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The pumping of acid into the wellbore to remove near-well formation damage and other damaging
substances. This procedure commonly enhances production by increasing the effective well radius. When
performed at pressures above the pressure required to fracture the formation, the procedure is often
referred to as acid fracturing.
The approximated flow time used for a well-test analysis when the flow rate varies before or during the test
period.
t = cumulative well production since the last extended shut-in period divided by the flow rate just before a
well is shut in for a buildup test.
The flow associated with wellbore storage following a surface shut-in.
A formation with directionally dependent properties.
The space between two concentric pipe strings, such as between the production tubing and casing in a
well.
The pressure that would be obtained if all fluid motion ceases in a given volume of reservoir. It also is the
pressure to which a well will ultimately rise if shut in for an infinite period.
Fluid flow in the borehole from one zone into another in response to pressure differences between the
zones
This flow regime is seen most commonly in tests of hydraulically fractured wells and occurs for finite-
conductivity fracture where linear flow exists both in the fracture and to the fracture plane. This flow
regime is recognized as a 1/4 slope in the pressure derivative on the log-log diagnostic plot.
The pressure measured in a well at or near the depth of the producing formation.
A well shut in slightly above the producing formation by use of special downhole tools containing a valve
that can be preprogrammed or controlled from the surface.
The flux (flow rate) or pressure states assigned to the theoretical boundaries used in developing and solving
the differential equations that apply to well testing and in specifying a model to match to pressure-transient
data.
Reservoirs with sealed or apparent outer boundaries that result in pressure depletion.
The pressure and temperature conditions at which the first bubble of gas comes out of solution in oil.
The measurement and analysis of (usually) bottomhole pressure data acquired after a producing well is
shut in.
A type of drillstem testing conducted with the drillstring in the hole and the surface valve closed to create a
closed chamber of known volume into which the reservoir fluid can flow.
A well with a valve closed to halt production.
Why are wells shut/closed-in prior to build-up/drawdown testing?
A rate, or production volume, sufficient to satisfy project economics.
A wellbore completed in two or more reservoir zones that are not in hydraulic communication in the
reservoir. Backflow is common during rate cutbacks and buildup tests on these types of completions.
The relative change in fluid volume related to a unit change in pressure. This is usually expressed as volume
change per unit volume of fluid per psi of pressure change.
Liquid phase occurring in gas condensate reservoirs when the pressure is below the dewpoint pressure.
A flow rate that does not change appreciably during a test period
Material balance expressed in a differential equation.
A mathematical operation that uses downhole flow-rate measurements to transform bottomhole pressure
measurements distorted by variable rates to an interpretable transient.
To mathematically transform bottomhole pressure measurements distorted by variable rates to an
interpretable transient.
A procedure for correcting pressure measurements in a reservoir to a common datum level. This is not
required for calculating kh, permeability thickness, and s, skin effect, but is required for determining
average reservoir pressures
A fluid column (usually water or nitrogen) put in the drillstem to provide the desired backpressure at the
start of a drillstem test.
Units of atm, cm3/s, cp and D, as originally used by Darcy in flow experiments.
The depth to which pressures are corrected to adjust for differences in elevations at which pressure
measurements are made in different wells or at different times.
A mathematical operation that uses downhole flow-rate measurements to transform bottomhole pressure
measurements distorted by variable rates to an interpretable transient. This operation does not assume a
particular model for the pressure-transient response.
The drop in reservoir pressure or hydrocarbon reserves resulting from production of reservoir fluids.
The pressure at which the first condensate liquid comes out of solution in a gas condensate.
The formation of liquid hydrocarbons in a gas reservoir as the pressure in the reservoir decreases below
dewpoint pressure during production. It is called retrograde because some of the gas condenses into a
liquid under isothermal conditions instead of expanding or vaporizing when pressure is decreased.
A fundamental differential equation obtained by combining the continuity equation, flow law and equation
of state. Most of the mathematics of well testing were derived from solutions of this equation, which was
originally developed for the study of heat transfer.
