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SPE-185892-MS

ESP-DST Well Testing in a Complex Reservoir in the Barents Sea:


Establishing New Methodologies and Lessons Learned

D. De Leonardis, OMV; Y. Shumakov, K. L. Morton, and S. Sarac, Schlumberger

Copyright 2017, Society of Petroleum Engineers

This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPE Bergen One Day Seminar held in Bergen, Norway, 5 April 2017.

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
This paper describes a unique combination of equipment and techniques that enabled an ESP-DST well
test on a shallow, horizontal well drilled in a faulted and heterogeneous reservoir with complex fluids, in
Arctic conditions.
The technical challenges of the performed well test included designing a bespoke ESP-DST string
compatible with the shallow reservoir and designing a surface well test spread capable of efficient separation
for safe and environmentally friendly disposal, and obtaining accurate flow rate measurements, as well as
performing a test with interpretable data given the uncertainty and complexity of the formation, and the
complexity of the well itself.
The success of the performed well test was the result of an integrated approach to well test design and real-
time support provided throughout. This process included the selection of optimum ESP-DST string design
for multizone testing in a high angle well including an innovative arrangement of an ESP encapsulated in
a POD and installed in the riser. Integration of ESP with the surface well test package was also important
and the design of the surface well test package included a Coriolis type of separator and multiphase flow
meter for accurate flow rate measurements.
During drilling, the contingency plan to mitigate against losses was implemented which had a significant
effect on the well testing program. To address this, and to understand if the well objectives could still
be achieved, an uncertainty-based well test design and interpretation methodology, taking into account
reservoir uncertainties and their interaction with each other, which uses numerical models and a global
sensitivity analysis method was applied. This method identifies which uncertain reservoir parameters can
be interpreted confidently and indicates the test duration. From the hundreds of numerical simulation cases
produced during the design stage of the test, matches were obtained during monitoring to give an indication
of the future pressure behavior, which allowed the duration of final build-up to be optimized.
The ESP-DST well test was successfully performed on a horizontal well drilled in the Wisting discovery
in the Barents Sea. The well was successfully free flow tested giving a maximum achieved flow rate of
5,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. All the well test objectives were successfully achieved, despite the
change to the contingency drilling plan.
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Introduction and well objectives


The Wisting discovery is located in the Barents Sea at 73° latitude, around 310 km north of Hammerfest.
The reservoir sits in the clastic, Mid-Jurassic Stø formation. The remoteness of the location and shallowness
of the reservoir (around 250 m below seabed in 400 m of water) pose several challenges for an economic
development of the field. The reservoir is heavily faulted into several compartments that may or may not
communicate depending on the fault throw. Previous reservoir studies have indicated that horizontal wells
will be required to produce economically and the low-pressure reservoir may also require an application of
some form of artificial lift or pressure boosting.
As the next step of the development process, the Wisting Central II horizontal appraisal well was planned
approximately 5 km south-west of the Wisting Central vertical discovery well, which was drilled in 2013.
The objectives of the well and subsequent well test were to prove drillability, show the productivity of the
proposed horizontal well design and to provide reservoir characterization data such as OWC, connectivity
between fault blocks and other geomechanic properties.
Well testing in shallow reservoirs in the Arctic environment poses a number of challenges in addition to
standard organizational and safety concerns of a typical well test. In the following section, we show how
each aspect of the drilling and completion plan was considered to achieve the well test objective in this
complex test.

