20

Generalized Material Balance Equation

 The material balance equation (MBE) has long been recognized as one of the basic
tools of reservoir engineers for interpreting and predicting reservoir performance.
 The following assumptions are made in deriving a material balance equation:
1- The reservoir may have an initial vapor phase and an initial liquid phase.
2- The gas is allowed to dissolve in the liquid phase.
3- The oil can be volatile in the vapor phase.
4- Water is allowed to invade the reservoir from the aquifer during production.
5- The water and rock are compressible.

In making material balance calculations the following production, reservoir, and

laboratory data are involved:
1. The initial reservoir pressure and the average reservoir pressure at successive
intervals after the start of production.
2. The stock tank barrels of oil produced, measured at 1 atm and 60oF, at any time or
during any production interval.
3. The total standard cubic feet of gas produced. When gas is injected into the reservoir,
this will be the difference between the total gas produced and that returned to the
reservoir.
4. The ratio of the initial gas cap volume to the initial oil volume, symbol m. The value
of m is determined from log and core data and from well completion data.
5. The gas and oil volume factors and solutions gas-oil ratios. These are obtained as
functions of pressure by laboratory measurements on bottom-hole samples by
differential and flash liberation methods.
6. The quantity of water that has been produced.
7. The quantity of water that has been encroached into the reservoir from the aquifer.

The following terms are used in the development of the general material balance
equation:
N: Initial (original) oil in place, STB
Boi : Initial oil formation volume factor, bbl/STB
Np: Cumulative oil produced, STB
Bo : oil formation volume factor, bbl/STB
G: Initial reservoir gas
Bgi: Initial Gas formation volume factor, bbl/SCF
Gf : Amount of free gas in the reservoir, SCF
Gp: Cumulative gas produced, SCF
 21

Rsi: initial solution gas-oil ratio, SCF/STB

Rp: cumulative produced gas-oil ratio, SCF/STB
Rs: Solution gas-oil ratio, SCF/STB
Bg: Gas formation volume factor, bbl/SCF
m: Ratio of initial volume of free gas to initial oil volume, bbl/bbl
W: initial reservoir water, bbl
Wp: Cumulative water produced, STB
Bw: water formation volume factor, bbl/ STB
We: water influx into reservoir, bbl
cw: water isothermal compressibility, psi-1
p : Change in reservoir pressure (pi- p), psia
Swi: initial water saturation
cf: formation isothermal compressibility, psi-1
P.V: total pore volume, bbl
Ginj : cumulative gas injected, SCF
Bginj : injected gas formation volume factor, bbl/SCF
Winj : cumulative water injected, STB
Bwi: injected water formation volume factor, bbl/ STB
HCPV = hydrocarbon pore volume

Production
Np and NpRp and Wp

GBgi Gas cap

G f Bg Free gas
Gas Oil contact Oil
NBoi + NRsi (N – Np)Bo + (N – Np) Rs Gas Oil contact
Pi P
Oil
Oil water contact W Water Oil water contact
W Water We
Evolved solution gas

Derivation of general material balance equation, Case # 1:

For simplicity, the derivation is divided into the changes in the oil, gas, water
volumes, and rock volumes that occur between the start of production and any time t.

Change in the oil volume:

Initial reservoir oil volume at Pi = NBoi
Oil volume at time t and pressure P = N  N p Bo
 22

Change in oil volume = decrease in oil volume = initial oil volume – final oil volume
= NBoi  N  N p Bo  N Boi  Bo   N p Bo
Change in free gas volume:
GB gi
Ratio of initial volume of free gas to initial oil volume = m 
NB oi
Initial free gas volume = GBgi = NmB oi
Reservoir free gas at pressure P and time t = G f B g
Change in free gas volume = decrease in free gas volume = initial gas volume – final gas
volume = GB gi  G f B g  NmB oi G f B g (1)
The determine SCF free gas volume (Gf) from:
SCF free gas = SCF initial gas free and dissolved – SCF gas produced– SCF gas
remaining in solution
G f  G  NR si   N p R p    N  N p  R s 
 NmB oi 
Gf    NR si    N p R p    N  N p  R s 
 B gi 
Substituting G f in equation 1:

