Material Balance Equation

Kuliah 9 (24.05.2014)
 Preface
To illustrate the simplest possible model we can have for
analysis of reservoir behavior, we will start with derivation of
so-called Material Balance Equations.

This type of model excludes fluid flow inside the reservoir, and
considers fluid and rock expansion/compression effects only,
in addition, of course, to fluid injection and production.
 Why Material Balance?
1 Provide insight into the production characteristics
of the reservoir

2 History matching, reservoir drive mechanisms

3 Determination of initial oil in place

Linearized form of material balance equation used to estimate the initial oil in
place (the intercept of the straight line) - Havlena and Odeh.
 Basic Principle
Expanding
Bubble Gas Cap
point
Liquid shrinking
Undersaturated due to liberation
oil of dissolved gas
p1 > p2 > p3 > p4

Initial gas cap Expanded gas cap

Oil Expanded of oil +

+ dissolved gas
dissolved
gas Reduction in PV due to
increased grain packing
and connate water
Pinit > P expansion
 Basic Principle
Material balance will be derived as volumetric balance.

NOTE that the volume balance is written in terms of fluid at reservoir

conditions or as underground withdrawl and fluid expansion.

Withdrawl = Expansion of oil+originally

Gas cap A
(rb) dissolved gas (B) (rb)
+ Expansion of gascap Oil + C
gas(A)(rb) dissolved B
gas
+ Reduction in PV due to
expansion of connate water Pinit > P
and tighter grain
packing(C)(rb)
 Data Requirement for MatBal (1/2)
Production Data
Np = Cummulative oil volume produced (stb)
Rp = Cummulative gas-oil ratio
Cum. volume of gas produced (scf)
=
Cum. volume of oil produced (stb)
PVT properties
Bo = Oil FVF (bbl/STB)
Bg = Gas FVF (cu.ft/SCF)
Bw = Water FVF(bbl/STB)
Cw = Compressibility of water (psi-1)
Rso = Solution Gas-Oil Ratio

Reservoir properties
Cf = Rock Compressibility
Swi = Connate water saturation
 Data Requirement for MatBal (2/2)
N = Initial volume of oil in reservoir (rb)

= V    (1  Swc ) / Boi (stb)

m = Initial gas cap

= Initial hydrocarbo n volume of gas gap (rb)

Initial hydrocarbo n volume of oil (rb)

These are listed as other parameters because these may either be known by
wireline logs, reservoir modeling etc. Or they may be the objective of the
material balance computation.
 MatBal Derivation (1/3)
Expansion of the oil + liberated gas

Two components:

1. Expansion of oil:
Initial Oil = N (stb)
Initial oil at reservoir conditions = N Boi (rb)
Volume of oil at reduced pressure p = N Bo (rb)
Net oil expansion = N(Bo-Boi) (rb)

2. Expansion of liberated gas:

Gas dissolved at initial condition = NRsi (scf)
Gas dissolved at reduced pressure p = NRs (scf)
Liberated gas = N(Rsi-Rs) (scf)
Volume of gas at reservoir conditions = N(Rsi-Rs)Bg (rb)
 MatBal Derivation (2/3)
Volume change due to expansion of oil and liberated gas:
= N(Bo-Boi) + N(Rsi-Rs)Bg (rb)

Let us consider a material balance accounting for just this

volume change term (ignoring gas cap expansion, water
influx or pore volume reduction):

Withdrawl:
Amount of oil produced = Np (stb)
Oil produced at reservoir conditions = NpBo (rb)
Volume of gas produced = NpRp (scf)
Let us look at this quantity of gas at the reduced pressure p
Volume of gas dissolved in Np vol. of oil at p = NpRs (scf)
Remainder gas is the subsurface gas withdrawl in the form of
expanding liberated gas and expanding free gas
Subsurface withdrawl of gas = Np(Rp-Rs) (scf)
Subsurface withdrawl of gas in reservoir bbls = Np(Rp-Rs)Bg (rb)
 MatBal Derivation (3/3)
Therefore, the total subsurface fluid withdrawl :
= NpBo + Np(Rp-Rs)Bg (rb)

Now writing the material balance:

NpBo + Np(Rp-Rs)Bg = N(Bo-Boi) + N(Rsi-Rs)Bg

Recovery : Np ( Bo  Boi )  ( Rsi  Rs ) Bg


N Bo  ( Rp  Rs ) Bg
If the initial oil in place is unknown and the reservoir drive
mechanism is strictly solution gas:
Np  Bo ( Rp  Rs ) Bg 
N (stb)
( Bo  Boi )  ( Rsi  Rs ) Bg
 MatBal Linearization
Alternatively denoting the withdrawl term as F and the expansion term [(Bo-
Boi) + (Rsi-Rs)Bg] = Eo, the material balance becomes:

F = Neo

i.e. a plot of F (withdrawl) vs. expansion Eo should be a straight line

with slope N (the initial oil in reservoir).

If the plot is not a straight line - other reservoir drive mechanisms are
present

Remarks:
• The recovery is determined once Np, N and the PVT properties are
known.
• The material balance equation shows no explicit dependence on
pressure. The influence of the pressure drop is implicitly introduced
through the PVT parameters.
• The material balance as derived above is zero dimensional i.e. the
entire reservoir volume is assumed to be concentrated at a point. The
pressure specification is therefore at that point.
Oil Material Balance & Drive Mechanism
Generation of Material Balance Equation
Generation of Material Balance Equation
 Generation of Material Balance Equation

• Expansion of oil plus originally dissolved gas.

Liquid expansion:

N(Bo-Boi)

Liberated gas expansion:

N(Rsi-Rs)Bg
 Generation of Material Balance Equation

• Gas cap expansion:

 Generation of Material Balance Equation

• Connate water expansion and pore volume reduction.

Generation of Material Balance Equation
Havlena and Odeh method
Havlena and Odeh method
Solution gas Drive (above the bubble point)
 Solution Gas Drive (below the bubble point)

• Below the bubble point pressure gas will be liberated from

the saturated oil.
• Since gas compressibility is 2-3 times greater in order of
magnitude, oil and water compressibility are usually
neglected.
 Gas Cap Drive

• For a reservoir in which gas cap is the dominant drive

mechanism and compaction and water influx are negligible
material balance equation reduces to the following equation:
 Natural Water Drive

• A drop in the reservoir pressure due to the production of

fluids cause the aquifer water to expand and flow into the
reservoir.
• High vertical permeability.
• Steady state aquifer.
• Unsteady state aquifer( time lag effect)
 Natural Water Drive

• If there is no initial gas cap in reservoir and compaction

effect is ignored:
Natural Water Drive
 Compaction Drive

• Withdrawal of liquid or gas

from a reservoir results in fluid
pressure reduction and
consequently increase the
grain pressure.
• Reservoir will compact under
higher grain pressure.
Material Balance for Closed Gas Reservoir
 P/Z Method
The material balance equation for a closed gas reservoir is very simple. Applying the mass
balance principle to a closed reservoir with 100% gas, we may derive the general equation

the above material balance equation may be rewritten as