T. P.

8018

Estimation of Ultimate Recovery from Solution

Gas-Drive Reservoirs
W. L. WAHL
L. D. MULLINS
E. B. ELFRINK

MAGNOLIA PETROLEUM CO.

DALLAS, TEX.

MEMBERS A/ME

INTRODUCTION
In the past few years several articles and papers presenting results
of solution gas-drive depletion calculations have appeared in the literature"'. Such calculations are of
interest to the oil industry, for investment decisions must often be
made before much is known about a
reservoir. At other times, an estimate
of the possible benefits to be realized
from alternate production methods
is desirable, and theoretical depletion
calculations can serve as a floor or
reference level from which to work.
In any case, an estimate of ultimate
oil recovery based upon engineering
data is commonly required.
An engineer confronted with the
problem of obtaining, for a specific
reservoir system, an estimate of ultimate oil recovery by solution gasdrive depletion usually will be forced
to perform the calculations himself.
This is despite the quantity of data
in the literature. Rarely will either
experience or the literature provide
results from a reservoir system similar in all important respects to the
one under consideration, and calculated results are not so plentiful that
satisfactory interpolation procedures
can be devised. Performing the calculations, however, is a tedious, timeconsuming task unless an electronic
computer is available, and, in practice, time and manpower are not always available for this purpose.
A quick, simple, consistent method
was needed for reducing the uncerOriginal manuscript received in Society of
Petroleum Engineers office Sept. 15. 1957.
Revised manuscript received April 16, 1958.
Paper presented at Southern California Petroleum Section Fall Meeting in Los Angeles.
Oct. 17-18, 1957.
lReferences given at end of paper.
~ETROLEUM

TRA~SACTIO~S,

AIME

tainty in estimated oil recovery from

solution gas-drive reservoirs when
only minimum information about the
reservoir system is available.
PROCEDURE
METHOD OF CALCULATION
The usual requisite assumptions
were made so that the material balance equation could be used to calculate data for the charts. The following assumptions were made: (1)
the reservoir is homogeneous and
isotropic; (2) oil recovery is due entirely to solution gas drive and
neither a gas cap nor a water drive
nor gravity drainage is present; (3)
the initial reservoir pressure is the
bubble-point pressure of the reservoir fluid; (4) initial total liquid
saturation is lOO per cent of pore
space; (5) interstitial water saturation remains at the initial value as
the reservoir pressure declines from
the bubble-point pressure to atmospheric pressure; (6) equilibrium gas
saturation is 5 per cent of pore
space; and (7) oil and gas saturations are uniformly distributed
throughout the reservoir at all times.
There are no saturation gradients
due to a wellbore, nor is the geometry of the reservoir system considered.
The material balance equation was
written in the form of a differential
equation' which was integrated to
determine the change in oil saturation for an assigned pressure drop.
Formal integration was not possible,
so recourse was made to the RungeKutta method' of numerical integration. All computations were performed on IBM equipment.

SPE 955-G

Numerical integration yielded the

change in oil saturation within the
reservoir as the pressure declined
from the bubble-point pressure to atmospheric pressure. The initial oil
saturation minus the change in oil
saturation yielded the oil saturation
at atmospheric pressure. The oil
originally in place was obtained by
dividing the initial oil saturation by
the initial formation volume factor
(differential liberation) while the oil
in place at atmospheric pressure was
obtained by dividing the final oil
saturation by the formation volume
factor at atmospheric pressure. Ultimate oil recovery, expressed as a
percentage of the initial oil in place,
was obtained by dividing the difference between the oil initially in place
and the oil in place at atmospheric
pressure by the oil initially in place
and multiplying by 100.
PVT DATA
As previously stated, charts were
based upon 135 solutions to the material balance equation. PVT properties of the reservoir fluids were variables in this equation and had to be
known as functions of pressure. The
required PVT data might have been
obtained from either actual reservoir
fluid systems or correlated data.
However, correlated PVT data were
developed and employed in the calculations for the following reasons:
(1) it is doubtful that 135 sets of
PVT data could have been obtained
for the values of variables investigated in this study, and (2) results
of recovery calculations from randomly obtained PVT data could not
be correlated as well as results from
selected PVT data.
The PVT data used to develop the
132

correlations consisted primarily of

Mid-Continent and Gulf Coast crude
oil systems although Canadian and
South American systems were represented. Data from approximately 75
fluid systems were u~ed, but only
part of the data were utilized for
anyone correlation. When only
mInImUm information about a fluid
system is available, the correlations
presented in Figs. 10 thru 14 may
prove useful.
The correlation of oil formation

volume factor (13 vs bubble-point

pressure is shown in Fig. 10. Suppose Eo and the bubble-point pressure for a reservoir fluid locate a
point somewhere on one of the
curves. Then Eo will decrease along
this curve with decreasing pressure.
Since Eo and the bubble-point pressure generally will not locate a point
exactly on one of the curves, it is
necessary to interpolate for values.
Solution gas-oil ratio (R,) vs
bubble-point pressure curves are prc0 )

