SPE 13810

Acoustic Static Bottomhole Pressure

J.N. McCoy,* Echometer Co.; A.L. Podio,* U. of Texas; and K.L. Huddleston* and B. Drake, Echometer Co.

*SPE members

This paper was presented at the SPE 1985 Petroleum Operations Symposium held in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, March 10 – 12, 1985.

Acoustic instruments have been used routinely for many years as an aid in analyzing well performance of normal-pressure oil producers.

Recent developments in equipment and techniques now permit more-accurate calculations of acoustic static bottomhole pressures at surface pressures up to 15,000 psi in corrosive (CO2 and H2 S) environments. Equations and charts are presented herein for determining static bottomhole pressures from acoustic and well data. Also, a special technique is recommended for shutting-in a well, which in most cases will yield more-accurate results. 

This method has been programmed for an inexpensive, portable notebook-size computer, which can be used in the field to easily perform these calculations.

Copyright 1985, Society of Petroleum Engineers

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