Material Balance

Equation
For Oil Reservoirs
 Oil Material Balance Equation

⎡ (Bo − Boi ) + (Rsi − Rs )Bg

[ ]
N p Bo + (R p − Rs )Bg + W p Bw = N i Boi ⎢
⎣ Boi
⎛ Bg ⎞ ⎛ Cw S wc + C f ⎞ ⎤
+m ⎜ − 1 + (1 + m )⎜⎜
⎟ ⎟⎟∆p ⎥
⎜B ⎟
⎝ gi ⎠ ⎝ 1 − S wc ⎠ ⎥⎦
+ We Bw
 Nomenclature

Np = cumulative oil produced at reservoir pressure p, STB

Ni = initial oil in place, STB
Gi Bgi
m=
N i Boi
Rs = ratio of gas in place to oil in place under standard conditions,
SCF/STB
Gi = initial gas in place, SCF
We = cumulative water influx, STB
Wp = cumulative water produced, STB
Rp = cumulative producing gas oil ratio, SCF/STB = Gp/Np
Gp = cumulative gas produced, SCF
 Nomenclature

∆p = (pi-p), psia, where pi is the initial pressure

Rs = solution gas ratio, SCF/STB
Bo = oil formation volume factor, bbl/STB
zT
Bg = gas formation volume factor, bbl/SCF = .005
p
Bw = water formation volume factor, bbl/STB
Cw = compressibility of water, psi-1
Cf = compressibility of formation, psi-1
Swc = connate water saturation, fraction
subscript i = initial conditions
(For example, Boi = initial formation volume factor, bbl/STB)
 Oil Material Balance Equation
¾ In words, the oil material balance equation
says that any production we obtain is due
to change in volume of reservoir rock and
fluids and/or displacement by encroaching
water from an adjoining aquifer.
 Left Hand Side
¾ Production from the reservoir at reservoir
conditions
z We measure these terms

[ ]
N p Bo + (R p − Rs )Bg + W p Bw

¾ NpBo – Oil produced at reservoir conditions, (res.

bbl)
z Note that Bo includes changes in oil volume due to
gas going into solution.
 Left hand Side
¾ Np(Rp− Rs)Bg – Amount of free gas
produced at reservoir conditions.
z Note – Rp is total produced gas (free +
dissolved) per barrel; Rp is gas dissolved at
reservoir conditions that is produced.
z The effect of oil volume changes due to
solution gas, Rs is included in Bo
¾ WpBw – Amount of water produced (or
injected)
 Right Hand Side
¾ Accounts for expansion of oil and free gas
in the reservoir, as well as influx of water
and change in reservoir pore volume.

Expansion of oil + dissolved gas

N i ((Bo − Boi ) + (Rsi − Rs )Bg )

 Right Hand Side
z Expansion of gas in the gas-cap
⎛ Bg ⎞
N i Boi m⎜ −1⎟ = Gi Bg − Gi Bgi
⎜B ⎟
⎝ gi ⎠

z Expansion of rock and connate water

⎛ Cw S wc + C f ⎞ ⎛ C w S wc + C f ⎞
N i Boi (1 + m )⎜⎜ ⎟⎟∆p = (N i Boi + Gi Bgi )⎜⎜ ⎟⎟∆p
⎝ 1 − S wc ⎠ ⎝ 1 − S wc ⎠

z Natural Water influx

We Bw
 Problem (from Craft and
Hawkins)
¾ Using the letter symbols for reservoir engineering,
write expressions for the following terms in a
volumetric undersaturated reservoir
z The initial oil in place in stock-tank barrels
z The fractional recovery after producing Np STB
z The volume occupied by the remaining oil after
producing Np STB
z The scf of gas produced
z The scf of initial gas
z The scf of gas in solution in the remaining oil.
z The scf of free gas in the reservoir after producing Np
STB
z The reservoir volume occupied by the escaped gas
 Initial Reservoir Conditions

Surface Conditions

Gi scf
Reservoir Conditions

Gas

Oil { NiRsi scf

Ni STB

• Original Reservoir Oil = NiBoi res bbl.