Drilling challenges affecting the well test program


The shallow landing point, combined with the long horizontal step out, classifies the well as an extended
reach drilling project. Building angle from 0° to 90° inclination over a vertical interval of 250m required
an average dogleg severity (DLS) of 9°/30m. To keep this as low as possible, the drilling engineering team
shortened the conductor by using a conductor anchor element with a pre-installed conductor of only 11m
length. Load analyses of the conductor and well head confirmed that all integrity requirements could be
met with this arrangement.
Achieving the planned build rate was identified as a key drilling risk for the project, especially in the
upper parts of the overburden. An alternative low-build rate contingency trajectory was planned, going
100m deeper, below the oil water contact (OWC) before re-entering the reservoir. However, this contingency
plan would significantly impair the ability to test the well as cleanup could be compromised by the deep
sump at the non-producing heel of the well. Detailed modelling with a dynamic multiphase flow simulator
with artificial lift, confirmed that the sump area of the contingency plan could be cleaned up, albeit with a
longer time taken to fully clean the well. At the other end of the spectrum, failure to control the build rate
above 12°/30m could lead to issues for casing runs and also the well testing string. As this risk could not be
mitigated against and would seriously affect the ability to achieve the well test, a high angle drilling strategy
document was established with DLS thresholds for different depths, and a build rate decision tree allowing
timely decisions to be made to address deviations from the target build rate (Hollinger et al, 2017).
Several faults would be intersected by the planned well, Fig. 1, requiring a lost circulation material
(LCM) strategy. Careful planning was required to ensure that neither the drilling fluid nor LCM would
cause formation damage and influence the well test. To address this risk, formation damage and return flow
permeability testing on core material from previous wells was performed for the selected oil-based mud
(OBM) with concentrations of LCM anticipated.
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Figure 1—Wisting structure and proposed well path intersecting several major faults.

Drilling was expected to deliver a 1450m, 8.5-in horizontal section that would be completed with a 7-
in liner in the Stø Formation to TD, Fig. 2. A contingency plan to drill the horizontal section with a 6-in
bit size was provided as mitigation for drilling problems in the Fruholmen and Stø Formations resulting
in the 7-in liner having to be set early e.g. in the event of severe losses associated with the faults. A 5-in
liner would be set in the 6-in section.

Figure 2—Planned well schematic showing the three zones to be tested in the Stø formation.
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ESP-DST string design in a high angle well


Exploration and appraisal well testing has always been a primary source of information for reservoir
characterization, and well deliverability estimation, but it is often used as an opportunity to evaluate potential
technologies for the final field development. Due to the low reservoir pressure in the Wisting reservoir it is
expected that some form of artificial lift or pressure boosting will be required to develop the field and may
also be required to achieve an effective well clean up during well testing operations.
Historically, most drill-stem well tests (DST) have been performed on wells producing naturally, normally
with light oil of 30° API and greater. The use of an electrical submersible pump (ESP) is one of the most
effective lifting methods successfully used around the world to produce reservoir hydrocarbons to surface if
the well cannot flow naturally due to low reservoir pressure and/or insufficient amount of gas. Meanwhile
ESP-DST well tests have been limited and deemed overly challenging because of the complexities not
only associated with the arrangement of the required cabling and equipment setup on a drilling rig but also
with the integration of an ESP with the conventional DST string components. The lack of proven well-test
concept and strong track record is a further barrier to the standard use of ESP-DST. With recent technological
developments, enhancements in the well test design, and appropriate equipment selection, several ESP-DST
well tests have been engineered for success in the North Sea by bringing together multi-disciplinary teams
and emphasizing the importance of proper job design and operational collaboration (Brennan et al, 2011
and Beck et al, 2014).
The success of ESP-DST well testing, especially in the offshore environment, relies heavily on the
extensive pre-operation planning phase. From a technical perspective, ESP-DST well tests also requires
a seamless integration of the DST string with the ESP components. Conventional ESP installation with
the production packer integrated into the DST string typically creates a series of technical limitations for
annulus-pressure-operated downhole shut-in tools and for downhole sampler carriers used for collection
representative downhole samples below the pump. The pump is typically installed in the tangential section
of the well with an inclination not more than 1°/30 m.
The challenge of designing an appropriate ESP-DST string is to ensure that the conventional DST
functionality that guarantees safe operations (such as enabling downhole PVT sample collection, providing
dual barrier, and allowing well control functions through downhole shut-in and reverse circulation
capabilities) is not compromised.
The planned well trajectory of the Wisting Central II well, with its high inclination and shallow kick off,
makes placement of an ESP challenging in the traditional position downhole, close to the reservoir section
and at the entry to the DST string. Therefore, an alternative solution was found by installing an electrical
submersible pump encapsulated in a pressure-retaining shroud (POD), Fig. 3, situated above the retainer
and BOP stack in the riser of semi-submersible rig. To preserve the ability for the well to flow naturally,
the POD section was also equipped with an auto-flow sub installed in the open position, above the ESP.
Significant engineering work was undertaken to evaluate the impact of harmonic vibrations of the ESP on
the landing string and subsea BOP in addition to pump performance simulation.
SPE-185892-MS 5