Permeability that varies with direction of flow through the porous medium.
A rock characterized by primary porosity from original deposition and secondary porosity from some other
mechanism, and in which all flow to the well effectively occurs in one porosity system, and most of the fluid
is stored in the other.
The data observed before the start of radial flow (middle-time transient data).
The value of wellbore radius that produces equivalent results to those obtained using a skin factor of zero.
The pressure determined at the formation face just prior to shut-in for a buildup test. This value is required
to determine the skin effect.
The final buildup sequence in a drillstem test.
A planar crack penetrated by a well or propagated from a well by hydraulic fracturing with nonzero pressure
drop in the fracture during production.
The solution to the diffusion equation that results when the well (inner) boundary condition is treated as a
cylinder of finite radius instead of treating the well as a line source.
Gas-well tests, often required by law, in which one flow rate immediately follows another, with each flow
period reaching stabilized flow.
The value that results when the actual productivity index is divided by the productivity index predicted from
Darcy's law. Bonus: what value of flow efficiency indicates damage/stimulation?
Part of a well test when the well is flowing. It is usually specified prior to tests to ensure that a stable flow
situation has been reached or so that reservoir properties can be calculated
The predominant flow geometry reflected in a pressure-transient response that is most easily recognized in
the log-log presentation of the pressure-change derivative.
Describe the characteristic shapes of radial, spherical, linear and bi-linear flow on a log-log derivative plot
A rock volume with identifiable fluid flow characteristics that can be modeled, including heterogeneity or
anisotropy.
The pressure determined at the formation face during the flowing periods of a well test.
A well in which the formation pressure is sufficient to produce oil at a commercial rate without requiring a
pump.
The relative change in fluid volume related to a unit change in pressure. This is usually expressed as volume
change per unit volume of fluid per psi of pressure change.
Pressure above which injection of fluids will cause the rock formation to fracture hydraulically.
Analysis of a well that passes through a natural fracture or that has been hydraulically fractured.
Gas that exists in the reservoir in the gaseous phase rather than in solution.
Hydrocarbon liquid dissolved in saturated natural gas that comes out of solution when the pressure drops
below the dewpoint.
Formation with rock properties that do not change with location in the reservoir.
The slope of the chosen straight-line section of a Horner plot. It is used to determine permeability
thickness, kh, of the producing zone in the vicinity of the wellbore.
The abnormal behavior in a buildup curve caused by phase redistribution in a wellbore. This behavior is
most noticeable in oil wells producing a substantial amount of gas and having a substantial skin effect.
Analysis of buildup curves for wells exhibiting this behavior can be difficult or impossible
An extraordinarily poisonous gas with a molecular formula of H2S. At low concentrations, H2S has the odor
of rotten eggs, but at higher, lethal concentrations, it is odorless
A gas defined by the fundamental equation of state PV=nRT
A virtual well used to mathematically create the effect of a flow barrier.
A single, impenetrable barrier to fluid flow in a reservoir that causes a change of a factor of two in the slope
of buildup or drawdown curves.
Flow into the wellbore during a well test, from a reservoir with no apparent outer boundary limit affecting
fluid flow during the test period
A planar crack penetrated by a well or propagated from a well by hydraulic fracturing with zero pressure
drop in the fracture during production.
A short flow period at the beginning of a drillstem test. This period is followed immediately by a longer
shut-in period to allow the pressure to closely approach initial reservoir pressure.
The reservoir pressure measured in a discovery well, usually referred to as pi. This value is necessary for
many reservoir engineering calculations, such as reserve determination.
The comparatively short shut-in period following the initial flow period of a drillstem test.
The testing of wells in which fluid is being injected into the reservoir. The most common type of test is a
falloff test, in which injection is halted and the pressure decline is measured as a function of time.
The pressure variation with time recorded in observation wells resulting from changes in rates in production
or injection wells.
A multirate test designed as a series of drawdown and buildup sequences at different drawdown flow rates,
with each drawdown of the same duration and each buildup reaching stabilization at the same pressure as
at the start of the test.
