Scribd
Upload
22 views

4 Lecture-1

The document discusses different types of well testing methods used in the oil and gas industry including isochronal tests, modified isochronal tests, flow after flow tests, and single-point tests. These well tests are used to evaluate production performance, reservoir characteristics, and deliverability. Key data collected includes production rates, pressure responses, and inflow performance.

Uploaded by

mohsin abro
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
22 views

4 Lecture-1

The document discusses different types of well testing methods used in the oil and gas industry including isochronal tests, modified isochronal tests, flow after flow tests, and single-point tests. These well tests are used to evaluate production performance, reservoir characteristics, and deliverability. Key data collected includes production rates, pressure responses, and inflow performance.

Uploaded by

mohsin abro
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 4

What is well testing?

Well testing is the process of measuring the changes of production or injection rate and the
bottom-hole pressure of the testing well, i.e. obtaining input or output signals of the system.
inflow performance relationship
A mathematical tool used in production engineering to assess well performance by plotting the
well production rate against the flowing bottomhole pressure (BHP). The data required to create
the IPR are obtained by measuring the production rates under various drawdown pressures. The
reservoir fluid composition and behavior of the fluid phases under flowing conditions determine
the shape of the curve.

 There are different types of well testing


 Isochronal Test
An isochronal test is a well testing method used in the oil and gas industry to evaluate the production
performance and deliverability of a well. The primary objective of an isochronal test is to determine the
well's production rate, pressure decline characteristics, and reservoir behavior over a series of equal-
duration time intervals. This test helps operators and engineers assess how a well's production
performance changes as it undergoes extended production.

Here's how an isochronal test typically works:

1. Initial Well Preparation: Before conducting the isochronal test, the well is typically prepared by
ensuring it is in stable production conditions, which may involve adjusting the well's production rate and
pressure.

2. Test Duration: The isochronal test is divided into equal-duration time intervals, such as hours or
days. These intervals are often referred to as "chronos."

3. Data Collection: During each chronos, production data is collected, including the production rate
(the amount of fluid produced per unit time) and the flowing wellhead pressure (the pressure at the
wellhead while the well is producing). These measurements are typically recorded at regular intervals
during each chronos.

4. Pressure Buildup: After each chronos, the well is shut in (closed) to allow the pressure within the
wellbore and reservoir to build up. The duration of this shut-in period may vary, but it is typically long
enough to observe pressure stabilization.

5. Pressure Data Collection: During the pressure buildup phase, pressure gauges are used to
continuously monitor the pressure response within the wellbore and reservoir as it returns to a stable state.

6. Analysis: The collected production and pressure data are analyzed to estimate key reservoir and well
parameters, including:
 Productivity Index (PI): The PI represents the well's ability to produce fluids from the reservoir. It can
be calculated from the production rate and the pressure data during each chronos.

Reservoir Pressure: By analyzing the pressure buildup data, engineers can estimate the reservoir's
initial pressure, which is a crucial parameter for reservoir characterization.

Reservoir Behavior: Isochronal tests provide insights into the reservoir's behavior, including its
permeability and the presence of any boundaries or compartmentalization.

7. Interpretation and Reporting: The results of the isochronal test are interpreted to assess the well's
performance, reservoir characteristics, and any potential issues that may affect production. A report is
typically generated to summarize the findings and make recommendations for production optimization or
further testing if needed.

Isochronal tests are valuable tools for assessing and managing well performance. They provide important
data for optimizing production strategies, identifying reservoir behavior, and making informed decisions
about reservoir development and production operations.
Modified isochronal test:
The time to build up to the average reservoir pressure before flowing for a certain period of time
still may be impractical, even after short flow periods. The objective of the modified isochronal
test is to obtain the same data as in an isochronal test without using the sometimes lengthy shut
in periods required to reach the average reservoir pressure in the drainage area of the well. The
modified isochronal test is conducted like an isochronal test, except the shut in periods are of
equal duration and the flow periods are of equal duration. The shut-in periods, should equal or
exceed the length of the flow periods. Because the well does not build up to average reservoir
pressure after each flow period, the shut-in sand-face pressures recorded immediately before
each flow period rather than the average reservoir pressure are used in the test analysis. As a
result, the modified isochronal test is less accurate than the isochronal test. As the duration of the
shut-in period increases the accuracy of the modified

 Flow after flow test

A type of deliverability test conducted in gas wells to generate a stabilized gas deliverability
curve (inflow performance relationship [IPR]). In a flow-after-flow test, a well flows under a
constant rate until it reaches stabilized conditions (pseudosteady state). After the stabilized rate
and pressure are recorded, the rate is changed and the well flows until pressure stabilizes again.
The same procedure is repeated three or four times. The stabilization requirement is an important
limitation of this type of test, especially in low-permeability formations, which require longer
stabilization times. This test is also known as a backpressure or four-point test.

 Single-point tests
Single-point tests are usually simple productivity tests that typically involve a measurement (or
estimate) of initial or average reservoir pressure and a measurement of flow rate and flowing
bottomhole pressure (which can be estimated from flowing surface pressure) at stabilized
producing conditions. From these data, the productivity index, PI, can be calculated as follows:

where

 q = flow rate (STB/day or MSCF/day)


 = initial or current average reservoir pressure (psia)
 pwf = flowing bottomhole pressure (psia)
 μ = viscosity (cp)
 B = formation volume factor (rcf/MSCF)
The productivity index can be a useful indicator of well productivity and wellbore condition during
the life of a well. PI will generally decrease over time due to declining reservoir pressure,
changes in producing conditions, and/or production problems.
Single-point tests can also be used to estimate formation permeability[4] with an iterative solution
of the transient radius of drainage equation (Equation 2) and the pseudosteady-state flow
equation (Equation 3), as follows:

where

 rd = transient radius of drainage (ft)


 k = permeability (md)
 t = flow time (hr), generally best estimated by dividing cumulative fluid production by flow
rate, q
 ϕ = porosity (fraction)
 ct = total compressibility (psia–1)
 B = formation volume factor (rb/STB for oil or rb/MSCF for gas)
 rw = wellbore radius (ft)
 h = net pay (ft)
 s′ = apparent skin factor
To solve for permeability, an arbitrary value of permeability is assumed (0.1 md is often a good
first estimate), and Equation 2 is solved for rd. Then, this value for rd is used in Equation 3 to
solve for permeability. For each iteration after the first, use the permeability calculated from
Equation 3 in solving for rd from Equation 2; this procedure usually converges in three to four
iterations.
The need to estimate an apparent skin factor, which is usually not known, is the biggest
limitation of this method. Pressure buildup tests run in other wells in the same reservoir often
provide a good estimate of typical skin factors. Low permeability wells are generally broken
down and balled out after completion and prior to testing; in these wells, a skin factor of –1 to –2
is often a reasonable assumption. If a well has been damaged by drilling fluids and the
perforations have not been broken down, a skin factor of +2 to +5 (or more) is appropriate
(see Fluid flow fundamentals).
The single-point test method for estimating permeability is valid for constant flow rate
production, constant bottomhole pressure production, or smoothly changing bottomhole
pressures and flow rates. The method is recommended for estimating permeability from
prefracture flow test data only; it does not work well with postfracture flow data. The method is
particularly useful in low permeability reservoirs where operators do not run buildup tests
routinely because of the long test times required to overcome wellbore storage effects and reach
radial flow (see Pressure transient testing).

You might also like