IIHEItITITtAL WATfR IS ASSUMED TO BE

10 PER CENT 01'" JOORE SPACE AND DEAD OIL
VISCOSITY AT RESERV~R TMPERATURE TO
liE ONE HALF CENTIJOOISE.
EQUIlI8RIUM GAS SATUR ... nON 110 "'SSUMEO
TO liE FIVE PElt CENT OF JOORE SPACE.

fORMATION VOLUME FACTOII

.s HEII USE!) ULTIMATE

UNITS ARE It[SER"OIR a,,"ItELS

PElt IARREl OF RESIOUAL"Oll.

OIL

RECOVEIIY IS "ALIZO WHEN THE

SOLUTION GAS lOlL RATIO

RESERVOU' PRESSUIt[ HAS DECLINED

FROM THE eU8elE-P01NT ""[SSUflE

sented in Fig. 11. Procedure is similar to that for estimating oil formation volume factor. Corresponding values of solution gas-oil ratio
and bubble-point pressure locate a
point somewhere on one of the
curves, and solution gas-oil ratio
then decreases along the curve with
decreasing pressure. Interpolation between curves may be necessary.
A curve for reciprocal gas formation volume factor vs reservoir
pressure is shown in Fig. 12. Data

UNITS ARE $T"NO""O CUBIC FEET

PER 8AR"1.. OF RESIDUAL OIL

TO ArIltOSP'HE'UC .. RESSUItE.

~~

.'9 It,.

+">-(,,,

REDUIRED- UL.TIMATE RECOVERY FROM A SYSTEM

HiViiii"TaU'.L POINT ",RESSURE ~ 221)0 P$IA,

FOIUU,TiON VOLUME FACTOR' 1.6, AND ... SOLUTION
GAS lOlL RATiO. 1300 seF '8.1...

"

Co

"'~

~
e.

"c".j)

!!illii!!i!!lii

.~Ol

"c"1->-

"RDetOUR, STARTING AT THE LEFT $10 OF

THE CHAIIT, PROCEED HOFUZONT"LL'!' ALONG THE
22:50 PSt LINE TO A FORMATION VOLUME FACTOR
OF 1.6. HOW RISE VERTiCALLY TO THE 1300. SCF I
8at.. LIN. THEN GO HORIZONTALLY ",,.0 RE ... O ... ,.
UlTlM ...TE RECOVERY OF ):1.1 PER CENT.

..

RELAnONSHIP

0,

"-"V<,
0-<,

40

O"'C~

eo

,..,

10

$0

""

~~T~~"I.;O::O :::~"~T,~~(

..

"~

~ CONVERT TkE RECOVERY FIGURE OET

ERMINED IN EXAMPL.E I TO TANK Oil RECOVERED.

'<

'.c,

OATA REOUIREMENTS, OIFFERENTlAl ll8ERATiON DATA

GIVEN IN EXAMPL.E I. FLASH Ll8ERATlON DATA'
BU8SlE POINT PRESSURE' 22S0 PSIA, FOR .. ATlON
VOLU .. E FACTOR' 1.48S, FOR ..... nON VOLUME FACTOR
AT ... TMOSPHERIC PRESSURE 1.050 fOR 80TH FLASH
AND DIFFERENTIAL LIBERATION.
PROCEDURE: CAL.CULATE TkE OIL SATURATION AT
AT .. OSJOHERIC PR[SSURE BY SUBSTlTVTlNG OII'1R-

E(.':AoL)L~OE(';:'O).

(I)

OA']A

['~o:O]U:'O[.( ';: ')no]w~ UL" . "

Bo

80

."P

MOO
1.1i00

80

ATMOS

'0
._
- ] [ 100 ]
1.080

RECOVERY

BPP

0.000
_
1.&00

] ::358
.

OIL SATURATION ... T "'TMOSPHERIC PRESSURE. 0.390

NEXT, SU8STlTUTE THE CALCULATED VALUE OF Oil
SATURATION "'ND THE FL ... SH LIBERATION DATA INTO
EQUATION (l) AND C.... LCUlATE THE ULTIMATE OIL
RECOVERY AS A PERCENTAGE OF T... NI( OIL ORIGINALLY
IN JOLACE.

~
11'

~
]['OoJ~[
~
1.080

1.48S

J_UlTIMATE
- RECOVERY

ULTiMATE RECOVERY. 40.4 PElt CENT OF TANI( OIL

ORIGINAllY IN PLACE

FIG. I-CHART FOR ESTIMATING ULTIMATE RECOVERY FROM SOLUTION GASDRIVE RESERVOIRS.

