# US 10,480,305 B2 · Automated well test validation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,480,305 B2 - Document ID: US10480305B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/229,658 - Filed: 2016-08-05 - Published: 2017-03-02 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2015-08-31 - Assignees: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company - Applicants: Amr El-Bakry; Joseph K. Bjerkseth; Niranjan A. Subrahmanya; Peng Xu - Inventors: Amr El-Bakry; Joseph K. Bjerkseth; Niranjan A. Subrahmanya; Peng Xu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10480305B2 ## CPC - E21B 44/00: Automatic control systems specially adapted for drilling operations, i.e. self-operating systems which function to carry out or modify a drilling operation without intervention of a human operator, e.g. computer-controlled drilling systems; Systems specially adapted for monitoring a plurality of drilling variables or conditions - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS ## Abstract A diagnostic apparatus configured to communicate with a well test system comprising a plurality of wells in a field, comprising a receiving component configured to receive a well test data from the well test system, a transmitting component configured to transmit an abnormal well test signal indication, at least one processor configured to communicate with the transmitting component and the receiving component, and a memory coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the memory comprises instructions that when executed by the at least one processor cause the diagnostic apparatus to compare the well test data to one or more well test descriptors stored in memory, correlate the well test data to an abnormal well test result selected based at least in part on the comparison with the one or more well test descriptors stored in the memory, and instruct the transmitting component to transmit an abnormal well test signal indication to a recipient. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A diagnostic apparatus configured to communicate with a well test system comprising a plurality of wells in a field, comprising: a receiving component configured to receive well test data from the well test system; a transmitting component configured to transmit an abnormal well test signal indication; at least one processor configured to communicate with the transmitting component and the receiving component; and a memory coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the memory comprises instructions that when executed by the at least one processor are configured to: obtain well test data from the well test system; segment the well test data into purge period data and test period data; extract one or more features from the well test data, wherein the one or more features comprise quality assurance data, filling-dumping cycle identification data, water cut data, flow rate change data, expected flow rate data, test duration data, and combinations thereof; calculate a first water cut from the test period data, wherein the first water cut comprises a ratio of water to oil entering the multiphase separator; calculating a second water cut from the test period data, wherein the second water cut is representative of a ratio of water to oil leaving the multiphase separator compare the one or more features, the first water cut, and the second water cut, to one or more well test descriptors stored in the memory; identify the well test data as an abnormal well test result based at least in part on the comparison of the one or more features with the one or more well test descriptors; determine, based at last in part on the comparison of the one or more features with the one or more well test descriptors, an explanation of the abnormal well test result, a root cause of the abnormal well test result, a recommended course of action in response to the abnormal well test result, or any combination thereof; and instruct the transmitting component to transmit an indication of the abnormal well test result to a recipient and to transmit the explanation of the abnormal well test result, the root cause of the abnormal well test result, the recommended course of action, or a combination thereof to the recipient. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The diagnostic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor are further configured to: apply a set of rules comparing the well test data, the one or more features, or both to one or more predefined threshold values to detect an abnormal well test. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The diagnostic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the receiving component is configured to receive the well test data from a plurality of well test systems. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The diagnostic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor are configured to calculate at least one of an oil flow rate, a water flow rate, an expected water cut, an expected oil flow rate, an expected water flow rate, an oil flow rate change, or a water flow rate change from the well test data. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The diagnostic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor are configured to store the well test data in the memory as a comparison well test data for a subsequent well test. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The diagnostic apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one of: filtering the well test data over time using time averaging or exponential smoothing; passing the well test data through a signal processing algorithm; or performing a statistical analysis on the well test data using a time-frequency analysis or a peak detection analysis. