Acquisition and Application of Early-Life Well Performance Data

Abstract

Abstract Simultaneous drilling and production operations, sometimes called producing while drilling (PWD) operations, can severely limit opportunities to acquire bottomhole pressure data. The additional risk and expense imposed by wireline operations upon PWD operations is often difficult to justify from an operational perspective. This paper reviews a simple technique and the equipment used to reduce that risk and expense. Case histories demonstrate 1) the success of using this technique to acquire bottomhole pressure data in an operationally constrained environment and 2) the value of the early-life well performance data. It has proven to be a low-cost and reliable method of acquiring data with little to no risk to the completion. The data has been invaluable in providing an immediate evaluation of completion techniques, definition of reservoir performance and early reservoir depletion, calibration of flowing bottomhole pressure estimates, and a check as to the accuracy of surface recording equipment