REQUIRED' ULTIMATE RECOVERY FROM A SYSTEM

HiViNGT9U99LE POINT PRESSURE 22~0 PSIA,
fORMATION VOLUME FACTOR. 1.6, AND A SOLUTION
GAS lOlL RATIO' 1300 SCI' I BBL

INTERSTITlAt: WATER lS ASSUMED TO SE

10 PER CENT OF PORE SPACE AND DEAD OIL
VISCOStTy AT RESERVOIR TEMPERATURE TO
BE TWO CENTIPOISE.
EOUILIBRIUM GAS SATURATION IS ASSUMED
TO SE FIVE PER CENT OF PORE SPACE

PROCEDURE: STARTING AT THE LEfT SIDE: Of

THE CHART, PROCEED HORIZONTALLY ALONG THE
22~O PSI UNE TO A FORMATION VOLUME FACTOR
Of 1.6. NOW RISE VERTICALLY TO THE 1300 SCf I
B8L LINE THEN GO HORIZONTALLY AND READ AN
ULTIMATE RCOVE~Y OF 267 PER CENT.

SEE

FlGURE

",
.00
700
'0
1000

t2~O

.0

$0

eo

70

ao

toO

'TOTA\. I,,!QUID UTUII.t.TK*

1'11

con

Of POII SPAC

AS HERE USED ~ULTIMATE OIL

RECOVERY IS REALIZED WHEN TJoIE
RESERVOIR PRESSURE HAS OECLtNED
FROM THE 8U89LEPOINT PRESSURE
TO ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE.
FORMATION VOLUME FACTOR
UNITS ARE RESERVOIR iARRELS
PER 9ARREL OF RESIDUAL OIL.
SOLUTION GAS I OtL RATIO
UNITS ARE STANDARD CUIIIC FlET
PER BARREL OF RESiDUAL. OIL.

22GO

:000

3:100

4000
FORMATION

VOLUME FACTOR

FIG. 2-CHART FOR ESTIMATING ULTIMATE RECOVERY FROM SOLUTION GASDRIVE RESERVOIRS.

133

YOLo

21:-1,

1l).3H

for the curve were obtained in the

following manner.
Gas gravities as functions of pressure were obtained from PVT analyses of reservoir fluids. Gas gravities
were used to determine pseudo-critical temperatures and pressures from
published correlations.' Pseudo-critical temperatures and pressures in
turn permitted the pseudo-reduced
temperatures and pressures to be
calculated because pressure histories
and temperatures of the fluid systems

were known. Published correlations'

were employed to determine compressibility factors which, in turn,
permitted the reciprocal formation
volume factors to be calculated as
fUnctions of pressure.
The reservoir fluids used as the
basis for Fig. 12 had bubble-point
pressures ranging from 1,485 to
4,000 psia and represented reservoirs
having temperatures ranging from
132 to 284 F.
Fig. 13 shows gas-saturated oil

viscosity vs solution gas-oil ratio.

Gas viscosity vs reservoir pressure
is presented in Fig. 14. Gas gravity
and pressure data were obtained
from analyses of reservoir fluids, and
the method of Carr, Kobayashi and
Burrows" was used to compute the
gas viscosity at reservoir conditions
as a function of pressure. PVT data
from which the correlation was developed had bubble-point pressures
ranging from 1,146 to 4,200 psia

30
REQUiRED. ULTI .....TE RECOIIERY FROM A SYSTEM

I-lAVING A BUBBLE POINT PRESSURE ~ 2250 PSI.,

FORMATION VOLUME FACTOR: 1.6, AND A SOLUTION

GAS lOlL RATIO. 1300 SCf fBBl

PROCEOURE

STARTING AT THE

LEfT

SIDE OF

THE CHART, PROCEED HORIZONTALLY ALONG THE

2250 PSI LINE TO A FORMATION VOLUME fACTOR
OF 1.6. NOW RISE VERTICALLY TO THE 1300 SCFI
BBl LINE. THEN GO HORIZONTALLY AND READ AN

ULTIMATE RECOVERY OF 178

EXAMPLE

PER CENT.

-4'

.-'--

SOLUTION
GAS lOlL RATIO

750

.... ~

_0

60
ro
~
~
TOTAL LIQUltl SATURATION

~ER

CErH OF PORE SI"ACE

NOTE:
AS HERE USED "ULTIMATE OIL

RECOVERyM IS REALIZED WHEN THE

RESERVOIR PRESSURE HAS DECLINED
FROM THE BUBBLE-POINT II'RESSURE
TO ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE.

