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WORKING GUIDE TO RESERVOIR ROCK PROPERTIES AND FLUID FLOW

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WORKING GUIDE TO RESERVOIR ROCK PROPERTIES AND FLUID FLOW

TAREK AHMED

AMSTERDAM BOSTON HEIDELBERG LONDON NEW YORK OXFORD PARIS SAN DIEGO SAN FRANCISCO SINGAPORE SYDNEY TOKYO
Gulf Professional Publishing is an imprint of Elsevier

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Gulf Professional Publishing is an imprint of Elsevier 30 Corporate Drive, Suite 400, Burlington, MA 01803, USA Linacre House, Jordan Hill, Oxford OX2 8DP, UK Copyright # 2006, 2010, Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Material in the work originally appeared in Reservoir Engineering Handbook, Third Edition by Tarek Ahmed (Elsevier Inc. 2006). No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
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Permissions may be sought directly from Elseviers Science & Technology Rights Department in Oxford, UK: phone: (44) 1865 843830, fax: (44) 1865 853333, E-mail: permissions@elsevier.com. You may also complete your request online via the Elsevier homepage (http://www.elsevier.com), by selecting Support & Contact then Copyright and Permission and then Obtaining Permissions. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN: 978-1-85617-825-9 For information on all Gulf Professional Publishing publications visit our Web site at www.elsevierdirect.com 09 10 11 12 13 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Printed in the United States of America

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Contents
1
FUNDAMENTALS OF RESERVOIR FLUID BEHAVIOR
Section 1.1 Classification of Reservoirs and Reservoir Fluids 1
Pressure-Temperature Diagram 2 Oil Reservoirs 3 Gas Reservoirs 9 Undefined Petroleum Fractions 25

Section 1.2 Problems 29

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Section 1.3 References

30

2
FUNDAMENTALS OF ROCK PROPERTIES
Section 2.1 Porosity 32
Absolute Porosity 32 Effective Porosity 33

Section 2.2 Saturation 36

Average Saturation 38

Section 2.3 Wettability 40 Section 2.4 Surface and Interfacial Tension 40 Section 2.5 Capillary Pressure 43
Capillary Pressure of Reservoir Rocks 46 Capillary Hysteresis 49 Initial Saturation Distribution in a Reservoir 51 Leverett J-Function 61 Converting Laboratory Capillary Pressure Data 64

Section 2.6 Permeability 65

The Klinkenberg Effect 71 Averaging Absolute Permeabilities 76 Absolute Permeability Correlations 84

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vi

CONTENTS

Section 2.7 Rock Compressibility 87 Section 2.8 Net Pay Thickness 92 Section 2.9 Reservoir Heterogeneity 93
Vertical Heterogeneity 94

Section 2.10 Areal Heterogeneity Section 2.11 Problems 110 Section 2.12 References 115

104

3
FUNDAMENTALS OF RESERVOIR FLUID FLOW
Section 3.1 Types of Fluids 117
Incompressible Fluids 118 Slightly Compressible Fluids 118 Compressible Fluids 119
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Section 3.2 Flow Regimes

120

Steady-State Flow 121 Unsteady-State Flow 121 Pseudosteady-State Flow 121

Section 3.3 Reservoir Geometry 122

Radial Flow 122 Linear Flow 123 Spherical and Hemispherical Flow 123

Section 3.4 Number of Flowing Fluids in the Reservoir 125 Section 3.5 Fluid Flow Equations 125
Darcys Law 125

Section 3.6 Steady-State Flow 127

Linear Flow of Incompressible Fluids 128 Linear Flow of Slightly Compressible Fluids 132 Linear Flow of Compressible Fluids (Gases) 133 Radial Flow of Incompressible Fluids 138 Radial Flow of Slightly Compressible Fluids 143 Radial Flow of Compressible Gases 144 Horizontal Multiple-Phase Flow 151

Section 3.7 Unsteady-State Flow 153

Basic Transient Flow Equation 155 Radial Flow of Slightly Compressible Fluids 159

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CONTENTS

vii

Section 3.8 Constant-Terminal-Pressure Solution 162 Section 3.9 Constant-Terminal-Rate Solution 163
The Ei-Function Solution 163 The Dimensionless Pressure Drop (pD) Solution 170 Radial Flow of Compressible Fluids 179 The m(p)-Solution Method (Exact Solution) 181 The Pressure-Squared Approximation Method (p2-Method) 183 The Pressure-Approximation Method 185

Section 3.10 Pseudosteady-State Flow 188

Radial Flow of Slightly Compressible Fluids 193 Radial Flow of Compressible Fluids (Gases) 201 Pressure-Squared Approximation Method 201 Pressure-Approximation Method 202 Skin Factor 202 Turbulent Flow Factor 208