Change in free gas volume = GB gi  G  NR si  N p R p   N  N p  R s  B g

 NmB oi 
= NmB oi    NR si  N p R p   N  N p  R s  B g
 B gi 
Change in the water volume:
Initial reservoir water volume = W
Cumulative water produced at t = Wp
Reservoir volume of cumulative produced water = Bw Wp
Volume of water encroached at t = We
Change in water volume = increase in water Vol. = initial water Vol. – final water Vol.
Change in water volume = W  (W  W e  W p Bw Wcw  p )  W e  W p Bw Wcw  p
Change in rock volume:
Change in pore volume = c f V p P
Change in rock volume is negative of change in pore volume.
Change in rock volume = - c f V p P

Combining the changes in water and rock volumes in to a single, yields the following:
Change in water & rock volume = We W p Bw  Wcw P  c f V p P
 23

The total volume of the hydrocarbon system is then given by:

Initial oil volume + initial gas cap volume = Vp (1 - Swi)
NBoi (1  m )
NBoi  mNBoi V p (1  Swi ) V p 
1  Swi
NBoi (1  m )
Recognizing that W V p S wi and that V p  and substituting, the
1  Swi
following is obtained:
 S c  cf 
Change in water and rock volume  We W p Bw  NB oi (1  m )  wi w   p
 1 S
 wi 
Equating the changes in the oil and gas volumes to the negative of the changes in the
water and rock volumes and expanding all terms
 NmB oi 
N  B oi  B o   N p B o  NmB oi    NR si  N p R p   N  N p  R s  B g
 B gi 
 S c  cf 
 We W p Bw  NB oi (1  m )  wi w   p
 1 S
 wi 

N p  B o  (R p  R s ) B g   W e  W p Bw 
N 
B  C S  C f 
B o  B oi  m B oi  g  1  (R si  R s ) B g  B oi 1  m   w w  P
B 
 gi   1  Sw 

Derivation of general material balance equation, Case # 2:

Initial volume = Final volume
Original hydrocarbon volume = remaining hydrocarbon volume + volume of net water
influx + reduction of hydrocarbon pore volume (HCPV) due to rock and connate water
expansion.
GB gi
Ratio of initial volume of gas cap to initial oil volume = m 
NB oi
m is determined from log, core data, and from well completion data.
Original hydrocarbon volume at pressure Pi = Original oil volume + Original gas volume
Original oil volume at pressure Pi = NBoi res. bbl
Original gas cap volume at pressure Pi = GBgi = mNB oi res. bbl
Original hydrocarbon volume at pressure Pi = 1  m  NB oi res. bbl (2)
 24

Remaining hydrocarbon volume at time t and pressure P = expanded original gas cap
volume + remaining oil volume + volume of the evolved solution gas (net liberated free
gas)
Where, “net liberated free gas” is the librated solution gas (in going from pi to p) that
was not produced and therefore remains in the reservoir.
B 
Expanded original gas cap volume = GB g = mNB oi  g  res. bbl assumes that the gas
B 
 gi 
is not being produced. However, even if some gas cap gas is being produced, it will be
included in the produced free gas term. Thus, there would be offsetting errors.
Remaining oil volume at time t and pressure P = N  N p Bo res. bbl
Evolved solution gas = volume of gas initially in solution – volume of gas produced -
volume of gas remaining in solution
Evolved solution gas = NR si  N p R p  (N  N p )R s  B g res. bbl
= N (R si  R s )B g  N p (R p  R s )B g
Net liberated free gas = gross librated free gas – produced free gas
Therefore, some gas has come out of solution in going from pi to p. the amount of
free gas librated from one stock tank barrel of original oil would be (Rsi – Rs) scf, and the
reservoir volume equals (Rsi – Rs)Bg reservoir barrels. The reservoir volume of gas
librated from the total original oil in place is:
Gross librated free gas =N (R si  R s )B g rb
Considering the cumulative produced gas, Gp, solution gas is considered to be that
part of the gas that would be in solution in the produced oil, Np, if still in the reservoir.
Thus, produced solution gas is equal to Np Rs scf. Therefore, the remainder of the
produced gas, Np (Rp – Rs) scf, is called the “produced free gas”. This produced free gas
is made up of solution gas that was liberated from the oil in the reservoir and possibly
some gas cap.
Produced free gas =N p (R p  R s )B g rb
Therefore,
Net librated free gas =N (R si  R s )B g  N p (R p  R s )B g rb
Then the remaining hydrocarbon volume at P =
B 
mNB oi  g   (N  N p )B o  N (R si  R s )B g  N p (R p  R s )B g res. bbl (3)
B 
 gi 
Net water influx = increase in water volume = final water volume – initial water volume
= (W  W e  W p Bw )  W  W e  W p Bw res. bbl
Reduction in (HCPV) due to rock and connate water expansion =
 25

