Application of the P/z Semi Analytical Technique for the estimation of the gas in place of an abnormally

pressured reservoir at the Bolivian Southern Sub Andean

Application of the P/z Semi Analytical Technique for the estimation of

the gas in place of an abnormally pressured reservoir at the Bolivian
Southern Sub Andean
Maria Renee Carrasco,SPE, Universidad Privada de Santa Cruz de la Sierra
Ricardo Marcelo Michel Villazón, SPE, Universidad Privada de Santa Cruz de la Sierra (Faculty Advisor)

Abstract: The P/z semianalytical technique for abnormally pressured gas reservoirs developed by Gunawan
is applied to the pressure and production historical data of a Southern SubAndean Reservoir. The reservoir
is both naturally fractured and abnormally pressured and has a pressure dependent pore volume with a
limiting reservoir pressure of 7000 psi for beginning of collapse of natural fractures. Because the reservoir is
of type A (matrix dominant) it is possible to apply Gunawan’s technique as a first approach to avoid
overestimation of the gas in place volume that would result with the application of traditional methods. The
corrected volume is obtained by considering the effect of water compressibility (c w) and formation
compressibility (cf) in the material balance formulation, both neglected in the formulation for normal pressure
regimes.
The P/z technique has a limitation resulting from the fact that its formulation does not distinguish the gas
stored in the matrix (Gm) from the gas stored in the fractures (Gf). This limitation is removed by deriving an
improved formulation including both matrix and fracture terms, as stated in the material balance equations
by Aguilera for naturally fractured gas reservoirs.

Key Words: Material Balance, Naturally Fractured gas Reservoirs, Technique semianalítical P/z

1. Introduction
The estimation of hydrocarbon reserves in a reservoir has been, and still is, one of the fundamental
areas of study in reservoir engineering. The methods and techniques, both mathematical and empirical, used
for the estimation of reserves have a direct relationship with historical data of reservoir pressure and
production, because these formulations are based in the principle of mass conservation and the diffusivity
equation. (B.C. Craft & M.Hawkins, 1991).
Formations with abnormal pressure have been found in sedimentary basins that occurred due to
geological processes in a determined region or due to the presence of faults, salt domes in the formation and
increase of overload pressure. This type of formations can be found in Bolivia at the Limoncito formation in
the Southern Sub Andean and at various sandstone formations of Devonian age. (O.G. Vega Navarro, 2012)
Traditional material balance is not advised when the reservoir pressure regime is abnormal, because it
produces an incorrect extrapolation of pressure versus cumulative production data, which results in a
notorious overestimation of original gas in place and remaining recoverable reserves. (M.J. Fetkovich, 1991)

2. Scope of Investigation
The reservoir under study is overpressured, naturally fractured and of Devonian age. Thus, two
techniques have been considered in estimating the original gas in place volume, both techniques deriving
from the material balance equation for gas reservoirs. The first one, is the semi analytical technique by
Gunawan (overpressured reservoirs), and the second one is the material balance equations for naturally
fractured reservoirs by Aguilera.

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 Application of the P/z Semi Analytical Technique for the estimation of the gas in place of an abnormally
pressured reservoir at the Bolivian Southern Sub Andean

2.1 Material Balance Technique for Abnormally Pressured Reservoirs.

The Semi Analytical technique for gas reservoirs with abnormal pressure by Gunawan (Ronald
Gunawan Gan, 2001) is implemented by the graphical representation of two main functions, from which it is
possible to read an estimation of gas in place volume.