Section 3.11 Principle of Superposition 211

Effects of Multiple Wells 212 Effects of Variable Flow Rates 215 http://www.download-it.org/learning-resources.php?promoCode=&partnerID=&content=story&storyID=26024 Effects of the Reservoir Boundary 218 Accounting for Pressure-Change Effects 221

Section 3.12 Transient Well Testing 221

Drawdown Test 222 Pressure Buildup Test 233

Section 3.13 Problems 241 Section 3.14 References INDEX 247 245

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P A R T

Fundamentals of Reservoir Fluid Behavior

Naturally occurring hydrocarbon systems found in petroleum reservoirs are mixtures of organic compounds that exhibit multiphase behavior over wide ranges of pressures and temperatures. These hydrocarbon http://www.download-it.org/learning-resources.php?promoCode=&partnerID=&content=story&storyID=26024 accumulations may occur in the gaseous state, the liquid state, the solid state, or in various combinations of gas, liquid, and solid. These differences in phase behavior, coupled with the physical properties of reservoir rock, which determine the relative ease with which gas and liquid are transmitted or retained, result in many diverse types of hydrocarbon reservoirs with complex behaviors. Frequently, petroleum engineers have the task to study the behavior and characteristics of a petroleum reservoir and to determine the course of future development and production that would maximize the profit. The objective of this chapter is to review the basic principles of reservoir fluid phase behavior and illustrate the use of phase diagrams in classifying types of reservoirs and the native hydrocarbon systems.

SECTION 1.1 CLASSIFICATION OF RESERVOIRS AND RESERVOIR FLUIDS

Petroleum reservoirs are broadly classified as oil or gas reservoirs. These broad classifications are further subdivided depending on The composition of the reservoir hydrocarbon mixture. Initial reservoir pressure and temperature. Pressure and temperature of the surface production. The conditions under which these phases exist are a matter of considerable practical importance. The experimental or the mathematical

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1. FUNDAMENTALS OF RESERVOIR FLUID BEHAVIOR

determinations of these conditions are conveniently expressed in different types of diagrams, commonly called phase diagrams. One such diagram is called the pressure-temperature diagram.

Pressure-Temperature Diagram
Figure 1-1 shows a typical pressure-temperature diagram of a multicomponent system with a specific overall composition. Although a different hydrocarbon system would have a different phase diagram, the general configuration is similar. These multicomponent pressure-temperature diagrams are essentially used to Classify reservoirs. Classify the naturally occurring hydrocarbon systems. Describe the phase behavior of the reservoir fluid. To fully understand the significance of the pressure-temperature diagrams, it is necessary to identify and define the following key points on these diagrams:
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Cricondentherm (Tct). The cricondentherm is defined as the maximum temperature above which liquid cannot be formed regardless of pressure (point E). The corresponding pressure is termed the cricondentherm pressure pct.
2700 2600 2500 2400 2300
60% 100% 90% 80% 70%

id by Liqu

e Volum

Liquid Phase

Critical Point c

De

w-

Gas Phase
Po int Cu rv

0%

Pressure, psia

2200 2100 2000 1900

40% 50% Two-Phase Region

1800 1700 1600

30%

1500 1400 1300 60 80 100

20 % 10 %

120

140

160

180

200

220

240

260

Temperature, deg F

FIGURE 1-1

Typical p-T diagram for a multicomponent system.

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SECTION 1.1

CLASSIFICATION OF RESERVOIRS AND RESERVOIR FLUIDS

Cricondenbar (Pcb). The cricondenbar is the maximum pressure above which no gas can be formed regardless of temperature (point D). The corresponding temperature is called the cricondenbar temperature Tcb. Critical Point. The critical point for a multicomponent mixture refers to the state of pressure and temperature at which all intensive properties of the gas and liquid phases are equal (point C). At the critical point, the corresponding pressure and temperature are called the critical pressure pc and critical temperature Tc of the mixture. Phase Envelope (Two-Phase Region). The region enclosed by the bubble-point curve and the dew-point curve (line BCA), wherein gas and liquid coexist in equilibrium, is identified as the phase envelope of the hydrocarbon system. Quality Lines. The dashed lines within the phase diagram are called quality lines. They describe the pressure and temperature conditions for equal volumes of liquids. Note that the quality lines converge at the critical point (point C). Bubble-Point Curve. The bubble-point curve (line BC) is defined as the line separating the liquid-phase region from the two-phase region. http://www.download-it.org/learning-resources.php?promoCode=&partnerID=&content=story&storyID=26024 Dew-Point Curve. The dew-point curve (line AC) is defined as the line separating the vapor-phase region from the two-phase region. In general, reservoirs are conveniently classified on the basis of the location of the point representing the initial reservoir pressure pi and temperature T with respect to the pressure-temperature diagram of the reservoir fluid. Accordingly, reservoirs can be classified into basically two types. These are Oil Reservoirs. If the reservoir temperature T is less than the critical temperature Tc of the reservoir fluid, the reservoir is classified as an oil reservoir. Gas Reservoirs. If the reservoir temperature is greater than the critical temperature of the hydrocarbon fluid, the reservoir is considered a gas reservoir.