A type of formation whose rock properties are the same in all directions.
A common term for the infinite-acting radial flow regime. This portion of the pressure-transient response is
between wellbore-dominated flow regimes in the early-time transient data and boundary-dominated flow
regimes in the late-time transient data.
A type of deliverability test conducted in gas wells to generate a stabilized gas deliverability curve (IPR).
A multirate test designed as a series of drawdown and buildup sequences at different drawdown flow rates,
with each drawdown and buildup of the same duration. The purpose of the test is to determine well
deliverability, and this type of test is most commonly done in gas wells.
The simultaneous flow of more than one fluid phase through a porous medium.
Tests conducted at a series of different flow rates for the purpose of determining well deliverability, typically
in gas wells where non-Darcy flow near the well results in a rate-dependent skin effect.
A well in which the formation pressure is sufficient to produce oil at a commercial rate without requiring a
pump.
Fluid flow that deviates from Darcy's law, which assumes laminar flow in the formation. Typically observed
in high-rate gas wells when the flow converging to the wellbore reaches flow velocities exceeding the
Reynolds number for laminar or Darcy flow, and results in turbulent flow. Since most of the turbulent flow
takes place near the wellbore in producing formations, the effect of this flow is a rate-dependent skin effect.
A gas described by an equation of state of the form pV = znRT, where z is the gas deviation factor
dependent on pressure, temperature and gas composition.
Oil and dissolved gas volume at reservoir conditions divided by oil volume at standard conditions.
A pressure phenomenon caused in a wellbore by rise of gas and fall of liquids trapped in a wellbore after a
surface shut-in. This phenomenon can cause a "hump" in the buildup curve, and frequently leads to
incorrect analysis of buildup test results because the entire early portion of the transient is adversely
affected by this pressure response.
A change in pore pressure as a function of distance. This can refer to radial change in pore pressure with
distance from the well (which can be calculated from well-test analysis results) or to change in pore
pressure with depth
A rock or soil with interconnected pores that permit flow of fluids through the medium.
The force distributed over a surface, usually measured in pounds force per square inch, or lbf/ in.2, or psi, in
US oilfield units.
A rise in well pressure as a function of time observed after a well is shut in or after the production rate is
reduced.
The drop in average reservoir pressure from fluid production.
The differential pressure that drives fluids from the reservoir into the wellbore.
The pressure decline after halting or reducing fluid injection in a well.
A device used to measure pressure.
A change in pressure as a function of distance. This can refer to radial change in pore pressure with distance
from the well (which can be calculated from well-test analysis results), to change in pore pressure with
depth (which can be measured by formation tests, and implies formation fluid density and/or fluid
contacts) or to change in wellbore fluid pressure with depth (which can be measured with production logs,
and implies wellbore fluid density).
A plot of p2 versus time function used to analyze low-pressure gas-well drawdown and buildup tests. The
square term arises from substituting a gas-law equation into the differential equations where required to
account for fluid compressibility. This allows an approximation for the differential equations that
approaches the linear form required to use the classical solutions of the diffusion equation.
The analysis of pressure changes over time, especially those associated with small variations in the volume
of fluid.
Well tests in which pressure is recorded as a function of time and interpreted using various analysis
methods.
The analysis of pressure-transient behavior observed while the well is flowing. Results are generally much
less accurate than those from pressure buildup tests
The flow period before a buildup. The duration of the production period should be specified in the test
design to assure that a stable flow situation is reached
A well in which the maximum production rate is fixed by law. These laws were developed by producing
states primarily to control the market and avoid periodic price collapses.
