Introduction To Well Testing

Beirut Arab University
Faculty of Engineering
Chemical and Petroleum Eng. Dpt.
Well
Testing
Dr. Rami HARKOUSS

BAU
General view
This course provides:
• Introduction to well testing
• Oil Flow Regime
• Well Testing Methods

• Drawdown test
• Buildup
• Type Curve Matching
• Simulation
Evaluation and References
Total = 100%
10% Participation
25% Midterm (15 October 2019 at 2pm– EB132-1)
25% Project PPT presentations on Week 12
40% Final exam
Textbook Oil Well Testing Handbook, Chaudhry, Houston, Texas, 2004
MODERN WELL TEST ANALYSIS By Roland Horne

Reference(s) All kinds: handouts, lectures, internet…
Introduction
Well testing is important and useful in many
disciplines: Petroleum Eng., groundwater
hydrology, geology…
It is a means of evaluating reservoir

performance by measuring flow rates and
pressures under a range of flowing
conditions and then applying the data to a
mathematical model.
In most well tests, a limited amount of fluid is
allowed to flow from the formation being
tested.
1. The formation is isolated behind cemented

casing and perforated at the formation depth
2. or in open hole, the formation is isolated by a

pair of packers
During the flow period, the pressure at the
formation is monitored over time.
Then, the formation is closed (or shut in) and

the pressure monitored at the formation while
the fluid within the formation equilibrates.
The analysis of these pressure changes can

provide information on the size and shape of the
formation as well as its ability to produce fluids.
The objectives of a well test usually fall
into three major categories:
• reservoir evaluation
• reservoir management
• reservoir description
Reservoir evaluation
To decide how best to produce a given reservoir
(economically), we need to know its deliverability,
properties, and size.
Thus we will attempt to determine:

• reservoir conductivity kh (permeability‐thickness)
• initial reservoir pressure
• reservoir limits (or boundaries).
At the same time, we will sample the fluids so
that their physical properties can be measured
in the laboratory.
Also, we will examine the near wellbore

condition in order to evaluate whether the well
productivity is governed by wellbore effects
(such as skin) or by the reservoir at large.
The conductivity (kh) governs how fast fluids can
flow to the well. Hence it is a parameter that we
need to design well spacing and number of wells.
Reservoir pressure tells us how much potential

energy the reservoir contains (or has left) and
enables us to forecast how long the reservoir
production can be sustained.
Pressures in the vicinity of the wellbore are
affected by drilling and production processes,
and may be quite different from the
pressure and the reservoir at large.
Well test interpretation allows us to

understand those distant pressures from the
local pressures that can actually be
measured.
Analysis of reservoir limits allows us
to determine how much reservoir
fluid is present and to estimate
whether the reservoir boundaries
are closed or open.
Reservoir Management
During the life of a reservoir, we wish to
monitor performance and well condition.
It is useful to monitor changes in average

reservoir pressure so that we can refine
our forecasts of future reservoir
performance.
Reservoir Description
Geological formations hosting oil, gas, water
and geothermal reservoirs are complex, and
may contain different rock types, stratigraphic
interfaces, faults, barriers and fluid fronts.
Some of these features may influence the

pressure transient behaviour to a measurable
extent, and most will affect the reservoir
performance.
To the extent that it is possible, the use of
well test analysis for the purpose of
reservoir description will help to the
forecasting of reservoir performance.
In addition, characterization of the

reservoir can be useful in developing the
production plan.
Unit's Systems and Conversions
Types of Tests
Drawdown Test
Buildup Test
Injection Test
Falloff Test
Interference Test
Drill Stem Test (DST)
Drawdown Test
In a drawdown test, a well that is static,
stable and shut‐in is opened to flow. For
the purposes of traditional analysis, the
flow rate is supposed to be constant.
Many of the traditional analysis techniques

are derived using the drawdown test as a
basis.
In particular:
– it is difficult to make the well flow at

constant rate, even after it has stabilized
– the well condition may not initially be

either static or stable, especially if it was
recently drilled or had been flowed
previously
Buildup Test
A well which is already flowing (ideally
at constant rate) is shut in, and the
downhole pressure measured as the
pressure builds up.
The practical advantage is that the

constant flow rate condition is more
easily achieved.
Some disadvantages:
• It may be necessary to close the well

briefly to run the pressure tool into
the hole.
• Production is lost while the well is

shut in.
Injection Test
Conceptually identical to a drawdown test, except
that flow is into the well rather than out of it
Used to estimate the reservoir properties of

injection wells in waterflood and tertiary recovery
projects
Injection rates can often be controlled more easily

than production rates, however analysis of the
test results can be complicated by multiphase
effects unless the injected fluid is the same as the
original reservoir fluid
Falloff Test
A falloff test measures the pressure decline

subsequent to the closure of an injection.
(conceptually identical to a buildup test)
As with injection tests, falloff test

interpretation is more difficult if the
injected fluid is different from the original
reservoir fluid.
Interference Test
One well is produced and pressure is
observed in a different well (or wells).
It monitors pressure changes out in the

reservoir (observation well), at a distance
from the original producing well (active well).
Thus an interference test may be useful to

characterize reservoir properties over a
greater length scale than single‐well tests
• Two major objectives:
1. To determine whether two or more wells are
in pressure communication (in the same
reservoir)
2. To estimate permeability and porosity
compressibility product
Pressure changes at a distance from the
producer are very much smaller than in the
producing well itself, so interference tests
require sensitive pressure recorders and
may take a long time to carry out.
Interference tests can be used regardless

of the type of pressure change induced at
the active well (drawdown, buildup,
injection or falloff).
Drill Stem Test (DST)
It uses a special tool mounted on the end of the
drill string. It is a test commonly used to test a
newly drilled well since it can only be carried out
while a rig is over the hole, or after long time of
shut in.
The well is opened to flow by a valve at the base
of the test tool, and reservoir fluid flows up the
drill string (which is usually empty to start with).
A common test sequence is to produce, shut in,
produce again and shut in again.
Typical DST profile
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpuiyXDYUkY
DST profile

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Beirut Arab University

Dr. Rami HARKOUSS

• Oil Flow Regime

• Well Testing Methods

• Type Curve Matching

25% Midterm (15 October 2019 at 2pm– EB132-1)

25% Project PPT presentations on Week 12

40% Final exam

Textbook Oil Well Testing Handbook, Chaudhry, Houston, Texas, 2004

MODERN WELL TEST ANALYSIS By Roland Horne

It is a means of evaluating reservoir

1. The formation is isolated behind cemented

2. or in open hole, the formation is isolated by a

Then, the formation is closed (or shut in) and

The analysis of these pressure changes can

Thus we will attempt to determine:

Also, we will examine the near wellbore

Reservoir pressure tells us how much potential

Well test interpretation allows us to

It is useful to monitor changes in average

Some of these features may influence the

In addition, characterization of the

Many of the traditional analysis techniques

– it is difficult to make the well flow at

– the well condition may not initially be

The practical advantage is that the

• It may be necessary to close the well

• Production is lost while the well is

Used to estimate the reservoir properties of

Injection rates can often be controlled more easily

A falloff test measures the pressure decline

As with injection tests, falloff test

It monitors pressure changes out in the

Thus an interference test may be useful to

Interference tests can be used regardless

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