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Well Testing
Well Testing Flow Regimes Basic Equation Well Testing Drawdown Test Build up Test IPR Test Summary

Notes

JJ Consulting 1997

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The pressure wave is likened to a wave in a pool after a stone has been 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.

Well Testing Theory

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.

rate Q

Producing

Shut in
0

Notes
Time, t 0

Bottom hole Pressure P

Time, t 0

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Flow In the well

102

The flow in the wellbore/casing/tubing of oil will take a number of forms. 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 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 tumble.

FLOW REGIMES

10

LIQUID VELOCITY

REGION I REGION II
AN

1 BUBBLE FLOW

TR

SIT

IO

REGION III

Notes
SLUG FLOW 10 GAS VELOCITY 102 MIST FLOW 103

10-1

PLUG FLOW 1

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 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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Types of flow

fracture Other forms will of cause flow the are flow possible to be near linear, the not wellbore. radial. However An induced as the or natural pressure/flow moves further out into the reservoir the flow is moving radially to reach the fracture.

Radial Flow

Notes
Linear Flow

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

Radial Flow Model

PWF

Pi
i

rw r re

Notes

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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Flow States

The pressure time graph is roughly split into three regions. The final 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 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. 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 of these two the radial flow period should, from this equation, appear as a straight line with a slope of 162.6qB/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.

Basic Equation

This equation in oilfield units is

162. 6qB kt 3. 23 p = pi pwf = log 2 kh C tr w

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 constant, known, flowrate. The build up test is the one normally used because the flowrate (in the reservoir) is constant. In a drawdown test it is often difficult to keep a constant rate. Mathematical analysis produces the required answers.

Well Testing Requirements

The objective of a well test is to obtain detailed information about the reservoir the parameters sought are Permeability Formation pressure Skin factor productivity ratio reservoir geometry There are two possibilities 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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Notes

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A drawdown test, as the name suggests, starts shut - in and is the opened to 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 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.

162.6q B 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 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

.1 Time, t

10

Notes

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

- m=

162.6qB kh

The reservoir parameters can then be obtained.

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Damaged Zone
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

The zone around the wellbore is susceptible to damage from a number of 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 region.

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".

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The Skin Factor is an important number in reservoir planning. A high 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 Improvements can be made by techniques such as fracturing or acidising or both.
Notes

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The damaged zone has the effect of creating a pressure drop around the 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 closed in and the pressure increases. In order to analyse this type of test the production time has to be known.

Build up test

Pressure Pw

constant rate

Pwf, t = 0
Flow period

time, t

tp

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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Build up test equations

The reservoir is still flowing as it builds up to its static pressure. The 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 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:

t p + t 162.6q B p ws = pi + log t kh

Notes

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

Horner plot
time, t

Pressure

Slope = m

extrapolated to Pr

skin and wellbore storage effect

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

The Horner time function is

where tp is the production time t the time of the test, ie since shut in.
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t p + t t

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A major problem in build up tests is wellbore storage. If it is large it may 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 is tubing in the well a special tool has to be used.

Wellbore Storage
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. The effect is greatest when the well contains released gas. 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.

Gas coming out of Solution

Notes

Single Phase Flow

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The wellbore storage is simple to compute. The plot of p v t gives a straight line which will deviate at the end of wellbore storage.

Wellbore Storage Equations

The wellbore storage is given by
C= V p

In a well with a single phase fluid

V = qB 0 t 24
Notes

therefore
qB 0 t 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 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 drawdown J = q / ( Pi - Pwf)

Notes

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This plot is used to compute the productivity index. The flow rate does not 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

Flow rate

This is an idealised curve for a liquid only. The slope of this curve is the Productivity Index
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The test used to compute the PI is often part of a standard well test. The 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

Wellhead Flowrate
QT4 QT3 QT2

QT1

Time

Notes

Bottom Hole Pressure

P1 P2 P3 P4 Time

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Derivative Plots
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. 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

The derivative plot is a very useful construction as it will give valuable 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.

Notes

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Derivative Plot Uses

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 the reservoir is obtained.

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

Notes

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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 - 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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Notes