A plot of real gas pseudopressure (pseudopotential) m(p) versus time function used to analyze gas-well
drawdown and buildup tests. The use of the real gas pseudopressure linearizes the diffusion equation for
gas flow. This form enables rigorous analysis over all pressure ranges. The pressure-squared plot can be
used for low pressure (p <
Behavior observed when a well reaches stabilized production from a limited drainage volume. For constant-
rate production, under pseudosteady state, the difference between the flowing wellbore pressure and the
average reservoir pressure in the drainage volume is constant, and the pressure drawdown is a linear
function of time, resulting in a unit slope in the log-log pressure derivative. The late-time buildup pressure
will level off to the average reservoir pressure if the buildup duration is sufficient long, resulting in a sudden
drop in the log-log pressure derivative. Pressure depletion occurs
An increase or decrease in the pressure drop predicted with Darcy's law using the value of permeability
thickness, kh, determined from a buildup or drawdown test. The difference is assumed to be caused by the
"skin." Skin effect can be either positive or negative. The skin effect is termed positive if there is an increase
in pressure drop, and negative when there is a decrease, as compared with the predicted Darcy pressure
drop. A positive skin effect indicates extra flow resistance near the wellbore, and a negative skin effect
indicates flow enhancement near the wellbore.
A numerical value used to analytically model the difference from the pressure drop predicted by Darcy's law
due to skin.
A flow regime that occurs when the predominant flow pattern in the reservoir is toward a point. This flow
occurs for partial penetration and limited-entry completions. This flow regime is recognized as a -1/2 slope
in the pressure derivative on the log-log diagnostic plot. Its presence enables determination of the spherical
permeability. When spherical flow is followed by radial flow, both horizontal and vertical permeability can
be quantified.
A state that a producing well reaches when the flow rate and well pressure are apparently constant for a
reasonable period of time, such as a few hours or a day or more.
A gas well producing at a constant rate in which wellhead pressure changes no more than a small amount
as a function of time.
The pressure measured in a well after the well has been closed in for a period of time, often after 24 or 72
hours. When a reservoir is first discovered, this pressure equals the initial pressure. After production begins,
this pressure approaches the average reservoir pressure.
Simultaneously constant pressure (wellhead or bottomhole) and flow rate. This behavior can result when
there is pressure support, either naturally through an aquifer or gas-cap drive, or artificially through water
or gas injection.
A mathematical technique based on the property that solutions to linear partial equations can be added to
provide yet another solution. This permits constructions of mathematical solutions to situations with
complex boundary conditions, especially drawdown and buildup tests, and in settings where flow rates
change with time.
A mathematical computation that accounts for production from multiple wells. Image wells are used to
model the effect of impermeable barriers.
A mathematical computation that accounts for the flow-rate history in analytical models generated to
match with pressure-transient test data.
The pressure measured at or near the surface in a well. This measurement of pressure is usually performed
by inserting a gauge into the production string just below the shut-in valve, and is also referred to as tubing-
head pressure.
A well shut in at the surface, rather than downhole. Most transient well tests are conducted in this manner
for convenience.
The simultaneous flow of oil, free gas and water into a wellbore. Stratified flow is the rule rather than the
exception.
The calculated maximum radius in a formation in which pressure has been affected during the flow period
of a transient well test. While not absolutely accurate, the value has meaning in relation to the total volume
of reservoir that is represented by calculated reservoir parameters, such as kh, the permeability thickness.
The change in pressure with time. In well testing, this refers to the pressure measured as a function of time
after the test is initiated.
The analysis of transient rate and pressure data taken while a well is flowing at variable rates. The analysis
uses either deconvolution or convolution to correct for the flow-rate variations and can makedrawdown
data interpretable. It has also been applied to correct for afterflow during the buildup.
A method for quantifying well and reservoir parameters such as permeability, skin, fracture half-length,
dual-porosity parameters, and others, by comparing the pressure change and its derivative of the acquired
data to reservoir model curve families
Pooled production from wells or a reservoir. The proceeds of this pooled production are distributed to the
participants according to an agreed-upon formula.
A constant provided in an equation that applies only for a particular system of units.
A condition that results when the flow rate varies appreciably during a test period.
Water and dissolved gas volume at reservoir conditions divided by water volume at standard conditions.
This value can often be neglected, since it is always close to 1.0.
The replacement of produced fluids by formation water.
That period when drilling debris and fluids are still coming out of the formation and perforations. During
this time, the skin effect is changing and any well-test results may reflect temporary obstruction to flow that
will not be present in later tests.
