Production Engg – Herriot Watt series

1. Performance of Flowing Wells:

Since reservoir engineering is already covered, the reader is expected to feel comfortable with
well inflow performance (1.1 onwards). You can directly start from section 2(2.1 onwards).
Tubing performance and choke performance are very important. So read section 2 and 3
with utmost attention. For choke correlations only Gilbert’s correlation is important.
In case you have to read section 1, you can ignore 1.7.

2. Wellbore Completion Concepts:

Read up to section 5. Figure 7 and figure 8 are important and should be committed to memory.
It is just better if the reader can familiarize himself with the simple working mechanisms of the
equipments given in the text. Watch some YouTube videos in consultation with the diagrams
provided while noting the different parts and their location and function.
3. Wireline Services:
Advanced readers may even read the whole text. But, from GATE point of view remembering
and understanding figure 8 is sufficient.
4. Completion Equipment:

Read up to section 4. For packers, read up from 4.1 to 4.3. Resume from 4.7up to 4.9. In section
5, 5.3 is unimportant. For sub surface safety systems read up to 6.3. (Up to 6.3means 6.3 is not
included). Section 7 complete reading is advised.
5. Multiple Zone Completions:

The chapter is short and complete reading is advised. Advantage and disadvantage of different
designs is important.
In section 4, commercial names and equipment details should be avoided. Learning the
elementary types will suffice.

6. Perforating
: Read full chapter. The class lecture notes (in word file) of ISM regarding perforation and
activation should be read as additional material.
7. Formation Damage:

Very important chapter. Read the chapter cover to cover. Appendix A is important. Make notes
where necessary. A lot of graphs are given in this chapter. It is important that the reader be
able to explain the trends of these curves.
8. Acidizing and Other Matrix Treatments:
Read the whole chapter. Section 8 is very very important. Section 9, 11 and 12 can be ignored.
Table A-1 and A-2 in Appendix A are highly informative and should be committed to memory.

9. Hydraulic Fracturing:
Section 9 and 13 are not important. Fracture models like KGD and PKN and the related
formulae are extremely important. All other formulae featuring in the text are also important.
Figure 16 is again highly important and has to be thoroughly understood. 6.2 can be ignored.

10. Unstable Formations and Sand Control

: Whole chapter except 5.9 and 5.10. Only Frack and pack is relevant in 5.11. In 5.12,
operational procedures can be neglected; just remember the chemicals used. Figure 33, 34, 36
and 37 are highly important for conceptual understanding.

11. Selection of Artificial Lift Techniques:

Figure 1 (a), (b) and (c) are important and should be understood clearly. Figure 3, table 2 and
Table 3 should be committed to memory as questions can directly be expected. Read the SRP
section completely. For ESP, 7.5 and 7.6 can be ignored. For hydraulic pumps, only the principle
of operation and advantages & disadvantages are important. The same is also to be followed
for PCP. No need to study beyond 9.2. For GATE, the most important topics are SRP and ESP
and to some extent gas lift also. So be very thorough in the mathematics of these designs as
questions are likely. For Gas lift, section 5 and 7 can be selectively read. Complex gas lift design
optimizations will never be asked. I suggest some other concise sources for SRP, ESP and gas lift
to cover additional portions. Videos in YouTube will help you visualize things, which is key to
appreciation of the processes.
12. Surface Production Operations:
Here, the only book to be followed is the one by Arnold.
For topics like Perforation, Matrix acidization, Artificial lift and Surface production, (i.e the
topics whichare not typically exhaustively covered in Heriott Watt) the reader is advised to use
Petrowiki, Youtubeand Slideshare as much as possible for clearer understanding. Since these
topics will have multiplesources, bullet points will help in accruing the additional material. Keep
an eye for new formulae inthese additional materials. As a general principle, any cause
consequence type literature is important.
Drilling engineering – Herriot Watt and Rabia
1. Pressures in Well Planning :
Words cannot say how important this topic is for a wholesome understanding of drilling
engineering. Be extremely meticulous in this topic because most questions of drilling are likely
to be asked from here. This is almost one third of the syllabus alone. Here is how to progress.
Start with chapter 1, 2 and 3 (Pore Pressure, FIT, Kick Tolerance) of Rabia. These topics are
highly conceptual and demand good understanding which is difficult to attain in first reading. I
will advise an average reader to read these chapters at least three times over each (or until you
feel at home with the concepts). Practice the numerical examples as they come along the text.
Once you are done with the three chapters, you can move to Chapter 5 of Heriott Watt. You
would not have to read word by word now as most of the things are already covered. Just pick
the additional material.
2. Well Control :
Well control in itself is a favorite hunting area of GATE. There is only one reference book here
i.e Heriott Watt. A wonderful presentation of the whole subject matter is given in precise
terms. Read it thoroughly. Formulae and concepts are extremely important. Numericals are
again highly likely to appear in exam. A sound understanding of the first topic will prove handy
here.
3. Rig Components:
Study from either rabia or herriot watt. Numericals are standard and likely to be expected in
exam (e.g. volumetric efficiency of pump,tension in wireline, number of trips, derrick efficiency,
annular capacity, hoisting speed and time).If you have covered up to this much, know that 70%
of the syllabus is already over.
4. Drilling Fluid and Cements:

