TAMU - Pemex

Offshore Drilling

Lesson 11
Formation Testing

1
 Formation Testing

 Downhole Test Equipment - valve

 Slip Joints
 Test String
 Surface Test Equipment
 T = H + wd
2
 Formation Testing
Exploration wells are drilled primarily for
information (not production):
from logs
drilled cuttings
cores
DST’s, etc.
Testing from floater is very expensive.
Careful planning is therefore essential.
Appropriate selection of equipment for testing is essential. Order equipment early.

3
Safety Precautions - Well Testing

1. Always set the test packer in the

casing or in the liner, never in the
open hole.
2. Perform testing in a liner or casing.
3. Use a test tree in the BOP stack.
Include an emergency downhole shut-
off near the formation. Safety devices
will be discussed with the equipment.
4
 Safety Precautions
4. Stop the test if any of the following
danger signals occur:
a. Pressure approaches the pressure
rating of any of the equipment used.
b. Equipment becomes overloaded by
excessive production.
c. Annular pressure indicates
communication between the annulus
and the test string.
5
Safety Precautions

4. Danger signals, (continued)

d. Gases reach explosive levels in

critical areas, or poison gases
are produced.
e. Vessel motion approaches
unsafe conditions.

6
Safety Precautions

5. Commence flow during daylight

6. Release packer during daylight

7
 Test Valve
operated
by Annulus
Pressure

Apply
Annulus
Pressure
2,000-2,500
Apply 1,000-1,500 psi to start flow psi
Halliburton and Johnston both have test valves of this type. Below 1,000 psi valve is closed.
8
 Johnston MFE
(Multiple Flow Evaluator)

Valve is opened by reciprocation and

requires a full cycle before actuation.

When tool is first set down on packer, the test

valve will open after 3-5 minutes.

Picking up and setting down will shut off the

flow.

9
 Johnston MFE (cont’d)

Each alternate reciprocation cycle will open

or close the valve.
Valve can be opened or closed any number
of times.

Halliburton Hydraspring Tester is

opened by compression; is closed when no
compression. Set for ~ 20,000 lbf.
10
Top of Upper Most Slip Joint

Valve Mandrel of Slip

Joint Safety Valve

Bottom of Lower Slip Joint

Seal and Port Section of

Safety Valve
Slip Joint Safety Valve.
Opens when in tension. Closed when in compression.
Shuts off flow. RUN below mud line.

11
 Figure 8.3 Chamber for
Tubing Fluid

Volume Port to Tubing

-pressure
balanced Chamber for
Annular Fluid
slip joint.

Port to Wellbore

Designed to eliminate pressure and flow surges resulting

from vessel heave. V = const (?)
{not needed with heave compensation system}

12
 Produced Fluids
Figure 8.4 to Surface

Example of
seafloor Annulus
Pressure Shear-Blind
shut-in Control Rams Closed
equipment.
K&C Valves Open

K&C Valves Closed

- to monitor annulus
pressure
Pipe Rams Closed Valves Closed
Valves Open

Hang-off Joint
(b) Well Shut in.
During Test Connections to
(a) During Test Surface Removed

Tree inside the BOP and Wellhead. Hydraulic pressure from surface holds valves open.13
 Space Out for Test Tools

The space out procedure can be as follows:

1. Land shoulder in wellhead and mark pipe

(only the large shoulder will land in the
wellhead).
2. Pick up at about 18 feet (shoulder about
4 feet above rams)
3. Close rams & land shoulder by lowering
4 feet
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Space Out-continued

 4. Mark Pipe
 5. Open rams and pick up 20 feet
a. Lower slip joint stroke 12 feet
b. Tester open 2 feet
c. Packer set distance 1 foot
Half of upper slip joint 5 feet
 6. Set Packer

15
 Space Out-continued
7. Lower handoff shoulder and hang off
on rams. When the packer is set, the
hang off point on the tool will be about
19 feet above the rams.

NOTE: A weight loss approximately equal

to the weight of the string below the
upper slip joints will indicate that the
packer has been set.
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 Hydraulic line
Figure 8.5
Subsea test tree
Example test
string Slip joints
arrangement Slip joints safety valves
Pressure recorder

Test valve

Packer

17
 Hydraulic Hose
for Test Tree Upper Test Tree
Shoulder Landed on
Mudline Pipe Rams

20,000 lbs of
3 1/2” tubing
3 1/2” Tubing

7” Casing
Figure 8.6 Upper Slip Joints

Test string Reciprocal Tester (Open)

- flowing Lower Slip Joints
Packer
position Perfs.