Figure 3—ESP POD schematic with auto-flow sub installed in the riser section.

Probabilistic estimation of well deliverability was performed using Montecarlo simulations of a


numerical model to evaluate the level of uncertainties associated with reservoir properties at exploration and
appraisal stage of the field. To cover the entire range of expected flow rates from 300 m3/day up to 10,000
m3/day, a pump with a wide operating range was required. The increased operating range was achieved by
combining the use of compression stages with a variable-speed drive (VSD) operating between 40 and 60
hz. The pump performance curve in water for the selected pump S8000R with 45 stages is shown in Fig.
A-1. Due to the low anticipated pump intake pressure and the potentially high gas-to-liquid ratio, the ESP
was also equipped with Advanced Gas-Handling stages that are designed to alter the pressure distribution of
the impeller creating a homogenized mixture with reduced gas bubble size. This conditioned fluid behaves
as a single-phase fluid before entering the pump, hence the pump can handle a higher gas-to-liquid ratio.
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Figure A-1—45 stage-S8000R pump performance curve for water, illustrating the wide operating range that
can be achieved with the combination of compression stages and a VSD operating between 40 and 60 Hz.

As for any oilfield operation, good communication and strong operational coordination between all the
well-test crew members is crucial for performing a successful well test. This is particularly true for ESP-
DST well tests where the typical operational procedures used for individual ESP and DST operations cannot
be applied. Because of the operational complexities, a seamless integration and coordination of operations
and personnel covered by a unified well-test program is crucial. The same is also valid for the integration
of the safety systems. The integration of the ESP data feed, aligned with the surface well test real-time data
delivery system, is of paramount importance.
In addition to the ESP-DST complexity, a multi-zone test in the horizontal section with selective
perforating was proposed. This strategy was selected as the formation properties were expected to
change along the borehole due to the presence of faults and boundaries. It also allows the flow
contribution of each perforated interval to be assessed separately. Additionally, as the reservoir structure
may be compartmentalized, it would be possible to evaluate any possible isolation/interference between
compartments with a multi-zone test. The bottomhole assembly (BHA) developed to meet these
requirements is shown in Fig. 4.
The designed DST string comprised a production packer, several sets of downhole memory gauges,
downhole dual-valve providing downhole shut-in and reverse circulation functionalities, as well as a
downhole PVT sample carrier allowing representative uncontaminated downhole PVT samples to be
collected (Fig. A-2). Multiple pressure and temperature gauges were placed at different depth in the BHA
along the horizontal section to evaluate the pressure drop across the horizontal section. The DST string
also includes an acoustic telemetry system that provides real-time surface-readout of the downhole pressure
gauges during the test.
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Figure 4—Planned DST string with 3 compartments in the full horizontal section.

Figure A-2—Completion schematic in three sections illustrates how POD enables integration of ESP
into DST string. This allows operation of conventional DST tools via annulus-pressure commands.

An operational concern in the harsh Arctic conditions was the potential for hydrate formation due to the
cooling effect of the fluid in the riser. The large drop in temperature experienced by the fluid in the riser could
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also adversely impact the surface well testing operations due to increased flowing liquid viscosity. This
phenomenon would be aggravated by gas coming out of solution and expanding as the pressure decreases
closer to the wellhead. Temperature-behavior modeling of the wellbore during well clean-up operations,
with analysis of the cooling effect of the fluid in the wellbore during pressure buildup (PBU), was performed
using a transient flow simulator (Fig. A-3, A-4). The results of the analysis showed the need for a subsurface
chemical injection sub at seabed for injection of hydrate inhibitors during the test for hydrate prevention.
Based on this temperature analysis, reverse circulation of the tubing contents and replacement with base
oil during the PBU was also added to the test plan to mitigate surface risks without affecting the well test
objectives.