Reading both the topics in succession helps because of the similarities in content. I suggest
making notes for future revision as factual questions (regarding say, chemicals and additives,
process of manufacture, cementing equipments and procedures, mud properties and problems)
may be expected. Laboratory procedures and tests are extremely important. All the formulae
appearing in the lab tests are important and questions can be directly asked (e.g setting time,
yield strength, spurt loss, viscosity, cation exchange capacity). Ignore rig hydraulics.
5. Casing and Drill String Design :
Here also, both the topics should be read with immediate succession. Concepts of collapse,
burst, tension, torsion are important. Lengthy iterative procedures of design will never be
asked. Just remember the formulae associated with each concept. Both the chapters are
lowyield ones. Do not invest much time on them. But make sure to cover the easy theory (like
function, maintenance, problems etc ).
Follow any book as you please, preferably Rabia. I would advise you to read one book only
keeping in view its yield. You can cover both if you have abundance of time.
Drilling Engineering
6. Directional Drilling:

Read the theory from Heriott Watt. Formulae are very important. You will also have to read
Rabia after finishing Heriott Watt, to cover some missing portions (not word by word!). For
horizontal wells, only area of drainage is important. Similarly, for multilateral wells, only the
types are important (advantages and disadvantages).

7. Drill Bits:
Cost per footage type numerical are common. Cover from a single book. Cause consequence
type questions in design may be asked (e.g what happens of spacing between teeth is reduced
or included angle is increased).

8. Drilling Problems:
Enthusiastic readers may go for Rabia subject to availability of time. This is again a low yield
chapter. So plan your time carefully. The chapter is largely theoretical and even a superficial
understanding suffices for the most part. Depth of sticking is almost the only numerical that
they can ask.

Well Test Analysis– John Lee, LP Dake, Tarek Ahmed

1. The syllabus is very limited in this section but demands a lot of understanding. So multiple
sources and multiple reading of the same is advised. The formulae, which seem apparently
complex to commit to memory, are extremely important and questions have been asked
directly from the formulae. Formulae have to be remembered in Darcy units and Field units for
concepts and numericals respectively and this needs practice.
3. Fluid Flow in Porous Media: Extremely important topic as it lays the foundation for other
topics. Start with Chapter 5, 6 and 7 (Up to 7.5 (c)) of L.P Dake. All derivations and theory in L.P
Dake are explained employing Darcy’s units and hence it is imperative for a sound
understanding. You may now start with Lee Chapter 1(for practice in field units). It is highly
advised to practice the solved numericals wherever they feature in the text.
4. Pressure Buildup Tests: Cover Lee up to 2.8. Incomplete perforation and hydraulic fracture
cases maybe ignored. Basic idea of Section 2.9 is required. Numericals will not typically be
asked from this section. So just a fair understanding of the textual theory is recommended.
Section 2.10 is more deserving of some numerical practice, though chances are much less as
compared to other sections. Understanding the theory is, again, very important. 2.11 and 2.12
can be ignored.
5. Flow Tests: Easy to understand and limited to 4 pages. Cover up to Section 3.3 only. It is
important to appreciate at this point that, at least 75% of the syllabus is over by now in just 3
chapters. SO cover these religiously.

6. Type Curve Analysis: Though a basic understanding is always good, it can be ignored
completely from GATE point of view. The best you can do is to remember the terms associated
with each type curve for some unprecedented match type questions. Numericals will not be
asked in all likelihood.

