Gas Well Testing & Saphir Training

TOTAL / GSR/VDG/MO for POGC

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Gas Well Testing

Gas Well Testing

What for?

•Evaluation of well productivity

•Evaluation of reservoir properties nearby the well (K.h)
•Evaluation of Skin (acid treatment needed?) & Turbulence factor (D)
•Evaluation of initial reservoir Pressure
•Presence of heterogeneities / boundaries close to the well (faults…)

How?

Record pressure evolution during sequences of flows periods / shut-in periods

and analyze this pressure evolution

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Gas Well Testing

Gas Well Testing Principle

Analyzis of the pressure evolution

due to flow variations

Pressure

dP for a given dt

dt

time

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 Gas Well Testing

Gas Testing Design

3 different types of gas test designs:

Reaching a stabilized regime means that bottom hole pressure evolution is stabilized

•Back-pressure test: succession of flow period at different rates ended by a main build-
up. Stabilization should be reached at each flow step before going to next flow-rate. This
test is used when permeability is high enough for the test not to last too long.

•Isochronal test. Test used for reservoir with low permeability. It consists on an
alternate of flow period (stabilization not required) followed by build-up periods (wait for
stabilization) and is ended by a flow period until stabilization is reached. This test can be
very long.

•Modified isochronal test: based on isochronal principle except that stabilization is not
needed both during flow periods and Build-up periods. Only the last flow period
continues until having reached a stabilization.

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 Gas Well Testing

Gas Testing Design: flow-rates data recording

Produced flow is diverted through the Test Separator. Flow-

rates readings are very important for the test interpretation.
Everything should be recorded (Qg, GOR…). Give a complete
list of all what you want (specify reporting frequency) to the
testing operator.

Gas Testing Design: data recording

Depending on the objective of the test, on the reservoir environment (T and P),
whether you want live reading, on the wanted data precision and on the
corresponding cost, Pressure gauges should be chosen accordingly.

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 Gas Well Testing

Wellbore Storage

Normally noted C

When one opens the well the first

production is only due to the expansion
of the fluid present into the tubing

Wellbore storage effects ends when

production from reservoir formation
corresponds to surface production

Definition

For SP wells C: fluid (into the well) compressibility

Vw: well volume

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 Gas Well Testing

Radius of Investigation

During a well test :

•It is the zone where the fluids are starting to move (compressible zone)
•The well test interpretation will only give information inside the circle of radius Rinv

Different definitions available for Rinv

Rinv = 0.032.((k . t ) / (Φ . µ . Ct))^0.5 (US units)

Rinv = 0.038.((k . t ) / (Φ . µ . Ct))^0.5 (metric units)

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Gas Well Testing Saphir Software

SAPHIR SOFTWARE

TOTAL / GSR/VDG/MO for POGC

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Gas Well Testing Saphir Software

SAPHIR SOFTWARE

Well Testing procedure

•Collect data: pressure data from gauges and testing report with detail of
operations, flow periods, testing string…

•Create your project using Saphir

•Load testing data
•Interpret the data. Obtain several possible models
•Choose the model
•Conclude and input results in simulation model

TOTAL / GSR/VDG/MO for POGC

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Gas Well Testing Saphir Software

Create a Saphir project

First part is to define and give to the software all information needed for initialization:

•Tested fluid nature (Oil, Gas, Water)

•Any PVT data related to this fluid:
•Composition
•Acid gas
•PVT experiment results: CVD…
•Pres and Tres. If unknown try to estimate coarsely from drilling data, MDT points…
•Length of tested interval, assumed NTG, porosity (from Logs)
•Units to b used (for Qgas, pressure, temperature, time…)
•Date of the test and any relevant comments
•Well completion (wellbore diameter)

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Gas Well Testing Saphir Software

Saphir Project
Initialisation

TOTAL / GSR/VDG/MO for POGC

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Gas Well Testing Saphir Software Initialisation

Main Options

•Fluid phase
•Diameter of wellbore
•Perforated interval*NTG
•Averaged porosity of pay zone
•Date of test

Units

•Gas Rate MMscf/d

•Condensate rate stb/d
•Pressure psia
•Length feet

TOTAL / GSR/VDG/MO for POGC

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 Gas Well Testing Saphir Software

Choice of fluid phase for SouthPars Fluid

•Fluid in place is a gas condensate fluid

•Saphir suggest the two options GAS or CONDENSATE

Option GAS Option CONDENSATE

Using the gas option Saphir needs: Using the condensate option Saphir needs:

•Gas composition •Gas AND condensate rates

•Z, Bg, cg, Rhog evolution vs P (available in •Complete description of separator gas (Bg, cg,
PVT reports) Mug, Rhog…) AND of separator liquid (Bo, co,
Rhoo, Muo…)

