Schlumberger Basic Petroleum Engineering FTC

Well Testing

Well Testing
Flow Regimes
Basic Equation
Well Testing
Petro Eenrgy Kimia(petek-co.ir)
Drawdown Test
Oil & Gas Training Center@
Build up Test
petekcompany
IPR Test
Summary
Notes

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Schlumberger Basic Petroleum Engineering
Well Testing Theory
The pressure wave is likened to a wave in a pool after a stone has been
FTC dropped into it. At the earliest time the wellbore and zones close to it are
influencing the response, at later time it is the reservoir boundaries.
The idea is very simple but gives a lot of information about the reservoir
in spite of the simple measurement of pressure and time.

A well test is conducted by making a sudden

change in flowrate and then measuring the
changes in the pressure with respect to time.
The pressure wave travels out into the reservoir
“seeing” deeper as time goes on.

Producing
rate Q

Shut in
0 Notes

Time, t
0
Bottom hole
Pressure P

Time, t
0

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 The flow in the wellbore/casing/tubing of oil will take a number of forms.
Schlumberger Basic Petroleum Engineering FTC The flow starts as single phase, as gas comes out of solution the flow
regime changes first to bubble flow, small gas bubbles in the oil. The
Flow In the well other states may or may not happen in the tubing depending on the
pressures and gas oil ratio.
Slug and Plug flow are not very efficient as they lose energy as they
FLOW REGIMES tumble.
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LIQUID VELOCITY

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REGION I

REGION II REGION III

N
IO
SIT
AN
TR
1
BUBBLE FLOW
Notes

MIST FLOW
SLUG FLOW
PLUG FLOW
10-1 1 10 102 103
GAS VELOCITY

The actual flow regime depends on a number of

factors, such as gas-oil-ratio and pressures.

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 The idea of radial flow seems obvious as the fluid is coming from all
Schlumberger Basic Petroleum Engineering FTC directions in the reservoir.

Flow in the formation

Flow form a reservoir into a borehole is
normally radial

Well bore

Notes

It flows from the surrounding reservoir into

the borehole, equally on all sides
This model is used to compute flow rates and
pressure distributions

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 fracture
Other forms
will of
cause
flowthe
areflow
possible
to be near
linear,
thenot
wellbore.
radial. However
An induced
as the
or natural
Schlumberger Basic Petroleum Engineering FTC pressure/flow moves further out into the reservoir the flow is moving
radially to reach the fracture.
Types of flow

Radial Flow

Notes

Linear Flow

Bi-Linear Flow
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 Assuming radial flow and knowing some parameters, Pwf, Pi, rw, h, re.
Schlumberger Basic Petroleum Engineering FTC the pressure at any point in the reservoir, P, can be described in terms of
known or measured quantities.

Radial Flow Model

h PWF P Pi
i

rw Notes
r
re

This is the model for flow in the ideal case

Constant pressure at the boundary, Pi
Reservoir thickness, h
Reservoir radius re
Wellbore radius is rw
Pwf, is the flowing pressure
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 The pressure time graph is roughly split into three regions. The final
Schlumberger Basic Petroleum Engineering FTC region is when the reservoir reaches its steady state. As this is unknown,
it could have arrived at the reservoir limits, or a fault or the pressure
Flow States disturbance created by a nearby well, this region cannot be easily
described.
The transition is equally ill defined. However in the transient period radial
flow can be assumed and hence the problem analysed.

Transient
period
Transition

Pseudo-Steady
State
Pressure

Notes

Time

The transient period is also known as infinite

acting radial flow
All tests have some time in this region hence
this is the zone normally analysed.

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 Note the units used determine the constant.
Schlumberger Basic Petroleum Engineering FTC
The solution to the proposed model, assuming radial flow gives this
equation. It is simply the pressure versus the log of time. If a plot is made
Basic Equation of these two the radial flow period should, from this equation, appear as a
straight line with a slope of 162.6qBµ/kh. In this everything else but the
permeability k, are known, hence this can be determined.
The solution assumes some “starting” and “boundary” conditions, which
work well for liquids. Gas is different, it has a high compressibility, and the
equation has to be modified.
This equation in “oilfield units” is

162. 6qBµ   kt  
∆p = pi − pwf =  log − 3. 23
  φ µC tr w  
2
kh

Notes
Note this is only valid if:
•The pressure gradients are small
•Viscosity is constant
•Fluid flow is single phase
•Darcy (non turbulent) flow exists
•Constant flow rate
•Small compressibility
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 The measurements in the well test are simply pressure and time, with a
Schlumberger Basic Petroleum Engineering FTC constant, known, flowrate.
The build up test is the one normally used because the flowrate (in the
Well Testing Requirements reservoir) is constant. In a drawdown test it is often difficult to keep a
constant rate.
The objective of a well test is to obtain detailed Mathematical analysis produces the required answers.
information about the reservoir
the parameters sought are
Permeability
Formation pressure
Skin factor
productivity ratio
reservoir geometry

