Oilfield Testing Services: Where They're Used
Oilfield testing services are an essential part of the oil and gas industry. Every well drilled needs to be tested — you need to know how much oil and gas it produces, what the reservoir pressure is, and whether it's a good well or not. Testing services provide the data that oil companies use to make decisions about drilling, completing, and producing wells. Without testing services, oil companies would be flying blind.
Where Oilfield Testing Services Are Used
Oilfield testing services are used everywhere there's oil and gas activity. You'll find them:
- On every new well: When a well is first drilled, you need to test it. That's how you know if it's a producer or a dry hole. Well testing is done right after drilling, before the well is completed.
- On every appraisal well: When you're appraising a new oil field, you drill appraisal wells to test the reservoir. Well testing tells you how much oil the reservoir can produce, and how big the field is.
- On every production well: Even after a well is on production, you need to test it regularly. Well testing tells you how production is changing over time, and whether the well needs workover or stimulation.
- On every injection well: Injection wells pump water or gas into the reservoir, to maintain pressure or dispose of wastewater. You need to test injection wells too, to make sure they're injecting at the right rate and pressure.
What Kinds of Testing Services Are There?
Oilfield testing services cover a wide range of activities. Here are some of the most common:
- Well testing: Measuring the flow rate, pressure, and temperature of the well. This is the basic well test — you open the well up, and measure how much oil and gas it produces.
- Bottom hole pressure (BHP) testing: Measuring the pressure at the bottom of the well. This tells you how much pressure the reservoir has, and how it's changing over time.
- Productivity testing: Measuring the productivity index of the well — how much it produces per unit of pressure drawdown. This tells you how efficient the well is.
- Transient testing: Shutting in the well, and measuring how the pressure changes over time. This tells you about the reservoir properties — permeability, drainage area, boundary effects, and more.
- Well flow testing: Routing the well flow through a test separator, so you can measure the oil, gas, and water rates separately.
Who Provides Oilfield Testing Services?
Oilfield testing services are provided by:
- Oilfield service companies: Companies like Schlumberger, Halliburton, Baker Hughes, and others. They have the equipment, the expertise, and the people to do all kinds of well testing.
- Specialized testing companies: There are smaller companies that specialize in well testing. They're cheaper than the big service companies, and they focus on well testing specifically.
- Oil companies: Some big oil companies have their own testing teams, especially in remote areas where service companies are scarce.
FAQ
Q: How much does a well test cost?
A: It depends on the type of test and the depth of the well. A simple well test might cost $10,000 to $50,000. A more complex transient test might cost $100,000 to $500,000 or more. It's expensive, but it's essential — you need to know how much your well produces before you invest in completing it.