The change in pressure at one well caused by production from one or more other wells.
The pressure variation with time recorded in observation wells resulting from changes in rates in production
or injection wells.
The volume of produced fluid per unit of time
Any restriction to flow from near-well reductions in flow capacity. This damage is thought to result from
reductions in near-well permeability caused by perforating debris or from the solids or mud filtrate invasion
caused by the drilling process.
Following a surface shut-in, the flow into a well caused by the compressibility of the fluids in the wellbore.
Most of the flow occurs from compression of gas in the wellbore. The practical result is that the sandface
flow rate is not zero and, therefore, not constant. This gives rise to one form of the wellbore-storage effect.
Distortions in the reservoir response due to wellbore storage. The characteristic trends are an early unit
slope trend with pressure change and the derivative overlain on the log-log plot, followed by a "hump" in
the pressure derivative that gradually disappears as reservoir trends become recognizable
A tool run on an electric logging cable that pushes a probe into the formation, which then allows
production into a small closed chamber. The tool is primarily used to obtain formation pressures at chosen
locations in an interval, and, with an accurate quartz gauge, permeability estimates may be obtained.
Modern variations on this tool have been developed to acquire formation-fluid samples.
acidizing
afterflow
anisotropic
formation
annulus
average reservoir
pressure
back flow
bilinear flow
bottomhole pressure
bottomhole shut in
boundary conditions
bounded reservoir
bubble point
buildup test
closed chamber
testing
closed in well
To allow stabilization
commercial rate
commingled
completion
compressibility
condensate
constant rate
continuity equation
convolution
convolve
correcting pressure
to a datum
cushion
Darcy units
datum level
deconvolution
depletion
dew point
retrograde
condensation
diffusion equation
directional
permeability
drainage area
drainage volume
drawdown test
drillstem test
drillstem test
dual completion
dual permeability
reservoir
dual porosity
reservoir
flow efficiency
flow period
flow regime
Radial = flat
derivative. Spherical
= -ve 1/2 slope
derivative. Linear =
+ve half slope
derivative. Bilinear =
+ve 1/4 slope
derivative.
flow unit
flowing pressure
flowing well
fluid compressibility
formation fracture
pressure
fracture conductivity
fracture gradient
fracture half-length
fractured well
analysis
xf/2 (half the
fracture half length)
free gas
gas condensate
gas formation
volume factor
gas gravity
(molecular weight of
air is 28.97g/cc)
Horner slope
humping
hydrogen sulfide
ideal gas
image well
impermeable barrier
initial reservoir
pressure
initial shut in period
interference testing
isochronal test
isotropic formation
Permeability that is
the same in all
directions.
kh -
permeability.thicknes
s product
limited entry
linear flow
liquid level
material balance
middle time
transient data
modified isochronal
test
modified isochronal
test
multiphase flow
non-Darcy flow
nonideal gas
partial completion
partial penetration
Henry Darcy
permeability
thickness
phase redistribution
pore-pressure
gradient
porous medium
pressure
pressure buildup
pressure depletion
pressure drawdown
pressure falloff
pressure gauge
pressure gradient
pressure squared
plot
pressure transient
analysis
pressure transient
well tests
pressure-drawdown
analysis
production period
prorated well
pseudopressure plot
pseudosteady state
pumping well
radius of
investigation
single phase flow
skin
skin
skin effect
skin factor
spherical flow
stabilization
static pressure
subsurface pressure
superposition
superposition in
space
superposition in time
surface pressure
surface shut-in
transient drainage
radius or radius of
investigation
transient pressure
transient-pressure
response
two phase flow
Type curves
Bourdet and
Gringarten - that's a
log-log type curve,
Gringarten et al,
Ramey, McKinley
unitized production
units conversion
factor
variable rate
water formation
volume factor
water influx
well cleanup
well interference
well interference
testing
well production rate
wellbore damage
wellbore fill up
wellbore-storage
effects
wireline formation
test
wireline formation
tester
zone