1.

4 quantitative use of porosity

Zhang Yi

Petroleum engineering college

Xi’an shiyou university
One of the simplest methods of calculating
reservoir oil content is called the volumetric
method. The mathematical expression for
the initial oil-in-place by this method is:
 N = 7.758 As hφS oi U.S.A

N = As hφS oi china
where:
As = surface area of the reservoir, acres/m2.
h = thickness of the formation, ft/m.
Φ = porosity, fraction.
Soi = initial oil saturation, fraction.
the equation gives the volume of oil
contained in the porous rock at reservoir
conditions of pressure and temperature.
However, the surface or “stock tank” oil as
finally sold by the producer is different from
the liquid volume that existed underground.
The difference is due to the changes in the
oil properties as the pressure is decreased
from high underground pressure and
temperature to surface pressure and
temperature.
This reduction in p and T causes some of the
volatile components to come out of solution
(evaporate), causing the liquid volume to
shrink. This reduction in volume is expressed
by the oil formation volume factor, Bo. Thus,
the stock tank oil initially in place is:
 As hφS oi
N = 7.758 U.S.A
Boi
where Boi is oil volume factor in
reservoir barrels per stock tank
barrel or bbl/STB. dimensionless

As hφS oi
N= china
Boi
In this equation, Soi is replaced by (1 -
Swi), where Swi is the irreducible
or connate water saturation. This
implies that no free gas is present in
the pore space.
Because no petroleum reservoir is
homogenous, the factors As, h, Φ, and
Swi must be averaged.
EXAMPLE
Calculate the initial oil-in-place (N)
of an oil reservoir. If As = 1,600
acres, h = 32 ft, Φ = 22%, Swi =
20%, and Boi = 1.23 bbl/STB.
SOLUTION

N = 7,758(1,600)(32)(0.22)(1- 0.20)/1.23
= 56.8 x lo6 STB
it is convenient to express the gas volume
in cubic feet. At standard conditions, Psc=
14.7 psia and Tsc = 6OoF,
the initial gas-in-place in a volumetric
reservoir is given by:
 As hφS gi
G = 43,560
Bgi
where Bgi the initial gas formation
volume factor in ft3/SCF, is calculated
from:
 Z iT
Bgi = 0.02829( )
Pi
The initial gas deviation (also called compressibility)
factor, zi, is calculated at the initial pressure pi of the
gas reservoir. This factor accounts for the difference
between the actual and ideal gas volumes.
The reservoir temperature T is in degree Rankin (OR).
EXAMPLE
A volumetric gas reservoir has the following
characteristics:
A = 1,320 acres h=45ft Φ = 0.175
Swi = 0.23 T = 200°F Pi = 4,000 psia
zi = 0.916
 SOLUTION
The initial gas formation volume factor is:

0.916(460 + 200) 3
ft
Bgi = 0.02829 = 0.04276
4,000 SCF
The initial gas in place is:

(1320)(45)(0.175)(1 − 0.23)
G = 43,560
0.004276
= 81.539 × 109 SCF
Oil-bearing area was 110 Km2, effective
oil thickness was 20m, and average
porosity was 25%, irreducible water
saturation was 24%, Boi is oil volume
factor was 1.38，oil density was 0.84.
find the oil in place.