Basic Well Test Design and Analysis

Duration: 5 Days
Target Audience: Early-Career Reservoir Engineers, Production Engineers, Wellsite Engineers, Petroleum Engineering Students
Delivery Mode: Classroom / Virtual with Hands-On Exercises and Practical Examples
Level: Beginner to Intermediate

Course Overview

This foundational course introduces participants to the design, execution, and interpretation of well tests. It covers key test types, data acquisition, pressure-transient concepts, diagnostic plots, and basic interpretation methods to evaluate reservoir properties and well performance.

Day-by-Day Outline

Day 1 – Introduction to Well Testing

Objectives and importance of well testing
Types of well tests: drawdown, buildup, injectivity, DST
Overview of equipment used in well testing
Key data required: pressure, rate, time
Exercise: Prepare a well test checklist for field operations

Day 2 – Basics of Pressure Transient Analysis

Fundamentals of radial flow in porous media
Concepts of skin factor and wellbore storage
Building and using Horner plots
Recognizing flow regimes: wellbore storage, radial, boundary effects
Workshop: Construct and interpret a basic Horner plot

Day 3 – Test Design Considerations

Designing drawdown and buildup tests
Duration and sampling frequency requirements
Avoiding common well test design pitfalls
Well test operational procedures
Exercise: Design a buildup test for a vertical well

Day 4 – Diagnostic Plots and Interpretation Techniques

Semi-log and log-log plot basics
Using derivative plots to identify reservoir behavior
Estimating permeability and skin from test data
Interpreting common well test responses
Workshop: Analyze simple test data to determine reservoir properties

Day 5 – Reporting and Practical Applications

Communicating well test results effectively
Preparing professional well test reports
Case studies: well tests in different reservoir types
Integration of well test results with reservoir models
Capstone Project: Complete a basic well test analysis and prepare a summary report

Expected Learning Outcomes

Understand key concepts in well test design and pressure transient analysis
Plan and execute basic well tests with field best practices
Interpret drawdown and buildup test data using diagnostic plots
Estimate reservoir properties such as permeability and skin
Prepare clear and effective well test reports for operational and reservoir engineering teams

Customizable Add-ons
Tailored content for local geology (e.g. Nile Delta, Western Desert)
Lab visit or simulation hands-on demo
Integration with economics or production courses

Special Customization for Regional NOCs

- Includes legal and fiscal case examples from MENA (Egypt, Libya, Iraq, Algeria)
- Arabic-English bilingual delivery available
- Tailored licensing round simulation exercises
- Optional site visits to local oilfields or regulatory agencies

Trainer Profile

- Senior reservoir and exploration engineers from IOCs and NOCs
- Former advisors to government ministries
- Experts in petroleum contracts and economic modeling

Certification

Participants will receive a Certificate of Completion and a performance report including assessment outcomes and instructor feedback.