GAS FIELD ENGINEERING

Deliverability Tests

CONTENTS
5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4
5.5
5.6
5.7

Radius of investigation
Time to stabilization
Introduction to Deliverability Testing
Flow-after-flow tests
Isochronal tests
Modified Isochronal tests
Classifications, limitations, & use of Deliverability tests

LESSON LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the session, students should be able to:
Understand radius of investigation & stabilization time

Calculate deliverability of gas wells by using various flow

tests
Understand classifications, limitations , and the use of
deliverability tests

Radius of Investigation
re = radius of reservoir boundary
ri = radius of investigation
rw = radius of wellbore

Why do we care about radius of

investigation?
To tell if the flow has been stabilized.
Flow is transient before rinv reaches re
Flow is stable i.e. pseudo-steady state if rinv = re
Result Analysis is different for transient vs pseudo-steady state

Radius of Investigation
for rinv < re.

(4.65)

As long as the radius of investigation is less than re,

stabilization has not been reached and the flow is said to be
transient. Gas well tests often involve interpretation of data
obtained in the transient flow regime.
If rinv = re the flow is pseudo-steady-state.
When the radius of investigation reaches the exterior boundary,
re, of a closed reservoir, the effective drainage radius is given by
rd = 0.472 re

(4.66)
6

Time to Stabilization
Time to stabilization can be determined by
(4.63)

Example
Calculating Radius of Investigation

Solution Using Eq, time to stabilization is

Using Eq, the radius of investigation is

Gas Well Deliverability-Before

Early estimates of gas well performance were conducted by
opening the well to the atmosphere and then measuring the
flow rate.
Such open flow practices were:
-- wasteful of gas,
-- dangerous to personnel and equipment, and
-- damaging to the reservoir.
-- provided limited information to estimate productive
capacity under varying flow conditions

Gas Well Deliverability-Now

The productivity of a gas well is now determined with
deliverability testing. It provides:
-- Rate-pressure behavior for the well in form of an
inflow performance curve (IPR) or gas backpressure curve.
-- Finds theoretical
maximum flow rate
possible for the well
called Absolute
Open Flow (AOF).

10

Gas Well Deliverability Testing

The stabilized flow capacity or deliverability of a gas well
is required for planning the operation of any gas field.
The Absolute Open Flow (AOF) potential of a well is defined
as the rate at which the well will produce against a zero
backpressure. It cannot be measured directly but may be
obtained from deliverability tests.
Most common types of deliverability tests:

Flow-after-flow test
Isochronal test

Modified isochronal test

11

Test Schematic

12

Analyzing Deliverability Test

There are two basic relations currently in used to analyze
deliverability test data:
-- Empirical relationship of Rawlins and Schellhardt based on
500 wells data.
C = flow coefficient
n = deliverability exponent

-- Theoretical relationship by Houpeurt derived from radial

diffusivity equation accounting for non-Darcy flow effects.
a = laminar flow coefficient
b = turbulence coefficient
13

Flow-after-Flow Test

Figure (5.1) Conventional flow rate and pressure diagrams.

14

Flow-after-flow tests
The test is often referred to as a four-point test, because many
tests are composed of four flow rates, as required by various
regulatory bodies.

This test is performed by producing the well at a series of

stabilized flow rates and obtaining the corresponding stabilized
flowing bottom-hole pressures.
In addition, a stabilized shut-in bottom-hole pressure is
required for the analysis.
A major limitation of this test method is the length of time
required to obtain stabilized data for low-permeability gas
reservoirs.
15

Analysis of Flow-after-flow tests

Rawlins and Schellhardts
Empirical Equation:
log = log + log ( 2 2 )
Dividing both sides by n and re-arranging to bring pressure
terms on left hand side because pressure is dependent variable
(the one that is not controlled) whereas qsc is independent
because it is changed at will).
1

log ( 2 2 ) = log

1
log

Compare this to the equation of straight line:

y = mx +C
m = 1/n
16

Empirical Method
2

log (

2)

1
1
= log log

Eqn. reveals that a plot of (P 2) = P 2R P2wf versus qsc on

log-log scales should result in a straight line having a slope of
1/n.
Once a value of slope m has been determined from the plot, it
has to be inversed to find n.
C can then be calculated by
using data from one of the tests
that falls on the line.

