Sonatrach's - Well Testing

INTRODUCTION TO HYDROCARBON EXPLOITATION Development Phase
Introduction to Hydrocarbon Exploitation

Well Testing
Section By Pratap Thimaiah
2005 Abalt Solutions Limited. All rights reserved
Abalt
Solutions
Well Testing
Well testing procedures are a set of tools which properly used can provide valuable clues as to the condition of production or injection wells.
Well Te sting
Abalt
Solutions
abalt solutions limited - 2005
September October 2005

Well Testing Requirements of the following parties should be normally considered:
Senior Management Explorationists Petroleum & Reservoir Engineers Production & Facilities Engineers Drilling Engineers Oil & Gas Trading Partners Regulatory Authorities
Well Testing
Abalt
Solutions
Well Testing Generally oil or gas well production tests may be classified as:
1. Periodic Production Tests 2. Deliverability Tests 3. Transient Pressure Tests
Well Te sting
Abalt
Solutions

Well Testing
1. Periodic Production Tests
Determination of relative quantities of oil, gas and water produced under normal producing conditions. Aid in well and reservoir operations, meeting legal & regulatory requirements.
Productivity or Deliverability Tests

Performed on initial completions or recompletions to determine well capability under various pressure drawdown. Aid in selection of well completions & artificial lifts.
1. Transient Pressure Tests
Well Testing
High degree of sophistication and determines formation damage or stimulation related to individual well or reservoir. Reservoir parameters such as permeability, pressure, volume and heterogeneities.
Abalt
Solutions
Periodic Production Tests Run routinely to physically measure oil, gas & water produced from a well under normal producing conditions. Provide physical evidence of well conditions. Unexpected changes such as extraneous water or gas production may signal well or reservoir problems. Abnormal production declines may mean artificial lift problems, sand fill up, scale etc.
Well Te sting
Abalt
Solutions

Periodic Production Tests
For Oil Wells, results reported as Oil production rates in bbl/day Gas-Oil ratio in ft3/bbl Water-oil ratio in % per system
For Gas wells Gas production in mscf(1000 of standard cubic feet per day)
Well Testing
Gas production in mmscf Hydrocarbon liquids or water in bcpmm
Abalt
Solutions
Productivity or Deliverability Tests

Physical or empirical determination of produced fluid flow versus bottom-hole pressure drawdown. They predict what the well should produce at other pressure drawdowns. Successfully applied to non-Darcy, below bubble point flow conditions. Do not permit calculation of formation permeability or degree of abnormal flow restriction near wellbore. Used as an indicator of well flow conditions. They involve measurement of BH Static and flowing pressure as well as fluid rates produced to the surface
Well Te sting
Abalt
Solutions

Productivity or Deliverability Tests Types
For Oil Wells
Productivity Index Inflow Performance Flow after flow Isochronal or modified isochronal
For Gas Wells

Flow after Flow Isochronal or modified isochronal
Well Testing
Abalt
Solutions
Transient Pressure Tests

Essential to analyse the current behaviour and future performance of the reservoir. Designed to provide a quantitative analysis of the reservoir properties. Conducted by creating a pressure disturbance in the reservoir and recording the pressure response at the wellbore (bottom-hole flowing pressure) Most common tests are: Pressure drawdown Pressure build-up Multi-rate Interference Pulse Drill Stem Fall off Injectivity Step rate
Well Te sting
Abalt
Solutions

Transient Pressure Tests Information available from a well test includes:

Well Testing
Effective permeability Formation damage or stimulation Flow barriers and fluid contacts Volumetric average reservoir pressure Drainage pore volume Detection, length, capacity of fractures Communication between wells
Abalt
Solutions
Drawdown Test
Series of bottom-hole pressure measurements during a period of flow at constant producing rate. Well is shut-in prior to the flow test for a period of time sufficient to allow the pressure to equalize throughout the formation. Main objective
To obtain the average permeability k of the reservoir within the drainage area of the well.
Sub-objectives
Assess the degree of damage of stimulation induced in the vicinity of the wellbore through drilling and completion practices. To determine the pore volume and to detect reservoir heterogeneities within the drainage area of the well.
Well Te sting
Abalt
Solutions