3500

FORMATION VOLUME fACTOR

UNITS ARE RESERVOIR 8ARREL.S
PER 8ARREL. OF RESIDUAL. OIL..
SOLUTION GAS lOlL RATIO
UNITS ARE STANDARD CUBIC FEET
PER BARREL. OF RESIDOAL OIL..

4000

FORMATION

FIG. 3-CHART FOR ESTIMATING ULTIMATE RECOVERY FROM SOLUTION GAS-DRIVE RESERVOIRS.
REOUIRED

4Z

ULTIMATE RECOVERY' FROM A SY'STEM

~BUBBLE POINT PRESSURE ~ 2250 PSIA,

FORMATION VOLUME FACTOR = 1.6, AND A SOLUTION

GAS lOlL RATIO' 1300 SCF I BBL.

40

3.

PROCEDuRE STARTING AT THE LEFT SIDE OF

THE CHART, PROCEED HORIZONTALLY ALONG THE
2250 PSI LINE TO A FORMATION VOLUME FACTOR
or 1.6. NOW RIU VERTICALLY TO THE 1300 SC'f"1
BBL LINE. THEN GO HORIZONTAL.LY AND READ AN
ULTIMATE RECOVERY' OF 30.8 PER CENT.

EXAMPLE
SEE

INTERSTITIAL WATER 'IS ASSUMED TO BE

30 PER CENT OF PORE SPACE AND DEAD OIL
VISCOSITY AT RESERVOIR TEMPERATURE TO
BE ONE HALF CENTIPOISE.
EQUILIBRIUM GAS SATURATION IS ASSUMED
TO 8E FIVE PER CENT OF PORE SPACE.

FIGURE I

300
750~

'0

60
10
eo
~o
100
TOT.t.LLIQUIDSATUItATION
P'EItCENTOF P'ORE SPACE

1000'

,.00

AS HERE USED "ULTIMATE OIL

RECOVERY~ IS REALIZED WHEN THE
RESERVOIR PRESSURE HAS DECLINED
FROM THE BUBBLE-POINT PRESSURE
TO ATMOSPHERIC "RESSURE.
FORMATION VOLUME FACTOR
UNITS ARE RESERVOIR BARRELS
PER BARREL OF RESIDUAL OIL..
SOLUTION GAS I OIL RATIO
UNITS ARE STANDARD CUBIC FEfT
PfR BARREL OF RESIDUAL. OIL..

3300
4000

FIG. 4--CHART FOR ESTIMATING ULTIMATE RECOVERY FROM SOLUTION GASDRIVE RESERVOIRS.
PETROLEUM TRANSACTIONS, AIME

134

and reservoir temperatures ranging

from 95 to 284 0 F.

k,gjk,o ratio as a function of oil saturation alone. The equation is

tive permeability data from field

measurements on sandstone reservoirs
were examined with the objective of
developing a k,jk,o ratio-saturation
correlation which could be used in
this study. It was found that when
interstitial water saturation was
treated as a parameter in the correlating procedure, an equation could
be written which expressed the

krojk"o RATIO
All variables except one in the
material balance equation are functions of reservoir pressure, the exception being the relative permeability ratio, krojkro> which must be
known as a function of saturation
in order to solve the equation. Rela-

= ~ (0.0435 + 0.4556~)

k"ojk"o

and
where So, is equilibrium gas saturation, a constant = 0.05 in these calculations; Sw is interstitial water saturation, fraction of pore space; So is

EXAMPLE

RECUIRED ULTIMATE RECOVERY FROM A SYSTEM

HAVING A BUBBLE POINT PRESSURE: 2250 PSIA.
FORMATION VOLUME FACTOR: 1.6, AND A SOLUTION
GA5/0lL RATIO = 1300 SCF I BBl
~

STARTING AT THE 'oEFT SIDE OF

THE CHART, PROCEED HORIZONTALLY ALONG THE
2250 PS I liNE TO A FORMATION VOLUME FACTOR
OF 1.6. NOW RISE VERTICALLY TO THE 1300 5CF I

BBl

UNE

ULTIMATE

THEN GO HORIZONTALLY AND READ AN

RECOVERY OF 238 PER CENT.

EXAMPLE
SEE

FIGURE
kr'il/kro

I.
RELATIONSHIP

500~

'\!

SOLUTION
GAS / OIL. RATIO

"'\L
1000

SO

10

80

'0

H++-f-++-Nf-.+'4C.J..'1-++.h-1~

H- ++-+++-++

750

100

",.

TOTAL LlQUIO SATURATION

PER CENT Of PORE SPACE

1\
, I

AS HERE USED "ULTIMATE OIL

RECOVERY" IS REALIZED WHEN THE
RESERVOIR PRESSURE HAS DECL.INED
FROM THE BUBBL.E-POINT PRESSURE
TO ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE.
FORMATION VOL.UME FACTOR
UNITS ARE RESERVOIR' BARRELS
PER BARREL OF RESIDUAL OIL..
SOLUTION GAS / OIL RATIO
UNITS ARE STANDARD CUBIC FEE':
PER BARREL OF RESIDUAL OIl.