Figure A-3—Well head temperature during well clean-up operations simulated using transient flow simulator.

Figure A-4—Temperature modeling results along the wellbore during the flow and pressure build-up.
SPE-185892-MS 9

Figure A-5—Surface equipment layout.

Drilling problems occurring in the Stø Formation that result in an early set of 7-in liner and the
contingency solution (6-in hole and a 5-in liner) will have a knock-on effect on the DST program. The DST
string configuration would be simplified to a single zone. The Stø reservoir section will then be opened by
overbalance perforations, using 3 ⅜-in oriented guns installed at the bottom of the DST string (Fig. 5).

Figure 5—Contingency DST string design with a single perforated


zone in the horizontal section, performed using 3 ⅜ - in oriented guns.
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Although the contingency configuration of perforating the horizontal section as one compartment is
considered as a proven and simple technique, a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the zonal flow
contribution would not be possible along the horizontal borehole section. Moreover, a major concern with
respect to the downhole data acquisition is the potential for wellbore dynamics phenomena making the
pressure transient analysis of this data very challenging, which can only be mitigated to a certain extent.
In a later section, we consider how test design sensitivity analysis with new methodologies and numerical
models can be used to reduce uncertainty if this contingency plan is required.

Surface well test spread design and considerations for Arctic conditions
The surface well test package is designed to provide fluid handling capabilities at surface, safe and
environmental friendly disposal of the well effluent, and provide accurate and reliable flow rate
measurements during the test.
Using proprietary design software, pressure and temperature modelling was performed across the surface
well test spread to have confidence that all the equipment would function within its operating envelope
throughout the test. Despite low operating pressures due to the high anticipated production rate of 10,000
boe/day, increased attention was paid to the calculation of net force applied to the temporary pipework (pv2),
as well as to the analysis of hydrate formation in the cold, Arctic conditions. To mitigate the risk of hydrate
formation, the surface well test package was equipped with several chemical injection points (upstream and
downstream of the choke), a steam exchanger, and a heating loop with capabilities to circulate hot fluid
until an optimum temperature is reached before opening up the well for initial flow. As noted earlier, the
Wisting Central II DST string was also equipped with a chemical injection line for injection of hydrate
inhibitor at seabed.

Fluid disposal
Significant attention was paid to ensure correct fluid disposal during the test to safeguard the sensitive
natural environment of the Barents Sea. In general, good burner combustion performance is a function
of burner design and operational conditions. For the Wisting Central II well test, a new type of high-
efficiency burner was selected. New generation high-efficiency burners depend upon superior atomization
that produces smaller hydrocarbon droplets, which vaporize quickly, eliminating unburned oil falling out
of the flame. The high-quality atomization requires sufficient energy to be applied to the liquid, which can
be done either by the liquid itself or by exposure to high-velocity air, or a combination of both. Combustion
performance also depends on the fluid properties and efficient burning can be achieved with 60-70 cP
viscosity and high water cut. The surface design simulations indicated that high-efficiency oil burning could
be achieved for the planned well test by applying extra heat using the steam exchanger, as well as utilizing
six air compressors.

Separator
Accurate flow rate measurements are one of the main results acquired during the well test. Separators have
been used as the conventional means of flow rate measurement during well test operations for decades.
Despite the fact that they are required for effective separation and disposal of well effluent, the accuracy
of flow rate measurements with traditional separators equipped with positive displacement meters and
orifice plates has remained static during this period and still remains in question. Introduced in 2007, a
new generation of well test separator, with enhanced fluid handling capabilities and improved metrological
performance, has quickly become the standard for well test operations in the North Sea. This well test
separator is capable of handling limited amounts of solids, so it eliminates the need to flow through a low-
pressure surge tank or gauge tank during clean-up which further reduces health, safety and environmental
(HSE) hazards, an important consideration in Arctic well testing. Equipped with Coriolis flow meters, the
SPE-185892-MS 11

new generation well test separator can also provide accurate flow rate measurements with carry over and
carry under detection (Shumakov et al, 2014).

