Koya University

Faculty of Engineering
Petroleum Engineering Department
Fourth Stage

Well Completion Design

{Drill Stem Test}

Prepared by:
Ahmed Hussein
Mohamad Hussein
Yadgar Ayub

Stage: Fourth stage

Supervise by: Dr.Ali K. Darwesh
Introduction:
A drill stem test (DST) is a procedure for isolating and testing the pressure, permeability and
productive capacity of a geological formation during the drilling of a well. The test is an important
measurement of pressure behaviour at the drill stem and is a valuable way of obtaining information
on the formation fluid and establishing whether a well has found a commercial hydrocarbon
reservoir.

Drill stem testing is an oil and gas exploration procedure to isolate, stimulate and flow a downhole
formation to determine the fluids present and the rate at which they can be produced. The main
objective of a DST is to evaluate the commercial viability of a zone's economic potential by
identifying productive capacity, pressure, permeability or extent of an oil or gas reservoir. These
tests can be performed in both open and cased hole environments and provide exploration teams
with valuable information about the nature of the reservoir. Drill stem testing involves deploying
a series of tools known as a test bottomhole assembly (BHA). A basic drill stem test BHA consist
of a packer or packers, which act as an expanding plug to be used to isolate sections of the well
for the testing process, valves that may be opened or closed from the surface during the test, and
recorders used to document pressure during the test. In addition to packers a downhole valve is
used to open and close the formation to measure reservoir characteristics such as pressure and
temperature which are charted on downhole recorders within the BHA. Below are two types of
BHA DST, Cased Hole which can be applied after the well has been cased, and Open Hole which
may be performed before casing.

The following reservoir characteristics can be estimated from DST test:

1. Average effective permeability
2. Reservoir pressure
3. Identify reservoir pressure
4. Well bore damage
5. Barriers, fluid contacts
6. Radius of investigation
7. Depletion

A drill stem test (DST) is a method of formation evaluation. The test allows fluids in the formation being
evaluated to flow into the drill stem and to the surface. Pressure-recording devices in the drill stem
test tool measure and record pressure in the well while it is both flowing and not flowing (shut in). A
DST can also obtain actual fluid samples from the formation. From detailed analysis of the pressure
recordings and of the fluids, the operator can infer a great deal of information about the reservoir.

Basic of DST operations:

1. Simply run DST tool with drill pipe and bottom hole assembly consisting of a packer and
a surface operated valve
2. The DST valve (tester valve) is closed while the drill string is run, this makes inside
pressure very low, therefor it will fill with cushion fluids
3. Set the packer on selected interval to isolate the desired formation zone from mud column
4. After that the tester valve will open to flow formation fluids to enter the dill pipe
5. After a suitable period, the valve is closed and the pressure build up occurs below the valve
as formation fluids re-pressure the area around the well bore
6. After a suitable build up time, the control valve is usually opened again
7. The following and shut in periods repeated several times to obtain data and verification
Horner plot method:
Transient pressure analysis of DST is based on Horner’s pressure build up equation which
describes the re-pressuring of the well bore area during he shut in period, as formation fluids moves
into the pressure drop created by the following portion of DST.
Horner’s equation is one of solution of diffusivity equation for fluid flow in porous media:
Horner’s plot method
Conditions which must be assumed during the build-up period for Horner’s equation
To be strictly correct are:
 Radial flow, steady state flow
 Infinite acting reservoir
 Homogenous and isotropy porous media
 Single phase flow
 Gravitational force is ignored

Description of Horner’s plot:

 Plot between 𝑷𝒘𝒔 vs (𝒕𝒑+Δ𝒕/Δ𝒕) on Simi log paper consist the following region:
1. An early time region (ETR): during which a pressure transient is moving through the
formation nearest the well bore, include;well bore effect, well bore storage, skin factor and
non-darcy effect.
2. A middle time region (MTR): during which the pressure transient have moved away from
the well bore into the bulk formation. A data taken from this region used to estimate
formation properties because its consider reservoir behavior
3. A late time region (LTR): in which the radius of investigation has reached the well’s
drainage boundaries.