Review of Reservoir Engineering I

Review of Reservoir Engineering I
Dr. Shiferaw Regassa Jufar
Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Bandar Seri Iskandar, 32610, Perak,

Malaysia | Tel: +605 368 7045 | Fax: +605 365 5670
e-mail : shiferaw.jufar@utp.edu.my
Learning objectives
o To review concepts introduced in reservoir engineering I.
Review of Reservoir Engineering I, January 2017 semester

Contents
o Role and responsibilities of a reservoir engineer

o Reservoir classification
o Fluid properties
o Concepts of relative permeability
o Flow through porous media
Flow geometry
Type of regimes
Darcys Law
Steady-state Flow
o Natural drive mechanism
o Phase behavior of reservoir fluids
o PVT analysis
Role and responsibilities of a reservoir engineer
o Reservoir engineering is a branch of petroleum

engineering that applies scientific principles to the
drainage problems arising during the development and
production of oil and gas reservoirs so as to obtain a high
economic recovery. source: Wikipedia

o Estimating reserves and

forecasting for property
evaluations and
development planning.
Source: AAPG WIKI

o Carrying out reservoir simulation

studies to optimize recoveries.
o Predicting reserves and
performance for well proposals.
o Predicting and evaluating
waterflood and enhanced
recovery performance.
o Developing and applying
reservoir optimization techniques.
o Developing cost-effective
reservoir monitoring and
surveillance programs.
o Performing reservoir
characterization studies.
o Analyzing pressure transients.
o Designing and coordinating
petrophysical studies.
o Analyzing the economics and risk
assessments of major
development programs.

Characterization of Oil Reservoirs
A wide variety of
characterization
tools and methods
are usually required
to properly portray
the complexity
found in an average
hydrocarbon
reservoir The major
principles behind
these tools depend
upon:
the scale
resolution, and
nature of the
measurement
itself.

Reservoir modeling involves assimilation of multi-scale information

In physics and chemistry, multiscale
modeling is aimed to calculation of
material properties or system behavior on
one level using information or models from
different levels. On each level particular
approaches are used for description of a
system. The following levels are usually
distinguished: level of quantum
mechanical models (information about
electrons is included), level of molecular
dynamics models (information about
individual atoms is included), coarse-
grained models (information about atoms
and/or groups of atoms is included),
mesoscale or nano level (information
about large groups of atoms and/or
molecule positions is included), level of
continuum models, level of device models.
Each level addresses a phenomenon over
a specific window of length and time.
Multiscale modeling is particularly
important in integrated computational
materials engineering since it allows the
prediction of material properties or system
behavior based on knowledge of the
process-structure-property relationships.
Source: Wikipedia

Reservoir Classification
Oil reservoir
In general Tres<Tc of
reservoir fluid
Gas reservoir
In general, Tres>Tc of
reservoir fluid
(hydrocarbon
systems)
10
Oil reservoir:
Under-saturated oil reservoir:
initial reservoir pressure, pi > the
bubble-point pressure, pb of the
reservoir fluid
Saturated oil reservoir:

pi = pb
Gas-cap reservoir or two phase

reservoir
pi < pb
Note:
The appropriate quality line gives
the ratio of volume of liquid (oil)
to volume of gas
11
Gas Reservoir:
Dry gas reservoir
initial reservoir temperature higher than
cricondentherm temperature (light
components)
even at low pressure (separator) and
temperature, fluid is 100% gas
Wet gas reservoir

initial reservoir temperature higher than
cricondentherm temperature
But even at low pressure (separator) and
temperature, some gas condensate to
liquid
Retrograde gas-condensate reservoir

Reservoir temperature lies between Tc
and Tcri (Tc<Tr<Tcr)
Near critical gas-condensate

Reservoir temperature is nearly equal to
critical temperature of fluid (Tr ~Tc)
12
Black Oil Volatile Oil
Pressure path Critical
in reservoir 1 point
Pressure path 2
in reservoir Dewpoint line
Critical Volatile oil
point
Pressure, psia
Pressure
Black Oil % Liquid
% Liquid
33
Separator Separator
Temperature, F Temperature
Pressure path
in reservoir Pressure path Pressure path
in reservoir in reservoir
1
Retrograde gas 1 1
2
Pressure
Wet gas
Pressure
Pressure
Critical Dry gas
point
% Liquid
Critical % Liquid
% Liquid
point
3 2 2
Separator Separator
Separator
Temperature Temperature Temperature
Retrograde Gas Wet Gas Dry Gas