FIG. 5-CHART FOR ESTIMATING ULTIMATE RECOVERY FROM SOLUTION GAS-DRIVE RESERVOIRS.
EXAMPLE I
REQUIRED ULTIMATE RECOVERY FROM A SYSTEM
HAVING A BUBBLE POINT PRESSURE: 2250 PSIA,
FORMATION VOLUME FACTOR: 1.6, AND A SOLUTION
GAS/OIL RATIO ~ 1300 SCF/BBL.
PROCEDURE: STARTING AT THE LEFT SIDE OF
THE CHART, PROCEED HORIZONTALLY ALONG THE
2250 PSI LINE TO A FORMATION VOL.t,lME FACTOR
OF 1.6. NOW RISE VERTICALLY TO THE 1300 SCF /
BBL LINE. THEN GO HORIZONTALLY ANt) READ AN
ULTIMATE RECOVERY OF 15.0 PER CENT.

EXAMPLE

k nl1 /k ro

j'lj",~C\Ll"~"1'~'I"'~~"~~~II~i~~~i~~!2j8~~h:
-:~

.. :"'l],\1""'1 :'"

po

26

>.

30 PER CENT OF PORE SPACE AND DEAD OIL

~~S\O:~T~E~\I~~~~r'OIR

U(>/.

24

-1,'9',.
('

22

~
H-+++-l-++N-'h,.pW~-1>..PI.~~o;,<H-.J--l'o<f-+"'-+-,M++-f-.+:>"

TEMPERATURE TO

INTERSTITIALGAS
WATER
IS ASSUMED
TO BE
EOUllIBRIUM
SATURATION
IS ASSUMED
TO BE FIVE PER CENT OF PORE SPACE.

~""0
~"
20

H-+++-l-+~

..

~!; ~

,,~

18

I.

"('1-,.

14

RELATIONSHIP

SOLUTION
GAS / OIL RATIO

60

70

eo

90

TOTAL LlOUID SATURATION

PER CEHT OF PORE SPACE

NOTE:
AS HERE USED "ULTIMATE OIL
RECOVERY" IS REALIZED WHEN THE
RESERVOIR PRESSURE HAS DECLINED
FROM THE BUBBLE-POINT PRESSURE
TO ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE.
FORMATION VOLUME FACTOR
UNITS ARE RE~ERVOIR BARRELS
PER BARREL OF RESIDUAL OIL
SOLUTION GAS lOlL RAT 10
UNITS ARE STANDARD CUBIC FEE T
PER BARREL OF RESIDUAL OIl.

FORMATION

VOLUME

FACTOR

FIG. 6-CHART FOR ESTIMATING ULTIMATE RECOVERY FROM SOLUTION GAS-DRIVE RESERVOIRS,
YOLo :l13, 1958

oil saturation, fractIOn of pore space;

and C is a constant = 0.25 in these
calculations.
The krg/k ro ratio vs saturation
curves calculated with the equation
are shown in Fig. 15. Since every
value of interstitial water saturation
yields a different krg/k ro ratio curve,
Fig. 15 shows the k"g/k,o ratio vs
total liquid saturation with interstitial

water as a parameter. These curves

are the result of a data correlation.
As such, they exhibit trends observed
in data, but, obviously, they do not
duplicate nor are they characteristic
of all k,jk,o ratio curves.
DISCUSSION
The nine charts for estimating
ultimate oil recovery from solution

gas-drive reservoirs are presented in

Figs. 1 through 9. Each chart incorporates a sample calculation to demonstrate the method of operation. For
these charts, the interstitial water
saturation determines the relative permeability ratio-total liquid saturation
relationship. Values of bubble-point
pressure, oil formation volume factor, and solution gas-oil ratio shown

34
EXAMPLE I
REOUIRED

ULTIMATE RECOVERY FROM A SYSTEM

HAVING A BUBBLE POINT PRESSURE; 2250 PSI.,

FORMATION VOLUME fACTOR; 1.6. AND A SOLUTION
GAS/OIL RATIO -'300 SCF/BBL.
PROCEDURE:

STARTING AT THE LEFT SlOE OF

THE CHART, PROCEED HORIZONTALLY ALONG THE
2250 PSI LINE TO A FORMATION VOLUME FACTOR
OF 1.6. NOW RISE VERTICALLY TO THE 1300 SCF I

BBl LINE. THEN GO HORIZONTALLY AND REAO AN

ULTIMATE RECOVERY OF 21.8 PER CENT.

