RESERVOIR ENGINEERING

DEFINITIONS OF
RESERVOIR ENGINEERING
The phase of petroleum engineering which deals with
the transfer of fluids to, from or through the
reservoirs
Techniques for predicting the production behavior of
oil and gas reservoirs and the optimization of the
eventual exploitation on the basis of a reservoir model,
rock and fluid characteristics and flow models.
A branch of petroleum engineering, that applies
scientific principles to the drainage problems arising
during the development and production of oil and gas
reservoirs so as to obtain a high economic recovery.
 Functions OF RESERVOIR
ENGINEERING
To continuously monitor the
reservoir and collect relevant data
and interpret it, so the movement of
fluids through the reservoir can be:
Determined (present conditions)
Estimated (future conditions)
Controlled
 Objectives of reservoir
engineering
To enhance ( increase recovery
factor) and
To accelerate ( increase production
rate) the oil recovery
 Types of reservoir energy
Energy of compression of water and rock within
the reservoir
Energy of compression of oil within the reservoir
Energy of compression of gas within the
reservoir
Energy of compression of water that are in
adjacent or underlying aquifers
The gravitational energy that causes oil and gas
to segregate within the reservoir
The surface energy manifesting itself in capillary
pores
 Producing mechanisms
based on dominant reservoir energy being released

Common special

gravity imbibition compaction

Depletion Gas cap Water drive Combination drive

drive drive

Full Partial
Formation Solution
drive Gas drive
I.Edge I.Edge
II.Bottom II.Bottom
Segregating Nonsegregating
Reservoir engineer has to continuously
answer (basic concerns):
To calculate the volume of the initial
hydrocarbon present in the reservoir ?
How much of the initial fluids have been
recovered ?
How much is left ?
How can we increase recovery economically?
What data are needed to answer the questions?
How can I measure the performance of the
reservoir?
How can I improve the performance?
Scope of Reservoir engineering:
Reservoir engineer has to understand:
the nature of reservoir fluids
the nature of reservoir rocks
the nature and behavior of rock
fluid systems
 Scope of Reservoir engineering:
In dealing with rock fluid systems we have basic
concepts and operating variables.
Basic concepts are: multiphase fluid flow,
capillary behavior and fluid displacement are
to name a few.
Operating variables are:
 Scope of Reservoir engineering:
Operating variables are:
o geometrical configuration of the rock-fluid
system, i.e. spacing of wells
o boundary conditions of flow, i.e. rates at
which oil is produced or pressure allowed to
change in the well
o types and characters of the reservoir fluids
involved, i.e. amount of gas space allowed to
develop, the water injected or relative viscosities
of oil and water
o the sequence of operations undertaken, i.e.
whether pressure depletion is permitted before
or after injection of water
Tools of Reservoir engineering:

Under the influence of these operating

variables, answering the previous
questions requires material balance
calculations and performance
evaluations i.e. predictions and
interpretation.
Tools of Reservoir engineering:

Among the predictive and

interpretation tools available are:
simple MBE equation (zero
dimensional)
frontal advance equation (1D)
numerical simulators
 Tools of Reservoir engineering:
Numerical simulators are in fact a
multidimensional, multiphase
dynamic material balance
programs.
The classical MBE approach is well
worth as it provides valuable insight
into behavior of HC reservoirs