Multiphase Flow meter


Flow rate measurements acquired throughout the entire well test are crucial for pressure transient analysis
and well deliverability estimations. However, with foamy oil or a strong emulsion aggravated by ESP,
conventional well test separators may not be suitable for separation and flow rate measurements. In general,
the surface well test package has to be optimized for fluid handling to provide sufficient heat, good retention
time and sufficient fluid storage capacity to aid separator efficiency. In the Wisting Central II well test, as
there is a risk of emulsions created by the ESP placed in the riser, and surface conditions may inhibit the
ability to control fluid temperature, mitigation measures were put in place to ensure accurate flow rates
could be determined. In this case, a dual energy gamma ray multiphase flow meter was selected. This type
of multiphase flow meter has been proven to be effective in providing accurate flow rate data without
separation in both oil and gas wells by many operators worldwide. It does not have any moving parts and is
designed based on a simple combination of sensors and measurement technology that consists of measuring
differential pressure across a venturi for total mass flow rate calculations, and a gamma-ray fraction meter
measurements to calculate the individual phase fractions and the mixture density. Several documents that
describe the measurement principle of this multiphase flow meter have been published in the literature
(Theuveny B. et al., 2001; Pinguet B. et al., 2008).

Choke manifold
In ESP-DST well testing, unlike standard tests, the pump is used to control well flow rate. However,
the choke size has to be adjusted regularly in response to the changes in the pump drive frequency to
control wellhead pressure. Based on previous experience and practical application, it is often not possible
to use the positive fixed choke due to the high risk of plugging. The bean size change in a fixed choke
is also a time consuming operation and requires temporary flow diversion through the adjustable choke.
An adjustable choke provides cycling capabilities, thus preventing choke plugging, and has a simplified
pressure control and the ability to change choke size quickly, therefore maintaining pressure at required
level. In this operationally complex well test, an adjustable choke was used throughout, which allowed the
operators to change the choke size quickly as the pump drive frequency or operating conditions changed.
The designed surface well test package is relatively standard for the North Sea operations but with
optimization designed to meet the specific well test objectives and environmental considerations of the
Wisting Central II test. It was designed to safely handle up to 1600 m3/day and included steam exchanger,
safety shut-in valve, separator and burner with series of surge and gauge tanks. The schematic of the surface
equipment layout is presented in Figure A-5.

