Course Handbook 2017-18 EG502A

UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

COURSE HANDBOOK SESSION 2014/15

EG 502A Well Test: Analysis and Design

CREDIT POINTS
15

COURSE CO-ORDINATOR
Jan Vinogradov

COURSE ORGANISER
Jan Vinogradov

CONTRIBUTORS
Panteha Ghahri

SCRUTINEER
TBA

PRE-REQUISITE
Registered for MSc in Petroleum Engineering

CO-REQUISITE
None

COURSES FOR WHICH THIS COURSE IS A PRE-REQUISITE

None

AIMS
To provide understanding of the fundamentals of well fluids and reservoir testing and the
implications for reservoir characterisation and field development.

DESCRIPTION
The course examines the fundamental principles that govern the behaviour of reservoir fluids
and their response to reservoir features. Sampling and testing methods are presented together
with techniques of data analysis and determination of relevant properties. The theory of
reservoir pressure testing is introduced, testing methods examined and some of the standard
analysis techniques explored, using both “hand calculations” and industry standard software.

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LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of the course students should:

Learning Outcomes
A: have knowledge and understanding of
• Fluid sampling techniques and sources of error in data
• Concepts of formation volume factor (FVF).
• Theories and analysis methods that underpin the well test..
• Different types of well tests, their advantages and disadvantages.
• Response of hydrocarbon fluids to pressure and reservoir features.

B: have gained intellectual skills so that they are able to

• Use of equation of state and phase behaviour of petroleum fluid
• Perform drawdown and buildup analyses using analytical solutions
• Determine FVF from test data.
• Interpret well test data using hand calculations.
• Design well tests and select appropriate well test tool for a given application.
• Setup and run analysis of test data using industry standard software.
• Qualitatively evaluate the results of analysis to predict the existence, type and location
of reservoir features.

C: have gained or improved transferable skills so that they are able to:
• appreciate sources of error when collecting and processing data
• write a concise laboratory report
• have improved problem solving skills

SYLLABUS
• Introduction:
o Need and importance of well testing in well performance, and reservoir
performance and characterisation.
o Properties of crude oil (specific gravity, gas solubility, bubble point pressure, oil
formation volume factor, oil viscosity).

• Pressure transient theory:

o Principles and concepts.
o Application of transient, steady state and pseudo-steady state flow.
o Application of diffusion (diffusivity) equation for radial inflow.
o Skin factor and wellbore storage.
o Concept of radius of investigation.

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• Well test interpretation techniques:

o Straight line analysis.
o Semi-log (Horner) plots.
o Pressure log-log analysis.
o Bourdet derivative.
o Miller-Dyes-Hutchinson plots.
o Principle of superposition.

• Pressure Build-up Tests:

o The ideal and actual build-up tests.
o Deviations from assumptions in ideal test theory.
o Qualitative behaviour of field tests.
o Effects and duration of after flow.
o Determination of permeability and permeability thickness.
o Determination of well damage, skin factor and stimulation.
o Pressure level in surrounding formation.
o Reservoir limits test.
o Modifications for gases.
o Modifications for multiphase flow.

• Flow Tests:
o Introduction.
o Pressure drawdown tests.
o Multirate tests.

• Gas Well Testing:

o Basic theory of gas flow in reservoirs.
o Flow-after-flow tests.
o Isochronal tests and modified isochronal tests.
o Use of pseudo-pressure in gas well test analysis.

• Other Well Tests:

o Interference testing.
o Drill stem test (DST) and limitations.
o Pulse testing.
o Wireline formation tests.

• Well test design and tools:

o Overview of well test design.
o Developments in formation testing technology.
o Repeat Formation Tester (RFT) tool; Modular Formation Dynamic Tester (MDT)
tool;
o Interpretation of RFT and MDT data; Uncertainty.
o Integration of well test data and core analysis.

• Numerical well testing:

o Modelling concepts
o Use of commercial software

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RECOMMENDED BOOKS
Textbooks:
• Lee, J. (1982) Well Testing, Society of Petroleum Engineers, 159 pages. ISBN:
0-89520-317-0.
• Spivey, J. P. and W. J. Lee (2013) Applied Well Test Interpretation, Society of
Petroleum Engineers, 374 pages. ISBN: 978-1-61399-307-1.
Stewart, G. (2011), Well test: Design and Analysis, Penwell. 1544 pages. ISBN:
1-59370-231-0
Other useful references:
• Bourdet, D. (2002) Well Test Analysis: The Use of Advanced Interpretation Models,
Elsevier, 438 pages. ISBN: 978-0-444-50968-0.

TIMETABLE
30 one-hour of lecture, 7 one-hour tutorials, and 3 three-hour practical activity.

ASSESSMENT
1 three-hour written examination paper (80%), continuous assessment (20%). The continuous
assessment will be based on a written report of a simulation exercise.
Penalties for late or non-submission of in-course assignments are as follows:
i) up to one week late: 2 CGS grade points will be deducted;
ii) up to 2 weeks late: 3 CGS grade points will be deducted; and
iii) thereafter, no mark will be awarded for the assignment.
If late or non-submission is due to medical or other circumstances outwith your control, you
must submit a medical certificate or other formal evidence to the School of Engineering Office
as soon as is practicable, but no later than one week after the date the in-course assignment
should have been submitted.

FEEDBACK
Students can receive feedback on their progress with the Course on request at the weekly
tutorial/feedback sessions.

STUDENT MONITORING
Attention is drawn to Registry's guidance on student attendance and monitoring at:
http://www.abdn.ac.uk/registry/monitoring

1.1 of this guidance says that students will be reported as "at risk" if the following criteria are
met:

Either

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(i) Absence for a continuous period of 10 working days or 25% of a course (whichever is
less) without good cause being reported;
Or
(ii) Absence from two small group teaching sessions for a course without good cause (e.g
tutorial, laboratory class, any other activity where attendance is expected and can be
monitored);
Or
(iii) Failure to submit a piece of summative or a substantial piece of formative in-course
assessment for a course, by the stated deadline (e.g class test, formative essay, report on
laboratory practical).

For the purposes of this, course attendance will be monitored at the lecture and tutorial, and the
formative in-course assessment is the report on the computer simulation exercise.

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING

(i) You must not have in your possession at the examination any material other than
that expressly permitted by the examiner. Where this is permitted, such material
must not be amended, annotated or modified in any way.
(ii) During the course of the examination, you must not have in your possession or
attempt to access any material that could be determined as giving you an advantage
in the examination.
(iii) You must not attempt to communicate with any candidate during the examination,
either orally or by passing written material, or by showing material to another
candidate, nor must you attempt to view another candidate’s work.

Failure to comply with any of the above will be regarded as cheating and may lead to
disciplinary action as indicated in the Academic Quality Handbook
(http://www.abdn.ac.uk/registry/quality/).

APPROVED CALCULATORS IN EXAMINATIONS

Starting in academic year 2014-15, the School of Engineering list of approved calculators for
use in examinations will consist of a single calculator, the Casio FX-991 ES PLUS. From
September 2014 the only calculator that you may take to your desk in an examination is this
Casio calculator. Note that examiners will be aware of the capabilities of the machine and will
assume that you are able to operate this calculator in an examination. All students should ensure
that they have such a calculator and that they are familiar with its operation.

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