C S  C f 
1  m  NB oi   w wi  P res. bbl
 1  S wi 
Then, the general MB Eq. is:
B 
1  m  NBoi = (N  N p )B o  mNB oi  g
B   N (R si  R s )B g  N p (R p  R s )B g +
 gi 
C S  C f 
W e  W p Bw + 1  m  NB oi   w w  P
 1  Sw 
N p  B o  (R p  R s ) B g   W e  W p Bw 
N  (4)
B  C S  C f 
B o  B oi  m B oi  g  1  (R si  R s ) B g  B oi 1  m   w w  P
B 
 gi   1  Sw 

Derivation of general material balance equation, Case # 3:

The MBE can be written in a generalized form as follows:
Pore volume occupied by the oil initially in place at pi
+
Pore volume occupied by the gas in the gas cap at pi
=
Pore volume occupied by the remaining oil at p
+
Pore volume occupied by the gas in the gas cap at p
+
Pore volume occupied by the evolved solution gas at p
+
Pore volume occupied by the net water influx at p
+
Change in pore volume due to connate water expansion and pore volume reduction due to
rock expansion
+
Pore volume occupied by the injected gas at p
+
Pore volume occupied by the injected water at p (5)

Pore volume occupied by the oil initially in place:

Volume occupied by initial oil in place N Boi (6)

Pore volume occupied by the gas in the gas cap:

Volume of gas cap m N Boi (7)
 26

Pore volume occupied by the remaining oil:

Volume of the remaining oil (N Np) Bo (8)

Pore volume occupied by the gas cap at reservoir pressure p:

As the reservoir pressure drops to a new level p, the gas in the gas cap expands and
occupies a larger volume. Assuming no gas is produced from the gas cap during the
pressure decline, the new volume of the gas cap can be determined as:
B 
Volume of the gas cap = GB g = mNB oi  g  (9)
B
 gi 

Pore volume occupied by the evolved solution gas:

Volume of the evolved solution gas = volume of gas initially in solution - volume of gas
produced - volume of gas remaining in solution
Volume of the evolved solution gas = NR si  N p R p  (N  N p )R s  B g res. bbl
= N (R si  R s )B g  N p (R p  R s )B g (10)

Pore volume occupied by the net water influx:

Net water influx We Wp Bw (11)

Change in pore volume due to initial water and rock expansion:

 S c  cf 
Total changes in pore volume  NBoi (1  m )  wi w  p (12)
 1 S
 wi 

Pore volume occupied by the injection gas and water:

Assuming that Ginj volumes of gas and Winj volumes of water have been injected for
pressure maintenance, the total pore volume occupied by the two injected fluids is given
by:
Total volume = Ginj B ginj  Winj Bwi (13)
Combining Equations 6 through 13 with Equation 5 and rearranging gives:
N p  B o  (R p  R s ) B g   W e  W p Bw   G inj B ginj W inj Bwi
N  (14)
 Bg   S wi cw  c f 
B o  B oi  m B oi   1  (R si  R s ) B g  B oi 1  m    P
B 
 gi   1  S wi 
Equation 4 applies to fields under the simultaneous influence of dissolved gas
drive, gas cap drive, and Water drive.
Above bubble point, Eq (4) reduces to
 27

