University of Tripoli Department of petroleum engineering

Reservoir Drive Mechanism

Presented by:

supervised by:

Spring 2013

 Introduction
Types Of Recovery Drive Mechanisms: Rock and liquid expansion Solution Gas Drive Gas Cap Drive Water Drive Gravity Drainage Combination or Mixed Drive

Conclusion

Introduction
The natural energy of a deposit can be used to move oil and gas to the

well . these energy sources are known as drive mechanisms. Early determination and characterization of the mechanism present in a reservoir may allow greater ultimate recovery of hydrocarbons

each drive mechanism has certain typical performance characteristics in terms of:
Ultimate recovery factor Pressure decline rate Gas-oil ratio Water production

 hydrocarbons from an oil reservoir is

commonly recognized that occur at various stages of recovery. These are:

(i) Primary recovery (ii) Secondary recovery

(iii) Tertiary recovery (Enhanced Oil Recovery, EOR) (iv) Infill recovery

Types Of Recovery Drive Mechanisms:

1- Rock and liquid expansion 2- Solution gas drive 3- Gas cap drive 4- Water drive 5- Gravity drainage 6- Combination or mixed drive

1-Rock and Liquid Expansion

The reservoir rock compressibility is the result of two factors: Expansion of the individual rock grains Formation compaction
As the expansion of the fluids and reduction in the pore

volume occur with decreasing reservoir pressure, the crude oil and water will be forced out of the pore space to the wellbore

This driving mechanism is considered the least efficient

driving force and usually results in the recovery of only a small percentage of the total oil in place

A gas reservoir solution is initially operated under either saturated or unsaturated considered in its function of pressure:

Under Saturated: Reservoir pressure> oil bubble

point . Saturated: Reservoir pressure oil bubble point. Characteristics

Trend

Reservoir pressure ......Declines rapidly and continuously Gas-oil ratio Increases to maximum and then declines Water production .. None Well behavior ..... Requires pumping at early stage Oil recovery ... 5 to 30%

Oil

Initial Condition

During Depletion Solution Gas Drive

3- Gas cap drive

derives its primary power source of the expansion tank of

the gas layer and existing above the reservoir, the presence
of gas in the expansion layer limits the pressure decrease experienced by the container during production
Characteristics

Trend

Reservoir pressure .... Falls slowly and continuously Gas-oil ratio . .. ... .. Rises continuously in up structure wells Water production Absent or negligible Well behavior .......Long flow life depend upon size of gas cap Oil recovery . .. ..20 to 40%

Gas Cap oil

Cross Section During Depletion

Gas Cap Drive

importance to bear in mind when managing a gas cap reservoir are:

1- Steeply dipping reservoir oil columns are best. 2- Thick oil columns are best, and are perforated at the base, as far away from the gas cap as possible 3- Wells with increasing GOR (gas cap breakthrough) can be shut in to reduce field wide GOR. 4- Produced gas can be separated and immediately injected back into the gas cap to maintain gas cap pressure.

4- Water drive
Driving power is supplied by an aquifer which interacts with the

oil in the reservoir oil-water contact (OWC). As production

continues and the oil is extracted from the tank expands into the aquifer moving the oil tank.
There are two types of drive are commonly recognized water:

lower water unit

Characteristics

Edge water unit Trend

Reservoir pressure ......Remains high Gas-oil ratio Remains low Water production .. Starts early and increases to appreciable amounts Well behavior ..... Flow until water production gets excessive Oil recovery ... 35 to 75%

Oil

Aquifer

Bottom Water Drive

Edge Water Drive

5- Gravity drainage

The differences in density between oil and gas and water in

its natural consequence of segregation in the reservoir. The best conditions for gravity drainage are: 1- thick oil zones 2- vertical high permeabilities

Gravity Drive

Gas

Oil

Gas

Gas Oil

Gas Gas Oil Oil

Gas
Oil Oil

6- Combination or mixed drive

A reservoir generally includes at least two main drive
mechanisms ). If both occur one commitment be sought and this commitment should take into account the strength current of each unit, the size of the gas layer, and size

aquifer.

Gas Cap
Oil Aquifer

Conclusion
recovery range for various driving mechanisms

Driving Mechanism Oil Recovery Range, % Rock and liquid expansion . 37 Solution gap . 530 Gas cap . 2040 Water drive ... 3575 Gravity drainage . <80 Combination drive .. 3060

 Reservoir engineering handbook , Tarek Ahmed Amyx , Petroleum Reservoir Engineering Zolotukhin-Reservoir-Engineering