• Original Reservoir Gas = GiBgi res bbl. = m NiBoi res bbl
 Initial Reservoir Conditions
¾ Reservoir Pore Volume = Vp bbl
¾ Pore Volume occupied by water = VpSwc bbl
¾ Hydrocarbon Pore Volume (HCPV) = Vp (1 – Swc) bbl
¾ But HCPV = NiBoi + m NiBoi = (1+m) NiBoi bbl
¾ So Vp = (1+m) NiBoi / (1 – Swc) bbl
¾ Free gas volume = mNiBoi bbl
¾ So initial gas saturation = mNiBoi/ Vp
= mNiBoi (1 – Swc) /((1+m) NiBoi )
Initial oil saturation = NiBoi/ Vp
= NiBoi (1 – Swc) /((1+m) NiBoi )
After Production of Oil and Gas
Reservoir Conditions Surface Conditions

(Gi+NiRsi - NpRp
Gi scf
-(Ni - Np)Rs)Bg NpRp scf
bbl gas
Gas
NiRsi scf
Oil Ni STB Np STB
(Ni - Np)Bo bbl
containing
(Ni - Np)Rs scf gas

• Free Gas in Reservoir = (mNiBoi/Bgi+NiRsi - NpRp

- (Ni – Np)Rs)Bg bbl.
After Production of Oil and Gas
¾ Gas Saturation = Free Gas Volume ÷ Pore
Volume
z (mNiBoi/Bgi+NiRsi - NpRp - (Ni – Np)Rs)Bg ÷ [(1+m) NiBoi
/ (1 – Swc) ]

¾ Oil Saturation = Oil Volume ÷ Pore

Volume
z (Ni – Np)Bo÷ (1+m) NiBoi / (1 – Swc)
 Example
For a solution gas drive reservoir, calculate the
original oil in place if the following information is
given. Assume water and rock compressibility
are negligible.

p = 2,000 psia
B o = 1.22 bbl/STB
R s = 350 SCF/STB
z = 0.80
R si = 600 SCF/STB
B oi = 1.3 bbl/STB
N p = 20.0 MMSTB
T = 150 o F
R p = 900 SCF/STB
 Solution
¾ Solution Gas drive reservoir implies:
z Negligible water influx.
z No initial gas cap.

[ ]
N p Bo + (R p − Rs )Bg + W p Bw =
N ((B
i o − Boi ) + (Rsi − Rs )Bg )
 Solution
¾ Calculate Bg

zT
Bg = .005
p

= .005
(.8)(150 + 460 )
2,000
= 7.625 × 10 − 4 bbl/SCF
 Solution
¾ Calculate reservoir production
[ ] [ ]
N p Bo + (R p − Rs )Bg + W p Bw = 20 ×106 1.22 + (900 − 350)7.625 ×10 − 4 + 0
= 3.279 ×107 res. bbl

¾ Calculate PVT dependent terms on RHS

(Bo − Boi ) + (Rsi − Rs )Bg = (1.22 − 1.3) + (600 − 350)7.625 ×10−4

= .1106 res. bbl/STB
 Solution
¾ Solve for initial oil in place

Ni =
[ ]
N p Bo + (R p − Rs )Bg + W p Bw
(Bo − Boi ) + (Rsi − Rs )Bg

3.279 × 10 7
Ni = = 296MMSTB
.1106
 Condensed Notation
¾ The material balance equation is lengthy;
cumbersome to work with.
¾ Introduce shorthand notation to facilitate
manipulation.
¾ Total Production of oil, water and gas:

[ ]
F = N p Bo + (R p − Rs )Bg + W p Bw
 Condensed Notation
¾ Reservoir fluid expansion terms (on a
per STB basis)
z Expansion of oil and dissolved gas
Eo = (Bo − Boi ) + (Rsi − Rs )Bg
z Expansion of gas-cap gas
⎡ Bg ⎤
mE g = mBoi ⎢ − 1⎥
⎢⎣ Bgi ⎥⎦
z Expansion of rock and connate water
⎛ cw S wc + c f ⎞
(1 + m )E f ,w = (1 + m )Boi ⎜⎜ ⎟⎟∆p
⎝ 1 − S wc ⎠
 Note
¾ The fluid expansion terms Eo, Eg, and Ef,w
are composed only of fluid PVT properties
and connate water saturation.
z At reservoir conditions (Temperature
constant), they are functions of reservoir
pressure only.
 Material Balance Equation
¾ In terms of our shorthand notation

F = Ni (Eo + mEg + (1 + m)E f , w )+ We Bw

¾ Simplifications:
z Solution Gas Drive Reservoir: We = 0, m = 0

F = N i (Eo + E f , w )
 Solution Gas Drive
¾ Production (F) is measured.
¾ Eo and Ef,w are determined from PVT and
rock properties.
¾ Material balance is a straight line equation
z Plot of F versus Eo + Ef,w is a straight line with
intercept 0 and slope Ni
Solution Gas Drive

Slope = Ni
F

(0,0) Eo
 Gas Cap Drive – No Water
Influx
¾ In this case, the material balance equation can
be simplified to

F = N i (Eo + mEg + (1+ m )E f , w )