Fluid properties
Viscosity ():
A measure of resistance to flow
Symbols: o, g, w
Units: cp
Sources: Lab measurements,
correlations
Range and typical values
0.25 to 10,000 cp, Black oil
0.5 to 1.0 cp, Water
Pb
0.012 to 0.035 cp, Gas
Pressure

Fluid properties
Fluid Compressibility (Co, Cg, Cw)
ln Vo 1 dV 1 1 dz
1 Vo cg cg
co V dP P z dP
Vo p p T
Fractional change in volume due to a unit change

in pressure
Symbol: co, cg, cw
Units: psi-1, microsips (1 microsip = 1x10-6 psi-1)
Source: Lab measurements, correlations

Fluid properties
Oil Formation Volume Factor (Bo)

Gas at Surface
Oil at Surface
Pb
Oil Volume in Place
Bo
Oil Volume at Surface
Oil in Place
Fluid properties
Gas-Oil Ratio (GOR)
Oil at Surface
Pb Gas at Surface
Gas Volume at Surface
GOR
Oil Volume at Surface
Oil in Place

Concepts of relative permeability

Concepts of relative permeability
o Relative permeability is a concept used to convey the

reduction in flow capability due to the presence of multiple
mobile fluids.
o It is dependent upon:
pore geometry
wettability
fluid distribution and
fluid saturation history
o Relative permeability has important implications for flow of

reservoir fluids. A number of models have been developed
to relate relative permeability to other reservoir properties.
Flow through porous media
Pressure-volume relationship

Fluid density versus pressure for different fluid types

Flow Regimes
o There are basically three types of flow regimes that
must be recognized in order to describe the fluid flow
behavior and reservoir pressure distribution as a
function of time:
Steady-state flow
Unsteady-state flow
Pseudosteady-state flow

Steady-State Flow
The pressure at every location in the reservoir
remains constant and does not change with time
P
0
t i

When It Happens?
o In reservoirs, the steady-state flow condition can only

occur when the reservoir is completely recharged and
supported by strong aquifer or pressure maintenance
operations.

Unsteady / Transient State Flow
o The fluid flowing condition at which the rate of change of

pressure with respect to time at any position in the
reservoir is not zero or constant
o The pressure derivative with respect to time is

essentially a function of both position i and time t
P
f i, t
t
Pseudosteady-State Flow
o The pressure at different locations in the reservoir is

declining linearly as a function of time
P
constant
t i

Flow regimes
Reservoir Geometry
The shape of a reservoir has a significant effect on its

flow behavior
Most reservoirs have irregular boundaries
Rigorous mathematical description of geometry is often

possible only with the use of numerical simulators
The actual flow geometry may be represented by one of

the following flow geometries:

Reservoir Geometry
o Radial flow
o Linear flow
o Spherical and hemispherical flow

Radial Flow
o Flow into or away

from a wellbore will
follow radial flow lines
Three-dimensional flow
cylindrical coordinate
structure in radial-
from a substantial
distance from the
system
wellbore
o In the absence of
severe reservoir
heterogeneities
o fluids move toward the
well from all directions
and coverage at the
wellbore
A typical one-dimensional,
radial-cylindrical flow model
Ideal radial flow into a wellbore.

Linear Flow
o When flow paths are parallel and the fluid flows in a
single direction
o The cross sectional area to flow must be constant
o A common application of linear flow equations is the
fluid flow into vertical hydraulic fractures
Linear flow

Ideal linear flow into vertical fracture

Spherical and Hemispherical Flow
Depending upon the type of wellbore completion
configuration
possible to have a spherical or hemispherical flow near
the wellbore
A well with a limited perforated interval could result in
spherical flow in the vicinity of the perforations
A well that only partially penetrates the pay zone could
result in hemispherical flow

Spherical flow due to limited entry

Hemispherical flow in a partially penetrating well

Number of Flowing Fluids in the Reservoir:
o Single-phase flow (oil, water, or gas)
o Two-phase flow (oil-water, oil-gas, or gas-water)
o Three-phase flow (oil, water, and gas)

Henry Darcy
o 19th century French engineer
o While designing a filter to process

his towns water demand
o Vertical flow of water through

packed sand
o Introduce the concept of

permeability (unit: mD)

Darcys Law
o What are the parameters that affect fluid flow?