The first function is the total compressibility of the system as a function of the rate of change of the
pressure and gas compressibility over time. This relation is known as a dynamic type curve and allows the
identification of the relative error existing between the true gas in place volume and the apparent gas in place
volume. It clearly identifies the existence of two regions (abnormal and normal pressure regions) inside the
plotting area of the first function (Fig. 1), represented as two different straight lines with distinct slope. The
intersection of the two straight lines produces one characteristic point, the inflection point (Point “A”) which
marks the change in system behavior from overpressured (Point “B”) to one that would be considered normal
(Point “C”). (Ronald Gunawan Gan, 2001)

a) First Straight Line. (Ronald Gunawan Gan, 2001)

𝑝 𝑝
( 𝑖) ( 𝑖) 𝐺 𝐺𝑎𝑝𝑝
𝑧𝑖 𝑧𝑖 𝑎𝑝𝑝
𝑐̅𝑒 (𝑝𝑖 − 𝑝) = 1 − 𝑝 + 𝑝 − ………………………………………………………………(1)
( ) ( ) 𝐺 𝐺
𝑧 𝐵 𝑧 𝐵

b) Second Straight Line. (Ronald Gunawan Gan, 2001)

𝑝𝑖
𝑧𝑖 𝐺𝑝𝐴
𝑐̅𝑒 (𝑝𝑖 − 𝑝) = 1 − 𝑝 [1 − ]………………………………………………………………………...(2)
( ) 𝐺
𝑧 𝐴

The second function is the rate change of pressure and gas compressibility over time as a function of
dimensionless cumulative production. This relationship presents one characteristic straight line (Fig. 2) that
exhibits a monotonic decreasing behavior, for the case of reservoirs with normal pressure, whenever the gas
in place volume is similar to the apparent gas volume. This behavior prevents the existence of an inflection
point and, as consequence, the normal and abnormal pressure regions are not identifiable. In the case of an
overpressured reservoir, the straight line presents a sudden change of slope, which divides it in two and
reflects the expected behavior in the system as result of the overestimated gas volume. (Ronald Gunawan
Gan, 2001)

a) First Straight Line. (Ronald Gunawan Gan, 2001)

𝑝 𝑝𝑖 𝐺𝑝
= [1 − 𝐺 ]……………………………………………………………………………………………(3)
𝑧 𝑧𝑖 𝑎𝑝𝑝

b) Second Straight Line. (Ronald Gunawan Gan, 2001):

𝑝 𝑝
( ) 𝐺𝑝
𝑧 𝑧 𝐴
𝑝𝑖 = 𝑝 𝐺𝑝𝐴 [1 − ]…………………………………………………………………………………...(5)
( 𝑖 )(1− ) 𝐺
𝑧𝑖 𝑧𝑖 𝐺

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 Application of the P/z Semi Analytical Technique for the estimation of the gas in place of an abnormally
pressured reservoir at the Bolivian Southern Sub Andean

2.2. Material Balance Equation for Naturally Fractured Reservoirs

Aguilera derived an extension of the material balance equation for gas reservoirs, developing a new
formulation applied to naturally fractured reservoirs (Aguilera, 2006). This formulation considers that the
system behavior is a function of the two regions that contain hydrocarbons: matrix and fractures. Thus, it
assumes a double porosity system in which the primary porosity represents the porosity corresponding to the
reservoir matrix and the secondary porosity represents the porosity existing in the reservoir fractures.
(Aguilera, Exploring for Naturally Fractured Reservoirs, 1983)

𝑃𝑖 𝑃
𝐺𝑝 𝑖
1 𝑧𝑖 𝑧𝑖
[ 𝑃 − 1] = 𝑃 − [(1 − 𝑤)𝐶 ′ + 𝑤𝐶 ′′ ]……………………………………………………………(6)
∆𝑃 𝐺𝑡 ∆𝑃
𝑧 𝑧

3. General Description of Field

The field is located in the Chimoré Area at the Carrasco County in the Province of Cochabamba
(Bolivia). Geomorphologically, it is located at the FootWall of the Central SubAndean Belt (CNIH, Roboré
III Reservoir , 2013). The structure is an anticline caused by compressive stress during the Andean orogenesis
and it is oriented in the north west to south east direction. The principal deforming mechanism is due to a
north convergence fault that has south backthrust affecting the southern flank of the anticline. It presents an
inverse thrust fault related to Silurian pelitic sediments (CNIH, Roboré III Reservoir, 2013). As a
consequence of this configuration, the anticline is a “pop up” structure, with dimensions: 14 km long and 5
km wide. (CNIH, Roboré III Reservoir, 2013)
The field has there three (3) retrograde gas reservoirs: Roboré, Cajones and Yantata. From these
reservoirs, the Roboré reservoir is the largest in size and the best in rock quality, having three distinct and
separated sandstones packages: Roboré III, Roboré II and Roboré I. (CNIH, Roboré III Reservoir, 2013)

