ENM200 Subsurface

Reservoir Engineering: Fluid Properties

Volumetric Estimation of Fluid Reserves

Dr Ted Mason

© Robert Gordon University

Initially Undersaturated Oil

Reservoir
Let
V = bulk volume of reservoir (acre-feet)
Ф = rock porosity in the reservoir (fractional)
Swc = connate water saturation (fractional)
Then
Volume of oil initially in place = V Ф(1-Swc) 7758 rb

This volume is measured at initial reservoir conditions, and

is therefore in reservoir barrels (rb or bbl). (Note that 1
acre-ft = 7758 bbl).
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 Initially Undersaturated Oil
Reservoir
Now if
N = the volume of oil initially in place (stb),
And
Boi = the value of Bo (the oil formation volume
factor) at the initial reservoir
conditions, then
Vφ (1 − Swc ) 7758 (A)
N = stb
Boi
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Estimate of N
● This estimate of N is called a volumetric estimate of the
oil initially in place, since it is based on an assessment of
the volume of the oil-containing rock. (N is often referred
to as the STOIIP – stock tank oil initially in place – or
some similar abbreviation).
● Clearly the values of Boi, Swc and Ф in equation (A) must
be averaged over the whole reservoir.
● In order to obtain a reliable volumetric estimate, it is
essential to have good quality geological data, together
with accurate information about the position of the oil –
water contact.
● Exploration and appraisal drilling will provide data on
which estimates of the average values of porosity and
connate water saturation can be based.
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 Abandonment
● Consider the case of a reservoir with no significant water influx
(either from the adjacent aquifer or as a result of water injection).
● It is reasonable to assume that the value of Swc will not change
significantly during production, since water production is usually
negligible when there is no water influx.
Then in the final condition at abandonment,

⎛ Oil in reservoir ⎞ Vφ (1 − Swc − Sg ) 7758

⎜ ⎟ = stb (B)
⎝ at abandonment ⎠ Bo

where Bo = value of oil formation factor at abandonment

Sg = gas saturation at abandonment

The value of Sg will be an average value taken over the whole

reservoir, including any gas cap that is formed during production by
free gas migrating upwards in the reservoir.
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Volumetric Method
● Then the cumulative oil production Np (stb) is
given by (A) – (B) and the recovery efficiency
(Np/N) is given by:-

Np (1 − Swc − Sg )Boi (C)

= 1−
N (1 − Swc )Bo
for an initially under-saturated reservoir with no
water influx.

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 Volumetric Estimate for Gas
● A volumetric estimate of the gas initially in place in a
gas reservoir may be obtained in a manner similar to
that used above. If
G = the volume of gas initially in place (scf) and
Bgi = the value of Bg at the initial reservoir conditions

then the following equation may be obtained:-

Vφ (1 − Swc ) 7758
G = scf (D)
Bgi

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Volumetric Estimate for Gas

● The equation (D) may also be written in the following
form, using the gas expansion factor E instead of the
gas formation volume factor Bg; this is often preferred
in the gas industry:

G = Vφ (1 − Swc ) 43560 Ei scf (E)

● Here, Ei is the value of E for the initial reservoir

conditions, defined by the following relation:-

volume of 1 mole of gas at standard conditions

Ei =
volume of 1 mole of gas at initial reservoir conditions
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 Material Balance Method
● The alternative to the volumetric method for
estimating reserves is the material balance
method, which is based on the equation:
Mp = Mi – Mf
Where
Mp = mass of hydrocarbons produced
Mi = mass of hydrocarbon initially in reservoir
Mf = mass of hydrocarbons finally in reservoir

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Material Balance Method

● Use of the material balance method involves
measurement of the hydrocarbons produced, but does
not rely on values of porosity, fluid saturations, etc.
● The material balance is also useful for history matching
and prediction – i.e. constructing a mathematical model of
reservoir behaviour which can then be used to interpret
and predict reservoir performance.
● Clearly the material balance method cannot be applied
until the reservoir has been in production for some time (a
few months at least) and some production data has been
accumulated.
● The next sections of these notes will set out and illustrate
the basic principles of material balance methods as
applied in oil reservoirs.
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 Note
● In the above notes the term ‘volumetric’ has been used to
indicate that the estimate of fluids in place has been
made on the basis of the volume of reservoir rock.
● It is important to be aware that the term ‘volumetric’ is
also used in quite a different sense in the expression
‘volumetric reservoir’ – this is used to describe a
reservoir having negligible water influx.
● It is essential to distinguish these two different uses of
the term which can easily cause confusion.
● In obtaining volumetric estimates of fluids in place as
discussed above, no assumptions have been made
about the presence or absence of any water influx into
the reservoirs concerned.
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