Drawdown Test
Well Testing
Abalt
Solutions
Drawdown Test
During flow at constant rate of Qo, the pressure behaviour of a well in an infinite-acting reservoir (unsteady state flow) is given by:
Can be re-written as:
Semi-log plot of pressure drawdown data
Well Te sting
Then:
Abalt
Solutions

Drawdown Test
Other parameters that can be obtained from plot
Semi-log plot of pressure drawdown data
If pwf =p1hr which is found on the extension of the straight line at log t (1 hr), then:
Well Testing
If pressure data measured at 1 hour do not fall on that line, the line must be extrapolated to 1 hour and extrapolated value of p1 hr must be used then.
Abalt
Solutions
Drawdown Test
Steps involved in drawdown test analysis: 1. Plot (pi - pwf) versus t on a log-log scale. 2. Determine the time at which the unit slope line ends. 3. Determine the corresponding time at 1 log cycle, ahead of the observed time in Step 2. This is the time that marks the end of the wellbore storage effect and the start of the semi-log straight line. 4. Estimate the wellbore storage coefficient from:
Well Te sting
Abalt
Solutions

Drawdown Test
Steps involved in drawdown test analysis continued 5. Plot pwf versus t on a semi-log scale 6. Determine the start of the straight-line portion as suggested in Step 3 and draw the best line through the points. 7. Calculate the slope of the straight line and determine the permeability k and skin factor s by applying the equations below:
Well Testing
Abalt
Solutions
Drawdown Test
8. Plot all the recorded pressure data after teia as a function of time on a regular Cartesian scale. These data should form a straight-line relationship. 9. Determine the slope of the pseudo steady-state line, i.e., dp/dt (commonly referred to as m) and use the equation below to solve for the drainage area A, 10.Estimate the time to the end of the infinite-acting (transient flow) period, i.e., teia , which marks the beginning of the pseudo steady-state flow.
Well Te sting
where m = slope of the semi-steady-state Cartesian straight-line Q = fluid flow rate, STB/day B = formation volume factor, bbl/STB
Abalt
Solutions

Drawdown Test
Steps involved in drawdown test analysis continued 11.Calculate the shape factor CA from a expression that has been devel-oped by Earlougher (1977). Earlougher has shown that the reservoir shape factor can be estimated from the following relationship:
Well Testing
12.Use Table of shape factor to determine the drainage configuration of the tested well that has a value of the shape factor CA closest to that of the cal-culated one, i.e., Step 11.
Abalt
Solutions
Pressure Build-up Test
Describes the build up in wellbore pressure with time after a well has been shut in. Serves to determine the static pressure Also serves to determine:
Effective reservoir permeability Extent of permeability damage around the wellbore Presence of faults and to some degree the distance to the faults Any interference between producing wells Limits of the reservoir where there is not a a strong water drive or where the aquifer is no larger than the hydrocarbon reservoir.
Well Te sting
Abalt
Solutions

Pressure Build-up Test In pressure build-up and drawdown analyses, the following assumptions are usually made:
With regard to reservoir
Homogeneous Isotropic Horizontal of uniform thickness
With regard to fluid

Single phase Slightly compressible Constant mo and Bo
Well Testing
With regard to flow behaviour

Laminar flow No gravity effects
Abalt
Solutions
Pressure Build-up Test
Well Te sting
Abalt
Solutions

Pressure Build-up Test Horners Plot
Well Testing
Abalt
Solutions
The Back-Pressure Test-Flow after Flow

Conventional deliverability test: gauging the ability of the well to flow against various back pressures. Rawlins and Schellhardt (1936) Shut in the gas well sufficiently long for the formation pressure to equalize at the volumetric average pressure Place the well on production at a constant flow rate Qg1 for a sufficient time to allow the bottom-hole flowing pressure to stabilize at pwf1 to reach the pseudo steady state. Repeat step 2 for several rates and the stabilised bottom-hole flow pressure is recorded at each corresponding flow rate. If three or four rates are used, the test may be referred to as three-point or four-point flow test.
Well Te sting
Abalt
Solutions