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The diagnostic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more well test descriptors comprise univariate statistical features, multivariate statistical features, or combinations thereof extracted from comparison well test data stored in memory. ### Claim 8 A method of detecting an abnormal well test in a well test system comprising a plurality of wells in a field, comprising: receiving a well test data from the well test system; segmenting the well test data into a purge period and a test period, wherein the purge period comprises information indicating oil, water, or both leaving a multiphase separator in the well test system, and wherein the test period comprises information indicating oil, water, or both entering the multiphase separator; calculating a first water cut from the test period well test data, wherein the first water cut is representative of a ratio of water to oil entering the multiphase separator; calculating a second water cut from the test period well test data, wherein the second water cut is representative of a ratio of water to oil leaving the multiphase separator; comparing the first water cut, the second water cut, the liquid rate, or a combination thereof to a predetermined value, wherein the predetermined value comprises an expected estimation value that is specific to each well in the field; detecting the abnormal well test based on the comparison; identify a root cause for the abnormal well test; identify a corrective course of action; and output an alert to an operator of the abnormal well test, the root cause, the corrective course of action, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the abnormal well test indicates an incorrect test period duration, an incorrect filling period duration, a non-uniform dump-fill cycle duration, a low oil flow rate, an incorrect water cut, or any combination thereof. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the predetermined value is selected to identify an incorrect test duration, an incorrect indication of oil, water or both leaving the multiphase separator, an incorrect indication of oil, water or both entering the multiphase separator, a faulty sensor, a multiphase separator problem, a flow stability problem, an equipment problem external to the multiphase separator, or any combination thereof. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein comparing the first water cut, the second water cut, or a combination thereof to the predetermined value comprises a time series model based on at least a portion of the well test data prior to the comparison. ### Claim 12 A well test system, comprising: a remotely operated valve associated with a field comprising a one or more wells; a multiphase separator configured for well testing the one or more wells; at least one sensor coupled to the multiphase separator; a communications infrastructure configured to provide communications from the sensor to the diagnostic system; a diagnostic system comprising: at least one processor; and a memory coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the memory comprises instructions that when executed by the at least one processor are configured to: obtain well test data from the at least one sensor; segment the well test data in order to identify data corresponding to specific portions of the well test, wherein the specific portions of the well test data comprise one or more of purge period data, test period data, and filling- dumping cycle data; extract one or more features from the well test data, wherein the one or more features comprise quality assurance data, filling-dumping cycle identification data, water cut data, flow rate change data, expected flow rate data, test duration data, and combinations thereof; calculate a first water cut from the well test data, wherein the first water cut comprises a ratio of water to oil entering the multiphase separator; calculate a second water cut from the well test data, wherein the second water cut is representative of a ratio of water to oil leaving the multiphase separator; compare the first water cut, the second water cut, and the one or more features to one or more decision rules stored in the memory, wherein the one or more decision rules contain threshold conditions for detecting abnormal well test results; identify the well test data as an abnormal well test result based at least in part on the comparison; and output an indication of the abnormal well test result. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The well test system of claim 12, wherein the abnormal well test result is selected from a group comprising: an incorrect test duration, an incorrect indication of oil, water or both leaving the multiphase separator, an incorrect indication of oil, water or both entering the multiphase separator, a faulty sensor, a multiphase separator problem, a flow stability problem, an equipment problem external to the multiphase separator, or any combination thereof. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The well test system of claim 13, further comprising an operator interface, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor are configured to: identify a root cause for the abnormal well test; identify a corrective course of action; and alert an operator of the abnormal well test, the root cause, the corrective course of action, or any combination thereof, via the operator interface. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The well test system of claim 12, further comprising a plurality of multiphase separators configured for well testing the one or more wells, wherein the diagnostic system is configured to receive well test data from well tests conducted at each of the plurality of multiphase separators. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The well test system of claim 12, wherein the one or more decision rules utilize statistical analysis techniques, machine learning algorithm analysis techniques, or combinations thereof on historical data for the one or more wells, the multiphase separator, or the reservoir. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The well test system of claim 16, wherein the statistical analysis techniques comprise time-frequency analysis or wavelet analysis.