Introduction to Well Testing

Introduction to Well Testing

Upon completion of this section, the student should be able to:

1. List 4 major objectives of well testing.
2. Define, give the units for, and specify typical sources
for each of the following variables: net pay thickness,
porosity, saturation, viscosity, formation volume factor, total
compressibility, wellbore radius.
3. Be able to compute the total compressibility for different
reservoir systems.

Introduction to Well Testing

Introduction to Well Testing

Introduction to Well Testing

A well test is conducted by

Changing production rate at a well

Measuring resulting pressure response at the same well or

another well

Introduction to Well Testing

Exploration
Is this zone economic?
How large is this reservoir?

Reservoir engineering
What is the average reservoir pressure?
How do I describe this reservoir in order to
estimate reserves?
forecast future performance?
optimize production?

Production engineering
Is this well damaged?
How effective was this stimulation treatment?
Why is this well not performing as well as expected?

Introduction to Well Testing

Define reservoir limits

Distances to boundaries
Drainage area
Estimate average drainage area pressure
Characterize reservoir
Permeability
Skin factor
Dual porosity or layered behavior
Diagnose productivity problems
Permeability
Skin factor
Evaluate stimulation treatment effectiveness
Skin factor
Fracture conductivity
Fracture half-length

Introduction to Well Testing

Single well tests

Drawdown test Produce a well at constant rate and measure
the pressure response.
Buildup test Shut in a well that has been producing and
measure the pressure response.
Injection test Inject fluid into a well at constant rate and
measure the pressure response.
Injection-falloff test Shut in an injection well and measure the
pressure response.
Multi-well tests
Interference test Produce one well at constant rate and
measure the pressure response at one or more offset wells.
Pulse test Alternately produce and shut in one well and
measure the pressure response at one or more offset wells.

Introduction to Well Testing

Introduction to Well Testing

Obtained by combining

Continuity equation

Equation of state for slightly compressible liquids

Flow equation - Darcys law

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Introduction to Well Testing

The continuity equation is a restatement of the conservation of matter.

That is, the rate of accumulation of fluid within a volume element is
given by the rate at which the fluid flows into the volume minus the rate
at which the fluid flows out of the volume.
Nomenclature
=

Cross-sectional area open to flow, ft2

Rate of accumulation of mass within the volume, lbm/sec

m
v&

Fluid velocity, ft/sec

Density of fluid, lbm/ft3

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Introduction to Well Testing

This equation describes the change in density with pressure for

a liquid with small and constant compressibility.
Nomenclature
c

Compressibility, psi-1

Pressure, psi

Density of fluid, lbm/ft3

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Introduction to Well Testing

Nomenclature
A

Cross sectional area open to flow, cm2

Permeability, darcies

Length of flow path, cm

Pressure, atm

Pressure difference between upstream and

downstream sides, atm

Flow rate, cm3/sec

ux

Flow velocity, cm/sec

Spatial coordinate, cm

Viscosity, cp

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Introduction to Well Testing

The diffusivity equation is obtained by combining

-

The continuity equation

The equation of state for a slightly compressible liquid

Darcys law

Other transient flow equations may be obtained by

combining different equations of state and different flow
equations
-

Gas flow equation

Multiphase flow equation

14

Introduction to Well Testing

15

Introduction to Well Testing

The formation volume factor is the volume of fluid at

reservoir conditions necessary to produce a unit volume of
fluid at surface conditions.
Symbol Bo, Bg, Bw
Units res bbl/STB, res bbl/ Mscf
Source Lab measurements, correlations
Range and typical values
Oil
1 2 res bbl/STB, Black oil
2 4 res bbl/STB, Volatile oil
Water
1 1.1 res bbl/STB
Gas
0.5 res bbl/Mscf, at 9000 psi
5 res bbl/Mscf, at 680 psi
30 res bbl/Mscf, at 115 psi

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Introduction to Well Testing

Viscosity is a measure of resistance to flow -- specifically, it

is the ratio of the shear stress to the resulting rate of strain
within a fluid.

