Gas Well Testing

WTAI Module IV
Contents

• Basic theory of transient and PSS flow for gases

• Solutions for the diffusivity equation for gases
• Flow-after-flow Test
• Isochronal Test
• Modified-Isochronal Test
Basic theory of gas flow in reservoirs

• Diffusivity equation for gases given by:

• Where:

• The above equation has three solutions

• The Ψ(p) solution (Exact solution)
• The pressure squared method (p2 approximation method)
• The pressure method (p-approximation method)
• The Ψ(p) solution (Exact solution)
EQUATION 1

• The Ψ(p) solution (Exact solution) for stabilized flow (PSS):

EQUATION 2
Basic theory of gas flow in reservoirs

• The pressure squared method (p2 approximation method)

• Applicable for pressure < 2000 psia
• Equation 1 can be generalized to model a drawdown test starting from any uniform drainage area
pressure () that may be much lower than the initial pressure (pi) after years of production

EQUATION 3
• For p < 2000 psia,  and z are treated constant calculated at
• Therefore integrating the pressure we get solution for transient flow,
EQUATION 4

• And for stabilized flow (PSS flow):

EQUATION 5
Basic theory of gas flow in reservoirs
• Equation 5 is a complete deliverability equation
• Given a value of flowing BHP , we can estimate the rate at which the well will deliver gas
• Certain parameters need to determined first before the equation can be used this way:
1. The well flowed at rate until (stabilized flow), equation 5 can be written in the form:
EQUATION 6
Where,
EQUATION 7
AND

EQUATION 8

Constants a and b can be determined from the flow tests for at least two rates in which and
corresponding value of are measured, also must be known
2. The well flowed for times such that (transient flow), we will need to estimate kh, s and D from
transient tests (DD and PBU tests) modelled by Equation 4
Flow After Flow Test

• In this testing method, well flows at a selected constant rate

until pressure stabilizes (PSS reached)
• Rate is then changed and the well flows again until the
pressure is stabilized
• Process repeated three to four times
• Two fundamentally different techniques can be used to
analyze the data
• Empirical Method
• Theoretical Method
Flow After Flow Test

• Empirical Method:
• Very little theoretical basis – plot of vs on a log-log paper
is approximately a straight line for many well wherein PSS
is reached
EQUATION 9

• Substantial risk of extrapolating the plot beyond the

region in which data were obtained
• Unfortunately such an extrapolation is frequently required
for calculating the AOF
• The constant C and n in equation 9 are not constants at
all, rather depend on fluid properties which are pressure
dependent
• Assumption behind using this method is that pressures
were stabilized ()
Flow After Flow Test

• Theoretical Method:
• Equation 6 suggests that if we plot / vs , the result should be straight line with slope b and intercept a
• Sound theoretical basis compared to empirical method
• Can be extrapolated to determine AOF with less error
Flow After Flow Test
Isochronal Test

• Objective is data for stabilized deliverability curve without flowing the well for sufficiently long to
achieve stabilized conditions () at each rate
• Useful for low perm reservoirs
• Test conducted as follows:
• Flow the well at a fixed rate
• Shut in to stabilize the pressure
• Flow the well at second rate for SAME LENGTH of time
• Next shut in
• Final flow – if possible should be long enough for stabilized flow
• If not possible to achieve stabilized flow, still possible to predict the deliverability characteristics
Isochronal Test

• Flow periods are of equal length except the final flow

period t1 = (t3-t2) = (t5-t4) < (t7-t6)
• Shut in periods have the objective of letting p =
• Final flow period in which well stabilizes is desirable but
not essential
Isochronal Test

• Important theoretical consideration in understanding isochronal tests:

• Radius of investigation is independent of flow rate
• ROI should be the same for each flow rate at same time
• Further, ROI at a given time is proportional to drainage radius as it is near to the point beyond which
no appreciable drawdown in reservoir pressure thus no fluid drainage
• Therefore, same portion of the reservoir is being drained at each rate and is good approximation for
stabilized flow conditions to a point just beyond r = ri
• Thus deliverability curve can be drawn at each fixed time through points (, ) for that time for several
different rates
• A truly stabilized curve can be drawn when ()
Isochronal Test

• Analysis of Data
• One rate continued to stabilization:
• Empirical Method:
1. Plot (, ) for various times on a log-log paper
2. Draw straight lines for several values of time and
find slope 1/n
3. Line with slope 1/n must then be drawn through
single point that represents stabilized flow
4. Estimate AOF by substituting pwf = 14.7 psia
Isochronal Test

• One rate continued to stabilization:

• Theoretical Method:
1. For a fixed value of t, determine b from the plot
of / vs
2. Using stabilized data point , determine a from
Isochronal Test

• One rate continued to stabilization:

Isochronal Test

• Analysis of Data
• No stabilized flow attained:
• We have noted that the stabilized flow can be expressed as:
EQUATION 6