New methodologies for well test design in complex environments


Given the operational complexity of the Wisting Central II test and the complex nature of the reservoir
and fluids, early in the design of the test concern was raised about the ability to extract interpretable data,
particularly if the contingency drilling options was implemented. In this scenario, a number of factors could
affect the potential interpretability of the test:
1. Inefficient cleanup of the well leaving sumps of completion fluid.
2. Water break through from the underlying water.
3. Gas production given the possibility of a gas cap.
4. Two-phase flow in the reservoir as the fluid saturation pressure is close to the reservoir pressure.
5. Proximity of multiple faults and fluid contacts, producing a very convoluted pressure derivative
response, resulting in the inability to identify individual flow regimes
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Under these conditions, it was not possible to design and interpret the well test with conventional methods
that currently exist in the industry. To address this, a new uncertainty-based well test design methodology,
termed global sensitivity analysis, was introduced using the base case reservoir simulation model and a
description of the reservoir uncertainties that existed in advance of the test. This method was focused mainly
on the contingency option, which posed the most challenge to achieving the test objectives.
Global sensitivity allows the individual contributions of the uncertain input parameters to the total
variance of the model prediction to be quantified via sensitivity indices. GSA sensitivity indices allows the
input parameters to be ranked according to their contribution to the uncertainty (variance) of the model
prediction using the first-order and total contributions to the variance of model prediction (transient pressure
and pressure derivative) at each experiment point of interest and providing a time dependent ranking
of the individual sensitivities. The difference between the first-order and total sensitivities represent the
relative contribution from the higher-order interaction effects. Put simply, a high value of total sensitivity
to a particular parameter implies that one can have high confidence on the interpretation results for this
parameter, with the given test design. A low value of the total sensitivity index indicates negligible
contribution to the total variance due to uncertainty of a given input parameter. Therefore, total sensitivity
can be used to reduce the dimensionality of the model by assigning a fixed value to the identified
"unimportant" parameters. Full details of the technique are described for the naturally fractured reservoir
in Morton et al (2013).
For the Wisting Central II well test, the main uncertain parameters were fault transmissibility, horizontal
permeability, anisotropy, and oil water contact (OWC) depth.
The reservoir model is a sector of the overall reservoir model and includes the Wisting Central II well
and the surrounding fault blocks. The well is modeled with a multi-segmented well model to account for
pressure losses within the test string. The reservoir model is refined around the well of interest using local
grid refinement. The sector model is shown in Fig. 6. The initial design of the test includes a short clean up
period, a first flow of 12 hours to allow for sampling and buildup period, then a main flow period and a final
48-hour buildup. To allow the full sensitivity of the test to be determined, the buildup period was extended
to 100 hours in the simulation model. A total of 274 cases were run in advance of the test to perform the
sensitivity analysis on the four uncertain parameters.

Figure 6—Wisting reservoir simulation model sector around Wisting


Central II well (left). Side view of the proposed well trajectory (right).
SPE-185892-MS 13

Global sensitivity indices were calculated to investigate which of the four uncertain reservoir parameters
are contributing the most to the observed uncertainty in the predicted pressure and pressure derivative, and
how this contribution evolves during the well test. The color-bin plot of the 274 cases are for the derivative
response of the main buildup is shown in Fig. 7.

Figure 7—Color-bin plot showing the total sensitivity to the uncertain parameters prior to the test.

GSA indicates biggest impact on derivative behavior is uncertainty in the permeability throughout the
build-up. As indicated in Fig. 7, the early time behavior is constant. Derivative sensitivity to anisotropy
is observed until 0.1 hours, which is highly likely to be observed with downhole shut-in. Uncertainty in
the OWC is a contributing factor to derivative behavior in middle to late time. The fault response can be
observed at late times, starting around 100 hours. Long duration build up is recommend to characterize
this feature.
The GSA test design process helped to clarify that the test would be interpretable for important reservoir
parameters at specific test times but that a longer test, longer that the initially-planned 48-hr main build
up, would be required to investigate the OWC and fault behavior. While there was sensitivity to the fault
behavior, OWC sensitivity is stronger; and if further information is available to characterize this parameter,
the understanding of the fault behavior would be improved.

Job execution: highlights and challenges


Following the extensive job preparation, the well was drilled in February 2016. Subsequent to the successful
placement of the conductor anchor element and drilling of the 26-in section, the BOP was installed. During
the next phase of drilling, losses confirmed that the formation fracture gradient was lower than expected.
However, contingency action to lower the mud weight while still maintaining borehole stability allowed
drilling to continue with this section. Initial motor settings led to an overly aggressive build rate which had
to be corrected following the high-angle drilling strategy. The rest of this section was drilled according to
plan, avoiding the need to change to the low-DLS contingency plan, and improving the chances of success
for the subsequent well test.
During the drilling of the horizontal section, several loss zones were encountered and the LCM strategy
was followed. However, due to increasing losses as new formation and sub-seismic faults were accessed, the
decision was made to change to a specially designed water based mud and increase the rate of penetration to
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30-60 m/hr. The losses triggered the decision to secure the 8 ½" section about 600m prior reaching the well
TD and continue with the 6-in hole-size contingency solution and subsequent impact on the test BHA design.
The final well length was 2354 m long with a 1402-m horizontal section. The well was geosteered
throughout the drilling of the horizontal section. The well encountered an oil column of 22 m thickness
with 1250 m of net light oil pay. An interval of 600m was drilled in the reservoir, which provided sufficient
length of 460 m for well test operations.
The surface well testing equipment was rigged-up several months before the well test operations began
and was fully functionally-tested by performing electrical, mechanical and calibration checks prior to
opening up the well. Checks included a separator liquid flow meters test performed by flowing water through
the meters at a stable flow rate, and then checking the cumulative measurements on the meter against the
cumulative level in the surge tank in the same period of time.