(4.30)

Then AOF is calculated. AOF is used for these tests. AOF is

maximum rate at which the well could flow against the
theoretical back pressure at the sand face
17

A plot of typical flow-after-flow data is shown in Figure

Figure (5.2) Deliverability test plot

18

Theoretical Methods
Deliverability equations based on theoretical methods are :

1. Pressure solution technique

2. Pressure-squared technique

3. Pseudo pressure technique

19

Example 5-1
Stabilized Flow Test Analysis

A flow-after-flow test was performed on a gas well located in a

low-pressure reservoir. Using the given test data, determine the
values of n and C for the deliverability equation, AOF, and flow
rate for Pwf =175 psia.
Solution
Flow-after-flow Test Data are shown in Table 5-1.
A plot of qsc versus (P 2R P2wf ) is shown in Figure(5.2)

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pR =
(pR)2

201 psia
40401 psia2

Test

qsc
(mscfd)
2,730
3,970
4,440
5,550

1
2
3
4

pwf
(psia)
196
195
193
190

(pwf)2
(psia2)
38,416
38,025
37,249
36,100

(pR)2 - (pwf)2
(psia2)
1,985
2,376
3,152
4,301

For AOF, Pwf = 0, thus (pR)2 - (pwf)2 = 40401 - 0 = 40401 psia2

Table (5-1) Flow-after-flow Test Data

21

pwf = 0

Note that the fraction has

been inversed to
compute n directly.

The origin should be

the biggest corner box
and can not be zero

Also note that the two

points selected for
calculating n are both
falling on the line. You
Can also read points
from the line itself which
sometimes gives better
accuracy.
Every log cycle increases
by a multiple of 10

1,000

10,000
Flow Rate, qsc (mscfd)

AOF

100,000

From test4 which falls on the line, calculate C:

Therefore, the deliverability equation is

23

Isochronal Test
- The flow-after-flow tests are very accurate but
take a long time to run specially for tight reservoir.

The isochronal test is a series of single-point

tests developed to estimate stabilized

deliverability characteristics without actually

flowing the well for the time required to achieve

stabilized conditions at each different rate.

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Isochronal Test
- The flow-after-flow tests are very accurate but
take a long time to run specially for tight reservoir.
-To speed up the testing process, the isochronal
tests were developed.
-Isochronal tests faster yet fairly accurate

-Isochronous means time dependent, i.e.

processes where pressure data must be taken at
fixed time intervals.

25

Isochronal Test
Why Isochronal Tests are Quicker?

Because less time is required to build to

essentially initial pressure after short flow
periods than to reach stabilized flow at each
rate in a flow-after-flow test.

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Theory behind Isochronal Tests

- The isochronal test is based on the principle that the radius
of drainage during a flow period does not depend upon rate.
- The rd depends only on the length of time for which the
well is flowed.
- Therefore, the pwf measured at the same time periods
during each rate cycle correspond to the same radius of
drainage.

- Thus, isochronal test data can be analyzed using the same

theory as a flow-after-flow test, even though stabilized flow
is not attained.
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Isochronal Test

Shut in periods
are different
Pressure builds
Up to Pavg

28

Isochronal Test
A deliverability test designed as a series of drawdown

and buildup sequences such that:

each drawdown is at different qsc,

each drawdown is of the same duration and the flow

rate does not necessary reach rate stabilization
each buildup reaches pressure stabilization (i.e. Pwf
builds up to the same pressure as it was at the start of

the test) where data must be delivered at fixed times.

