PETE 301

RESERVOIR ENGINEERING
Ibrahim Kocabas
Petroleum Engineering Department
King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals

Reservoir Engineering
Learning Objectives of Lecture 1:
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Define/describe a reservoir
Define Reservoir Engineering
Describe/list role/functions of Res. Eng.
State objectives of Res. Eng.
Pet. Res. Hyrdrocarbon (HC) fluids
Classification based on phase diagram
Types/forms reservoir energies

Reservoir Engineering
Branches of Petroleum Engineering:
Drilling engineering
Production engineering
Reservoir engineering.

Definition of a Reservoir
A reservoir is that portion of a trap
which contains oil and/or gas as a
single hydraulically connected system.
-it is a rock layer
-porous so that stores oil
-permeable so that allows flow of oil
-has a mechanism to prevent escape of
oil(trapping mechanism)

How many reservoirs?

What are the trapping mechanisms?

DEFINITIONs OF
RESERVOIR ENGINEERING
Craft The application of scientific
principles to the drainage
problems arising during the
development and production of oil
and gas reservoirs.

DEFINITIONs OF
RESERVOIR ENGINEERING
Colhoun The phase of engineering
which deals with the transfer of
fluids to, from or through the
reservoirs.

Functions OF RESERVOIR
ENGINEERING
To continuously monitor the reservoir
and collect relevant data and
interpret it to be able to
1.
2.
3.

Determine (present conditions))

Estimate ( future conditions) and
Control

the movement of fluids through the

reservoir so that

Objectives of reservoir
engineering
we can
a) enhance ( increase recovery factor)
and
b) accelerate ( increase production
rate)
the oil recovery

Petroleum reservoir HC fluids

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Oil Reservoirs
Produce mainly oil and gas and in some cases also water
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Heavy oil
Conventional oil
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Black oil
Volatile oil

Gas Reservoirs
Produce mainly gas and in some cases also water
- Dry gas
- Wet gas
Gas Condensate Reservoirs
Produce gas which contains hydrocarbon liquid
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Gas condensate

PHASE DIAGRAM OF
RESERVOIR FLUIDS

Phase Diagram of Black Oil

Phase Diagram of Dry Gas

Phase Diagram of Wet Gas

Phase Diagram of Gas Condensate

CLASIFICATION OF OIL
RESERVOIRS
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Under Saturated Oil Reservoirs

- Reservoir pressure is initially above
the bubble point pressure
n Saturated Oil Reservoirs
- Reservoirs pressure is initially below
the bubble point pressure

STAGES OF OIL RECOVERY

Recovery (production):
is the displacement of oil and gas
towards the production wells and to
the surface, and divided into:

Primary recovery
Secondary recovery
Enhanced oil recovery

STAGES OF OIL RECOVERY

Primary Recovery
Production is accomplished through
the use of natural energy of the
reservoir.
What is(are) form(s) of natural
reservoir energy?

Types of reservoir energy

1.
2.
3.
4.

- Energy of compression of water

and rock within the reservoir
- Energy of compression of oil
within the reservoir
- Energy of compression of gas
within the reservoir
- Energy of compression of water
that are in adjacent or underlying
aquifers

Types of reservoir energy

5.

6.

The gravitational energy that

causes oil and gas to segregate
within the reservoir
The surface energy manifesting
itself in capillary pores

Types of reservoir energy

Note:
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First four are potential energies

stored in compressed constituents.

Equivalent to the potential energy

stored in a spring.

When converted to pressure-volume

work, we can produce fluids.

Types of reservoir energy

Note:
As mechanisms of energy release
are provided by drilling and
operation of wells the reservoir
pressure declines, fluid expands,
flow is induced and hence fluids
are produced.

Reservoirs classified based on

dominant natural energy
Can we classify reservoirs based on
dominant producing energy
type?
- no consensus on the definitions
and classifications.

Producing mechanisms
based on dominant reservoir energy being released
Expansion drive

Water drive

Compaction drive
Imbibition drive

Oil drive

Gas drive

Solution Gas drive

partial

Gas cap drive

Segregating

full

Gas drive

Nonsegregating

From Lake and Walsh

Producing mechanisms
based on dominant reservoir energy being released
Common

special
gravity

Depletion
drive

Gas cap
drive

imbibition

Combination drive

Water drive

Full
Formation
drive

Solution
Gas drive
Segregating

Nonsegregating

compaction

Partial

I.Edge

I.Edge

II.Bottom

II.Bottom