L
q
A
dx
For one-dimensional, horizontal flow through a porous

medium, Darcys Law states that:
kA dp
q
dx q =Flow rate (cm3/s)
A= Cross sectional area (cm2)
=Viscosity of flowing fluid (cp)
k =Permeability (Darcy)
/=Pressure gradient (atm/cm)
Transport eqn. implying velocity is proportional to pressure gradient and

reciprocal to viscosity
Pressure vs. distance in a linear flow
Darcys Law for Radial Flow
kA dp k (2rh) dp
q
dr dr
Curved surface
open to flow
For fluid flow to occur, a pressure gradient must be established

between the inner and outer boundary of the reservoir.
h Pressure gradient dp/dr

Pressure gradient in radial flow
Darcys Law
o Darcys Law applies only when the following conditions

exist:
Laminar (viscous) flow
Steady-state flow
Incompressible fluids
Homogeneous formation

Steady-state Flow
o Represents the condition that exists when the pressure

throughout the reservoir does not change with time
o The applications of the steady-state flow include:
Linear flow of incompressible fluids
Linear flow of slightly compressible fluids
Linear flow of compressible fluids
Radial flow of incompressible fluids
Radial flow of slightly compressible fluids
Radial flow of compressible fluids
Multiphase flow

Steady-state Flow
o Derive simple Linear Flow of Incompressible fluid
o Understand the fluid potential concept
o See how units can be converted from one system

to another

Linear Flow of Incompressible Fluids
The flow occurs through a constant cross-sectional area A

both ends are entirely open to flow
no flow crosses the sides, top, or bottom
Linear flow model

Linear Flow of Incompressible Fluids
If an incompressible fluid is flowing across the element dx, then the fluid
velocity v and the flow rate q are constants at all points
The flow behavior in this system can be expressed by the differential

form of Darcys equation
q
L
k
P2
kAP1 P2
q
A0 dx dP
P1
OR
L
In field units
Area (ft2)
Permeability (mD)
0.001127kAP1 P2
Pressure (psi)
q
L
Flowrate (bbl/d)
Distance
Viscosity (cp) (ft)
Darcys units
In terms of Darcy units
v= apparent fluid velocity, cm/sec;

k= permeability, darcy;
= fluid viscosity, cp;
p= pressure, atm
l= length, cm;
= fluid density, gm/cm3;
g= Acceleration due to gravity, cm/sec2; and
Z= elevation, cm.
The vertical distance zi is assigned as a positive value when the point i is

below the datum level and as a negative when it is above the datum level

In fields units
where
i = fluid potential at point i, psi
pi = pressure at point i, psi
zi = vertical distance from point i to the selected datum level
= fluid density, lb/ft3
= fluid specific gravity (water=1)
v= apparent fluid velocity, res bbl/day/ft2;
A= total cross-sectional area, ft2
B= formation volume factor, RB/STB.
k= permeability, md
= dip angle of the reservoir or formation measured counterclockwise
from the horizontal to the positive flow path
The negative sign in Eq. (16) accounts for the sign convention that flow is considered
positive in the positive direction of the flow path length, and pressure decreases in the
direction of flow

Linear Flow of Slightly Compressible Fluids
o The relationship that exists between pressure and

volume for slightly compressible fluid is:

V Vref 1 cPref P -------------- (6)
The above equation can be modified and

written in terms of flow rate as:

q qref 1 cPref P -------------- (18)
where qref is the flow rate at some reference pressure Pref.

Darcys Unit Conversion

Oil Recovery Mechanisms
o Each reservoir is unique:
geometric form
geological rock
properties
fluid
characteristics
primary drive
mechanism

Primary Recovery Mechanisms
o Yet they can be grouped according to the primary drive

mechanism.
The recovery of oil by any of the natural drive
mechanisms is called primary recovery.

Types of Reservoir Energy
o The energy of compression of the:

water and rock within the reservoir.
oil and gas within the reservoir.
o Waters contiguous to and in communication with the

petroleum reservoir.
o The gravitational energy that causes the oil and gas to

segregate within the reservoir.

