Water Drive Mechanism

Water Drive Mechanism In a reservoir with a water drive

mechanism for maintaining reservoir energy, the production of
fluids from the reservoir unit is balanced by either aquifer expansion
or, via injection of water into the reservoir. The water normally
contained within an aquifer system can be defined as edge or
bottom water drive depending upon the structural shape, dip angle
and OWC within the reservoir (Figures 4/5). The net effect of water
influx into the reservoir may be to prevent reservoir pressure
dropping and, given the relatively low compressibility, for this to
occur without depletion of the aquifer pressure, the aquifer volume
must be very large. In the majority of cases, the aquifer is of a
finite size and accordingly both the reservoir and aquifer pressure
will decline in situations where the production rate is significant. If
the production rate is small compared to the aquifer volume, then
the compensating expansion of the aquifer may lead to no
noticeable depletion for part of the production life of the field.