EXAMPLE
SEE FIGURE I
k'Q Ik ro

RELATIONSHIP

..~ 0 I

60

eo

10

90

TOTAL LlOUID SATURATION

PER CENT

or

PORE SPACE

FIG. 7-CHART FOR ESTIMATING ULTIMATE RECOVERY FROM SOLUTION GAS-DRIVE RESERVOIRS.
EXAMPLE I
REQUIRED ULTIMATE RECOvERY FROM A SYSTEM
HAVING A BUBBLE POINT PRESSURE" 2250 PSIA,
FORMATION VOLUME FACTOR" 1.6, ANO A SOLUTION
GAS/OIL RATIO ~ 1300 SCF/BBL.
PROCEDURE: STARTING AT THE LEFT SIDE OF
THE CHART, PROCEED HORIZONTALLY ALONG THE
2250 PSI LINE TO A FORMATION VOLUME FACTOR
OF 1.6. NOW RISE VERTICALLY TO THE 1300 SCFI
BBL LINE. THE~ GO HORIZONTALLY AND READ AN
ULTIMATE RECOVERY OF 17.6 PER CENT.

EXAMPLE
SEE

FIGURE
krQ Ik ro

,.....--..R'.,~":.,...,~~,"'1'...-0....-f\,...,....L""~,---,-..,~~_~I'..~~-:;. . . . ~
..

30

H-+--/"'.t-'P....>j,,-1'o..l'.:f'.N-l'~d'I,d-'!o.-t~+i- ~
I
',I, "l-l

AS HERE USED "ULTIMATE OIL

RECOVEllty" IS REALIZED WHEN THE
RESERVOIR PRESSURE HAS DECLINED
FROM THE BUBBLE-POINT PRESSURE
TO ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE.
FORMATION VOLUME FACTOR
UNITS ARE RESERVOIR BARIitElS
PER BARREL OF RESIDUAL OIL
SOLUTION GAS lOlL RAT 10
UNITS ARE STANDARD CUBIC FEET
PER BARREL OF RESIDUAL OIl.

