.

Well Testing: Introduction 48 Sh. Kord