The Back-Pressure Test
Well Testing
Abalt
Solutions
The Back-Pressure Test

Conventional back-pressure test Length of the flow periods is the most important factor to be considered in performing the conventional deliverability test. Each rate must be maintained sufficiently long for the well to stabilise to reach the pseudosteady state. The stabilisation time for a well in the centre of a circular or square drainage area may be estimated from:
Well Te sting
Abalt
Solutions

Isochronal Tests
Developed to shorten test times in wells that take long time to stabilize Series of single point tests developed to estimate stabilized deliverability characteristics without actually flowing the well for time required to achieve stabilized conditions. Conducted by alternatively producing the well, shutting in the well and allowing it to build-up average reservoir pressure before beginning of the next production period. Pressures are measure several time increments during each flow period. Ex- BHFP could be measured at 0.5,1.0,1.5 etc hrs after beginning of each flow period.
Well Testing
More practical for low-permeability formations. Although not required, a final stabilized flow point usually is obtained at the end of the test.
Abalt
Solutions
Isochronal Tests
Well Te sting
Abalt
Solutions

Modified Isochronal Tests
Time to build up to average reservoir pressure before flowing for a certain period of time may be impractical. Isochronal test is modified to shorten test times further and obtain same data without using the sometimes lengthy shut-in periods required to reach average reservoir pressure in the wells drainage area. The shut-in periods are of equal duration & should equal or exceed length of flow periods. Shut-in sand face pressures are recorded immediately before each flow period and used instead of average reservoir pressures. This test is less accurate than the isochronal test. Note-As the duration of the shut-in periods increases, the accuracy of this test also increases. Although not required, a final stabilized flow point usually is obtained at the end of the test.
Well Testing
Abalt
Solutions
Modified Isochronal Tests
Well Te sting
Abalt
Solutions

Drill Stem Testing
Provides a method of temporarily completing a well and determining its productive characteristics of the specific zones DST can provide
Good data to evaluate productivity zone Completions practises Extent of formation damage Need for stimulation
Reservoir characteristics that can be estimated from analysis are:

Average effective permeability Reservoir pressure Wellbore damage Barriers, permeability changes & fluid contacts Radius of investigation depletion
Well Testing
Abalt
Solutions
Drill Stem Testing

DST Operations
Running in hole on drill pipe, bottom hole assembly consisting of a packer and a surface operated valve. The DST valve is closed while running the drill string, thus pressure inside the drill pipe is very low compared to hydrostatic mud column pressure. On bottom, the packer is set to isolate desired formation zone from mud column and control valve is opened to allow formation fluids to enter the drill pipe. After a suitable time valve is closed and pressure builds-up. Control valve is opened again, and the flowing and shut-in periods are repeated to obtain additional data
Well Te sting
Abalt
Solutions

Drill Stem Testing
Sequence of Operation:
Tool is lowered on the drill pipe to a position opposite to the formation to be tested. Packer expands against the hole to segregate the mud filled annular section from the interval of interest. The test valve allows formation fluids to enter the drill pipe during the test. The equalizing valve allows pressure equalization after the test so the packer can be retrieved.
Well Testing
By opening the test valve a decline in pressure is obtained. During the test, pressures and flow rates are measured as a function of time.
Abalt
Solutions
Drill Stem Testing
Well Te sting
Abalt
Solutions

Drill Stem Testing
Pressure Vs. Time Plot

Point A: As the tool is run in hole the Initial hydrostatic mud pressure is
recorded.
Point B: Initial shut in pressure, which is measured by closing the control

valve and allowing pressure build-up towards static reservoir pressure.
Well Testing
Point C: Second flowing and shutting in periods permits the calculation of
reservoir parameters. As the control valve is opened, pressure falls to initial flowing pressure. Point D: As fluids move up the drill pipe, pressure increases due to flow restrictions in tools. After a suitable time, the tool is shut-in and termed final flowing pressure. Point E: Pressure then increases to final shut-in pressure
Abalt
Solutions
Drill Stem Testing Recommendations