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Test Valve Procedure:
The test tree in the example (Table 8-1)
has the distance of eight feet between
the upper hang-off shoulder and the
lower hang-off shoulder. In this case,
the procedure might be:

 1. Land the tree in wellhead and mark

pipe (only large shoulder will land in
the wellhead).
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Test Valve Procedure:
 3. Close rams and land upper shoulder
by lowering string about 4 ft.
 4. Mark pipe.
 5. Open rams and pick up about 17 ft.
 6. Set packer and lower string to about
10 ft. below the lower mark.
 7. Close rams and land lower shoulder
on the rams by lowering the string about
2 ft.
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1. Gas Oil Flushing
2. Water Flushing Manifold
Separator Separator
3. Pressure Testing
4. Kill Line Heater

Flowline Manifold
Burner
Tank Piston
Pump

Legend
SSV Surface Safety Value
SA Sample Connection
Figure 8.8
CI Chemical Injection
DWT Dead Weight Tester Schematic of
TI
HP
Temperature Indicator
High Pressure
an oil well test
LP Low Pressure system.

21
 Horizontal Test Separator

GAS

OIL

WATER

Measure flow rates for of gas and oil. Record pressures and choke size. Do not overload. 22
 Isometric section of a 10,000 BOPD burner
Gas Inlet

Heat Shield
Water Spray

Forward
Water Spray Atomizing
Gas/Air Inlet

Oil Inlet

Smokeless Incineration - i.e., complete combustion

Atomize the oil spray, add air or air/gas mixture. Ignited by pilot. Electric ignition. Heat shield 23
Prove: T = H + wd T = ?

T
Consider a small section   
T
of the anchor chain:

s 


T W = w s
Along chain:
T = W sin  F = 0
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Prove: T = H + wd T = ?

T = W sin  T
But,W = w s
so,T = w s sin  s
h
But,s sin  = h 
so,T = w h

 T =  w h = w  h
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Prove: T = H + wd T = ?

T = w h

T
 T =  w h = w  h
T - H = wh

T = H + wd h
H
QED

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Alternate Proof: T = H + wd

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Alternate Proof: T = H + wd

H  T cos  (i)
dy
 tan  (ii)
H dx
H
y  d (iii)
w
dy
when x  0,  0 (iv )
dx

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Prove: T = H + wd
Eqn. of Catenary :
H  xw 
y  cosh   (v)
w  H 

dy H  w   xw 
    sin h   (vi)
dx w  H   H 
 xw 
From Eqn. (ii) : tan   sinh   (vii)
 H
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Prove: H = H + wd
H
From Eqn. (i) : T   H sec   H sec 2 
cos 

 xw 
From Eqn. (vii) :  H 1  tan   H 1  sinh 
2 2

 H 

 xw   xw 
T  H cosh    H cosh 
2

 H   H 

30
Prove: H =T- wd y
H
w
 xw 
cosh 
 H


(v)

wH  xw 
From Eqn. (v) : T  cos h    wy
w  H 

 H
From Eqn. (iii) : T  w  d    wd  H
 w

i.e. T  H  wd
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NAVSTAR GPS

 NAVSTAR: Navigation System with

Time and Ranging

 GPS: Global Positioning System

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 Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is GPS?
2. How is GPS used?
3. Who uses GPS?
4. What’s the status of the GPS?
5. What is the Standard Positioning Service?
6. Where can I find courses on GPS?
7. What is the status of Selective Availability (SA)?
8. What is GPS Rollover?
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 NAVSTAR GPS

A space-based radio positioning system

designed to provide highly accurate,
continuous, world-wide positioning, velocity,
and time information . . .

to an unlimited number of suitably equipped

users anywhere on or near the surface of the
earth.
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NAVSTAR GPS

 System Components

 Space (Transmitter)
 Control
 User (Receiver)

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Space Segments

Consists of a constellation
of 24 satellites in six orbital planes
(inclined at 55 degrees)
orbiting at an altitude of 10,900 miles.
Nominal period of orbit is 12 hrs.

36
Control Segment
based at Falcon AFB, CO

1 - Master Control Station

2 - Monitor stations & ground antennas
for communications and control
Users
Vehicle tracking to surveying
Handheld to large vehicles

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NAVSTAR GPS

 Transmits continuously on the same

two L-band Frequencies

 C/A-Code-Coarse Acquisition
(Civilian)
P-Code-Precision Code (Encrypted
Military)
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NAVSTAR GPS

Unknowns (4)
Ux , Uy , Uz , and CB

Knowns (4)
Satellites
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Loran C/D

 Ground based radio navigation

 Coverage --- regional
 Range --- 1,800 miles
 Error 2-D --- 1,500 ft

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Omega
Eight very low frequency transmitters
ground based radio navigation
Coverage --- 98% of globe (night)
88% of globe (day)
Error 2-D --- 2-4 nautical miles
1,000 to 2,000 ft DN mode

41
Transit

Five to eight satellite constellation low

altitude polar orbit
Space borne radio navigation system
Coverage --- global but intermittent 2-D
Error --- 1500 ft

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NAVSTAR GPS

C/A-Code-Coarse Acquisition (Civilian)

Coverage --- Global instantaneous
Error 2-D --- 330 ft

P-Code-Precision Code (Encrypted

Military)
Error 2-D --- a few ft

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