Abstract
A developing technology involving the use of electric submersible pump systems (ESP), tubing conveyed perforating (TCP) and Drill stem testing (DST) tools in an all-in-one string design was implemented for the very first time in Colombia to accurately test the potential of non-naturally flowing wells.
With the implementation of this well test procedure, the perforation and production steps can be followed immediately during the same run, helping to decrease the operating time by reducing the running jobs required and, achieving a significant enhancement on the data gathering process by avoiding to kill the well after perforation and breaking the test into separate runs for testing string and the artificial lift method; situation which likely will damage the formation.
The use of a pod to fully encapsulate the ESP and hold the DST-TCP equipment is the key element that enabled the integration of the three technologies into a single run, allowing the study of the inflow performance relationship (IPR) by using the pump to create the optimum environment for perforating, increase the energy of the fluids to transfer them to surface and, obtain controllable production rates required when the formation pressure is not capable enough to do so in the typically called non-naturally flowing wells.
The successful integrated job performed during the first semester of 2012 has led to a growing interest in this technology and its use is expected to increase in the near future.