2.

~~~t~~+.::tt~t~~~~~~~:~;JI'..;:t~~t~-il\"i:I:ll'..';.t1.::.t~~,
I'.

26

I.

I.

16

RELATIONSHIP
14

12
10

':-0'._
&0

10

60

90

TOTAL LIQUID SATURATION

PER CENT Of PORE SPACE

INTERSTITIAL WATER IS ASSUMED 10 BE

50 PER CENT OF PORE SPACE AND DEAD OIL
VISCOSITY AT RESERVOIR

TEMPERATURE TO

BE TWO CENTIPOISE.
EQUILIBRIUM GAS S~TURATION IS ASSUMED
10 BE FIVE PER CENT OF PORE SPACE.
FORMATION

VOLUME

FACTOR

FIG. 8-CHART FOR ESTIMATING ULTIMATE RECOVERY FROM SOLUTION GAS-DRIVE RESERVOIRS.

PETROLEUM TRANSACTIONS, AIME

136

!!2..!L

EXAMPLE I
~

AS HERE .uSED "ULTIMATE OIL

RECOVERY" IS REALIZED WHEN THE
RESERVOIR PRESSUftE HAS DECLINED
FROM THE BU88LE~POINT PRESSURE
TO ATMOSPHERIC PRESSUftE.
FORMATION VOLUME FACTQR
UNITS ARE RESERVO'R IARRELS

.,.~..,

ULTIMATE RECOVERY FROM A SYSTEM

HAVING A BUBBLE POINT PRESSURE: 2250 PSIA
FORMATION VOLUME FACTOR = 1.6, AND A SOLUTION
GAS lOlL RATIO ~ 1300 SCF 18aL.

l'~

-9.....

'1'''0
~~

-9,,;

PROCEOURE: STARTING AT THE LEFT SIDE OF

THE CHART, PROCEED HORIZONTALLY ALONG THE
~250 PSI LINE TO A FORMATION VOLUME FACTOR
OF 1.6. NOW RISE ..... VERTICALLY TO THE 1300 SCF 1
BeL LINE. THEN GO HORIZONTALLY AND READ AN
ULTIMATE RECOVERY OF 12.7 PER CENT.

PE:O~~;~;~ g~S"/E~:~U:;T~~L.
C'~

"".,.

UNITS ARE STANDARD CUI,e FEET

PER BARREL OF RESIDUAL OIL
0",

'1'~

EXAMPLE
SEE FIGURE

.o~-9

oS"'0"
"(

I.

krQ Ill ro RE.LATIONSHIP

0'1'
/G'1J..

<fr
0

<i-

'"<

"l'~

...~ o.

Pi

II
60

10

80

ltO

100

TOTAL LlQUIO SATURATION

PER CENT OF PORE SPACE

INTERSTITIAL WATER IS ASSUMED TO BE

50 PER CENT OF PORE SPACE AND DEAD OIL
VISCOSITY AT RESERVOIR TEMPERATURE TO
BE TEN CENTIPOISE.
EQUIL1BRIUM GAS SATURATION IS ASSUMED
TO BE FiVE PER CENT OF PORE SPACE.

FIG. 9-CHART FOR ESTIMATING liLTl~'lATE RECOVERY FROM SOLUTION GAS-DRIVE RESERVOIRS.

on the charts, but not used in the

calculations, were obtained by interpolation. Formation volume factors
of 1.1 and 1.2 bbl/bbl and solution
gas-oil ratios of 300 and 400 scf/bbl
were obtained by extrapolation; these
values are shown as dashed lines on
the charts. Locations of the 4,000-psi
point on the pressure axes were obtained by extrapolation.
Values of formation volume factor
and solution gas-oil ratio necessary
for use of the charts should be obtained from a differential analysis. If
only flash (equilibrium) data are
available, differential data must be
estimated from the flash data. At
present, there are no correlations
available for this purpose, but an
empirical relationship between flash
and differential formation volume
factors is presented in Fig. 16. A
similar relationship between flash
and differential solution gas-oil ratio
is presented in Fig. 17.
Maximum solution gas-oil ratio
shown on the charts is 2,000 scf/bbl.

-_.- -acro----~o6--~-~-3200
eu8BLEPOINT

This limit was imposed because the

straight material balance approach
to primary depletion calculations is
not adequate for high gas-oil ratio
fluid systems. The free reservoir gas
contains components which separate
as liquids in the stock tank, and a
different approach to estimating recovery is desirable.
The meaning of ultimate oil recovery has been restricted here to
that oil recovered as the reservoir
pressure declined from the bubblepoint pressure to atmospheric pressure. If the reservoir fluid is undersaturated at the initial reservoir pressure, the total recovery would be
the sum of (1) the recovery due to
fluid expansion as the reservoir pressure decreased from the initial value
to the bubble-point pressure, and (2)
the ultimate oil recovery estimated
by means of one of the charts.
Charts may be used to estimate
only the ultimate oil recovery-the
final answer. They cannot be used to
estimate recovery as a function of
pressure decline, for the assumption
of an initial total liquid saturation

equal to 100 per cent of pore spa .. "

prohibits it.
Ultimate oil recovery figures are
expressed in terms of residual oil.
The reason for this is that differential liberation was presumed to occur
within the reservoir, and the end
product of a differential liberation is
residual oil. However, ultimate oil
recovery may be obtained as a percentage of the stock-tank oil initially
in place by performing the necessary
calculations. All data necessary to
compute the reservoir oil saturation
at atmospheric pressure are available
in this paper. When both differential
and flash liberation data are available
or can be estimated, the tank oil
recovered can be determined. A calculation of this type is shown in
Fig. 1.
Ultimate oil recovery on the charts
is expressed as a percentage of the
initial oil in place, which depends
upon the oil formation volume factor and the reservoir oil saturation.
Since the fractional reservoir oil saturation is the quantity one minus
the water saturation minus the gas

Tooo

P.~SSURE,PSI.

FI(;. lO-TYPICAL OIL FORMATION VOL

U~IE FACTOR CURVES VS BUBBLE-POINT
PRESSURE.