3.1. Robore III reservoir

The Roboré III reservoir has sandstones packages of shallow marine origin and fine grain, natural
fractures and overpressure regime with low porosity. (CNIH, Roboré III Reservoir, 2013) The well
production history vs pressure analysis (Fig. 3) performed over the field historical data evidences the
existence of three periods of production:
a) First period. Start of production where the increase of production is observed in each of the
wells and therefore the increasing cumulative gas production, coupled with the corresponding
decrease of local reservoir pressure.
b) Second period. Close of wells and cease of gas production. Thus, the cumulative gas
production remains constant with the corresponding system repressurization.
c) Third Period. New start of gas production, increasing of gas cumulative production and
corresponding decreasing of local reservoir pressure.

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 Application of the P/z Semi Analytical Technique for the estimation of the gas in place of an abnormally
pressured reservoir at the Bolivian Southern Sub Andean

The behavior of pressure data coupled to production history vs time (Fig. 4) is performed also in order
to identify characteristic periods in the system. Through lineal extrapolation of the last points of the pressure
trend observed at well K, a synthetic pressure point was added with the purpose of improving the global
analysis of well pressure, taking as reference date the last points of pressure measured at the well J and I. The
analysis allowed to clearly identify three periods in the system, as explained below:
a) First Period. Represents the start of production, identifiable by the trend of decreasing
pressure in time.
b) Second Period. It shows an increasing pressure, a system re-pressurization as a result of the
cease of production.
c) Third Period. Exhibits decreasing pressure as consequence of re start of production.

4. Application of the P/z Semi Analytical Technique for the estimation of the gas in place of an
abnormally Pressured Reservoir
The application of the Semi Analytical technique requires a starting value of gas in situ volume, the
apparent gas volume, which will be adjusted to a lesser magnitude by means of the graphical method. In the
present study, the volume of apparent gas was estimated by direct application of the general material balance
equation for gas reservoirs. This yields an original gas in place of 409.5 [Bcf]. For further analysis, six
scenarios were proposed, the first three scenarios were calculated considering all of the measured reservoir
pressure and production data points (Fig. 5) and the last three scenarios were calculated by discarding all
reservoir pressure data points corresponding to periods of cease of production. (Fig. 6)
On each scenario, an extrapolation to the inflection point “A” was done using a straight line to find a
value of the initial gas in place volume. Recently measured pressure/production data and the group of data
points prior to the first period of cease of production, suggesting the start of the normal pressure regime
region, were used as trend basis. Results in each case are as shown in Table 1:

Scenario Gi Gapp % Comment

1 190.4 46 Optimistic
2 159.7 39 Straight Line
3 122.9 30 Pessimistic
4 171.7 45 Optimistic
5 148.8 39 Straight Line
6 108.8 28 Pessimistic
Table 1

From the considered scenarios, an interval for the magnitude of the gas in situ was found to be between
148.8-171.7 [Bcf], corresponding to Scenario 4 and Scenario5 as these were the scenarios with a better match
in the graphical method. Also, all scenarios considering the complete set of pressure and production data,
without applying any filter, were discarded because the data corresponding to the shut-in period produced a
small, but recognizable, deviation in the gas in situ volume estimation.
The application of the traditional P/z vs Gp method (Fig. 7) resulted in an overestimation of the initial
gas volume (409,5 BCF). This is because its formulation neglects the effect of pressure in the water

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 Application of the P/z Semi Analytical Technique for the estimation of the gas in place of an abnormally
pressured reservoir at the Bolivian Southern Sub Andean

compressibility and formation compressibility, assuming that these values are negligible compared to the
magnitude of gas compressibility.
The extension of the material balance general equation for abnormal pressured gas reservoirs (Fig. 8)
considers the variability in the magnitude of the pseudo compressibility factor of gas as an analogy of the
dependence existing in the abnormal pressure and the compressibility factor z*. However, it neglects the
abnormal and normal dual reservoir behavior in time and uses only a single straight-line to fit the complete
set of historical production data points. This also leads to an overestimation of the initial gas volume, but
smaller in magnitude (258.9 Bcf). The application of the material balance interpretation by Havelena and
Odeh (Fig. 9) for overpressured gas reservoirs, estimates 544,6 Bcf as initial gas in place.

