SPE Distinguished Lecturer Program

The SPE Distinguished Lecturer Program is funded principally

through a grant from the SPE Foundation.

The society gratefully acknowledges the companies that support

this program by allowing their professionals to participate as
lecturers.

Special thanks to the American Institute of

Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum
Engineers (AIME) for its contribution to
the program.

Society of Petroleum Engineers

Distinguished Lecturer Program
www.spe.org/dl
 A Twenty-Five Year
Perspective on Use of
Pressure Transient Analysis
Robert H. Hite
Shell International E&P

Society of Petroleum Engineers

Distinguished Lecturer Program
www.spe.org/dl
 Whats in the Title?

Twenty-five Years

3
 1983
Tektronix 4014
Pressure Analysis
Workstation
PAWS
Cost 72,000 USD

4
 Log-Log Diagnostic Plot
1000
Bourdet 1983
P or DP/Dln t (psi)

100

10
Bourdet, D., et al., A New Set
of Type Curves Simplifies Well
Test Analysis, World Oil, May,
1983, 95-106.
1
0.001 0.01 0.1 1 10 100 1000
Time (hrs) 5
 Whats in the Title?

Twenty-five Years

Use of Pressure Transient Analysis

(PTA)
This lecture illustrates how we have used PTA
in the last 25 years. By understanding that, you
can use this technology better in the future.

6
 The Three Big Questions

Why do we do it?

How can we do it better?

Whats the big picture?

7
 Why Do We do Well Tests?
Fluids - (gas or oil, PVT, surface
processing issues, pipeline design)
Rate - Reservoir (permeability)
Rate - Completion (skin, length,
conductivity)
Continuity - (compartments, drainage
area, nearby boundaries)
8
Rationales for Exploratory
and Appraisal Well Tests
6

Rate 4
Reservoir
Continuity

Rate
Fluids Completion
3
8 1993 Shell Case Studies
9
 Continuity Well Testing
Thin-Beds Tahoe
1.E+09
m(p) or Dm(p)/Dln t (psi2/cp)

1.E+08

1 foot

1.E+07

127 hrs. of infinite-

1.E+06 acting radial flow
0.1 1 10 100 1000
SPE 24875 by C.D. White, et al. Build-up Time (hrs) 10
 Skin Analyses on
Gulf of Mexico Wells
100%
Percentage <= X-value

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%
-5 5 15 25 35 45
Skin
1994 Study 1980's Brunei Avg 1994 Avg Brunei 11
 Skin Analyses on
Gulf of Mexico Wells
100%
Percentage <= X-value

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%
-5 5 15 25 35 45
Skin
12
1994 Study 1999 Study 2005 Study
Permanent Downhole Pressure
Dataset
10500
Pressure (psia)

9500

8500

7500

6500
q (stb/d)

20000

10000

2001 2002 2003 2004

2001 plot (Pressure [psia],

History 2002Liquid Rate [STB/D]
2003vs Time [hr]) 2004
Year 13
Optimum Value Flare
Testing
Wireline Formation
Tester & Closed
System 1991

Produce Liquids to Tanker

2003

2001 14
 Wireline Formation Tester
Mini Drill Stem Test
tool on Pipe Another observation probe
possible at 4.5 or 7m

Probe Observation while

Module Producing
2m

Packer
1m Producing Interval
Module

15
 Distribution of Perm,
53-ft Thickness, Kavg = 106 md
Distance from well(ft)
0 50 100 150 200
17280

K*H = 370 md-ft, K = 25 md

17290

17300
Depth (ft)

K*H = 1050 md-ft, K = 66 md

17310
K*H = 2200 md-ft, K = 275 md
17320
Red Producing Zone
K*H = 1970 md-ft, K = 141 md
17330 Gray Observation Probes
16
 How does Perm-Thickness
Change?
100%
K*H reduction more
80% severe than lab data.
Probably loss of H.
(K*H)/(K*H)initial

60%

40% Lab Data Set 1

20%

0%
Lab Data Set 2
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
(Pi-Plast)/Pi

Well 1 Well 2 Well 3 Trend 17

What is a horizontal well?

SPE 104480 by P.S. Fair

18
 Varying Numbers of Beds in 88
degree Slant Well
10000

1000
p or Dp/Dln t (psi)

100
Pseudo-
10 Radial Flow
Linear Flow
1 Early Radial Flow

SPE 104480 by P.S. Fair

0.1
0.0001 0.001 0.01 0.1 1 10 100 1000 10000
Time (hrs)

Vertical 1 bed 19
 Varying Numbers of Beds in 88
degree Slant Well
10000

1000
p or Dp/Dln t (psi)

100

Pseudo-
10 Radial Flow

Early Radial Flow Linear Flow

1

SPE 104480 by P.S. Fair

0.1
0.0001 0.001 0.01 0.1 1 10 100 1000 10000
Time (hrs)
Vertical 1 bed 3 beds 10 beds 20
 Summary and Conclusions
Why do we do it?

Pie chart 21-test 1993-lookback

Continuity test - thin beds

Skin distributions

How can we do it better?

Permanent downhole gauges for well and reservoir

management

Wireline Formation Tester cheaper and safer but more

information 21
 Summary and Conclusions

Whats the big picture?

PTA results versus petrophysical lab perm data

Geological layering for accurate interpretation of

horizontal wells

Most examples are from Gulf of Mexico but

principles are universal.

22
Backup
&
Extras

23
 Estimation of PTA Perm
from Petrophysical Data
100%

90%

80%
Percentage <= X-value

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%
0.1 1 10
Ratio of PTA Perm to Petrophysical Perm
1993 Study Avg 24
Rationales for Exploratory
and Appraisal Well Tests
6

Rate 4
Reservoir
Continuity

Rate
Fluids Completion
3
8 1993 Shell Case Studies
25
 Shell Offshore Inc.
Average Ultimate Recovery
12

10 Mensa
MMBE per Well

8 Auger
Mars
6 Popeye

Ram
4
Powell
2

0
55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90
Discovery Year 26
1999 Deepwater Initial Well Rates
Gas Rate (mcf/d)
0 30,000 60,000 90,000 120,000 150,000
100%
Percentage =< X-Value

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%
0 8,000 16,000 24,000 32,000 40,000
Oil Rate (stb/d)
Oil Rate Gas Rate 27
 Optimal Value Testing
What is it?
Fit for purpose with lowest cost and
HSE impact
Any test where hydrocarbons are not
produced directly to surface
New in toolbox
` Wireline formation test
Closed system test
Injection test

28
 Comparison of Permeability
Estimates
100%

90%

80%
Percentage <= X-value

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%
0.1 1 10
Ratio of PTA Perm to Petrophysical Perm
1993 Study 2005 Study 1993 Avg 2005 Avg 29
 Sequential BUs Showing
Loss of H
140,000 19
Acid Jobs
120,000 16
Perm-Thickness (md-ft)

100,000 13

80,000 10

Skin
60,000 7

40,000 4

20,000 1

0 -2
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0
Years since Start of Well
K*H Skin 30
 Pseudo-Skin Factors for
Slant Wells
0
-1
-2
-3
-4
Skin

-5
-6
-7
-8
-9
SPE 104480 by P.S. Fair
-10
0.1 1 10 100 1000 10000
hbed/rw
15 30 45 60 75 80 84 86 88 89 89.5 89.9 31
 Holistic Well Testing
All of the input data
All of the gauges
All of the build-up
All of the build-ups
All of the production history
All of the non-well test data
Operational
Petrophysical
Geological

32