COMPRESSIBILITY OF

RESERVOIR ROCKS
 Lecture Outline

„ Overburden pressure and rock

compressibility

- Definition of overburden pressure

- Pore pressure and effective overburden pressure

- Types of rock compressibility

- Relationship between porosity and compressibility

- Porosity-compressibility correlations

- Net pay,
pay gross pay
pay, net to gross,
gross and cut-off values
 Overburden Pressure and Rock
Compressibility
Definition of overburden pressure:
„ The total pressure at any reservoir depth, due to the
weight of overlying fluid saturated rock column, is called
the overburden pressure,
pressure Pov

„ The total pressure at any depth is the sum of the

overlaying fluid
fluid-column
column pressure Pf and the overlaying
grain or matrix column pressure Pm

Pov = Pf + Pm
A typical value of overburden pressure is approximately one psi per
foot of depth.
depth

Overburden pressure depends on: depth, structure, consolidation of

the formation, g
geologic
g age
g and history
y of the rock.
Overburden Pressure and Rock
Compressibility
Pore pressure and effective overburden pressure:

The weight of the overburden simply applies a compressive force

to the reservoir. The pressure in the rock pore spaces does not
normally approach the overburden pressure
pressure. A typical pore
pressure, commonly referred to as the reservoir pressure, is
approximately 0.5 psi per foot of depth, assuming that the
reservoir
i is
i sufficiently
ffi i tl consolidated
lid t d so the
th overburden
b d pressure is
i
not transmitted to the fluids in the pore spaces.

The pressure difference between overburden and internal pore

pressure is referred to as the effective overburden pressure.
During
g pressure
p depletion
p operations,
p , the internal pore
p pressure
p
decreases and, therefore, the effective overburden pressure
increases. This increase causes the following effects:

• The bulk volume of the reservoir rock is reduced.

• Sand grains within the pore spaces expand.
 Relationship of Original Formation
Porosity to Overburden Pressure
50

40
Sandstones

30

20

Shales
10

0
0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000
Overburden pressure, psi
 FORMATION COMPRESSIBILITY

„ General Definition

„ The relative volume change of matter per unit

pressure change under conditions of constant
temperature

„ Usually, petroleum reservoirs can be considered

isothermal (an exception: thermal stimulation)

„ Increasing pressure causes volume of material to

decrease (compression) - e.g. reservoir fluids

„ Decreasing pressure causes volume of material to

increase (expansion) - e.g. reservoir fluids
 FORMATION COMPRESSIBILITY

1. Under static conditions, downward overburden 1 ⎛ ∂Vp ⎞

force must be balanced by upward forces of the Cf = ⎜⎜
matrix and fluid in pores Vp ⎝ ∂p ⎠

= + F
2. Thus: F Fo m F f
O

AND
p =p + p
o m
F M F F

3. Pressure Gradients,
Normal Reservoirs:
dpo/dZ = 1.0
1 0 psia/ft 4. As fluids are produced from reservoir, fluid pressure (p) usually
decreases while overburden is constant, and:
dp/dZ = 0.465 psia/ft (a) force on matrix increases ( “net compaction pressure”,
pm=po-p)
(b) b
bulk
lk volume
l d
decreases, andd
(c) pore volume decreases.
„ General Equation

„ C: Coefficient of Isothermal Compressibility

„ ALWAYS positive value
„ oilfield units: 1/psia

1 ⎛ ∂∂V
V⎞
„ V: Volume C = − ⎜⎜ ⎟⎟
„ oilfield units: ft3 V ⎝ ∂p
∂p ⎠
„ p: Pressure exerted on material
„ oilfield units: psia

„ Negative sign in equation determined by ∂V/∂p term, to force

the coefficient C to be positive
„ Volume is a function of pressure only (temperature is
constant, and amount of material is constant)
 FORMATION COMPRESSIBILITY
„ Importance

„ Formation
F i compressibility
ibili can have
h a significant
i ifi impact
i on
reservoir performance

„ Subsidence can have significant environmental impact

Types of rock compressibility:

„ R k Matrix
Rock M t i Compressibility
C ibilit

„ Pore Compressibility
p y ( Cf )

„ Bulk Compressibility ( Cb )
 FORMATION COMPRESSIBILITY

Rock Matrix Compressibility

FORMATION COMPRESSIBILITY
FORMATION COMPRESSIBILITY
FORMATION COMPRESSIBILITY
FORMATION COMPRESSIBILITY
 FORMATION COMPRESSIBILITY

Relationship
e at o s p bet
between
ee po
porosity
os ty a
and
d co
compressibility
p ess b ty
Relationship between porosity and compressibility
Relationship between porosity and compressibility
Porosity--Compressibility Correlations:
Porosity
Porosity-
Porosity
y-compressibility
p y correlations:
Net pay
pay, gross pay and net to gross value:
Net pay
pay, gross pay and net to gross value:
Net pay
pay, gross pay and net to gross value:

Net to gross value is the ratio between net pay to gross paypay,
e.g., the ration between the part of the reservoir thickness
which contribute in the oil recovery to the total or gross Thickness.