Figure 8—Final well schematic showing the 6-in hole contingency solution.

During clean-up flow, the ESP being part of DST string configuration provided assistance with
continuous artificial lifting of well effluent, improving the well outflow performance and eliminating a need
for fluid displacement prior to testing operations. During the initial part of well clean-up, monoethylene
glycol (MEG) injection was conducted at subsurface injection sub and choke manifold as per requirements
to prevent hydrate formation.
The ESP located above the BOP showed promise for aiding cleanup operations. However, while
progressing further with the well test, a significant increase of gas-to-oil ratio was observed during the main
flow of the well. This increased the complexity of fluid handling at the surface due to the slugging effect of
the well and unstable production regime of the ESP with high free-gas content at the pump intake. Several
attempts were made to mitigate the pressure fluctuation by manipulating the adjustable choke. As the ESP
was not necessary for production i.e. the reservoir produced in free flow due to high free gas content, the
pump was stopped and not used during the main flow periods of the test. In this case, the presence of the
SPE-185892-MS 15

auto-flow sub in the POD section was extremely beneficial as it allowed fluid to move upwards bypassing
the ESP pump housing, thus minimizing the pressure drop in this section.
During the test, all environmental conditions including wind were carefully analyzed and accordingly the
air supply was adjusted to achieve the optimum burning conditions. During well shut-in and flow diversion
from one boom to another, the surface lines to the burners were flushed with base oil to prevent them from
plugging with the reservoir crude as the fluids cooled down. Photo of the flare during the test is presented
in Fig. A-6.

Figure A-6—Photo of the flare taken during the well test.

The real-time ESP monitoring and well testing services are not entirely new concepts and have been
successfully utilized over several years in many operations across the North Sea. With almost one hundred
real-time well tests performed across the North Sea with an established infrastructure, defined workflows,
and 24/7 collaborative environments in practice, real-time-enabled value to operators have become more
apparent with tangible results (Sikandar et al, 2010). The fully operational Artificial Lift Surveillance Centre
based in UK has also demonstrated the value of 24/7 ESP surveillance and monitoring in terms of extended
ESP run-life and reduction in ESP downtime. The support center provides coverage for over 100 wells
equipped with ESPs across Europe and Africa (Camilleri and Macdonald, 2010). However, ESP-DST well
testing requires seamless integration of both acquisition and data delivery systems, optimized for monitoring
each particular operation and delivering data from the ESP and the surface well test package in different
formats to the dedicated operational support center. The deployed DST also included an acoustic telemetry
system that provided real-time surface readout of downhole pressure gauges installed at different depth.
Large quantities of data, both surface and downhole, with more than 80 channels were acquired during
the test. Significant modifications were applied in the real-time data delivery infrastructure to achieve the
required level of synergy for aggregating the acquired ESP data, information from downhole memory gauges
and surface well test data, at the well site. More than 80 data acquisition channels were delivered in real-time
to the remote web-based server where, with proprietary software capable of supporting both ESP, downhole
and surface well test data, remote experts could access large amounts of real-time information, visualize
data and perform quick evaluations (Fig. A-7). Additionally, together with the chat functionalities, data
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exchange, screen sharing and conference call facilities at the core of the real-time operations enabled all the
team members to communicate, share ideas and provide recommendations. By this means, the entire work
force is used, even if the team members are in different locations. Such a fast information turnaround across
all the involved parties also improves the decision-making process and makes conventional well testing
operations more interactive and data quality oriented.