We have to consider that the main objective is to record good data. Therefore the DST must be planned to accommodate any specific situation. FIRST FLOW: (5-15 minutes), the objective is to remove any excess pressure which may have resulted from setting the packers. FIRST BUILD UP: (30-60 minutes) SECOND FLOW: (60 minutes) SECOND SHUT IN: ( from 30 minutes to several hours) finding out the transmissibility and other characteristics of the reservoir.
Pressure
2 3
4 5
Well Te sting
6 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Going into the hole Initial flow period Initial shut -in period Final flow period Final shut-in period Coming out of the hole
Time
Abalt
Solutions

Drill Stem Testing Analysis methods:
Horners Plot method to determine permeability Type curve matching method to account for wellbore storage. Kohlaas type curve matching to determine kh / Correa & Ramey for multiphase environments Computer matching DST
Well Testing
Abalt
Solutions
Injection Well Tests Pressure transient testing during injection into a well. Important for efficient planning & operation of both secondary and tertiary recovery projects. For analysis, the mobility ratio of injected fluid and in situ fluids must be near unity. Mobility Ratio M= (k/ )w (k/ )o
Ratio of mobility of the displacing (injected) fluid to the fluid being displaced.
Well Te sting
Abalt
Solutions

Injection Well Tests
Procedure
Well Shut-in to allow pressure to stabilize at initial reservoir pressure pi. Test begins at t=0 with constant injection rate q (taken ve). For the constant rate, the injection bottom hole pressure Pwf is modelled. Plot of BHP Pwf vs. logarithmic injection time t is plotted and forms a straight line with slope m. Allows the estimate of formation permeability k and skin factor s.
Well Testing
Abalt
Solutions
Step Rate Injectivity Testing

Normally used to estimate formation or fracture parting pressure, which is the injection pressure that will initiate a fracture in an un- fractured well or extend an existing fracture. Parting pressure determined from the test is equivalent to fracture extension/propagation pressure in hydraulic fracturing. Helps determine that any injection above parting pressure will can result in pre-mature break through, poor sweep, reduced oil recovery etc. Procedure Well shut- in before test begins .BHP nears static reservoir pressure. Injection rate stabilized at reduced and constant rate,stabalization period should be long to achieve steady state or pseudo-steady state flow. Injection rates are increased step wise.
In low permeability formations (k<5 mD) each injection rate should last 1 hr. In high permeability formations (k>10 mD) injection rates of 30 mins is adequate.
Abalt
Well Te sting
Solutions

Interference Tests
Involves creating pressure disturbances in one well and measuring the pressure response in the other wells. Done by either producing from or injecting into at least one well, called active well, and observing the pressure response in another well called observation well. Characteristics of pressure behaviour as function of time reflects the reservoir properties. Tests can be conducted with more than one active and more than one observation well.
Well Testing
These tests are ideal for establishing continuity of pay zone within the reservoir ,estimating volume of hydrocarbons within drainage area of wells and quantifying reservoir anisotropies.
Abalt
Solutions
Interference Tests
Note that a time lag exists between the time when a rate change is made at active well and time when pressure transient is seen in the observation well.
Well Te sting
Abalt
Solutions

Pulse Tests
A coded signal is sent from an active well to a shut-in observation well. Signal is generated by producing from or injecting into the active well, shutting in the well, producing again, shutting in again, and repeating in a regular pattern. The well is pulsed so that we can identify effective of active well on pressure response at observation well amid noise of reservoir pressure trend. Highly sensitive pressure gauges are used. These tests can quantify directional reservoir properties, such as permeability. Advantages Fewer problems with reservoir noise & pressure trends that cause errors.
Well Testing
Abalt
Solutions
Surface Test Equipments

Surface Test Tree
Used in DST operations and are four-way cross with four valves. Surface test tree should be able to support the full string weight and all four valves should provide a seal with differential pres sure. Surface test trees with have either a master or production wing valve or both, hydraulically operated. Most trees include a swivel to allow pipe rotation to set packers during tests.
Coflexip Hoses
High pressure hose used between surface trees & choke manifolds on tests conducted from floating rigs. Allows good flexibility & better corrosion resistance.
Well Te sting
Rig permanent Pipe works