The net pay values are different from one reservoir to

another depending on economic limits but as general the
following present the cut-off values for oil and gas reservoirs:

Cut-off φ, k, S w, % Clay content,

values % mD %
Oil
<10 <50 >50 >15
reservoirs
Gas
<5 <1 >75 >15
reservoirs
Net pay
pay, gross pay and net to gross value:
Laboratory Determination of Cf

„ In reservoirs,, overburden pressure

p is constant and the
pressure of fluid in pores changes, resulting in pore
volume change

„ In the laboratory, we change the confining pressure on

the core plug (overburden) while holding the pore
pressure constant

„ Remember that the net compaction pressure on the

matrix is the difference between the overburden and
pore pressures

„ This allows us to obtain useful results in the

laboratory
Laboratory Determination of Cf

„ Laboratory Procedure

„ Core plug is 100% saturated with brine

„ Core plug is placed in rubber or soft copper

sleeve

„ As pressure outside sleeve is increased,

pore volume decreases and the volume of
expelled brine is measured
 Formation Compressibility
Hysteresis Effect

„ Hysteresis is used by Petroleum Engineers to describe the

effects of path dependence and irreversibilities we observe
in reservoir behavior

„ For example, if we decrease reservoir pressure from initial

conditions, pore volume decreases. If we then increase reservoir
pressure back to the initial pressure, pore volume does not increase
all the way back to the initial pore volume.
REFERENCES:
Ahmed, Tarek : “Reservoir Engineering Handbook-
Ch.4:

Fundamentals of Rock Properties”, Second Edition, Gulf

Professional Publishing,
Publishing 2001.
2001
Subsidence and Bulk Compressibility

• Process of subsidence
• Bulk
B lk volume
l d
decreases as flfluids
id are produced
d d
• Area is constant

• ∴ Formation thickness decreases (causing subsidence

of strata above)

• Porosity: φ = Vp/Vb = 1-(Vm/Vb); where Vb=Vp+Vm

• Net compaction
p p
pressure: pm = po – p

• Overburden (po) is constant ∴ dpm= -dp

 Subsidence and Bulk Compressibility

• As net compaction pressure increases

• Bulk volume decreases; Cb = -1/Vb (∂Vb/∂pm)
• Pore volume decreases; Cf= -1/Vp (∂Vp/∂pm)
• M t i volume
Matrix l decreases;
d 1/Vm (∂Vm/∂p
Cm= -1/V /∂ m)
• Substituting from definitions above
• ( 1/Vb) [(∂Vp/∂pm) + (∂Vm/∂pm) ]
Cb = (-1/V
• Cb = (-1/Vb) [(- Cf Vp) + (- Cm Vm)]
• Cb = φ
φCf + (1-φ)C
( φ) m; usuallyy Cm << Cf
 Formation Compressibility
„ Calculation of Pore Volume Change

1
„ Separate C f dp = dVp
Vp
p2 Vp2
1
„ and Integrate ∫ C f dp = ∫ dVp
p1 Vp1
Vp

„ Two common approaches

pp for constant value of Cf
„ Exact Integration
„ 1st Order Approximation
 Formation Compressibility
„ Pore Volume Change - Continued

„ Exact Integration C f [p ]
p2
p1 [
= ln(Vp ) V ]
Vp2
p11

„ Exponentiating (Inverse of Natural Logarithm) and

rearranging
Vp2 = Vp1e Cf (p( 2 − p1 )

OR
[ ]
„

∆Vp = Vp1 e Cf (p 2 − p1 ) − 1
 Formation Compressibility
„ Pore Volume Change - Continued

„ 1st Order Approximation

1 ⎛ dVp ⎞ 1 ⎛ ∆Vp ⎞
Cf = ⎜⎜ ⎟≅ ⎜⎜ ⎟
Vp ⎝ dp ⎠ Vp ⎝ ∆p ⎠
1 ⎛ Vp2 − Vp1 ⎞
Cf = ⎜
⎜
Vp1 ⎝ p 2 − p1 ⎠
∆Vp = Vp1C f (p
( 2 − p1 )
Vpp2 = Vpp1 [1 + C f (p 2 − p1 )]
COMPACTION OF SEDIMENTS

„ Porosity is reduced by compaction

„ Porosityy reduction is determined byy maximum
burial depth
„ Principal effects are:
„ Changes in packing
„ Pressure solution
„ R
Recrystallization
t lli ti
„ Deformation of rock fragments
„ Compaction effects are not reversed by
erosional unroofing (hysteresis effect)
 MECHANICS OF COMPACTION
Pressure S
P Solution
l ti
Rotation and Closer Ductile Grain Breakage of At Grain
Packing Deformation Brittle Grains Contacts

Platy Grains
(e.g., clays)
Non-Platy Grains
(e.g., qtz., feldspar)
Ductile Framework
Grain, e.g., Shale Rock
Fragment) Modified from Jonas and McBride, 1977
Formation Compressibility
„ Equation 1 ⎛ ∂Vp ⎞
Cf = ⎜⎜ ⎟
Vp ⎝ ∂p
∂p ⎠
„ Cf: Formation Compressibility (Pore Volume Comp.)
„ ALWAYS positive value

„ oilfield units: 1/psia

„ Vp: Pore volume

„ oilfield units: ft
3

„ p: Pressure of fluid in pores

„ oilfield units: psia

„ Positive sign in equation determined by ∂Vp/∂p term, to force Cf to

be positive
„ Pore volume is function of pressure only (temperature is constant,
amount of reservoir rock is constant)
„ Importance
„ Formation compressibility
p y can have a significant
g
impact on reservoir performance
„ Subsidence can have significant environmental
impact
„ Types
yp
„ Matrix Compressibility ( Cm ): relative change
in volume of solid rock material (grain volume) per
unit pressure change (usually Cm ≅ 0).
„ Pore Compressibility ( Cf ): relative change in
pore volume
l per unit
it pressure change.
h
„ Bulk Compressibility ( Cb ): relative change in
bulk volume per unit pressure change ( usually
∆Vb ≅ ∆Vp). Significant decrease in bulk volume
can cause subsidence.