Gas Well

DeliverabilityTesting
Module 5
References
 Reservoir Engineering Handbook by Tarek
Ahmed. 3rd Edition. Chapter 8 – Gas Well
Performance.
 Schlumberger – Introduction to Well Testing.
Section 3 – Practical Well Testing.
 Gas Well Testing Handbook by Amanat U.
Chaudhry. Chapter 4.
 Well Testing Interpretation Methods by Gilles
Bourdarot. Chapter 20.
 Gas Reservoir Engineering by Lee and
Wattenbarger. SPE Textbook Series, Vol. 5. pg.
172-189, 312-320.
2
Introduction
 Tests on oil and gas wells are performed at
various stages of drilling, completion and
production.
 The test objectives at each stage range from
simple identification of produced fluids and
determination of reservoir deliverability to the
characterisation of complex reservoir features.
 Most well tests can be grouped either as
productivity testing or as descriptive/reservoir
testing.

3
Productivity Tests
Productivity well tests are conducted to:
 Identify produced fluids and determine their
respective volume ratios.
 Measure reservoir pressure and temperature.
 Obtain samples suitable for PVT analysis.
 Determine well deliverability.
 Evaluate completion efficiency.
 Characterize well damage.
 Evaluate workover or stimulation treatment.

4
Descriptive/Reservoir Tests
Descriptive tests seek to:
 Evaluate reservoir parameters.
 Characterize reservoir heterogeneities.
 Assess reservoir extent and geometry.
 Determine hydraulic communication
between wells.

5
Gas Well Deliverability Tests
(Backpressure Tests)
 The stabilized flow capacity or deliverability of a
gas well is required for planning the operation of
any gas field.
 Consist of a series of flows at different rates or
bottomhole pressures, data is recorded as a
function of time.
 Usually run to forecast future production and to
determine well performance.
 Stabilized rates and pressures are preferred but
may take too long.
 There are several ways to run the tests and
analyze the results.
6
Reservoir Deliverability Well Testing
 Reservoir deliverability is a key concern for
commercial exploitation.

 Estimating a reservoir’s productivity requires

relating flow rates to drawdown pressures.

 This can be achieved by flowing the well at

several flow rates (different choke sizes) and
measuring the stabilized bottomhole pressure
and temperature prior to changing the choke.

7
 Relations between flow
rates and drawdown
pressures used for
estimating reservoir
productivity.
A stepped production
schedule during a
productivity test (a) is
achieved by flowing the
well at several flow
rates.
Associated (stabilized)
bottomhole pressure (b)
is measured before
changing the choke.
K. Boodoo 8
9
 Gas Well
Deliverability
Testing

Conventional Modified
Isochronal
Backpressure Isochronal
Test
Test Test

10
11
 Conventional
Backpressure Test
Flow After Flow Test

12
Conventional Backpressure Test
(Flow After Flow Test)
 Rawlins and Schellhardt (1936) proposed
a method for testing gas wells by gauging
the ability of the well to flow against
various back pressures.
 This type of flow test is commonly referred
to as the conventional deliverability test.
 The required procedure for conducting this
back-pressure test consists of the
following steps:

13
Procedure for Conducting Back-
Pressure Tests
1) Shut in the gas well sufficiently long for the
formation pressure to equalize at the volumetric
average pressure pr.
2) 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, i.e., to
reach the pseudosteady state.
3) Repeat Step 2 for several rates and the stabilized
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 a three-point
or four-point flow test.
14
Procedure for Conducting Back-
Pressure Tests
NB:
 Conventional back-pressure tests are
mainly conducted in highly permeable
formations, whereas isochronal and
modified isochronal tests are preferred in
reservoirs with poor characteristics.

15
Conventional Backpressure Test
(Flow After Flow Test)

16
Conventional Backpressure Test
(Flow After Flow Test)
 The rate and pressure history of a typical four-
point test was shown in the previous slide.
 The figure illustrates a normal sequence of rate
changes where the rate is increased during the
test.
 The most important factor to be considered in
performing the conventional deliverability test is
the length of the flow periods. It is required that
each rate be maintained sufficiently long for the
well to stabilize, i.e., to reach the pseudosteady
state.