The application on the study case of both the traditional methods and the Semi Analytical P/z technique
for abnormal pressured gas proves that over estimation will occur and affect the magnitude of the initial gas
volume when the traditional methods are applied.

5. Extension to the P/Z SemiAnalytical technique formulation

It was stated that the Robore III reservoir is not only abnormally pressured but it is also naturally
fractured. Despite the fact that the reservoir is of type A (matrix dominant) and allows to be studied by
methods derived for conventional reservoirs, it is evident the necessity of adapting the Semi Analytical
technique to include the separate nature of both the matrix and the fracture system and the effect this condition
produce in the behavior of the reservoir. Previous studies (O.G. Vega Navarro, 2012) have demonstrated that
a reservoir pressure of 7000 psi produces collapse of natural fractures at the well vicinity, with a consequent
loss in pore volume and flow conditions. To derive an extension to the Semi Analytical technique P/z, the
material balance equation for abnormally pressured gas reservoirs was invoked, assuming no aquifer
presence:

𝑆𝑤𝑖 𝑐𝑤 + 𝑐𝑓
𝐺 (𝐵𝑔 − 𝐵𝑔𝑖 ) + 𝐺𝐵𝑔𝑖 ∆𝑃 ( ) = 𝐺𝑝 𝐵𝑔 …………………………………………………………..…(6)
1−𝑆𝑤𝑖

Recall the material balance equation by Aguilera, where both matrix and fracture terms are
discriminated, and substitute in the previous equation to yield:

𝑆𝑤𝑖𝑚 𝑐𝑤𝑚 + 𝑐𝑓𝑚 𝑆𝑤𝑖𝑓 𝑐𝑤𝑓+ 𝑐𝑓𝑓

𝐺𝑝 𝐵𝑔 = 𝐺𝑚 (𝐵𝑔 − 𝐵𝑔𝑖 + 𝐵𝑔𝑖 ( ) ∆𝑃) + 𝐺𝑓 (𝐵𝑔 − 𝐵𝑔𝑖 + 𝐵𝑔𝑖 ( ) ∆𝑃)………….(7)
1−𝑆𝑤𝑖𝑚 1−𝑆𝑤𝑖𝑓

Rearrange and express in straight-line form:

𝑃 𝑃𝑖 𝐺𝑝
(1 − ∆𝑃((1 − 𝑤)𝑐 ′ + w 𝑐 ′′ )) = [1 − ]……………………………………………………………(8)
𝑧 𝑧𝑖 𝐺

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 Application of the P/z Semi Analytical Technique for the estimation of the gas in place of an abnormally
pressured reservoir at the Bolivian Southern Sub Andean

The modification presented in Equation 8 affects the base formulation derived by Gunawan for the total
compressibility system as a function of the rate of change of the pressure and gas compressibility over time.
Thefore, new expressions result to represent both the first and second straight lines, as shown below:

a.1.) First Straight Line.

𝑝 𝑝
( 𝑖) ( 𝑖) 𝐺 𝐺𝑎𝑝𝑝
𝑧𝑖 𝑧𝑖 𝑎𝑝𝑝
(∆𝑃((1 − 𝑤)𝑐 ′ + w 𝑐 ′′ )) = 1 − 𝑝 + 𝑝 − …………………………………………………(9)
( ) ( ) 𝐺 𝐺
𝑧 𝐵 𝑧 𝐵

a.2.) Second Straight line.