There are two possibilities Notes

• Drawdown test
the well goes from shut in to flowing
The pressure drops from the shut in to flowing

• Build-up test
The well goes from flowing to shut in.
pressure increases towards the reservoir
pressure
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 A drawdown test, as the name suggests, starts shut - in and is the opened to
Schlumberger Basic Petroleum Engineering FTC flow. The pressure drops with time.
The production rate is controlled on surface with a choke.

Drawdown test

Producing
rate Q

Shut in
0

Time, t
0

Notes
Bottom hole
Pressure P

Time, t
0

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 The equation is the one seen previously, Pwf is the well flowing pressure
Schlumberger Basic Petroleum Engineering FTC which is measured. Pi is the initial pressure of the reservoir just prior to
flow.
Drawdown Test equations

The Transient equation becomes the following

equation with the flowing pressure a function
of the time during the flow period.

162.6qµB
p wf = p i − [ log(t ) + c]
kh Notes

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 The pressure v log time plot should give a straight line when the well is at radial
Schlumberger Basic Petroleum Engineering FTC flow. The slope is computed and hence the permeability calculated. Note the
slope is negative as the pressure is decreasing.

Drawdown Test Plot

recorded data
Pressure, Pwf

straight line, slope = m

Notes
.1 1 10
Time, t
The standard method of analysing a drawdown
test is to plot the pressure on a linear scale
against the time on a logarithmic scale.
A straight is drawn through the later time points
when the flow is assumed to be radial, the slope
is
162.6qµB
- m=
kh
The reservoir parameters can then be obtained. 12
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 The zone around the wellbore is susceptible to damage from a number of
Schlumberger Basic Petroleum Engineering FTC sources. The net result is a zone of poor permeability close to the
borehole. Perforating guns are made to fire deep in an effort to bypass this
Damaged Zone region.

The zone immediately surrounding the wellbore

can be damaged for several reasons

• clay materials in the formation swollen by the

drilling fluids

• emulsions between the drilling fluid and the

reservoir oil
Notes
• drilling mud particles clogging pore channels

• precipates forming from incompatible drilling

and formation waters

• crushing of the rock by the drilling process

This causes a zone of pressure loss called the

"skin". 13
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 The Skin Factor is an important number in reservoir planning. A high
Schlumberger Basic Petroleum Engineering FTC positive skin will mean that some form of stimulation is required to
improve the situation.
Skin Factor

The skin factor, S is given a positive sign for a

damaged formation and a negative sign for an
improved one.
The positive sign reflects the additional resistance
to fluid flow, the negative the improvement in
flow.
The amount of skin can be calculated from well
tests Notes
Improvements can be made by techniques such as
fracturing or acidising or both.

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 The damaged zone has the effect of creating a pressure drop around the
Schlumberger Basic Petroleum Engineering FTC wellbore. The Skin is thus added to the basic equation as an additional
pressure term.
Pressure -Damaged Zone

Pressure Distribution with Skin

Pressure distribution without skin

Pressure

∆p skin

Pwf

Damaged zone Kres > Kdamaged zone Notes

Kres

Kdamaged zone

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 The build up test is the opposite of a drawdown test, here the well is
Schlumberger Basic Petroleum Engineering FTC closed in and the pressure increases. In order to analyse this type of test
the production time has to be known.
Pressure Pw
Build up test

constant rate

Pwf, ∆t = 0

Flow period
time, t

tp ∆t Notes

A common form of the pressure versus time

curve for a build up test.
The well is flowed for a (known) period of
time, t at a constant rate and the shut in.
The pressure starts to rise.

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 The reservoir is still “flowing” as it builds up to its static pressure. The
Schlumberger Basic Petroleum Engineering FTC equation used is called the Horner equation and uses the production time
is the time part of the equation. In all other respects it is the same as the
Build up test equations equation for the drawdown test.

This test is slightly more complex than the

drawdown test to analyse mathematically.
It is assumed there are two periods of “flow”
one with a flowrate of q and the other of -q.

The equation becomes:

Notes
162.6qµB  t p + ∆t 
p ws = pi + log
kh  ∆t 

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 This plot is analysed in exactly the same manner as that for a drawdown.
Schlumberger Basic Petroleum Engineering FTC The slope in the radial flow section is taken and the permeability
computed.

