2004 WELL TESTING COURSE

Authors: Enzo Beretta ENI E&P Francesca Verga Politecnico di Torino

Preface
The material gathered in this volume was first presented and discussed during the Well Testing course held in 1998, in S. Donato (MI) and was further reviewed for the subsequent editions of the Well Testing course. These slides are aimed at providing with some reference guidelines both those engineers and geologists who are already familiar with well test analysis and those who are just approaching the subject. It is not meant to be a handbook and, therefore, the authors recommend that the readers refer to textbooks or to appropriate research papers available from the literature for a deeper understanding of the basic theory and current practice of well testing. The mathematical theory behind the presented equations and models is not explained into details, only the underlying assumptions are summarized. Note that the coefficients appearing in the formulae are coherent with the S.I. system of units, so readers who use other systems of units should adapt the formulae to their particular systems. SECTION 1 provides an overview on well testing targets and standards, equipment and gauge specifications, field data collection and quality control. SECTION 2 deals with flow equations for both oil and gas reservoirs. Reservoirs are first regarded as infinite acting systems; then bounded reservoirs are taken into account. The main well testing operating procedures, the flow equations used to interpret the field data, and the parameters that can be obtained are outlined in the case of both oil and gas wells. Eventually, an introduction to the pressure derivative method, currently used worldwide for well test interpretation, is presented. SECTION 3 thoroughly describes all the theoretical reservoir models together with the respective pressure derivative responses that have been developed in the literature and are available in any software for well test analysis. The models are classified as early time models to evaluate wellbore and near wellbore effects, middle time models to investigate the reservoir behavior, and late time models to infer possible boundary effects.

Well Testing
The Principle of Well Testing is ...
to analyse the output signal of a well on which a known input signal has been applied.

well
INPUT OUTPUT

Production / Injection flow rates

Bottom hole pressure

Standard Well Test

RATE and BHP -vs- time
3000

BHP, psia

2000

1000

RATE

0 0 20 40 60 80 120 160
TIME , hours

Main Targets of Well Test

define nature of produced fluids and well deliverability estimate reservoir properties ( i.e : Pf , K , Skin ) evaluate reservoir size ( drenage area ) analyse reservoir heterogeneities ( i.e : sealing boundaries ) design remedial jobs ( i.e : acid treatment / gravel packs / fracturing ) verify completion efficiency design the surface production facilities

and for new infilling wells : optimise drilling technique by choosing the best mud in order to minimise formation damage

Types of Well Test

DST Standard Production Test Interference Test (areal /vertical) Limit Test

Well Test Type DST

Well Completion Duration : : : exploration DST string very short ( few hours )

Objectives

1) 2)

Fluid samples Formation pressure

Well Test Type Standard P.T.

Well Completion Duration Objectives : : : : exploration / producing final variable ( 2 - 7 days ) 1) 2) 3) Pf , K , well damage Reservoir boundary Well deliverability

Well Test Type Areal Interference

First Well Second Well Duration Objective : : : : active ( producing ) well observer well ( shut - in ) variable ( days - weeks ) Recognise reservoir continuity between wells

Well Test Type Vertical Interference

First Pool

active ( producing ) pool observer pool ( shut - in ) variable ( hours - days ) Recognise within the well pools comunication

Second Pool : Duration : Objective :

Well Test Type Limit Test

Well Completion Duration Objectives : : : : exploration / producing final variable ( days - weeks ) 1) Investigate reservoir boundaries 2) Estimate reservoir size

Well Testing: Field Data

Field Data

Surface Data

Bottom Data

Produced Fluids

Wellhead Pressure

Wellhead Temperature

Pressure

Temperature

Flow Rates

Field Fluid Properties

DWT

SRO

Memory Gauge

Separators

Well Testing: Field Data Quality Control

Bottom Pressure / Temperature :

Always check the coherence of the instrumental response in terms of both pressure and temperature ( Validation Gauges - INT/2 ) . Always check bottomhole pressures against the corresponding wellhead pressures (DWT) taken as a reference.

Flow rates :
The flow rates selected in the Rate History must be homogeneous with the corresponding bottomhole p ( Validation Rates - INT/2 ).

Well Testing Equipment

Surface equipment : a) b) c) Downhole gauges: a) b)

Bi-threephase separators Choke manifold Dead weight tester ( DWT ) mechanical ( Amerada ) electronic : Memory gauge SRO gauge

Downhole gauge specifications

Mechanical Gauge ( Amerada )

Max W.P. Max W.T. Resolution Accuracy Drift : : : : : up to 20 Kpsia up to 200 C 0.05% full scale ( 5 psi @ 10Kpsi ) 0.4 % full scale ( 40 psia @ 10Kpsi ) 10 psi/1day - 10 psi/week

NOWADAYS HARDLY EVER USED

Downhole gauge specifications

Electronic Gauges ( Memory / SRO )

Max W.P. : 20 Kpsia Max W.T. : 185 - 190C

Strain Gauge
Resolution Accuracy Drift : : : 0.2 psia 10 psia 3 psi/1day or 1.5psi/week

Quartz Gauge
0.01 psia 2 psia negligible

Gauges specifications

Microsystems-Technology

Courtesy of Schlumberger

Well Testing: Simulation Phase-INT/2

Starting Analysis : Input Phase

Geometrical

Petrophysical

PVT

Rate History

BHP

Q.C.

Q.C.

Simulation