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Testing the Hydraulic Properties of the Drilled Formations

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Abstract

Hydraulic tests provide the key data on the hydraulic conductivity of the reservoir formation and permeability structure of the reservoir. These hydraulic properties are fundamental for the success of a geothermal project. The first hydraulic tests are already made in the hanging wall of the intended reservoir formation during drilling of the deep well. After completion of the wellbore, the hydraulic properties of the reservoir formation must be extensively tested. This includes long-term tests, circulation experiments, or tracer tests in the intended target horizon. Chapter 14 gives a brief overview over some standard hydraulic testing methods, the practical conductance of the tests and the processing and interpretation of measured data.

Hydraulic tests may solve very diverse problems. Therefore, the appropriate testing procedures depend on the specific data needed to answer the current question. However, all test methods monitor water pressure changes that result from an incurred excursion from the undisturbed pressure distribution in the reservoir. The excursion is being imposed by the testing method. A large variety of hydraulic testing schemes are currently used in groundwater exploration, by the oil and gas industry and in geothermal energy plant development

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Geo- and Environmental Sciences, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

    Ingrid Stober & Kurt Bucher

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  1. Ingrid Stober
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  2. Kurt Bucher
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Correspondence to Ingrid Stober .

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Stober, I., Bucher, K. (2021). Testing the Hydraulic Properties of the Drilled Formations. In: Geothermal Energy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-71685-1_14

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