Oil Reservoir Drive Mechanisms

• Solution-gas drive
• Gas-cap drive
• Water drive
• Combination drive

• Gravity-drainage drive
 Reservoir Energy Sources
• Liberation, expansion of solution gas
• Influx of aquifer water
• Expansion of reservoir rock and
compression of pore volume
• Expansion of original reservoir fluids
- Free gas
- Interstitial water
- Oil, if present
• Gravitational forces
Solution Gas Drive in Oil Reservoirs
Solution Gas Drive in Oil Reservoirs
• No original gas cap or aquifer
• Main source(s) of reservoir energy
• liberation and expansion of dissolved gas
• Possible secondary gas cap
• liberated free gas can migrate up-structure
• Typical production characteristics
• Rapid GOR increase after Pb
Solution Gas Drive in Oil Reservoirs
Formation of Secondary Gas Cap
Solution Gas Drive in Oil Reservoirs
Typical Production Characteristics
Initial reservoir
Reservoir pressure, psig

pressure

Bubblepoint
pressure

0 5 10
15 Oil recovery, % of OOIP
Reservoir pressure behavior
 Solution Gas Drive in Oil Reservoirs
Typical Production Characteristics
800 400 400
Oil production rate, STB/D

Gas/oil ratio, SCF/STB

Pressure, psia

Gas/oil
600 300 ratio 300

400 200 Reservoir 200

pressure

Oil production rate

200 100 100

0 0 0
Time, years
Production data
 Gas Cap Drive

Oil producing well

Oil Oil
zone Gas cap zone

Cross Section
 Gas Cap Drive
• Free gas phase exists as an original gas cap
• Pure gas-cap drive reservoir has no aquifer
• Main source(s) of reservoir energy
• Expansion of gas cap and liberation and expansion of
solution gas in the oil zone

• Gas cap expands pushing GOC down and

maintaining higher pressure
• Good sweep
• Typical production characteristics
• dramatic GOR increase when gas breakthrough
 Gas Cap Drive
Typical Production Characteristics
Pressure, psia

1300
Reservoir pressure
1200
1100

Gas/oil ratio, scf/STB

1000
900 800
Gas/oil ratio
600
Oil production rate,

400
2 200
MSTB/D

0
Oil
1

0
Time, years
Production data
 Water Drive in Oil Reservoirs

• Oil zone in communication with acquifer

• Main source(s) of reservoir energy
• influx of acquifer water - edge-water drive, bottom-water
drive
• Pressure decline relatively slow
• GOR kept relatively low and stable
• Water production increases steadily
• Oil production declines when water breakthrough
• Reasonable sweep - depends on mobility ratio
Water Drive in Oil Reservoirs
Edge-Water Drive

Oil producing well

Oil Zone

Water Water

Cross Section
Water Drive in Oil Reservoirs
Bottom-Water Drive

Oil producing well

Oil Zone

Water

Cross Section
 Water Drive in Oil Reservoirs
Typical Production Characteristics
Pressure, psia

2300

Gas/oil ratio, MSCF/STB

2200 Reservoir pressure
2100
2000 Gas/oil ratio
2
1900 1 40

Water cut, %
0 30
Oil production rate,

100 Water
20
80 10
MSTB/D

60 0
Oil
40
20
0

Time, years
Production data
 Water Drive in Oil Reservoirs
Effect of Production Rate on Pressure
Pressure, psia

2000

Gas/oil ratio, MSCF/STB

Reservoir pressure
1900
1800 2
Gas/oil ratio
1700 1

Water Cut, %
0 60
Water
40
Oil production,

20 20
MSTB/D

15 0
Oil
10
5
0
Time, years

Production data - lower oil production rate

Combination Drive in Oil Reservoirs

Gas cap

Oil zone

Water

Cross Section
Gravity Drainage in Oil Reservoirs
• Main energy - gravitational force
• Good drainage efficiency and recovery
factor
Gas

Gas

Oil

Gas
Oil Point C

Point B
Oil
Point A
 Pressure Trend
100

Water drive
80
Reservoir pressure,
Percent of original

60

Gas-cap drive
40

20
Solution
-gas drive
0 0 20 40 60 80 100
Cumulative oil produced, percent of original oil in place
Reservoir pressure trends
 GOR Trend
5

Solution-
gas drive
4
Gas/oil ratio, MSCF/STB

Gas-cap drive
3

1
Water drive

0
0 20 40 60 80 100

Cumulative oil produced, percent of original oil in place

Gas/oil ratio trends

Gas Reservoir Drive Mechanisms

• Volumetric reservoir (gas expansion drive)

• Water drive
 Volumetric Gas Reservoirs
• Gas reservoir with no acquifer
• Main source(s) of reservoir energy
• expansion of gas
• Pressure decline slowly and continuously
• No water production
• Flowing life can be increased by reducing
surface back-pressure through installing
compression
 Water Drive in Gas Reservoirs
• Gas reservoir with acquifer
• Main source(s) of reservoir energy
• expansion of gas and water influx
• Pressure decline slower than volumetric gas
reservoir
• Water production may start early and increases
with time
• Flowing life can be increased by installing
continuous or intermittent water removal
equipment
Oil Reservoir Drive Mechanisms
(summary)

• Solution-gas drive
• Gas-cap drive
• Water drive
• Combination drive

• Gravity-drainage drive
Gas Reservoir Drive Mechanisms
(summary)

• Volumetric reservoir (gas expansion drive)

• Water drive
 Exercise
• What is the drive mechanism of your reservoir?
• What are the characteristics of pressure, GOR,
water production evolution?
 Average Recovery Factors
Oil Reservoirs
Average Oil Recovery
Drive Mechanism Factors,
% of OOIP
Range Average
Solution-gas drive 5 - 30 15
Gas-cap drive 15 - 50 30
Water drive 30 - 60 40
Gravity-drainage 16 - 85 50
drive
 Average Recovery Factors
Gas Reservoirs

Average Gas Recovery Factors,

Drive Mechanism % of OGIP
Range Average
Volumetric 70 - 90 80
reservoir
(Gas expansion
drive)
Water drive 35 - 65 50
 Properties Favorable for Oil
Recovery
• Solution-gas drive oil reservoirs
• Low oil density
• Low oil viscosity
• High oil bubblepoint pressure
• Gas-cap drive oil reservoirs
• Favorable oil properties
• Relatively large ratio of gas cap to oil zone
• High reservoir dip angle
• Thick oil column
 Properties Favorable for Oil
Recovery
• Water drive oil reservoirs
• Large aquifer • High relative oil permeability
• Low oil viscosity • Little reservoir heterogeneity
and stratification
• Gravity drainage oil
reservoirs • Large fluid density difference
• High reservoir dip angle • Large segregation area
• Favorable permeability • Low withdrawal
distribution
 Properties Favorable for Gas
Recovery

• Volumetric gas reservoir (gas expansion drive)

• Low abandonment pressure

• Water-drive gas reservoir

• Large aquifer
• Small degree of reservoir heterogeneity and
stratification