Horner plot
time, t
Pressure

extrapolated to Pr
Slope = m

skin and wellbore

storage effect

Notes
10 4 10 3 10 2 10 1
Horner Time function

The Horner time function is

t p + ∆t
∆t
where tp is the production time
∆t the time of the test, ie since shut in.
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 A major problem in build up tests is wellbore storage. If it is large it may
Schlumberger Basic Petroleum Engineering FTC mask the radial flow portion of the plot and hence make the test unusable.
Downhole shut-in, for example using a DST tool limits the effect. If there
Wellbore Storage is tubing in the well a special tool has to be used.

Wellbore storage happens

because when the well is
shut in on surface it
continues to flow downhole
as the fluid in the column is
compressible. Gas coming
out of
The effect is greatest when Solution
the well contains released
gas.
Notes
Conventional well tests are
run for a long time to
overcome this effect.
A better solution is to shut
in downhole limiting the
problem to a small volume.

Single
Phase Flow

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 The wellbore storage is simple to compute. The plot of ∆p v ∆t gives a
Schlumberger Basic Petroleum Engineering FTC straight line which will deviate at the end of wellbore storage.

Wellbore Storage Equations

The wellbore storage is given by

∆V
C=
∆p

In a well with a single phase fluid

qB 0
∆V = ∆t
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therefore
qB 0 ∆t Notes
C=
24 ∆p

If ∆p is plotted against ∆t on a linear scale the

wellbore storage will show up at early time as
a straight line with the slope that is a function
of C.

qB 0
m=
24C
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 The drawdown pressure is fixed by the operator and depends on the tubing
Schlumberger Basic Petroleum Engineering FTC and the fluid flowing. The Productivity Index is a measure of how good a
well is. It is measured in barrels/psi.

Definitions-production

Drawdown Pressure
for fluid flow a pressure difference must exist
between the reservoir and the well bore
Drawdown = Pi - Pwf

Productivity Index
The productivity index, J, is the ratio between
the production rate, q, and the pressure Notes
drawdown
J = q / ( Pi - Pwf)

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 This plot is used to compute the productivity index. The flow rate does not
Schlumberger Basic Petroleum Engineering FTC increase continuously with reducing pressure, it will reach a maximum
value. The PI is computed in the straight portion of the graph.
Inflow Performance Relation

This shows the relationship between the

production rate, q, and the flowing pressure.
It is determined by flowing the well at a
number of rates and measuring the pressures.

Pwf = Pi

Notes

Pwf

0 Flow rate

This is an idealised curve for a liquid only.

The slope of this curve is the Productivity Index 22
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 The test used to compute the PI is often part of a standard well test. The
Schlumberger Basic Petroleum Engineering FTC well is flowed at a number of different rates and the steady pressures
measured. These values are used to make the plot .

IPR test
procedure

QT4
Wellhead Flowrate

QT3

QT2
QT1

Time

Notes
Bottom Hole Pressure

P1

P2

P3

P4

Time

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Schlumberger Basic Petroleum Engineering
Derivative Plots
The derivative plot is a very useful construction as it will give valuable
FTC information unseen on other plots. This is usually the first plot made in a
modern well test to ensure all the objectives have been met, radial flow
and flow barriers or other information have been acquired. In some
complex cases a theoretical plot of the expected reservoir is made first. It
is then compared to the actual results to better analyse the test.

A method of identifying the straight line is to use

not only the pressure and time but the derivative
of the pressure as well

The straight line portion of radial flow appears as

a horizontal straight line on a log-log derivative
plot

In addition to identifying radial flow the

derivative identifies reservoir geometry and some
parameters.
Notes
The derivative for each situation is unique
although the pressure profile may look identical.

The analysis of this these curves is called

Type curve analysis

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 There a very large number of possible geometry's and hence shapes for
Schlumberger Basic Petroleum Engineering FTC these plots. Some, although showing widely different properties are
similar and have to be dealt with carefully. There is always enough
Derivative Plot Uses difference for a full interpretation.

The plots show the

different shapes of
the pressure
derivative curve
with changing
reservoir properties
or geometry.
Using model
libraries a more
precise picture of Notes
the reservoir is
obtained.

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Schlumberger Basic Petroleum Engineering FTC

Well test summary

Analysis of well tests for reservoir properties

is done when the test has reached radial flow

Radial flow is occurring when there is a

straight line on the plot of pressure versus a
logarithmic time function

The straight line portion of the curve may be

masked by
early time effect Notes
- skin and wellbore storage
late time effects
- the pressure wave reaches a
heterogeneity in the reservoir. This
could be a fault, the reservoir
boundary
Specialised analysis using MDH and Horner
plots gives the required properties of the well
and reservoir.
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