Types of Reservoir Energy
o Rank the types of energy in order of least importance to oil

recovery?
o Compressed water and rock

o Compressed oil
o Compressed gas
Compressibility of oil=10-5 /psi

Compressibility of water=3x10-6 /psi
Compressibility of rock=6x10-6 /psi

Primary Recovery Mechanisms
Why study Recovery Mechanisms?

Knowledge of the
driving
mechanisms
Proper understanding of reservoir

behaviour
and
predicting future performance
Primary Recovery Mechanisms contd
o The overall performance of oil reservoirs is largely

determined by the nature of the energy, i.e., driving
mechanism, available for moving the oil to the wellbore.
o Each drive mechanism has certain typical performance

characteristics in terms of:
Ultimate recovery factor
Pressure decline rate
Gas-oil ratio
Water production

o There are basically six driving mechanisms that provide

the natural energy necessary for oil recovery:
Rock and liquid expansion drive
Depletion drive
Gas-cap drive
Water drive
Gravity drainage drive
Combination drive

o A petroleum reservoir rarely can be characterized

throughout its pressure-depletion life by any single
producing mechanism.
o Broadly, all commercially productive petroleum reservoirs

are divided into either
expansion-drive (sealed reservoir)
compaction-drive (sealed reservoir)
water drive reservoirs (unsealed reservoir)

Classification of Primary Recovery Mechanisms

Phase behavior of reservoir fluids
o VLE calculation

PVT analysis
o Equations of state are used to model phase behavior of

reservoir fluids.


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Review of Reservoir Engineering I

Dr. Shiferaw Regassa Jufar

Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Bandar Seri Iskandar, 32610, Perak,

o To review concepts introduced in reservoir engineering I.

Review of Reservoir Engineering I, January 2017 semester

o Role and responsibilities of a reservoir engineer

o Reservoir engineering is a branch of petroleum

Review of Reservoir Engineering I, January 2017 semester

o Estimating reserves and

Source: AAPG WIKI

o Carrying out reservoir simulation

Review of Reservoir Engineering I, January 2017 semester

Review of Reservoir Engineering I, January 2017 semester

Reservoir modeling involves assimilation of multi-scale information

Review of Reservoir Engineering I, January 2017 semester

Review of Reservoir Engineering I, January 2017 semester

Saturated oil reservoir:

Gas-cap reservoir or two phase

Wet gas reservoir

Retrograde gas-condensate reservoir

Near critical gas-condensate

Temperature Temperature Temperature

Retrograde Gas Wet Gas Dry Gas

Review of Reservoir Engineering I, January 2017 semester

Fractional change in volume due to a unit change

Symbol: co, cg, cw

Units: psi-1, microsips (1 microsip = 1x10-6 psi-1)

Source: Lab measurements, correlations

Review of Reservoir Engineering I, January 2017 semester

Oil Formation Volume Factor (Bo)

Gas-Oil Ratio (GOR)

Review of Reservoir Engineering I, January 2017 semester

Review of Reservoir Engineering I, January 2017 semester

o Relative permeability is a concept used to convey the

o Relative permeability has important implications for flow of

Review of Reservoir Engineering I, January 2017 semester

Fluid density versus pressure for different fluid types

Review of Reservoir Engineering I, January 2017 semester

Review of Reservoir Engineering I, January 2017 semester

Review of Reservoir Engineering I, January 2017 semester

o In reservoirs, the steady-state flow condition can only

Review of Reservoir Engineering I, January 2017 semester

o The fluid flowing condition at which the rate of change of

o The pressure derivative with respect to time is

o The pressure at different locations in the reservoir is

Review of Reservoir Engineering I, January 2017 semester

The shape of a reservoir has a significant effect on its

Most reservoirs have irregular boundaries

Rigorous mathematical description of geometry is often

The actual flow geometry may be represented by one of

Review of Reservoir Engineering I, January 2017 semester

o Spherical and hemispherical flow

Review of Reservoir Engineering I, January 2017 semester

o Flow into or away

Ideal radial flow into a wellbore.

Review of Reservoir Engineering I, January 2017 semester

Review of Reservoir Engineering I, January 2017 semester

Ideal linear flow into vertical fracture

Review of Reservoir Engineering I, January 2017 semester

Review of Reservoir Engineering I, January 2017 semester

Spherical flow due to limited entry

Review of Reservoir Engineering I, January 2017 semester

Hemispherical flow in a partially penetrating well

Review of Reservoir Engineering I, January 2017 semester