Material Balance Equation

For Oil Reservoirs

Dr. Ir. Dedy Kristanto, MT

Oil Material Balance Equation

Bo Boi Rsi Rs Bg

N p Bo R p Rs Bg W p Bw N i Boi
Boi

Bg Cw S wc C f
m 1 1 m
p
B
gi 1 S wc
We Bw
Nomenclature
Nomenclature
Oil Material Balance Equation

In words, the oil material balance

equation says that any production we
obtain is due to change in volume of
reservoir rock and fluids and/or
displacement by encroaching water from
an adjoining aquifer.
Left Hand Side
Production from the reservoir at reservoir
conditions
We measure these terms

N p Bo R p Rs Bg W p Bw
NpBo Oil produced at reservoir conditions,
(res. bbl)
Note that Bo includes changes in oil volume due to
gas going into solution.
Left hand Side

Np(RpRs)Bg Amount of free gas

produced at reservoir conditions.
Note Rp is total produced gas (free +
dissolved) per barrel; Rp is gas dissolved at
reservoir conditions that is produced.
The effect of oil volume changes due to
solution gas, Rs is included in Bo
WpBw Amount of water produced (or
injected)
Right Hand Side

Accounts for expansion of oil and free

gas in the reservoir, as well as influx of
water and change in reservoir pore
volume.
Expansion of oil + dissolved gas
N i Bo Boi Rsi Rs Bg
Right Hand Side

Expansion of gas in the gas-cap

Bg
N i Boi m 1 Gi Bg Gi Bgi
B
gi
Expansion of rock and connate water
Cw S wc C f Cw S wc C f
N i Boi 1 m p N i Boi Gi Bgi p
1 S wc 1 S wc
Natural Water influx
We Bw
Initial Reservoir Conditions
S u rf a c e C o n d itio n s

G i scf
R e s e r v o ir C o n d itio n s

G as

O il { N iR si

N iSTB
scf

Original Reservoir Oil = NiBoi res bbl.

Original Reservoir Gas = GiBgi res bbl. = m NiBoi res bbl
Initial Reservoir Conditions
Reservoir Pore Volume = Vp bbl
Pore Volume occupied by water = VpSwc bbl
Hydrocarbon Pore Volume (HCPV) = Vp (1 Swc) bbl
But HCPV = NiBoi + m NiBoi = (1+m) NiBoi bbl
So Vp = (1+m) NiBoi / (1 Swc) bbl
Free gas volume = mNiBoi bbl
So initial gas saturation = mNiBoi/ Vp
= mNiBoi (1 Swc) /((1+m) NiBoi )
Initial oil saturation = NiBoi/ Vp
= NiBoi (1 Swc) /((1+m) NiBoi )
After Production of Oil and Gas
R e s e r v o ir C o n d itio n s S u r f a c e C o n d itio n s

( G i+ N iR s i - N p R p
G i scf
-(N i - N p)R s)B g N pR p scf
bblgas
G as
N iR si scf
O il N iSTB N p STB
(N i - N p)B o b b l
c o n ta in in g
(N i - N p)R s s c f g a s

Free Gas in Reservoir = (mNiBoi/Bgi+NiRsi - NpRp

- (Ni Np)Rs)Bg bbl.
After Production of Oil and Gas

Gas Saturation = Free Gas Volume

Pore Volume
(mNiBoi/Bgi+NiRsi - NpRp - (Ni Np)Rs)Bg [(1+m)
NiBoi / (1 Swc) ]

OilSaturation = Oil Volume Pore

Volume
(Ni Np)Bo (1+m) NiBoi / (1 Swc)
Example
Solution

Solution Gas drive reservoir implies:

Negligible water influx.
No initial gas cap.

N p Bo R p Rs Bg W p Bw
N B
i o Boi Rsi Rs Bg
Solution

Calculate Bg

zT
Bg .005
p

.005
.8150 460
2,000
7.625 10 4 bbl/SCF
Solution

Calculate reservoir production

N p Bo R p Rs Bg W p Bw 20 106 1.22 900 350 7.625 10 4 0
3.279 107 res. bbl

Calculate PVT dependent terms on RHS

Bo Boi Rsi Rs Bg 1.22 1.3 600 350 7.625 104

.1106 res. bbl/STB
Solution

Solve for initial oil in place

Ni

N p Bo R p Rs Bg W p Bw
Bo Boi Rsi Rs Bg

3.279 10 7
Ni 296MMSTB
.1106
Condensed Notation
The material balance equation is lengthy;
cumbersome to work with.
Introduce shorthand notation to facilitate
manipulation.
Total Production of oil, water and gas:

F N p Bo R p Rs Bg W p Bw
Condensed Notation
Reservoirfluid expansion terms (on a
per STB basis)
Expansion of oil and dissolved gas
Eo Bo Boi Rsi Rs Bg
Expansion of gas-cap gas
Bg
mE g mBoi 1
Bgi
Expansion of rock and connate water
cw S wc c f
1 m E f , w 1 m Boi p
1 S wc
Note

The fluid expansion terms Eo, Eg, and Ef,w

are composed only of fluid PVT
properties and connate water saturation.
At reservoir conditions (Temperature
constant), they are functions of reservoir
pressure only.
Material Balance Equation

In terms of our shorthand notation

F Ni Eo mEg 1 mE f , w We Bw

Simplifications:
Solution Gas Drive Reservoir: We = 0, m = 0

F N i Eo E f , w
Solution Gas Drive

Production (F) is measured.

Eo and Ef,w are determined from PVT and
rock properties.
Material balance is a straight line
equation
Plotof F versus Eo + Ef,w is a straight line
with intercept 0 and slope Ni
Solution Gas Drive

F
Slope = Ni

(0 ,0 ) E o
Gas Cap Drive No Water Influx
Inthis case, the material balance equation can
be simplified to

F N i Eo mE g 1 m E f , w
Straight line form:
F N i Eo E f , w m E g E f , w
F
N i mN i
Eg E f ,w
Eo E f , w Eo E f , w
Gas Cap Drive Plot

S lo p e = m N i
F
Eo E f ,w

} Ni

(0 ,0 )
E
g E f ,w
E
o E f ,w