Presiones en el Reservorio

YACIMIENTOS I

INGENIERIA EN PETROLEOS
 Reservoir Pressures

 Magnitude and variation of pressures in a

reservoir are an important aspect of reservoir
understanding during exploration and
production phase
Reservoir Pressures

 Oil and gas occur at a range of sub-surface

depths.
 At these depths pressure exists as a result of:
– the depositional process
– the fluids contained.
Lithostatic Pressures & Fluid Pressures

 Lithostatic pressure
 grain to grain transmission of weight of rock
 sometimes termed geostatic or overburden
pressure.
 Function of depth, density
 1 psi./ ft
 Pov at depth D = 1.0 x D psi.
Lithostatic Pressures & Fluid Pressures

 Lithostatic pressure is balanced in part by the

pressure of fluids within pores, pore pressure
and by grains of rock under compaction.
 Unconsolidated sands, overburden totally
supported by fluid pressure.
 In deposited rocks, like reservoirs, fluid
pressure is not supporting the rocks but arises
from the continuity of the aqueous phase
from surface to the depth.
 Termed hydrostatic pressure.
Hydrostatic Pressure

 Imposed by a column of fluid at rest.

 Value depends on the density of fluid.
 Water - salinity
 0.433 psi/ft - fresh water
 0.45 psi/ft for saline water 55,000ppm.
 0.465 psi for 88,000ppm
 Pfluid = rfluidDg g=acceleration due to gravity
Lithostatic Pressures & Fluid Pressures

Hydrostatic pressure

Lithostatic pressure
Hydrodynamic Pressure

 Arises as a result of fluid movement.

 This is the fluid potential pressure gradient
which is caused by fluid flow
 Fluid Pressure
  dP  
PW     D   14.7 psia
  dD water 
Dictated by prevailing water pressure in vicinity of reservoir.
Normal situation
dP/dD is the hydrostatic gradient

Assumes continuity of water pressure from surface

and constant salinity
If pressure extrapoloted to zero depth is atmospheric
pressure
- normal pressured reservoir
 Fluid Pressure-Normal Pressure

Atmos. Pressure
0 psig.
14.7psia.

Normal pressured
reservoir
 Fluid Pressure-Abnormal Pressure

 Under certain conditions fluid pressures are not

normal.
 Overpressured reservoirs.
 Hydrostatic pressure greater than normal
pressure
 Underpressured reservoirs
 Hydrostatic pressure below normal pressure
 Abnormal Pressure

Overpressured
reservoir

Underpressured
reservoir
Abnormal Pressure
Pressure

Overpressured
0.45psi/ft.

Water-normal
0.45psi’ft.

1000-2000psi
N. Viking Graben-N.Sea
Abnormal Pressure

  dP  
PW     D   14.7  Cpsia
  dD water 
C - constant positive - overpressured

C - constant negative - underpressured

Causes of Abnormal Pressure

 Thermal effects-expansion or contraction of

water
 Rapid burial of sediments
 Geological changes.
 Osmotic effects via salinity differences
 Causes of Abnormal Pressure

Geological changes
Abnormal Pressure Regional Trends
North Sea
Examples
 Fluid Pressures-Hydrocarbon Systems
 Hydrocarbon pressure regimes different since
densities of oil and gas are less than water.
 dP 
 dD   0.45 psi / ft
 water
Pressure  dP 
 dD   0.35 psi / ft
0
 oil

 dP 
Depth

 dD  gas  0.08 psi / ft

 
 Pressure distribution for an oil reservoir with a
gas-cap and oil water contact.

Pressure

Path of well Impermeable

bed
Gradient in gas
column

Gradient in oil
column

Gradient in
aquifer

Over pressured
reservoir
Pressure distribution for an oil reservoir with a
gas-cap and oil water contact.
 Hydrocarbon Pressure Regimes
 Nature and magnitude of pressures and the position
of fluid contacts important to the reservoir engineer.
 Data for fluid contacts from:
 Pressure surveys
 Equilibrium pressures from well tests
 Fluid flow from minimum and maximum depth
 Fluid densities from samples
 Saturation data from logs
 Capillary pressure from cores
 Fluid saturation from cores.
Techniques for Pressure Measurement
 Earlier tests for pressure logging have been replaced by open-hole
testing devices which measure vertical pressure distribution in a well.
 Examples of Pressure Measurement
 Pressure
distributions before
and after production
provide important
reservoir description
information.

Pressure survey after

production

Production from here

Original pressure
profile
 Examples of Pressure Measurement
After subsequent
production

Evidence of layering
Examples of
Pressure
Measurement
 Can also be
used to indicate
lack of
hydrodynamic
continuity.
 Examples of
Pressure
Measurement

 As an interference
test can indicate
flow behaviour
between wells.
 Reservoir Temperature
 Earth temperature increases from surface to centre
 Heatflow outwards generates a geothermal gradient.
 Conforms to local and regional gradients as influenced by
lithology, and more massive phenomena.
 Obtained from wellbore temperature surveys.
 Reservoir geothermal gradients around 1.6oF/100ft (
0.029K/m).
 Because of large thermal capacity and surface area of
porous reservoir, flow processes in a reservoir occur at
constant temperature.
 Local conditions , eg around the well can be influenced by
transient cooling or heating effects of injected fluids.