Information regarding line size, wall thickness, sour service, i nspection reports must be checked. High and low pressure pipe works need to be present.
Abalt
Solutions

Hydraulic surface safety valve
Free standing valve incorporated for additional safety. Used where long high pressure flow lines are used.
Sand trap
Functions as sand separator during testing and used when excessive sand production is anticipated. Consists of 2 vertical cylinders with screen meshes of varying s izes Normally installed between flow head and choke manifold.
Sand detection equipment

Has an intrusive probe set into the flow line. Used to detect sand grains across multiphase flow conditions.
Data reader
Well Testing
Used to monitor wellhead pressure and temperatures and chemical injection upstream of choke.
Abalt
Solutions

Other equipments
Gauge tanks Surge tanks Transfer pumps Gas diverter manifold Oil diverter manifold Burners Flare lines Vent lines Emergency shut down systems Relief lines
Well Te sting
Abalt
Solutions

Sonatrach's - Well Testing

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Sonatrach's - Well Testing

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

INTRODUCTION TO HYDROCARBON EXPLOITATION Development Phase

Introduction to Hydrocarbon Exploitation

2005 Abalt Solutions Limited. All rights reserved

2005 Abalt Solutions Limited. All rights reserved

abalt solutions limited - 2005

September October 2005

INTRODUCTION TO HYDROCARBON EXPLOITATION Development Phase

2005 Abalt Solutions Limited. All rights reserved

2005 Abalt Solutions Limited. All rights reserved

abalt solutions limited - 2005

September October 2005

INTRODUCTION TO HYDROCARBON EXPLOITATION Development Phase

Productivity or Deliverability Tests

1. Transient Pressure Tests

2005 Abalt Solutions Limited. All rights reserved

2005 Abalt Solutions Limited. All rights reserved

abalt solutions limited - 2005

September October 2005

INTRODUCTION TO HYDROCARBON EXPLOITATION Development Phase

Gas production in mmscf Hydrocarbon liquids or water in bcpmm

2005 Abalt Solutions Limited. All rights reserved

Productivity or Deliverability Tests

2005 Abalt Solutions Limited. All rights reserved

abalt solutions limited - 2005

September October 2005

INTRODUCTION TO HYDROCARBON EXPLOITATION Development Phase

For Gas Wells

2005 Abalt Solutions Limited. All rights reserved

Transient Pressure Tests

2005 Abalt Solutions Limited. All rights reserved

abalt solutions limited - 2005

September October 2005

INTRODUCTION TO HYDROCARBON EXPLOITATION Development Phase

2005 Abalt Solutions Limited. All rights reserved

2005 Abalt Solutions Limited. All rights reserved

abalt solutions limited - 2005

September October 2005

INTRODUCTION TO HYDROCARBON EXPLOITATION Development Phase

2005 Abalt Solutions Limited. All rights reserved

Can be re-written as:

Semi-log plot of pressure drawdown data

2005 Abalt Solutions Limited. All rights reserved

abalt solutions limited - 2005

September October 2005

INTRODUCTION TO HYDROCARBON EXPLOITATION Development Phase

2005 Abalt Solutions Limited. All rights reserved

2005 Abalt Solutions Limited. All rights reserved

abalt solutions limited - 2005

September October 2005

INTRODUCTION TO HYDROCARBON EXPLOITATION Development Phase

2005 Abalt Solutions Limited. All rights reserved

2005 Abalt Solutions Limited. All rights reserved

abalt solutions limited - 2005

September October 2005

INTRODUCTION TO HYDROCARBON EXPLOITATION Development Phase

2005 Abalt Solutions Limited. All rights reserved

Pressure Build-up Test

2005 Abalt Solutions Limited. All rights reserved

abalt solutions limited - 2005

September October 2005

INTRODUCTION TO HYDROCARBON EXPLOITATION Development Phase

With regard to fluid