𝑝𝑖
′ ′′ )) 𝑧𝑖 𝐺𝑝𝐴
(∆𝑃((1 − 𝑤)𝑐 + w 𝑐 =1− 𝑝 [1 − ]…………………………………………………………(10)
( ) 𝐺
𝑧 𝐴

The formulation for rate change of the pressure and gas compressibility over time as a function of
dimensionless cumulative production, as represented by Gunawan with two intersecting straight lines, is left
unchanged because the extension to the Semi Analytical technique was conceived to include the behavior of
natural fractures in the reservoir and, thus, the adaptation to the base formulation focuses on the system
compressibility terms to consider and discriminate both matrix and fracture porosities.

CONCLUSIONS
The P/z semianalytical technique for abnormally pressured gas reservoirs developed by Gunawan was
applied to the pressure and production historical data of the naturally fractured and abnormally pressured
Robore II reservoir, which has a pressure dependent pore volume with a limiting reservoir pressure of 7000
psi for beginning of collapse of natural fractures. It was demonstrated that the application of traditional
material balance methods results in an overestimation of the original gas in place. Because the reservoir was
of type A (matrix dominant), application of Gunawan’s technique as a first approach produced a better
estimation by considering the effect of water compressibility (cw) and formation compressibility (c f) in the
calculations. A proposal for the removal of the P/z technique limitation, as its formulation does not
distinguish the gas stored in the matrix (Gm) from the gas stored in the fractures (Gf), was derived by including
both matrix and fracture terms, as stated in the material balance equations by Aguilera for naturally fractured
gas reservoirs.

REFERENCES

[1] B.C. Craft & M.Hawkins. Applied petroleum Reservoir Engineering. New Jersey, EEUU : Prentice
Hall PTR, 1991. págs. 56-59.

[2] O.G. Vega Navarro.Closure of Natural Fractures Caused by Icreased Effective Stress, A Case Study:
Reservoir Robore III, Bulo Bulo Field, Bolivia. SPE 153609, s.l. : Society of Petroleum Engineers, 13
de Septiembre de 2012, págs. 1-11.

[3] M.J. Fetkovich, D.E. Reese and C.H. Whitson, Phillips Petroleum Co. Application of a General
Material Balance For High-Pressure Gas Reservoirs. SPE 22921, Dallas, USA : Society of Petroleum
Engineers Inc., 1991, SPE.

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 Application of the P/z Semi Analytical Technique for the estimation of the gas in place of an abnormally
pressured reservoir at the Bolivian Southern Sub Andean

[4] Gunawan Gan, Ronald. A Semianalytical p/z Technique for the Analysis of Reservoir Performance
from Abnormally Pressured Gas Reservoirs. SPE 71514, New Orlens, Louisiana : Societu of
Petroleum Engineers, 2010, pág. 4.

[5] Gunawan Gan, Ronald. A Semianalytical p/z Technique for th analysis of Reservoir Performance
from abnormally Pressured Gas Reservoirs. SPE 71514, New Orleans. Louisiana : Society of
Petroleum Engineers, 2001, pág. 4.

[6] Gunawan Gan, Ronald. A New p/z Technique for the Analysis of Abnormally Pressured Gas
Reservoirs. s.l. : Texas A&M University, 2001. pág. 75.

[7] Gunawan Gan, Ronald. A New p/z Technique for the Analyisi of Abnormally Pressured Gas
Reservoirs. s.l. : Texas A&M University, 2001. pág. 75.

[8] Gunawan Gan, Ronald. A New p/z Technique for the analysis of abnormally pressured gas
reservoirs. s.l. : Texas A&M University, 2001. pág. 25.

[9] Gunawan Gan, Ronald. A new P/z Technique for the analysis of abnormally pressured gas
reservoirs. s.l. : Texas A&M University, 2001. pág. 25.

[10] Gunawan Gan, Ronald. A new P/Z Technique for the analysis of abnormlly pressured gas reservoirs.
s.l. : Texas A&M University, 2001. pág. 26.

[11] Aguilera, Roberto. Effect of Fracture Compresibility on Gas in place Calculations of Stress sensitive
Naturally Fractured Reservoirs. SPE 100451, Alberta, Canada : Society of Petroleum Engineers, 2006.