BUBBLE-POI NT PRESSURE, PS I A

FIG. ll-TYPICAL SOLUTION GAS-OIL RA

TIO CURVES VS RUBBLEPOINT PRESSURE.

RESERVOIR PRESSURE,PSIA
FIG. 12 - RECIPROCAL GAS FORMATIO.'
VOLUME FACTOR VS RESERVOIR PRESSURE.
VOL. 213,

1958

Table l-Reservoir Systems Used to Develop

Ultimate Oil Recovery Charts

2000
..J
01
01
;;:..J

1600

~o

~~

'" :> 1200

..J~

cO)

-'"

1-11:

is

IL

800

11:0

'"
o

750
750
1,500
1,500
1,500
2,250
2,250
2,250
2,250
2,250
3,000
3,000
3,000
3,000
3,000

IL
IL

400

FIG. 13-GAS-SATURATED OIL VISCOSITY

VS SOLUTION GAS-OIL RATIO.

--I

~.022

~~ ~ ,020
;n

00
400
800
1200
1600
FLASH GOR, SCF PER BBL OF TANK OIL
FIG. 17 - EMPIRICAL RELATIONSHIP Br:TWEEN FLASH AND DIFFEIlENTlAL LIIlER\TTON SOIXTION GAS-OIl, RATIOS.

0.0 1 Ii

100
500
500
1,000
1,000
1,000
1,000
1,500
1.500
2,000
1,500
1.500
2,000
2,000
2,000

1.10
1.30
1.30
1.30
1.50
,1.50
1.80
1.50
1.80
1.80
1.80
2.10
1.80
2.10
2.50

1.06
1.08
1.07
1.07
1.09
1.08
1.11
1.08
1.11
1.11
1.09
1.11
1.09
1.11
1.13

g~
;

~.OI6

~ ~.Ol

:; .012
.01 00

500

1000

1500

2000

2500 3000

3500

RESERVOI R PRESSURE, PSIA

FIG. 14-GAS VISCOSITY YS RESERVOIH

PRESSURE.

2
~

<t

a:

0
~

'"
.....
0.1

'"

100

TOTAL liQUID SATURATIO~

PER CENT OF PORE S PAC E
FIG.

15-krQ /k ro

VS TOTAL LIQvlD

SATURATION.

0:

~g
<t ...J
IL <t

2.4

w::;)

~ ~

2.2

...Jw

o a:

> IL
Zo
o

2.0

;: a: I .8

saturation, it is apparent that water

saturation is directly involved in calculating the ultimate oil recovery
figures on the charts .
Maximum deviation from the calculated value of ultimate oil recovery
is one-half recovery per cent for all
charts. However, recovery figures obtained by means of the charts should
be regarded as estimates since properties of reservoir systems, as well as
hydrocarbon systems, depart in varying degree from the assumed properties listed earlier. Additional data for
constructing the charts would have
been desirable in order to more thoroughly check them, but results obtained compare very well with results
of similar depletion calculations prec
sented by Muskat.' However, in describing the systems he investigated,
Muskat did not provide sufficient information in all cases so that recovery
from identical systems can be estimated from the charts. Even so,
those systems for which a comparison
could be checked within two recovery
per cent. The reservoir systems used
for the charts are listed in Table 1.
Interstitial water saturation and
dead-oil viscosity of an actual reservoir system may not correspond
exactly to anyone of the charts. l!1
this case, interpolation will be necessary. Consider the following system.
Interstitial water saturation

<tal

20

Dead-oil viscosity
I ep
Oil formation vol ume factor 1.6 bbl/bbl

...J al

Bubble-point pressure

!!a:I.4

The above values of B" R, and

bubble-point pressure are found on
all charts, but there is no chart for
20 per cent interstitial water saturationor dead-oil viscosity of 1 cpo
The method to be described is suggested as a suitable interpolation
procedure.
Use each of the nine charts to
determine ultimate oil recovery for

~
zo
~ ~

WW
ILUI
ILW

1.2

;; a: I .01.0

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

2.0

FLASH FORMATION
VOLUME FACTOR, RESERVOIR
8BlS I BBl OF TANK 01 l
FIG. 16 - EMPIRICAL RELATIONSHIP BE
TWEEN FLASH AND DIFFEIlENTIAL LIBEIlA
TlON FOIlMATION VOLUME FACTOIlS.
PETROI,EllM TRANSACTIONS. AIME

Dead-oil
viscosity.
(ep)

10
2

'/'

Ultimate oil recovery

for interstitial water saturation
10 per cent
30 per cent
50 per cen'
17.8
16.0
12.7
26.7
23.8
17.6
35.8
30.8
21.8

Now plot ultimate oil recovery vs

interstitial water saturation with
dead-oil viscosity as the parameter.
From the curves read values of ultimate oil recovery at 20 per cent interstitial water saturation for deadoil viscosities of 10, 2, and 112 cpo
These values' are as follows.
Dead-oil
viscosity,
(ep)

Ultimate oil recovery

(per cent)

10

17.0
25.5
33.6

'/'

Next, plot dead-oil viscosity vs

ultimate oil recovery and read an
ultimate oil recovery of 29.4 per cent
for a dead-oil viscosity of 1 cpo
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The authors wish to thank P. R.
McGee, O. D. Ferris, A. S. Lee, and
J. T. Nipper for programming calculations for the Datatron computer.
REFERENCES

per cent pore space

::;: .....
a:UI
~ all .6

Solution gas-oil ratio

the given values of Bo,R. and bubblepoint pressure. Values so obtained

are given in the following table.

1. Muskat. Morris: Physical Principal.s

0/ Oil Production, McGraw-Hill Book

1,300 sef/bbl
2,250 psia

Co., Inc., N. Y. (1949) .

2. Scarborough, James B.: Numerical
Mathematical Analysis, 2nd Ed., The
Johns Hopkins Press, Baltiniore
(1950) .
:~.

Carr. N. L.. Kcbayashi, R., and Burrows, D. B.: Trans. AIME (1954)

204, 264.
.t. Natural Gasoline Supply Men's Asso-

ciation Data Book (1951).

5. Arps, J. J., and Roberts, T. G.: Trans.
AIME (1955) 204, 120.

***