Figure A-7—Real-time data visualization by remote users in proprietary design software.

The benefits and value of providing real-time data delivery infrastructure, whereby enabled collaboration
of experts at multiple sites and at operation support center was crucial for continuous data quality assurance
of real-time data and optimize well test program toward achievement of test objectives within optimum time
frame. The implemented real-time data confluence process of acquiring ESP and surface well test data has
also significantly improved collaboration between the experts at well site and facilitates the performance
of a seamless operation.
The real-time data delivery of bottomhole pressure data during the test, has enabled a real-time quick look
well test interpretation and assisted in optimizing the duration of pressure build-up. Looking at the cases run
during the GSA design process, and the match against the real data, it was clear that a good pressure match
could be achieved using the actual reservoir simulation model which did not include sealing boundaries.
The real-time quick-look interpretation gave a good indication that the data would be interpretable using
the simulation model defined for the well test design.
During the test oil, water and gas flow rates were accurately measured by using dual energy gamma ray
multiphase flow meter and well test separator equipped with Coriolis meters (Fig. A-8). More than 12,000
stb of reservoir crude was successfully burned using new generation high efficiency burners with no HSE
incidents.
SPE-185892-MS 17

Figure A-8—Comparison of cumulative volume of oil produced during the test,


measured by well test separator and a dual energy gamma ray multiphase flow meter.

The well results are expected to provide an increase of in-place volumes in the Central South and Central
West segments of Wisting discovery and further reduce the overall uncertainty of contingent resources in
the license area.

Conclusions and lessons learned


This case study shows how successful ESP-DST well testing can be delivered in difficult reservoir and
sensitive environmental conditions with careful planning and integration of all disciplines. The well test
success depended upon understanding the drilling constraints and planning for all possible contingency
options.
Full use was made of a dynamic multiphase flow simulator to optimize and model well clean-up
operations with the ESP situated in the riser. Having understood the expected well and reservoir behavior, the
DST string and surface well test spread was optimized to handle well effluent in a cold weather environment.
Use of the auto-flow sub was important for maintaining the flexibility of the ESP-DST string to respond to
changing conditions in the wellbore as the test moved from cleanup to main flow.
Maintaining the adjustable choke throughout the test is an important aspect of ESP-DST testing and
should not be overlooked. Prior to stopping the pump, considerable use was made of the adjustable choke
to stabilize well flow which could not have been achieved as readily with fixed choke sizes. The well
test separator equipped with Coriolis meters simplified operations, reducing environmental risk, and the
separator handled solid produced from this high-permeability reservoir with no detriment to measurement
accuracy.
Concerns were raised that the single zone, drilling contingency option would result in a failure to
achieve the test reservoir characterization objectives. A global sensitivity analysis (GSA) test design method
was performed to evaluate the impact of geological uncertainties on pressure and flow rate behavior
during the test. The GSA models were used during real-time operations to aid decision making. The same
hydrodynamic model was subsequently used to perform numerical well test interpretation of acquired well
18 SPE-185892-MS

test data, reducing turn-around time for interpretation and giving confidence in the numerical model used
for field planning.
Real-time data transmission with real-time collaboration of experts at multiple sites was instrumental in
acquiring high quality data, providing concurrent feedback and optimizing well test program. The ability
to ensure data interpretability while the test was ongoing ensured that the test met the objectives and added
significantly to de-risking of the future field development of the Wisting discovery.

Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to OMV and Schlumberger for permission to publish this paper. We also thank the
license partners Idemitsu, Petoro, Statoil and Tullow. The authors would also like to recognize all the OMV
departments, as well as the service providers, who contributed to the success of the project.

Conversion Factors

bar × 1.0* E + 05 = Pa
bbl × 1.589 873 E – 01 = m3
ft × 3.048* E − 01 =m
ft3 × 2.831 685 E − 02 = m3
in. × 2.54* E + 00 = cm
mile × 1.609 344* E + 00 = km
* Conversion factor is exact.

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