17
Stabilization Time
 The stabilization time for a well in the center of a circular or
square drainage area may be estimated from:

1200S g  g re2
ts 
k pr
 Where:
ts = stabilization time, hr
φ = porosity, fraction
μg = gas viscosity, cp
Sg = gas saturation, fraction
k = gas effective permeability, md
pr = average reservoir pressure, psia
re = drainage radius, ft
18
Exponent, n

The exponent n is intended to account for the additional

pressure drop caused by the high-velocity gas flow, i.e.,
turbulence. Depending on the flowing conditions, the
exponent n may vary from 1.0 for completely laminar flow
to 0.5 for fully turbulent flow. If n is outside the range of
0.5-1.0, the test may be in error because of insufficient
cleanup of the well or liquid loading in the well.
19
Performance Coefficient, C
The performance coefficient C is included
to account for:
 Reservoir rock properties
 Fluid properties
 Reservoir flow geometry

20
Conventional Backpressure Test
 If the coefficients of the equation (i.e., n
and C) can be determined, the gas flow
rate Qg at any bottom-hole flow pressure
pwf can be calculated and the IPR curve
constructed.
 Taking the logarithm of both sides of the
equation gives:

21
Plot: log-log paper
 This equation suggests that a plot of Qg

2

versus p r  pwf on log-log scales should
2

yield a straight line having a slope of n.

 In the natural gas industry the plot is
 2
traditionally reversed by plotting p r  pwf
2

versus Qg on the logarithmic scales to
produce a straight line with a slope of
(1/n).

 2
NB : p r  p 2
wf   p 2

22
Conventional Backpressure Test
Well Deliverability Graph

23
Conventional Backpressure Test

24
Calculating n and C
 The deliverability exponent n can be determined from any
two points on the straight line, i.e., (Qg1, Δp12) and
(Qg2,Δp22), according to the flowing expression:

 Given n, any point on the straight line can be used to

compute the performance coefficient C from:

25
Example
 A gas well was tested using a three-point
conventional deliverability test. Data
recorded during the test are given below:
pwf, psia Qg, Mscf/day
Pr = 1952 0
1700 2624.6
1500 4154.7
1300 5425.1

Generate the current IPR by using the

Conventional back-pressure equation.
26
Solution
 Step 1. Prepare the following table:

27
Solution (Cont’d)
 Step 2. Plot (pr2 − p2wf) versus Qg on a log-
log scale. Draw the best straight line
through the points.

K. Boodoo 28
Solution (Cont’d)
 Step 3. Using any two points on the
straight line, calculate the exponent n
from Equation:

29
Solution (Cont’d)
 Step 4. Determine the performance
coefficient C by using the coordinate of
any point on the straight line:

30
Solution (Cont’d)
 Step 5. Substituting the calculated values
for n (Step 3) and C (Step 4), the back-
pressure equation is then expressed as:

When n=0.87, C=0.0169 and pr=1952 [pr2=(1952)2=3810000]

31
Solution (Cont’d)
 Step 6. Generate the IPR data by
assuming various values of pwf and
calculate the corresponding Qg.

32
Solution (Cont’d)
IPR
pwf, psi

2500

2000

1500

1000

500

0
0 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Flow Rate, Qg (Mscf/day)
33
Isochronal Testing

34
Isochronal Testing
 The isochronal, or equal time, test is based on
the theory that at equal flow times the same
volume of reservoir is affected regardless of flow
rate.
 The isochronal test was proposed as a
means of determining deliverability in
tight wells that required a long period of
time to reach stabilization.

35
Procedure for Isochronal Tests
1) Starting at a shut–in condition, open the well on
a constant production rate and measure pwf at
specific time periods.
2) Shut the well in and allow the pressure to build
up to pr.
3) Open the well on another producing rate (change
choke size) and measure the pressure at the
same intervals.
4) Shut the well in again until pwf = pr.
5) Repeat this procedure for several rates.