¾ Straight line form:
F = N i ((Eo + E f , w ) + m(E g + E f , w ))
F
= N i + mNi
(Eg + E f ,w )
(Eo + E f ,w ) (Eo + E f ,w )
 Gas Cap drive Plot

Slope = mNi
F
(Eo + E f ,w )

} Ni

(0,0)
(E
g + E f ,w )
(E
o + E f ,w )
Gas Reservoirs
Material Balance
 Problem
¾ Suppose we had a
tank of gas buried
underground
z Fixed known Gas
temperature pi
z Pressure known T
Gi
z Tank Volume unknown
 Problem (Cont’d)
¾ Suppose we remove Gp
Gp scf gas
z Pressure falls to a new
measured value
z Temperature constant
¾ Can we determine the Gas
p
original scf of gas in T
the tank? Gi - Gp
 Solution
¾ From real gas law:
pV = znRT
¾ Original number of moles of gas in the tank, ni
piV 14.7Gi Gi
ni = = = 0.0283
zi RT 520 R R
¾ Solving for original volume of the tank

Gi ziT
V = 0.0283 = Gi Bgi
pi
 Solution (Cont’d)
¾ Number of moles removed from tank

Gp
nr = 0.0283
R
¾ Number of moles left in the tank

nleft = 0.0283
(G −G )
i p

R
 Solution (Cont’d)
¾ Gas left occupies the entire tank volume, so

pV = znleft RT
⎛
pV = z ⎜⎜ 0.0283
(Gi − G p ) ⎞
⎟⎟ RT
⎝ R ⎠
¾ Tank volume

V = 0.0283 (Gi − G p ) = Bg (Gi − G p )

zT
p
 Gas Material Balance –
Volumetric Reservoir
¾ We have two expressions for tank volume
z Must be equal

V = Bg (Gi − G p ) = Bgi Gi
⎛ p ⎞
⎛ Bgi ⎞ ⎜ ⎟
G p = Gi ⎜1 − ⎟ = Gi ⎜1 − z ⎟
⎜ B ⎟ ⎜ pi ⎟
⎝ g ⎠
⎝ zi ⎠
 Straight line plot
¾ For a volumetric gas reservoir, a plot of Gp
versus p/z will be a straight line of slope –
(Gi/(pi/zi)) and intercept Gi
¾ In practice, people plot p/z versus Gp and
extrapolate to p/z = 0
 p/z versus Gp
pi
zi

p
z

Gi
0
0
Gp
 Problem
¾ Suppose when we Gp
remove Gp scf gas,
WeBw res. bbl of
water encroached
z Pressure falls to a new
measured value Gas
p
z Temperature constant T
¾ Can we determine the Gi - Gp

original scf of gas in

the tank? W eBw
 Solution
¾ Original volume of gas in tank
V = Gi Bgi
¾ Final Volume of gas in tank

V − We Bw = 0.0283 (Gi − G p ) = Bg (Gi − G p )

zT
p
¾ Material Balance with water influx

Gi Bgi − We Bw = Bg (Gi − G p )
p/z versus Gp with water influx
pi
zi

Effect of water influx

p
z

Gi
0
0
Gp
 Production of Gas
¾ Processes that determine gas production:
z Expansion of gas
z Water Influx
z Expansion of rock and connate water
¾ In most cases expansion of rock and
connate water is small compared to gas
expansion.
¾ In “abnormally” pressured gas reservoirs,
this term may be significant.
 Gas Material Balance
¾ General form
⎡ ⎛ cw S wc + c f ⎞ ⎤
G p Bg + W p Bw = Gi ⎢(Bg − Bgi ) + Bgi ⎜⎜ ⎟⎟∆p ⎥ + We Bw
⎣ ⎝ 1 − S wc ⎠ ⎦

¾ Gas formation volume factor

zT 3
Bg = 0.0283 ft /scf
p
 Gas Material Balance - p/z
¾ It is customary to express the gas material
balance in terms of p/z
¾ If there is no water influx and formation
and rock compressibility are negligible
p
=
pi
(Gi − G p )
z Gi zi
¾ Plot of p/z vs. Gp is a straight line
z Intercepts the x-axis at Gi
 Abnormally Pressured
Reservoirs
¾ Normal pressure gradients for gas
reservoirs are in the range of 0.4-0.5
psia/ft of depth
¾ Abnormally pressured reservoirs have
gradients of 0.7-1.0 psia/ft of depth
z > 300 abnormally pressured gas reservoirs
offshore Gulf Coast; gradients > 0.65 with
depths over 10000 ft.
P/z for Abnormally Pressured
Reservoirs