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DrillstemtestWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Drillstemtest
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Adrillstemtest(DST)isaprocedureforisolatingandtesting
thepressure,permeabilityandproductivecapacityofa
geologicalformationduringthedrillingofawell.Thetestisan
importantmeasurementofpressurebehaviouratthedrillstem
andisavaluablewayofobtaininginformationontheformation
fluidandestablishingwhetherawellhasfoundacommercial
hydrocarbonreservoir.

Contents
1 History
2 Procedure
3 Results

DrillStemTest

4 Seealso
5 Notes
6 Externallinks

History
WorkinginElDorado,Arkansas,inthe1920s,E.C.JohnstonandhisbrotherM.O.Johnstondeveloped
thefirstdrillstemtesterandranthefirstcommercialdrillstemtestin1926.InApril1929,theJohnston
FormationTestingCorporationwasgrantedapatent(U.S.Patent1,709,940)andtheysubsequently
refinedthetestingsystemintheearly1930s.[1]
Inthe1950s,Schlumbergerintroducedamethodfortestingformationsusingwireline.The
Schlumbergerformationtestingtool,placedinoperationin1953,firedashapedchargethrougharubber
padthathadbeenexpandedintheholeuntilitwassecurelyfixedintheholeatthedepthrequired.
Formationfluidsflowedthroughtheperforationandconnectingtubingintoacontainerhousedinsidethe
tool.Whenfilled,thecontainerwasclosed,sealingthefluidsampleattheformationpressure.Thetool
wasthenbroughttothesurface,wherethesamplecouldbeexamined.In1956,Schlumbergeracquired
JohnstonTestersandcontinuestoperformdrillstemtestsandwirelineformationtestsinbothopenand
casedholes.
AboutDrillStemTesting
Drillstemtestingisanoilandgasexplorationproceduretoisolate,stimulateandflowadownhole
formationtodeterminethefluidspresentandtherateatwhichtheycanbeproduced.Themainobjective
ofaDSTistoevaluatethecommercialviabilityofazoneseconomicpotentialbyidentifyingproductive
capacity,pressure,permeabilityorextentofanoilorgasreservoir.Thesetestscanbeperformedinboth
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openandcasedholeenvironmentsandprovideexplorationteamswithvaluableinformationaboutthe
natureofthereservoir.Drillstemtestinginvolvesdeployingaseriesoftoolsknownasatestbottomhole
assembly(BHA).AbasicdrillstemtestBHAconsistofapackerorpackers,whichactasanexpanding
plugtobeusedtoisolatesectionsofthewellforthetestingprocess,valvesthatmaybeopenedorclosed
fromthesurfaceduringthetest,andrecordersusedtodocumentpressureduringthetest.Inadditionto
packersadownholevalveisusedtoopenandclosetheformationtomeasurereservoircharacteristics
suchaspressureandtemperaturewhicharechartedondownholerecorderswithintheBHA.Beloware
twotypesofBHADST,CasedHolewhichcanbeappliedafterthewellhasbeencased,andOpenHole
whichmaybepreformedbeforecasing.
APPLICATIONSOFDRILLSTEMTESTING:CasedHole
Performedafterthewelliscased,casedholedrillstemtestingusesaretrievableproductionpackerthat
issetabovethezoneofinterest.Thewellisthenflowtestedthroughperforationsinthecasing.Thetwo
typesofcasedholetestingarepressureoperatedandmechanicallyoperated.
OpenHole
Becauseit'sperformedbeforecasingisrun,openholedrillstemtestingcanbethemosteconomicalway
todetermineproductivecapacity,pressure,permeabilityortheextentofanoilorgasreservoir.The
testingequipmentisrunintothewellandthezoneofinterestisisolatedusinginflateorcompressionset
packers,dependingonyourrequirementsanddrillingconditions.
AlternateProcedures
Dependingontestingobjectivesandscopeofwork,drillstemtestingmayalsobeperformedin
combinationwithvariousotherexplorationandcompletionprocesssuchasfluidlosscontrolandwell
control,closedchambertests,wellstimulation,andacombinationofDSTandTCP.

Procedure
Duringnormalwelldrilling,drillingmudispumpedthroughthedrillstemandoutofthedrillbit.Ina
drillstemtest,thedrillbitisremovedandreplacedwiththeDSTtoolanddevicesareinflatedaboveand
belowthesectiontobetested.[2]Thesedevicesareknownaspackersandareusedtomakeaseal
betweentheboreholewallandthedrillpipe,isolatingtheregionofinterest.[3]Avalveisopened,
reducingthepressureinthedrillstemtosurfacepressure,causingfluidtoflowoutofthepackedoff
formationanduptothesurface.

Results
Inalowpermeabilityorlowpressureformation,surfaceproductionmaynotbeachievedbutthevolume
andflowrateoffluidcanstillbeanalysedwithinthedrillstem.

Seealso
DeltaPTestCorpIntl,DSTClosedChamberIPE(http://www.deltapdst.com/)
NorthstarDrillstemTesting(http://www.northstardst.com/)
Drillingrig
HorizontalWellTesting
Oilwell
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Schlumberger

Notes
1. HistoryofPetroleumEngineering,APIDivisionofProduction,NewYorkCity,1961,pages561566
2. "SocietyofPetrophysicists&WellLogAnalystsglossary".Retrieved12September2006.
3. "SocietyofPetrophysicists&WellLogAnalystsglossary".Retrieved12September2006.

Externallinks
DSTDefinition(http://www.northstardst.com/drillstemtesting)
Retrievedfrom"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Drill_stem_test&oldid=636939190"
Categories: Drillingtechnology
Thispagewaslastmodifiedon6December2014,at21:52.
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