Patent ID: 7197398

Claim:
A method for designing a closed-chamber formation test system, comprising: a. collecting data identifying physical and fluid properties of an earth formation and a well drilled through the formation; b. estimating initial parameters of the closed-chamber formation test system for testing the earth formation, comprising an initial pressure in a test chamber of the test system and the test chamber volume, c. simulating a closed-chamber formation test over a period of time by: c1. calculating a first volume of fluids that would flow into the test chamber during a first time increment based on a pressure in the well adjacent the formation remaining constant during the first time increment, and the collected data, c2. calculating a new pressure in the well adjacent the formation based on the first volume of fluids calculated for the first time increment, c3. repeating c1 and c2 for a plurality of additional time increments; d. comparing the simulated time to complete the test to a preselected testing time range; e. adjusting initial estimated parameters of the closed-chamber formation test system and repeating c1, c2, and c3 using the data and adjusted parameters, if the simulated time to complete the test is not within the preselected testing time range; f. outputting to a storage medium a final set of parameters for designing the closed-chamber formation test system when the simulated time to complete the test is within the preselected testing time range.