36
Procedure for Isochronal Tests
NB:
 The production periods all last the same. They are
separated by shut-in periods that are long enough for the
pressure to come back to the level before opening. Hence,
the total production period for each rate may be less than
the stabilization time.
 The duration of buildup periods in the isochronal test
explains why the modified isochronal test is often
preferred.
 The isochronal test is more accurate than the modified
isochronal test and should be used if greater accuracy is
required.

37
Isochronal Testing

38
Isochronal Testing
 The test is analyzed by plotting Pr2 - Pwf2
versus qsc on log-log paper for each flow
time at which the data were measured.
This will produce one straight line for each
flow time, the slopes of which will be
equal. The slope allows determination of
the exponent n, while the flow coefficient
C can be determined using the stabilized
or extended flow rate.

39
Isochronal Testing

40
Isochronal Testing

41
Modified Isochronal
Testing

42
Modified Isochronal Testing
 The modified isochronal testing procedure was
introduced so that even less flowing time is
required for the well test.
 The procedure is very similar to the isochronal
test, except that the shut-in period between each
flow rate is not long enough to allow the well to
return to the initial average reservoir pressure.
 In the modified method the well is shut-in for
the same length of time that it was allowed to
flow for each choke size.

43
Procedure for Modified Isochronal
Tests
1) If the shut–in time required for the build back up
to pr between flow periods is excessive, the
isochronal test may be modified.
2) The modification consists of shutting the well in
between each flow period for a period of time
equal to the producing time.
3) The static wellbore pressure pws may not reach pr
but a plot of (p2wsi - p2wfi ) versus qg will usually
produce a straight line from which n may be
obtained

44
Procedure for Modified Isochronal
Tests
4) A stabilized test is still required to
calculate a value for C.

NB: The modified isochronal test differs

from the isochronal test by the duration
of buildup periods, which last just as long
as drawdown periods. In the modified
test, the pressure does not come back to
the initial level at the end of intermediate
buildup periods.
45
Modified Isochronal Testing

46
Modified Isochronal Testing

47
Modified Isochronal Testing

48
Example 2 Modified Isochronal Test
EXAMPLE 6.2

A modified isochronal test was performed on well B.2. Using the following test
data.

ACTIVITY CHOKE BHP FLOW DURATION

RATE
(64TH) (psia) (MMscf/D) (Hrs)
(INCH)

Initial Shut In - 7521 - -

1st Isochronal Flow 10 7495 13.5 2

1st Iscochronal Shut In - 7521 - 2

2nd Isochronal Flow 15 7475 20.6 2

2nd Isochronal Shut In - 7521 - 2

3rd Isochronal Flow 17 7468 23.7 2

3rd Isochronal Shut In - 7521 - 2

1st Drawdown Test 9 7496 11.3 8

2nd Drawdown Test 13 7477 18.9 8

Extended Flow Test 26 7348 53 4.3

Determine

(a) The value of C and n.

49
(b) The absolute open flow potential of well B.2.
 Example 2 Modified Isochronal Test

ACTIVITY CHOKE BHP FLOW DURATION P2

RATE
(64TH) (psia) (MMscf/D) (Hrs) (psia2)
(INCH)

Initial Shut In - 7521 - - -

1st Isochronal Flow 10 7495 13.5 2 3.904 x 105
1st Iscochronal Shut In - 7521 - 2 -
2nd Isochronal Flow 15 7475 20.6 2 6.898 x 105
2nd Isochronal Shut In - 7521 - 2 -
3rd Isochronal Flow 17 7468 23.7 2 7.944 x 105
3rd Isochronal Shut In - 7521 - 2 -
1st Drawdown Test 9 7496 11.3 8 Not needed
2nd Drawdown Test 13 7477 18.9 8 Not needed
Extended Flow Test 26 7348 53 4.3 2.572 x 106

50
 Example 2 Modified Isochronal Test

n = 0.792
 

51
Example 2 Modified Isochronal Test

52
Example 2 Modified Isochronal Test

53
Example 2 Modified Isochronal Test

54