•Dew point Pressure

A lot of data needed for the Condensate Option are not available:

either trust Saphir correlations or choose Gas option

Error made: a couple of % on the gas rates

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 REMINDER PVT Parameters

Ideal Gas Equation Of State (EOS) : PV = n.R.T

For real gas P.V = Z . n . R . T i.e. Z = P.V / nRT (1)

In current EOS used, V in (1) is V(T,P)

e.g. Van der Waals EOS is a cubic in Z equation:

P… becomes, using Z= P.V / nRT, Z^3 +…= 0

Bg and Bo: Formation Volume Factors

ug and uo: gas and oil viscosity

Rhog and Rhoo: gas and oil density

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 Gas Well Testing Saphir Software

Information box

Do not hesitate to fill in this part

•Well name
•Formation tested / Date of test
•Gauge number / depth of the gauge
Very important if you share the files with other
people

PVT parameters

•Input Reservoir Temperature&Pressure

•Input extreme pressures and increment step (used in
tables for Z, Bg…)

•Click on the red bottle to fill-in PVT data

•Input in comments reference of PVT reports used

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 Gas Well Testing Saphir Software

Reference depth used for interpretation

Usually Pressure gauges in the DST string

RFT Pressure (psia) are set a couple of meters above the Top
5100 5200 5300 5400 5500
2650 perforations. It is essential to know the
Depth ( mTVD MSL)

exact depth of the gauges.

2700 SP-5
2750 For South Pars gas gradient = 0.355 psi/m
SP-6
2800 Pres = 5290 psia @2900mTVDSS
2850
2900
Always give the reference depth when
2950 you talk about Pres value.
3000
3050
If gauge is set @2820m TVDSS
3100
expected Pres?
3150

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 Gas Well Testing Saphir Software

PVT Parameters
Option GAS Option CONDENSATE

Ask for data regarding the separator Gas

Ask for data regarding the (wet) GAS Phase
and separator Condensate

Most of them are Most of them are not

available in PVT reports available in reports

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 Gas Well Testing Saphir Software
1 2 3
Option GAS: PVT parameters: Z, Bg, cg,

Possibility to change Z factor evolution vs Pressure

•Input one experimental point(s) and choose correlation(A)

•Import data CVD results (in text format) (B)

A: Choose one correlation in (1)

•Add experimental points (2) and ask for correlation

B: Import data from CVD results (in text format) (3). Z
evolution not correlated

•Import file Bg and Cg?

calculated internally
•Right-Click to define corresponding parameter
by Saphir from Z
•Define number of lines to be loaded
curve

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Gas Well Testing Saphir Software

Formation Compressibility

For South Pars

Based on textbook correlations

(Hall and Van De Knaap
correlations) it has been decided to
take in the simulation model a rock
compressibility of

Cr = 4.10-6 (1/psi)

Click to « CREATE » and SAVE THE PROJECT

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Gas Well Testing Saphir Software

TOTAL / GSR/VDG/MO for POGC

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 Pressure and Flow-rate
data Loading

TOTAL / GSR/VDG/MO for POGC

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Gas Well Testing Saphir Software

Next STEP

•Load Pressure data

•Clean the pressure data
•Input corresponding gas rates
Ready for interpretation

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Gas Well Testing Saphir Software

Pressure data loading

•Using Ascii file: assumes all your data are ready for
use in a text file. Drawback: all the data will be loaded

•Using Clipboard: ex: all the usefull data are ready in

Excel format. Just select them in Excel, copy them (crtl
+ C), activate Saphir, Click ‘’ Load P’’, choose
‘’Clipboard’’ and ‘’OK’’.

•Using Keyboard: manual input

•Using PAS file: direct reading from gauges output (not
used and can be bypassed).

•Describe gauge type / name…

•Right-Click and define each
column

•Define number of data lines

TOTAL / GSR/VDG/MO for POGC

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Gas Well Testing Saphir Software

Arrange Pressure data

Pressure data Cleaning •The gauges have recorded from start the pressure
(when RIH, pressure tests, POOH, during pumping
phase of acid job…)

•A lot of pressure data not usefull

•Recommended to clean the pressure data prior
interpretation

•Increase Y scale for better reading (Right-Click on the

vertical scale area / vertical scale / click for defining the
limits on the plot) or use

•Do not hesitate to zoom in / zoom out for better view

Once Cleaning completed SAVE YOUR PROJECT

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Gas Well Testing Saphir Software

Once Pressure data loaded

•Input flowrates data by clicking on ‘’Edit Rates’’

•Use Zoom In for defining the exact point you want the
change of flowrate to occur.

•Use the rate icones for inserting the required change of

rate.

•Every significant change of pressure should have its

corresponding change of flow-rate

Once all your data are loaded and « cleaned » Save you
project and start the interpretation

TOTAL / GSR/VDG/MO for POGC

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Gas Well Testing Saphir Software

TOTAL / GSR/VDG/MO for POGC

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