 N p B o  W e  W p Bw  
N   
  Cw S w  C f  
 B o  B oi  B oi   P 
  1  Sw  
Now writing Boi = Bti and Bt = Bo + Bg (R si - R s ) and Eq (4) reduces to
N p  B t  (R p  R si )B g   W e  W p Bw 
N  (15)
B  C S  C f 
B t  B ti  mB ti  g  1  B ti 1  m   w w  P
B 
 gi   1  Sw 
If we neglect connate water and rock expansion, Eq (15) becomes,
N p  B t  (R p  R si )B g   W e  W p Bw 
N 
B 
B t  B ti  mB ti  g  1
B 
 gi 
If there is no original gas cap, m  0 , Eq (15) becomes,
N p  B t  (R p  R si )B g   W e  W p Bw 
N 
C S  C f

B t  B ti  B ti  w w P
 1  Sw

If there is neither an original gas cap nor any water drive, for Wp = 0 and neglect (Cw and
Cf), the Eq (15) reduces to,
N p  B t  (R p  R si )B g 
N 
B t  B ti
Material Balance Equation contains three classes of variables:
a) The gas, oil, and water volume factors, which are obtained from PVT studies.
b) The gas, oil, and water productions, and the average reservoir pressure, which are
obtained from field measurements.
c) The initial free gas and oil in place, and the water influx at any time.

Example:
Calculate the stock tank barrels of oil initially in place in a combination drive reservoir,
neglect connate water and rock expansion.
Given:
Vol. of bulk oil zone = 112,000 ac-ft
Vol. of bulk gas zone = 19,600 ac-ft
Initial reservoir pressure = 2710 psia
Initial oil FVF = 1.340 bbl/STB
Initial gas volume factor = 0.006266 cu ft/SCF = 0.001116 bbl/ SCF
Initial dissolved GOR = 562 SCF/STB
Oil produced during the interval = 20MM STB
 28

Reservoir pressure at end of the interval = 2000 psia

Average produced GOR = 700 SCF/STB
Two-phase FVF at 2000 psia = 1.4954 bbl/STB
Vol. of water encroached = 11.58MM bbl
Vol. of water produced = 1.05MM STB
FVF of the water = 1.028 bbl/STB
Gas volume factor at 2000 psia = 0.008479 cu ft/SCF = 0.001510 bbl/ SCF
Solution:
Assuming the same porosity and connate water for the oil and gas zones, calculate m:

7758 Ah (1  Swi ) gas cap zone 7758 19600  (1  Swi ) gas cap zone
m   0.175
7758 Ah (1  Swi )oil zone 7758 112000  (1  Swi )oil zone

N p  B t  (R p  R si )B g   W e  W p Bw 
N 
B 
B t  B ti  mB ti  g  1
B 
 gi 
20 10 1.4954  (700  562) 0.001510  11.58  1.05 1.028   106
6

  98.97MM STB
 0.001510 
1.4954  1.3400  0.175 1.3400   1
 0.001116 

Example:
The following data are taken from an oil field which had no original gas cap and no
water drive:
Oil pore volume of reservoir = 75MM cu ft
Solubility of gas in crude = 0.42 SCF/STB/psi
Initial bottom-hole pressure = 3500 psia
Bottom-hole temperature = 140 oF
Saturation pressure of the reservoir = 2400 psia
Formation volume factor at 3500 psia = 1.333 bbl/STB
Compressibility factor of the gas at 1500 psia and 140 oF = 0.95
Oil produced when pressure is 1500 psia = 1.0MM STB
Net cumulative produced GOR = 2800 SCF/STB
Determine the type of this reservoir and Calculate:
The type of this reservoir is undersaturated reservoir.
a) The initial SCF of free gas in the reservoir at 3500 psia. Ans: 0
There is no initial SCF of free gas in the reservoir.
b) The initial STB of oil in the reservoir. Ans: 10.02MM STB.
 29

N 
V  p oil (ft 3 )