Oil Reservoirs
Depending upon initial reservoir pressure pi, oil reservoirs can be subclassified into the following categories: 1. Undersaturated Oil Reservoir. If the initial reservoir pressure pi (as represented by point 1 in Figure 1-1) is greater than the bubble-point pressure pb of the reservoir fluid, the reservoir is labeled an undersaturated oil reservoir.

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1. FUNDAMENTALS OF RESERVOIR FLUID BEHAVIOR

2. Saturated Oil Reservoir. When the initial reservoir pressure is equal to the bubble-point pressure of the reservoir fluid, as shown in Figure 1-1 by point 2, the reservoir is called a saturated oil reservoir. 3. Gas-Cap Reservoir. If the initial reservoir pressure is below the bubble-point pressure of the reservoir fluid, as indicated by point 3 in Figure 1-1, the reservoir is termed a gas-cap or two-phase reservoir, in which the gas or vapor phase is underlain by an oil phase. The appropriate quality line gives the ratio of the gas-cap volume to reservoir oil volume. Crude oils cover a wide range in physical properties and chemical compositions, and it is often important to be able to group them into broad categories of related oils. In general, crude oils are commonly classified into the following types: Ordinary black oil. Low-shrinkage crude oil. High-shrinkage (volatile) crude oil. Near-critical crude oil.

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These classifications are essentially based upon the properties exhibited by the crude oil, including physical properties, composition, gas-oil ratio, appearance, and pressure-temperature phase diagrams: 1. Ordinary Black Oil. A typical pressure-temperature phase diagram for ordinary black oil is shown in Figure 1-2. It should be noted that quality lines, which are approximately equally spaced, characterize

Ordinary Black Oil Gas Phase Pressure Path in Reservoir 1 Critical Point
Dew-Point

Curve

Pressure

Liquid Phase

o -P ble ub

L int

ine

90

80 70 60
Ph

Tw o-

% Liquid 50 40

as

F
A

Re

gi

30
on

20 10 0

Separator

Temperature

FIGURE 1-2

A typical p-T diagram for an ordinary black oil.

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SECTION 1.1

CLASSIFICATION OF RESERVOIRS AND RESERVOIR FLUIDS

100%

FIGURE 1-3 Liquid-shrinkage curve

E
for black oil.

Liquid Volume

Residual Oil F

0%

Pressure

this black oil phase diagram. Following the pressure reduction path as indicated by the vertical line EF in Figure 1-2, the liquid-shrinkage curve, as shown in Figure 1-3, is prepared by plotting the liquid volume percent as a function of pressure. The liquid-shrinkage curve approximates a straight line except at very low pressures. When produced, ordinary black oils usually yield gas-oil ratios between 200700 scf/STB and oil gravities of 15 to 40 API. The stock-tank oil http://www.download-it.org/learning-resources.php?promoCode=&partnerID=&content=story&storyID=26024 is usually brown to dark green in color. 2. Low-Shrinkage Oil. A typical pressure-temperature phase diagram for low-shrinkage oil is shown in Figure 1-4. The diagram is characterized by quality lines that are closely spaced near the dew-point curve. The liquid-shrinkage curve, as given in Figure 1-5,
Liquid

Bub
10 0%

ble

in -Po

tC

urv

e E
Critical Point

A Separator Conditions Pressure

De w75% 65% 0%

85%

F Temperature

FIGURE 1-4

A typical phase diagram for a low-shrinkage oil.

Po int C
Gas

urv e

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1. FUNDAMENTALS OF RESERVOIR FLUID BEHAVIOR

FIGURE 1-5 Oil-shrinkage curve for low-shrinkage oil.

100%

E Residual Oil F

0%

Liquid Volume

Pressure

shows the shrinkage characteristics of this category of crude oils. The other associated properties of this type of crude oil are Oil formation volume factor less than 1.2 bbl/STB. Gas-oil ratio less than 200 scf/STB. Oil gravity less than 35 API. http://www.download-it.org/learning-resources.php?promoCode=&partnerID=&content=story&storyID=26024 Black or deeply colored. Substantial liquid recovery at separator conditions as indicated by point G on the 85% quality line of Figure 1-4. 3. Volatile Crude Oil. The phase diagram for a volatile (high-shrinkage) crude oil is given in Figure 1-6. Note that the quality lines are close

Pressure Path in Reservoir

Critical Point E Volatile Oil 90 70 80 60 50 40

Po int L

ine

30

% Liquid 20

Tw o-

Bu bb le-

Ph e as
10

Re gi on
5

A
Separator

G B
-Po Dew

int L

ine

Temperature

FIGURE 1-6

A typical p-T diagram for a volatile crude oil.

Chapter extract

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