Specific schematic of Pressure Test consisting of long-term shut-in, followed by FLOWING test (Drawdown / Injection) then followed by Build-up / Fall-off (see Fig. 1).
Interpretation of BUS in terms of formation pressure and formation transmissibility under the following (Horner) conditions:
Horner Conditions
both production T and shut-in t period reach radial flow regime: T > t_{IARF}, t > t_{IARF}
total duration of production and shut-in do not reach the boundary
T+t < t_e
Fig. 1 – Horner Test schematic |
In some cases when:
both production T and shut-in \Delta t period reach radial flow regime: T > t_{IARF}, \Delta t > t_{IARF}
total duration of production and shut-in do not reach the boundary
T+\Delta t < t_e
one can uses Horner model which is a simplified version of BUS interpretation procedure and based on the following pressure diffusion model:
(1) | p_{wf}(\Delta t) = p_e - \frac{q_t}{4 \pi \sigma} \, \ln \left( 1 + \frac{T}{\Delta t} \right) |
The main features of Horner model are:
it provides reliable estimation of formation pressure p_e and formation transmissibility \sigma
it does not require the knowledge of pressure diffusivity \chi (unlike the case of a drawdown test)
it does not depend on diffusion model specifics as soon as IARF is developed during the test
it does not provide skin-factor estimation
The formula (1) shows that pressure during the shut-in segment of Honer test is not dependant on skin-factor and pressure diffusivity.
The formation pressure p_e and transmissibility \sigma are estimated with LSQ regression:
\left \{ p_{wf} \right \} = p_e - b \, \left \{ \ln \left( 1 + \frac{T}{\Delta t} \right) \right \} |
\sigma = \frac{q_t}{4 \pi b} |
Horner model is a good example of how a complicated problem of non-linear regression on three parameters \{ p_e, \, S, \, \sigma \} with upfront knowledge of pressure diffusivity may sometimes be simplified to a fast-track linear regression on two parameters without any additional assumptions on reservoir properties.
See Also
Petroleum Industry / Upstream / Subsurface E&P Disciplines / Well Testing / Pressure Testing / Pressure Transient Analysis (PTA)