75 106
 10.02MM STB
5.615  B oi 5.615 1.333
c) The initial SCF of dissolved gas in the reservoir. Ans: 10.10MMM SCF.
Init . SCF of gas in the res .  NR si  N  0.42  Psat.  107  0.42  2400  10.10 109 SCF

d) The initial dissolved GOR of the reservoir. Ans: 1008 SCF/ STB.
R si  0.42  Psat.  0.42  2400  1008 SCF STB
G dis .  SCF  10.10 109
R si    1008 SCF STB
N  STB  10.02 106
e) The SCF of gas remaining in the reservoir at 1500 psia. Ans: 7.3MMM SCF.
SCF of gas remaining in the res .at 1500 psia  initial  produced  NR si  N p R p
 10.10 109  2800 106  7.3 109 SCF

f) The SCF of free gas in the reservoir at 1500 psia. Ans: 1.6174MMM SCF.
SCF of free gas in the res .at 1500 psia (G f )  initial  produced  solution gas  NR si  N p R p  (N  N p )R s
 10.10 109  2800 106  (10.02 106  1106 )  0.42 1500
 1.6174 109 SCF

g) The gas volume factor of the escaped gas at 1500 psia. Ans: 0.01074 cu ft/ SCF.
zT 0.95  600
B g  0.02827  0.02827   0.01074 ft 3 / SCF
p 1500
zT 0.95  600
Bg at 1500 psia = 0.00504  0.00504  0.001915 bbl / SCF
p 1500
h) The reservoir volume of the free gas at 1500 psia. Ans: 17.375MM cu ft.
Res . vol .of free gas at 1500 psia  G f  B g  1.6174 109  0.0107  17.375 106 cu ft
i) The total reservoir GOR at 1500 psia. Ans: 809 SCF/ STB.
remaing gas (initial  produced ) 7.3 109
Total res .GOR at 1500 psia  
remaining oil (initial (N )  produced (N p )) (10.02  1)06
 809 SCF STB
G f  G dissolved 1.6174 109  (10.02 106  1106 )  0.42 1500
Rt    809 SCF STB
N N p 10.02 106  1106

j) The dissolved GOR at 1500 psia. Ans: 630 SCF/ STB

dissolved GOR at 1500 psia  0.42 1500  630 SCF STB
 30

dissolved gas at 1500 G i  G f  N p R p  SCF  10.10 109  1.6174 109  2800 106
Rs   
remaining oilat 1500 N  N p  STB  10.02 106  1106
 630 SCF STB

k) The liquid volume factor of the oil at 1500 psia. Ans: 1.1378 bbl/ STB.
Oil pore volume at 1500 psia = initial oil pore volume – Res. volume of free gas
bbl
= 75 106  17.375 106  57.625 106 ft 3   10.263 106 bbl
5.615 ft 3
oil pore vol.bbls at 1500 psia 10.263 106
Bo at 1500 psia =   1.13777 bbl / STB
remaining oilSTB at 1500 psia 10.02 106  1106

NBoi = (N - Np ) Bo + Gf Bg
l) The two-phase oil volume factor of the oil and its initial dissolved gas at 1500 psia.
Ans: 1.8612 bbl/ STB.
Bt at 1500 psia  Bo  B g (R si  R s )  1.13777  0.001915(1008  630)  1.86172bbl / STB

Definition of Drive Indices

 In the study of reservoirs which are produced simultaneously by four major
mechanisms, e.g, depletion drive, gas cap drive, water drive, and expansion (rock and
liquid)-drive, it is of practical interest to determine the magnitude of each of these
mechanisms which contribute to the production.
 Rearranged the material balance equation ( Eq. 15) as follows to obtain four fractions,
whose sum is one, which he called the depletion drive index (DDI), the segregation
(gas cap) index SDI, the water-drive index (WDI), and the expansion (rock and
liquid)-drive index EDI.
N p  B t  (R p  R si )B g   W e  W p Bw 
N 
B  C S  C f 
B t  B ti  mB ti  g  1  B ti 1  m   w wi  P
B 
 gi   1  S wi 
Cross-multiplying and transposing W e  W p Bw  ,
B  C S  C f 
N  B t  B ti   NmB ti  g  1  W e  W p Bw   NB ti 1  m   w w  P  N p B t  (R p  R si )B g 
B  
 gi   1 S w 
Dividing through by the right-hand term of the equation