Production logs optimize horizontal tests

Horizontal wells are still relatively new, and the economics of horizontal versus vertical wells are still being evaluated in many areas. Pressure transient analyses, long used in vertical wellbores, offer the means to evaluate the effects of a well completion (mechanical damage) in a horizontal well and provide some of the parameters required to assess the long-term economics of a reservoir. This paper reports on a review of the flow regime identification and parameter estimation processes which emphasizes the necessity for production logs to guide the analysis. The field example chosen illustrates some of the challenges associated with interpreting pressure transient data in horizontal wells with a constant pressure boundary. This example also highlights the need for using history matching to obtain a final solution for reservoir parameters.