Oil Applications

Pressure Transient Testing for Subsea Oil Producers

Much of our work with oil wells relates to Subsea Oil Producers where the permanent downhole pressure gauges have failed or where not initially installed.  We are taking existing subsea tree gauge pressure files and providing the operator a WHP to BHP conversion.  We also have the capability to deploy our SubSea SPIDR system via ROV for the capture of high resolution and high frequency pressure data at the Subsea Tree.

SPIDR For Water Injection Testing

The bulk of DRC’s surface pressure testing applications in Oil Producing fields have to do with Water Injection Testing applications.  Examples of pressure testing applications for oil producing wells: Water Injection for pressure maintenance & Secondary recovery and / or water disposal. The only requirement for using surface testing is that the wellbore support a full column of water (well doesn’t go on a vacuum at the surface). 

Pressure Transient Testing for Oil Producers

DRC does not promote or market our SPIDR Technology towards black or volatile oil producing wells.  DRC has targeted primarily self unloading (critical flow) gas or gas condensate production without slugging at the wellhead.
As mentioned previously, the ability to perform a pressure build-up (PBU) from the wellhead on an oil producer applies to a very small percentage of oil producers in the world.  The requirements are:

• Minimal water production
• Flowing pressure above the Bubble Point Pressure
• Naturally unloading or producing
  

The parameters for flow testing an oil producer from the surface (multi-rate or drawdown testing) are significantly less stringent than a Pressure Build-up test.  The requirements are that the well is naturally unloading and that production rates exceed approximately 1000 BPD.  However, because P* is often the most important parameter in the well test, it can only be achieved thru a Pressure Build up, oil well testing from the wellhead is less popular.  Please refer to our SPE Publication # 77701 “Gas Condensate and Oil well testing – from the surface” for more information on the work performed in these situations.