COMPRESSIBILITY OF RESERVOIR ROCKS

COMPACTION OF SEDIMENTS
Porosity is reduced by compaction
Porosity reduction is determined by maximum burial depth Principal effects are:
Changes in packing Pressure solution Recrystallization Deformation of rock fragments

Compaction effects are not reversed by erosional unroofing (hysteresis effect)

MECHANICS OF COMPACTION
Rotation and Closer Packing Ductile Grain Deformation Breakage of Brittle Grains Pressure Solution At Grain Contacts

Platy Grains (e.g., clays) Non-Platy Grains (e.g., qtz., feldspar) Ductile Framework Grain, e.g., Shale Rock Fragment)

Modified from Jonas and McBride, 1977

Relationship of Original Formation Porosity to Overburden Pressure

50

40
Porosity, %

Sandstones

30

20 Shales 10

1,000

2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 Overburden pressure, psi

6,000

Isothermal Compressibility
General Definition
The relative volume change of matter per unit pressure change under conditions of constant temperature
Usually, petroleum reservoirs can be considered isothermal (an exception: thermal stimulation) Increasing pressure causes volume of material to decrease (compression) - e.g. reservoir fluids Decreasing pressure causes volume of material to increase (expansion) - e.g. reservoir fluids

Isothermal Compressibility
General Equation
1 V C= p V
C: Coefficient of Isothermal Compressibility
ALWAYS positive value oilfield units: 1/psia

V: Volume
oilfield units: ft3

p: Pressure exerted on material

oilfield units: psia

Negative sign in equation determined by V/p term, to force the coefficient C to be positive Volume is a function of pressure only (temperature is constant, and amount of material is constant)

Formation Compressibility
Importance
Formation compressibility can have a significant impact on reservoir performance Subsidence can have significant environmental impact

Types
Matrix Compressibility ( Cm ): relative change in volume of solid rock material (grain volume) per unit pressure change (usually Cm 0). Pore Compressibility ( Cf ): relative change in pore volume per unit pressure change. Bulk Compressibility ( Cb ): relative change in bulk volume per unit pressure change ( usually Vb Vp). Significant decrease in bulk volume can cause subsidence.

FORMATION COMPRESSIBILITY
F
F
1 Cf = Vp
O

Vp p

Under static conditions, downward 1. overburden force must be balanced by upward forces of the matrix and fluid in pores

2. Thus:

F =F
o

AND

p =p + p
o m

3.
Pressure Gradients, Normal Reservoirs: dpo/dZ = 1.0 psia/ft dp/dZ = 0.465 psia/ft

4.
As fluids are produced from reservoir, fluid pressure (p) usually decreases while overburden is constant, and: (a) force on matrix increases ( net compaction pressure, pm=po-p) (b) bulk volume decreases, and (c) pore volume decreases.

Formation Compressibility
Equation
1 Cf = Vp Vp p
Cf: Formation Compressibility (Pore Volume Comp.)
ALWAYS positive value oilfield units: 1/psia

Vp: Pore volume

oilfield units: ft3

p: Pressure of fluid in pores

oilfield units: psia

Positive sign in equation determined by Vp/p term, to force Cf to be positive Pore volume is function of pressure only (temperature is constant, amount of reservoir rock is constant)

Subsidence and Bulk Compressibility

Process of subsidence
Bulk volume decreases as fluids are produced Area is constant Formation thickness decreases (causing subsidence of strata above)

Porosity: = Vp/Vb = 1-(Vm/Vb); where Vb=Vp+Vm Net compaction pressure: pm = po - p Overburden (po) is constant dpm= -dp As net compaction pressure increases
Bulk volume decreases; Cb = -1/Vb (Vb/pm) Pore volume decreases; Cf= -1/Vp (Vp/pm) Matrix volume decreases; Cm= -1/Vm (Vm/pm)

Substituting from definitions above

Cb = (-1/Vb) [(Vp/pm) + (Vm/pm) ] Cb = (-1/Vb) [(- Cf Vp) + (- Cm Vm)] Cb = Cf + (1-)Cm; usually Cm << Cf

Formation Compressibility
Calculation of Pore Volume Change
Separate

1 C f dp = dVp Vp
p2

and Integrate

1 Cf dp = V Vp dVp p1 p1

Vp2

Two common approaches for constant value of Cf

Exact Integration 1st Order Approximation

Formation Compressibility
Pore Volume Change - Continued
Exact Integration

C f [p] = ln(Vp ) V
p2 p1

Vp2
p1

Exponentiating (Inverse of Natural Logarithm) and rearranging

Vp2 = Vp1e
OR

C f (p 2 p1 )

Vp = Vp1 e Cf (p 2 p1 ) 1

Formation Compressibility
Pore Volume Change - Continued
Approximation

1 Cf = Vp

dVp 1 Vp dp V p p 1 Vp2 Vp1 Cf = Vp1 p 2 p1 Vp2 = Vp1 [1 + C f (p 2 p1 )] Vp = Vp1C f (p 2 p1 )

Laboratory Determination of Cf
In reservoirs, overburden pressure is constant and the pressure of fluid in pores changes, resulting in pore volume change In the laboratory, we change the confining pressure on the core plug (overburden) while holding the pore pressure constant Remember that the net compaction pressure on the matrix is the difference between the overburden and pore pressures
This allows us to obtain useful results in the laboratory

Laboratory Determination of Cf
Laboratory Procedure
Core plug is 100% saturated with brine Core plug is placed in rubber or soft copper sleeve As pressure outside sleeve is increased, pore volume decreases and the volume of expelled brine is measured

pconfining

Hysteresis Effect - Formation Compressibility

Hysteresis: The lagging of an effect behind its cause, as when the change in magnetism of a body lags behind changes in the magnetic field. (definition from dictionary.com, 2002) Hysteresis is used by Petroleum Engineers to describe the effects of path dependence and irreversibilities we observe in reservoir behavior
For example, if we decrease reservoir pressure from initial conditions, pore volume decreases. If we then increase reservoir pressure back to the initial pressure, pore volume does not increase all the way back to the initial pore volume.
Pore Volume Initial Conditions

Pore Pressure

Volumetric Reservoir
V p = Vw + VHC V p = cV p p
Vw VHC Bo = Boi

depletion

@ Initial pore vol

Bw = Bwi

Vw

VHC Bo = Bop

@ Bubble p. pore vol

Bw = Bwp