SPE 159597 Mini-DST to Characterize Formation Deliverability in the Bakken

Kurtoglu, B., Marathon Oil Company, Kazemi, H., Colorado School of Mines, Boratko, E.C., Tucker, J., Schlumberger, and Daniels, R., Marathon Oil Company

Copyright 2012, Society of Petroleum Engineers This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition held in San Antonio, Texas, USA, 8-10 October 2012. This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents of the paper have not been reviewed by the Society of Petroleum Engineers and are subject to correction by the author(s). The material does not necessarily reflect any position of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, its officers, or members. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper without the written consent of the Society of Petroleum Engineers is prohibited. Permission to reproduce in print is restricted to an abstract of not more than 300 words; illustrations may not be copied. The abstract must contain conspicuous acknowledgment of SPE copyright.

Abstract Characterization of reservoir deliverability is fundamental for the economic development of any field. In the Bakken, there is a need for reliable pressure transient tests to provide the effective formation permeability of the fracture-matrix in this formation for deliverability calculations. This effective permeability can then be compared to laboratory measured core permeability of the matrix rock samples. This comparison is the basis for planning early production options and subsequent enhanced oil recovery (EOR) decisions. This comparison is particularly important because of the influence of massive hydraulic fracture stimulation on reservoir performance. Determining well deliverability potential by conventional drill stem tests (DST) or traditional wireline formation tests (WFT) in the past has resulted in mixed success in the Bakken. On the other hand, the mini-DST has definitely increased reliability and the success rate of pressure transient tests. The operation of mini-DST tool requires much less time than the classic DST, and multiple zone tests can be conducted to assess individual zone deliverability. The Mini-DST tool uses the conventional Wireline Formation Tester (WFT) configured with a dual-packer module and downhole pump. Tests are conducted by inflating the dual-packer module to isolate a 3-foot interval of the wellbore. The formation fluid is pumped out from the packer-isolated wellbore interval to conduct pressure drawdown and buildup tests in the interval. An overlay of all the pressure drawdown and buildup results from various intervals is compared on a single plot to identify the most productive interval. Finally, conventional pressure transient analyses are performed to interpret all pressure drawdown and buildup tests. In this paper we present several field tests which were analyzed both by the above procedure as well as by numerical simulation. The analyses of several mini-DST results have provided insight into a better understanding of the flow mechanism in the Bakken both during primary production and in forecasting various improved and enhanced oil recovery proposals. The experience can also serve as a basis for test design in similar low-permeability reservoirs elsewhere. Introduction The Williston Basin is a large sedimentary basin that covers parts of North Dakota, Montana, South Dakota, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba (Fig. 1). The Bakken formation, regionally in the Williston Basin, is comprised of upper and lower organic-rich black shale and a middle silty dolostone or dolomitic siltstone and sandstone member (Fig. 2). The Bakken is overlain by the Lodgepole formation which consists of a dense, dark gray to brownish gray limestone and a gray calcareous shale and underlain by the Three Forks formation which is composed of thinly interbedded greenish gray and reddish brown shale, light brown to yellow gray dolostone, gray to brown siltstone, quartzite sandstone and minor occurrences of anhydrite (Kume, 1963). The Upper and Lower Bakken shale are the potential petroleum source rocks for both the Bakken and Three Forks Formations. Depositional environments for the Bakken formation range from a marine swamp with restricted circulation caused by the prolific growth of organic matter to an offshore marine environment with a stratified water column (LeFever, 1991).