[12] Aguilera, Roberto. Exploring for Naturally Fractured Reservoirs, Texas: SPWLA Twenty Fourth
Annual Logging Symposium, 1983, pág. 3-4.

[13] CNIH. Roboré III Reservoir 2013. Santa Cruz de la Sierra : s.n., 2013. pág. 9.

[14] CNIH. Roboré III Reservoir 2013. Santa Cruz de la Sierra : s.n., 2013. pág. 4.

[15] CNIH. Roboré III Reservoir 2013.. Santa Cruz de la Sierra : s.n., 2013. pág. 4.

[16] CNIH. Roboré III Reservoir 2013.Santa Cruz de la Sierra : s.n., 2013. pág. 6.

[17] CNIH. Roboré III Reservoir 2013. .Santa Cruz de la Sierra : s.n., 2013.

[18] O.G. Vega Navarro. Closure of Natural Fractures Caused by Increased Effective Stress, A Case
Study: Reservoir Robore III, Bulo Bulo Field, Bolivia. SPE 153609, s.l. : Society of Petroleum
Engineers, 2012, págs. 4-5.

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 Application of the P/z Semi Analytical Technique for the estimation of the gas in place of an abnormally
pressured reservoir at the Bolivian Southern Sub Andean

APPENDIX

Figures
Fig.1 Total system compressibility as a function of the rate of change of pressure and gas compressibility over time;

Fig.2 The pressure and gas compressibility rate change over time as a function of dimensionless cumulative production;

Fig.3 Production Historical of Field;

Fig.4 Pressure of Reservoir;

Fig.5 Proposed scenarios of g

Fig.6 Calculation of G

Fig.7 P/z vs Gp

Fig.8 P/z vs Gp OVP

Fig.9 Havlena Odeh OVP

TOTAL SYSTEM COMPRESSIBILITY AS A THE PRESSURE AND GAS COMPRESSIBILITY

FUNCTION OF THE RATE OF CHANGE OF RATE CHANGE OVER TIME AS A FUNCTION
PRESSURE AND GAS COMPRESSIBILITY OVER OF DIMENSIONLESS CUMULATIVE
TIME PRODUCTION

Source: SPE 71514 Figure 1 Source: SPE 71514 Figure 2

PRODUCTION HISTORICAL OF FIELD

1er Periodo 2do Periodo 3er Periodo

Dates: CNIH Figure 3

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Application of the P/z Semi Analytical Technique for the estimation of the gas in place of an abnormally
pressured reservoir at the Bolivian Southern Sub Andean

PRESSURE OF RESERVOIR PROPOSED SCENARIOS OF G

1er 2do

3er

Figure 4 Figure 5

CALCULATION OF G P/z vs Gp

𝑮 = 𝟒𝟎𝟗, 𝟓 𝑩𝒄𝒇

Figure 6 Figure 7

P/z VS Gp OVP HAVLENA ODEH OVP

𝐺 = 258,9 𝐵𝑐𝑓

Figure 8 Figure 9

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 Application of the P/z Semi Analytical Technique for the estimation of the gas in place of an abnormally
pressured reservoir at the Bolivian Southern Sub Andean

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Maria Renee Carrasco is a petroleum engineering student at Universidad Privada de

Santa Cruz de la Sierra (UPSA) in Bolivia, ranked second in the Dean’s Honor Roll of
2012 and 2013. She has been a SPE Officer since 2011 and has participated in student
forums across Bolivia representing her student chapter. She will be graduating on June
2015, being the present article a summary of her undergraduate final project. She will
pursue a Master of Science degree after her undergraduate project defense.
Email: mary_renee91@hotmail.com

Ricardo Michel is a petroleum engineer and current Faculty Advisor to the SPE UPSA
Student Chapter. In the Universidad Privada de Santa Cruz de la Sierra (UPSA) he is
lecturer for the Reservoir Simulation course. Member of the Bolivian National Academy
of Science, his research interests are Dynamic Material Balance, Formation Damage
Simulation and Flow in Naturally Fractured Reservoirs. He currently works at YPFB
Chaco S.A.
Email: rm.michelv@yahoo.es

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