EQUATION 7

EQUATION 8
• We have also noted that the transient equation has the form
Where, EQUATION 10

EQUATION 11
Isochronal Test

• Analysis of Data
• No stabilized flow attained:
• The objective determination of stabilized flow equation can be achieved if constant a and b can be
obtained
• Constant b can be determined from the plot
• Constant a is a little troublesome to be determined
• Only satisfactory way of determining a is through knowledge of each term in the Equation 11
• Thus we need estimates of kh, s and re
• Kh and s can be determined from series od build up and drawdown tests
• Drainage radius re must be estimated from expected well spacing or through knowledge of reservoir
geometry
• Constants a and b determined through this way can then be substituted in stabilized deliverability
equation (Equation 6)
Modified Isochronal Test

• Objective is to obtain the same data as that of isochronal

test without using the lengthy shut in periods required
for pressure to stabilize
• Shut in periods have same duration as the flow periods
• Final shut in pressure before beginning of new flow
period is taken as an approximation to
• For the first flow, use () = ()
• For second flow, ()
• Analysis procedure is same as that of isochronal test
Modified Isochronal Test
Other Well Tests
Interference Testing

• Objectives:
1. Whether two or more wells are in pressure
communication
2. When communication exists, to provide
estimates of permeability, por-compressibility
product in the vicinity of the tested well

• Conducted by producing from or injecting into

one of the wells (active well) and observing
pressure response in at least one other well
(observation well)
Interference Testing

• Active well starts producing from reservoir at

uniform pressure at time t = 0
• Pressure in an observation well, located at
distance r begins to respond after some time lag
• Magnitude and time of the deviation in pressure
response at observation well depends on rock
and fluid properties
• Vela and McKinley showed that these properties
are values from the area investigated
• A rectangle with sides of length and
• is the ROI of the active well and r is the distance
between active and observation well
• Point is that the area investigated is much larger
than some small area between the wells
Interference Testing

• Pressure change in an observation well located in

an infinite, isotropic, and homogeneous reservoir
is best described by Ei function solution

• Skin factor of active does not affect observation

well and wellbore storage effects assume
negligible
• A more convenient technique for the analysis of
interference test is use of type curves
• The type curve presented by Earlougher is simply
the Ei function expressed as a function of its
argument
Interference Testing

• The Ei function can be rearranged to give

• OR

• Where:
Interference Testing

• The type curve can also be used in following way

to analyze interference tests:
1. Plot pressure drawdown in an observation well
vs elapsed time t on the same size graph paper
as that of type curve
2. Overlay the plotted data on the type curve
until a match is found
3. Record pressure and time match points
4. Calculate permeability k using the pressure
match points

5. Calculate from the time match points:

Pulse Testing

• Same objective as conventional interference tests

• Test conducted by sending a coded signal or a
pulse sequence from an active well (producer or
injector) to a shut-in observation well
• Pulse sequence is created by:
• producing from (or injecting into) the active well
• Then shutting it in
• Repeat the sequence in regular pattern
• Reason: Can readily determine the effect of an
active well on an observation well amid
established trend and disturbance to that trend
• Highly sensitive pressure gauges required to
detect these small coded pulses, may have
magnitudes less than 0.1 psi
Pulse Testing

• Several advantages over conventional

interference tests:
1. It disrupts normal operations much less than
interference test does. Lasts minimum time
from few hours to few days
2. Fewer interpretation problems caused by
random noise and by trends that affect
pressure response in observation wells
3. Pulse test analysis is based on simple solution
to the flow equations – superposition of Ei
function solution. In many cases, longer
interference tests require that boundaries be
taken into account
Pulse Testing

• Nomenclature used in pulse test using system of

Earlougher:
• Time lag : Time elapsed between end of a pulse test
and pressure peak caused by the pulse
• Amplitude ΔP: Vertical distance between two adjacent
peaks (or valleys) and a line parallel to this through
the valley (or peak)
• : Length of each pulse period
• : Total cycle length
• Pulse 1 (first odd pulse) and pulse 2 (first even pulse)
have characteristics that differ from all subsequent
pulses
• Beyond first two, all odd pulses have similar
characteristics, and all even pulses have similar
characteristics
Pulse Testing

• Defining dimensionless variables to be used in

standard curves developed by Earlougher:
Dimensionless time lag:

Dimensionless distance between active and

observation well:

Dimensionless pressure response amplitude:

Figures given in next slides provide correlations to

be used in pulse test analysis:
Pulse Testing

• The figures use the ratios:

1. F’ = pulse length () to cycle length ()
2. Time lag ()to cycle length ()

• The figures appropriate for a given pulse number are used to obtain the values of and []
• Which are then used to provide estimates of k and фct
First odd pulse
First even pulse
All odd pulses except first
All even pulses except first
Pulse Testing
Pulse Testing