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Isochronal Test
Flow the well at a fixed rates for a set period of time t,
noting the Pwf at several fixed time intervals t1, t2, t3, t4 etc.
Shut-in the well and wait until pressure is almost stabilize.

Perform the above cycle four times but each time at a

different rate.
The behaviour of the flow rate and pressure with time was
illustrated in the earlier Figure for increasing flow rates.

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Example 5-2
Isochronal Test
An isochronal test was conducted on a well located in a
reservoir that had an average pressure P R of 1952 psia. The well
was flowed on four choke sizes, and the flow rate and flowing
bottom-hole pressure were measured at 3 hr and 6 hr for each
choke size. An extended test was conducted for a period of 72 hr
at a rate of 6.0 MMscfd, at which time pwf was measured at 1151
psia. Using the data in Table 5-2.
The slopes of both the 3-hr and 6-hr lines are apparently equal.
(see Fig. 5-4). Use the first and last points on the 6-hr test to
calculate n from Eqn. gives.

31

Average Reservoir pressure = 1952 psia

Table (5-2) Isochronal Test Data

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Figure 5-4 Deliverability data plotExample 5-42.

33

Using the extended flow test to calculate C using Eqn:

Solution
1. Given the data in Table 4-2, the deliverability equation for qsc in
mscfd is

2. To calculate AOF, set Pwf = 0:

3. In order to generate an inflow performance curve, pick

several values of Pwf and calculate the corresponding qsc
34

Well inflow performance responses are shown in Table 5-3.

The inflow performance curve is plotted in Figure 5-6.

Table 5-3 Well Inflow Performance Responses

35

Figure 5-6. Well inflow performance responseExample 5-2. 36

Modified isochronal tests

Why Needed?
In normal isochronal test, time for pressure
to build up to during shut-in may be
impractically long.
Modified isochronal test shortens test times
because well does not build up to average
reservoir pressure after each flow period

Modified isochronal tests

What is the downside?

The modified isochronal test is less
accurate than the isochronal test because
the well does not build up to

pwf & q history of a typical modified isochronal test

Equal Shut in times that

are = or > flow periods

Shut in pressure is not

Reaching P avg

Modified isochronal tests

Test Procedure
Conducted like an isochronal test, except the
shut-in periods are shorter and of equal
duration.
The shut-in periods should equal or exceed the
length of the flow periods.
A final stabilized flow point usually is obtained
at the end of the test but is not required for
analyzing the test data.

Shut-in sandface pressure ps is used instead of P avg

Rawlins-Schellhardt analysis technique

Rawlins-Schellhardt analysis technique

Wellhead Deliverability
In practice it is sometimes more convenient to measure the
pressures at the wellhead.

These pressures may be converted to bottom-hole

conditions by the calculation procedure suggested by
Cullender and Smith.
However, in some instances, the wellhead pressures might
be plotted versus flow rate in a manner similar to bottomhole curves.

Classifications, Limitations,
and Use of Deliverability Tests
This may be known directly from previous tests, such as drillstem or deliverability tests, conducted on the well or from the
production characteristics of the well.
If such information is not available, it may be assumed that
the well will behave in a manner similar to neighbouring
wells in the same pool, for which data are available.
Time to stabilization may be estimated using Equation (4.63).

Radius of investigation can be found from Equation (4.65).

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Classifications, Limitations,
and Use of Deliverability Tests

If time to stabilization is of the order of few hours, flow-afterflow test may be conducted.
Otherwise, one of the isochronal tests is preferable.

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Classifications, Limitations, Use of Deliverability Tests

Next Figure shows types, limitations, and uses of deliverability
tests. In designing a deliverability test, collect and utilize all
information which includes:
logs
drill-stem tests
previous deliverability tests conducted on that well
production history
gas and liquid compositions
temperature
core samples
geological studies
Knowledge of the time required for stabilization is a very
important factor in deciding the type of test to be used for
determining the deliverability of a gas well.
48

Figure. Types, limitations, and uses of deliverability tests.

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Thank You

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Q&A

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