Lecture 7

Gas Well Testing Analysis

Dr. Sayed Gomaa
The British University in Egypt
2015/2016
 The Deliverability Equation
Based on the analysis for flow data obtained from a large
member of gas wells, the relationship between the gas flow rate
and pressure can be expressed as:
 The Deliverability Equation
Taking the logarithm of both sides of the deliverability equation:

The deliverability exponent n can be determined from any two

points on the straight line according to the flowing expression:

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

the performance coefficient C from:
Well Deliverability Graph
 Exponent n

• Exponent n ranges from 0.5 to 1.

• n = 1 indicates steady state viscous flow.
• n = 0.5 indicates steady state turbulent flow.
• If n is outside the range of 0.5 to 1.0, the test
may be in error because of insufficient cleanup
or liquid loading in the gas well.
 Exponent n

• n < 0.5 may be caused by:

• Liquid accumulation in the wellbore.
• n > 1.0 may be caused by:
• Fluid removal during testing or
• When a test is conducted using decreasing rate
sequence in slow stabilizing reservoirs.
 Performance Coefficient C

• C is variable with time.

• Constant only with respect to a specific time.
• The backpressure curve represents the
performance of the gas well at the end of a given
time of interest.
• For wells with low permeability, "C" will decrease
with increasing flow time.
 Types of Deliverability Tests

 Flow-after-flow Test
 Isochronal Test
 Modified Isochronal Test
 Flow-After-Flow Test
The flow-after-flow test is also referred to as a
conventional backpressure test, or a multipoint test.
If three or four rates are used, the test may be referred
to as a three-point or four-point flow test.
The main properties of this test
 Recommended for high permeability formation.
 The test starts from shut in conditions.
 No or very small shut in periods occur between each
flow.
 Flow-after-flow Test
Test Procedure
• Shut in the gas well sufficiently long for the formation
pressure to equalize at the average reservoir pressure.
• Place the well on production at a constant flow rate for
a sufficient time to allow the bottom-hole flowing
pressure to stabilize, i.e., to reach the pseudosteady
state.
• Repeat Step 2 for several rates and the stabilized
bottom-hole flow pressure is recorded at each
corresponding flow rate.
• The well is shut in until the pressure reaches the
average reservoir pressure.
 Flow-after-flow Test
• The p is considered stabilized if:
• pressure changes of less than 0.1% of the shut-in well-
head pressure over 15 minutes.
• the flow rates should be high enough to create
drawdowns of 5, 10, 15, and 20%, of the shut-in well-
head pressure.
• The rates must also be sufficiently high to continuously
unload produced fluids.
Flow-after-flow Test
 Flow-after-flow Test
The stabilization time
 The stabilization time for a well in the center of a circular or
square drainage area may be estimated from:
 Solved Example
A gas well was tested using a three-point conventional
deliverability test. Data recorded during the test are given
below:

1. Calculate the exponent n

2. Determine the performance coefficient C
3. Find the back-pressure equation
4. Generate the IPR data
5. Absolute open flow potential (AOFP)
6. The maximum allowable rate
Solution
Solution
Solution
 Isochronal Test
In low-productivity formations stabilization times can be too
long, so an isochronal test is preferred to a flow-after-flow test.
The main properties of this test
• Recommended for low permeability formation.
• Shut in time must be long enough to reach the average reservoir
pressure.
 Isochronal Test
Test Procedure
• Shut in the gas well until a stabilized or very nearly stabilized
pressure is reached.
• Place the well on production at four or more different rates for
periods of equal duration.
• Between flow periods, the well is shut-in until static conditions
are reached (pressure returns to the average reservoir pressure).
• The last flowing period is extended until stabilized flowing
conditions are reached (the extended flow period).
• The BHFP is recorded vs. time
Isochronal Test
 Solved Example
The data in the following table were reported for an isochronal test:

1. Calculate the exponent n

2. Determine the performance coefficient C
3. Find the back-pressure equation
4. Determine the AOFP
Solution
Solution
 Modified Isochronal Test
In this test we obtain the same data as in an isochronal test
without using the sometimes lengthy shut-in periods required
for pressure to stabilize completely before each flow test is run.
Modified isochronal tests are used widely because they save
time and money and because they have proved to be excellent
approximations to true isochronal tests.
The main properties of this test
• Recommended for very low permeability formation.
• Constant rates are not required in this test.
• Both production time and shut in time are equal.
 Exercise
A modified isochronal test was conducted on a gas well located in a reservoir that
had average wellhead and reservoir pressures of 2388 psia and 3700 psia,
respectively. The flow rate and flowing bottom-hole pressures were recorded in
the following table.

Find the exponent n, the performance coefficient C , the back-pressure equation

and the AOFP
Modified Isochronal Test
Thank YOU