Symbols
o, g, w

Units cp

Source Lab measurements, correlations

Range and typical values

- 0.25 10,000 cp, Black oil
- 0.5 1.0 cp, Water
- 0.012 0.035 cp, Gas

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Introduction to Well Testing

Compressibility is the fractional change in volume due to a

unit change in pressure.
Symbol co, cg, cw
Units psi-1, microsips (1 microsip = 1x10-6 psi-1)
Source Lab measurements, correlations
Typical Values
Oil
15x10-6 psi-1, undersaturated oil
180x10-6 psi-1, saturated oil

Water
4x10-6 psi-1

Gas
1/p, Ideal gas
60x10-6 psi-1, at 9000 psi
1.5x10-3 psi-1, at 680 psi
9x10-3 psi-1, at 115 psi

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Introduction to Well Testing

Porosity is the ratio of volume of pore space to bulk volume

of rock.

Symbol -

Units
Equations - fraction
Reports - % (or fraction)

Source
Logs, cores

Range or Typical Value

30%, unconsolidated well-sorted sandstone
20%, clean, well-sorted consolidated sandstone
8%, low permeability reservoir rock
0.5%, natural fracture porosity

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Introduction to Well Testing

Permeability is the measure of capacity of rock to transmit

fluid.

Symbol
k

Units
Darcy or millidarcy (md or mD)

Source
Well tests, core analysis

Range
0.001 md - 10,000 md

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Introduction to Well Testing

Pore volume compressibility is the fractional change in

porosity due to unit change in pressure.

Symbol cf

Units psi-1, microsips

Source Lab measurement, correlation, guess

Range or Typical Value

4x10-6 psi-1, well-consolidated sandstone
30x10-6 psi-1, unconsolidated sandstone
4 to 50 x 10-6 psi-1 consolidated limestones

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Introduction to Well Testing

The net pay thickness is the total thickness of all productive

layers in communication with the well.
NOTE: Also includes any rock that has sufficient
vertical permeability to allow fluid to move to a layer
from which it may be produced.

Symbol h

Units ft

Source logs

Range or Typical Value

May be as small as 5 ft or even less
May be as large as 1,000 ft or more

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Introduction to Well Testing

Saturation is the fraction of pore volume occupied by a

particular fluid.

Symbol So, Sw, Sg

Units fraction or %

Source logs

Range or Typical Value

15 to 25% connate water saturation in well-sorted,
coarse sandstones
40 to 60% connate water saturation in poorly sorted,
fine-grained, shaly, low-permeability reservoir rock

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Introduction to Well Testing

Wellbore radius is the size of wellbore.

Symbol
rw

Units
feet

Source
Bit diameter/2
Caliper log

Range or Typical Value

2 to 8 in.

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Introduction to Well Testing

The total compressibility is the sum of pore compressibility

and saturation weighted fluid compressibilities.

Symbol ct

Units
psi-1, microsips

Source
Calculated

Range or Typical Value

See exercises

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Introduction to Well Testing

26

Exercise 1
List 4 Objectives of Well Testing
List 4 objectives of well testing. List as many as possible
without referring to the notes.
1.

2.

3.

4.

Introduction to Well Testing

27

Exercise 2
Define Variables Used In Well Testing
Define, give the units for, and name a common source for each
of the following variables used in well testing. Complete as
much of this exercise as possible before referring to the notes.
1. Porosity

2. Water saturation

3. Total compressibility

4. Oil compressibility

5. Formation volume factor

6. Viscosity

7. Wellbore radius

8. Net pay thickness

9. Permeability

Introduction to Well Testing

28

Exercise 3
Calculate Compressibility for Undersaturated Oil Reservoir
Calculate total compressibility for the following situation. Assume
solution gas/oil ratios do not include stock tank vent gas.
Undersaturated oil reservoir (above the bubblepoint)
Sw

= 17%, TDS = 18 wt %, oil gravity = 27API,

Rso

= 530 scf/STB, gas gravity = 0.85, Tf = 185F,

= 3500 psi, cf = 3.610-6 psi-1

Tsep

= 75F, p sep = 115 psia

From fluid properties correlations,

pb

= 2803 psi

co

= 1.158 x 10-5 psi-1

cw

= 2.277 x 10-5 psi-1

Introduction to Well Testing

29

Exercise 3
Calculate Compressibility for Undersaturated Oil Reservoir
Solution
ct

cf + So co + Sw cw + Sg cg

cf

3.6 x 10-6 psi-1

Sw

0.17

Sg

So

1 - Sw - Sg = 1 - 0.17 - 0.0 = 0.83

From fluid properties correlations,

pb

2803 psi

co

1.158 x 10-5

cw

2.277 x 10-6

ct

cf + So co + Sw cw + Sg cg

3.6 x 10-6 + (0.83) (1.158 x 10-5)

+ (0.17) (2.277 x 10-6) + (0) (?)

