Over the past two decades, formation testing has emerged as one of the most critical reservoir evaluation activities in petroleum exploration and production. As a result of increased drilling and testing costs in deep water, high-pressure, high-temperature, environmentally sensitive and other frontier areas, modern formation testing has become the primary—often only—source of information on fluid properties. Additionally it has provided insights into reservoir architecture issues that were previously the sole territory of conventional well testing.

Attendees of this course will gain a good understanding of the state-of-the-art in formation testing and its changing role, vis-à-vis other disciplines. The fundamental applications and interpretations of formation testing and highlights of the advances made over the last decade will be reviewed.  Examples will be shown to cement the learning and to highlight the merits of new technology and the value of integration.

Topics include:

• Pressure testing
• Pressure gradients
• Fluid sampling and down hole fluid analysis
• Permeability and pressure transient testing
• Application to reservoir and fluid characterization
• Micro-fracturing
• The value of integration