7. Gas Well Testing: I would advise to cover this topic from Tarek Ahmed as the language and
theory is easy to follow. Cover Radial flow of compressible fluids for each flow regime as given
in the chapter ‘Fundamentals of Reservoir Fluid Flow’. Numericals are important here. Once
you are done with TA, you can cover the numerical from Lee directly without the theory.

8. Other Well Tests: Read the text and keep some notes handy for each of the tests especially
those related to the conditions for use and limitations. Only theoretical match type questions
can be expected from here. No need for studying graphs and numericals.
9. It is advisable to keep revising Tarek Ahmed for the portions that you have already studied
under Reservoir Engineering. Certain things, for example, the equation relating initial pressure,
average pressure and time for a semi steady state condition, in field units, is found only in TA.
Once the above are covered, you can go for a selective reading of TA.
Reservoir Engg – Tarek Ahmed, LP Dake, Herriot Watt, Amyx, Lyon
Fluid Properties

1.Composition of Reservoir Fluids:

Chapter 3 Heriot Watt
2.Phase Behavior of Hydrocarbons: Chapter 4 Heriot Watt (for conceptual understanding),
Chapter 1 Tarek Ahmed (for your personal notes, if any. Questions will be asked from here.)
3. Behavior of Gases: Chapter 5 Heriot Watt (Avoid remembering lengthy correlations. It is
precisely because of this that I would encourage you to read from Heriot Watt instead of Tarek
Ahmed. If you study from Tarek Ahmed, use your discretion well considering the above point. It
is however important to consider the trends of variation, for example the variation of
pseudocritical temperature with specific gravity of the gas. No need to remember the specific
correlation formula. Just an idea of the trend is required. For other equations of state, just
make a table citing the limits of applicability of each. Again, there is no need to remember the
lengthy equations. Section 5.2 and 6.7 can be skipped)
4.Properties of Reservoir Liquids: Chapter 6 Heriot Watt (Upto 6.8) and Chapter 2 Tarek
Ahmed (for the study of important trends). Water properties can be skipped. Avoid methods of
viscosity calculation in Tarek. Learn only the trends from the correlations.
5. PVT Analysis:
Chapter 2 L.P Dake (especially sampling), Chapter 3 Tarek Ahmed. Skip correction of data part.
Rock Properties

1.Fundamental of Rock Properties:

Chapter 4 Tarek Ahmed ( Concentrate especially on the permeability variation concepts).
Chapter 2 Amyx (Concentrate on calculations related to measurement of porosity, saturation
etc.) Make sure you read Chapter 7 and Chapter 8 from Heriot Watt before reading these two.
Chapter 8 needs only a one time reading.
2.Relative Permeability:
Chapter 5 Tarek Ahmed (Three phase can be avoided). Chapter 3 Amyx Upto ‘Effective and
Relative Permeability’ is advised.

Fluid Flow in Porous Media

Chapter 5, 6 and 7(Upto 7.3) from L.P Dake, Chapter 6 Tarek Ahmed. Theory can understood in
great detail from L.P Dake. All derivations are done in Darcy’s units which is easy to understand.
While reading Tarek, you only need to understand and remember the corresponding portions in
field units. No need to read the chapter over again. It is important to remember equations in
field units as numerical questions are directly asked.
Performance Prediction
1.Performance of Oil Reservoirs:
Chapter 4 Advanced Tarek Ahmed (Tracy’s Form not needed. Concepts of water influx,
wherever used, can be avoided). Material Balance can be additionally referred from Dake,
especially the lucid derivation.
2.Performance Prediction: Chapter 5 Advanced Tarek Ahmed (Only Tarner’s method is
sufficient just to understand how the equations are combined to predict reservoir performance.

Everything else in section 5.1 can be ignored. Section 5.2 dealing with well performance has to
be covered completely including basics of horizontal wells.)
3. Performance of Gas Reservoirs:
Chapter 1 LP Dake (for gas material balance), Chapter 8 Tarek Ahmed(for gas well performance.
Horizontal can be neglected here.)
4. Decline Curve:
Lyons book
Immiscible Displacment
Chapter 18 Heriot Watt (upto 5.1), Chapter 10 LP Dake (upto 10.6), Chapter 14 Tarek Ahmed
(just tounderstand flooding patterns)