1.36 x 10-5 psi-1

Introduction to Well Testing

30

Exercise 4
Calculate Compressibility for Saturated Oil Reservoir
Calculate total compressibility for the following situation. Assume
solution gas/oil ratios do not include stock tank vent gas.
Saturated oil reservoir (below the original bubblepoint)
Sw = 17%, Sg = 5%, TDS = 18 wt %, oil gravity = 27API,
Rso = 530 scf/STB, gas gravity = 0.85, Tf = 185F,
p = 2000 psi, cf = 3.610-6 psi-1
Tsep = 75F, p sep = 115 psia

From fluid properties correlations,

pb

2803 psi

co

1.429 x 10-4 psi-1

cg

5.251 x 1-4 psi-1

cw

4.995 x 10-6 psi-1

Introduction to Well Testing

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Exercise 4
Calculate Compressibility for Saturated Oil Reservoir
Solution
ct

cf + So co + Sw cw + Sg cg

cf

3.6 x 10-6 psi-1

Sw

0.17

Sg

0.05

So

1 - 0.17 - 0.05 = 0.78

From fluid properties correlations,

pb

2803 psi

co

1.429 x 10-4 psi-1

cg

5.251 x 10-4 psi-1

cw

4.995 x 10-6 psi-1

ct

cf + So co + Sw cw + Sg cg

3.6 x 10-6 + (0.78) (1.429 x 10-4) + (0.17) (4.995 x 10-6)

+ (0.05) (5.251 x 10-4 )

1.42 x 10-4 psi-1

Introduction to Well Testing

32

Exercise 5
Calculate Compressibility for Low-Pressure, High-Permeability Gas
Reservoir
Calculate total compressibility for the following situation. Assume a dry
gas.
Low-pressure, high-permeability gas reservoir
Sw = 20%, gas gravity = 0.74, Tf = 125F, p = 125 psi,
cf = 3.610-6 psi-1, cw = 4 x 10-6 psi [Tf is outside range of
correlations]

From fluid properties correlations,

cg

8.144 x 10-3 psi-1

cw

4x10-6 psi-1

Introduction to Well Testing

33

Exercise 5
Calculate Compressibility for Low-Pressure, High-Permeability
Gas Reservoir
Solution
ct

cf + So co + Sg cg + Sw cw

cf

3.6 x 10-6 psi-1

Sw

0.2

Sg

Sg

1 - Sw - So = 1 - 0.2 - 0 = 0.8

From fluid properties correlations,

cg

8.144 x 10-3 psi-1

cw

4 x 10-6 psi-1

ct

cf + So co + Sg cg + Sw cw

3.6 x 10-6 + (0) (

+ (0.2) (4 x 10-6)

6.52 x 10-3 psi-1

) + (0.8) (8.144 x 10-3)

Introduction to Well Testing

34

Exercise 6
Calculate Compressibility for High-Pressure, Low-Permeability Gas
Reservoir
Calculate total compressibility for the following situation. Assume a
dry gas.
High pressure, low permeability gas reservoir
Sw = 35%, TDS = 22 wt %, gas gravity = 0.67, Tf = 270F,
p = 5,000 psi, cf = 2010-6 psi-1

From fluid properties correlations,

cg

= 1.447 x 10-4 psi-1

cw

= 3.512 x10-6 psi-1

Introduction to Well Testing

35

Exercise 6
Calculate Compressibility for High-Pressure, Low-Permeability Gas
Reservoir
Solution
ct

cf + So co + Sg cg + Sw cw

cf

2.0 x 10-5 psi-1

So

Sw

0.35

Sg

1 - So - Sw = 1 - 0 - 0.35 = 0.65

From fluid properties correlations,

cg

1.447 x 10-4 psi-1

cw

3.512 x 10-6 psi-1

ct

cf + So co + Sg cg + Sw cw

2.0 x 10-5 + (0) (

+(0.35) (3.512 x 10-6)

=

1.15 x 10-4 psi-1

) + (0.65) (1.447 x 10-4)