Sulaymaniyah Polytechnic University

Reservoir Engineering I
Third Stage
2023-2024

Assist Prof. Mrs. Zheno Kareem Ahmed

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 Reservoir Engineering 1

OUTLINES:
1. Reservoir fluid flow
2. Flow regime
a. Steady state
b. Unsteady state
c. Pseudosteady-state
3. Reservoir Geometry
4. Fluid flow equation

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 Reservoir Engineering 1

OUTLINES:
5. Fluid potential
6. Linear flow
a. Slightly compressible
b. Compressible
7. Radial flow
a. Icompressible
b. Slightly compressible
c. Compressible

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 • Flow in porous media is a very complex phenomenon and cannot
be described explicitly as flow through pipes or conduits in porous
media, however, flow is different in that there are no clear-cut flow
paths which lend themselves to measurement.
• The analysis of fluid flow in porous media has evolved along two
fronts—the experimental and the analytical.

❖ The main reservoir characteristics that must be considered:

• Types of fluids in the reservoir
• Flow regimes
• Reservoir geometry
• Number of flowing fluids in the reservoir
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 • The isothermal compressibility coefficient is
essential
factor in identifying the type of the reservoir fluid.

❖ Reservoir fluids can be classified into three groups:

❑ Incompressible fluids
❑ Slightly compressible fluids
❑ Compressible fluids

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 ❖ Reservoir isothermal compressibility coefficient
❖ In terms of fluid volume:

❖ In terms of fluid density

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 • An incompressible fluid can be defined as a fluid that its
volume (or density) does not change with pressure, thus:

Note: Incompressible fluids do not exist; however this

behavior is assumed in some cases to simplify the
derivation of many flow equations

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 • The “slightly” compressible fluids exhibit small changes in
volume, or density, with changes in pressure
1  V 
c = −( ) 
V  p 

For slightly compressible fluid (liquid), x is very small, then ex

can be approximated by:

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 • Compressible fluids are fluids that experience large changes
in volume when pressure changes.
• All gases are considered as compressible fluids
z
1 dV V = nRT 
c=− p
V dp
z
V = const 
p

dV nRT dz znRT =  znRT  1 dz −  znRT  1

= − 2  p  z dp  p  p
dp p dp p    

 = − 1 1  dz 
V dp z dp p c g = −  
p z  dp T

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11/8/2023 10
There are three flow regimes:
• Steady-state flow (SSF)
• Unsteady-state flow (USF)
• Pseudosteady-state flow (PSF)

SSF: The flow regime is identified as a steady-state flow if the

pressure at every location in the reservoir remains constant,
i.e., does not change with time

Note: the SSF condition can only occur when the reservoir is
completely supported by strong aquifer, pressure maintenance
operations or very large gas cap
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 • The unsteady-state flow (transient flow) occurs when
the rate of change of pressure with respect to time at
any location of the reservoir is not zero or constant.

• When the pressure at different locations of the reservoir

declines linearly with time at a constant rate

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11/8/2023 13
 ❑ The shape of a reservoir has a significant effect on its flow
behavior.
❑ Most reservoirs have irregular boundaries so that it requires
numerical simulator to adequately describe its geometry

Types of flow geometry:

• Radial flow
• Linear flow
• Spherical and hemispherical flow

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 ❑ If the reservoir is nearly homogeneous, flow into or away
from the wellbore can be described as radial flow. This
can be seen at distance from the wellbore.

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 ❑ Linear flow occurs when flow paths are parallel and the fluid
flows in a single direction.
❑ A common application of linear flow equations is the fluid
flow into vertical hydraulic fractures

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 ❑ Depending upon the type of wellbore completion
configuration, it is possible to have a spherical or hemispherical
flow near the wellbore
❑ A well with a limited perforated interval could result in spherical
flow in the vicinity of the perforations

Spherical Flow
Hemispherical Flow

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 • The fundamental law of fluid motion in porous media is
developed by Henry Darcy
• Linear Flow:

• Radial Flow:

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 ❑Darcy’s Law applies only when the following conditions exist:
• Laminar (viscous) flow
• Steady-state flow
• Incompressible fluids
• Homogeneous formation
❑ The applications of the steady-state
• Linear flow of incompressible fluids
• Linear flow of slightly compressible fluids
• Linear flow of compressible fluids
• Radial flow of incompressible fluids
• Radial flow of slightly compressible fluids
• Radial flow of compressible fluids
• Multiphase flow

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 • In the linear system, flow occurs only through a constant
cross-sectional area A, where both ends are entirely open
to flow

• In field units

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 • Example: An incompressible fluid flows in a linear porous
media with the following properties:
L = 2000 ft, h = 20′, width = 300′; k = 100 md, ф = 15%, μ = 2 cp
p1 = 2000 psi p2 = 1990 psi

Calculate:
a. Flow rate in bbl/day
b. Apparent fluid velocity in ft/day
c. Actual fluid velocity in ft/day

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 • Solution:
Step 1: Calculate the cross-sectional area A:
Step 2: Calculate the flow rate

Step 3: Calculate the apparent velocity:

Step 4: Calculate the actual fluid velocity

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 • The difference pressure (p1-p2) is not the only driving force
in a tilted reservoir.

• The gravitational force is the other important driving force

that must be accounted for to determine the direction and
rate of flow.

• The fluid gradient force (gravitational force) is always

directed vertically downward while the force that results
from an applied pressure drop may be in any direction.

• The force causing flow would be then the vector sum of

these two. In practice, we obtain this result by introducing a
new parameter, called fluid potential
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• The fluid potential at any point in the reservoir is defined as the
pressure at that point less the pressure that would be exerted by a
fluid head extending to an arbitrarily assigned datum level.

Where:
• Φi = fluid potential at point i, psi
• pi = pressure at point i, psi
• Δzi = vertical distance from point i to the selected datum level
• ρ = fluid density, lb/ft3
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 ❑ The vertical distance Δzi considered positive when the point
i is below the datum level and negative when i is above the
datum level

❑ Applying the above-generalized concept to Darcy’s equation

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 Example: An incompressible fluid flows in a linear porous media
having the following properties:
L = 2000 ft, h = 20′, width = 300′; k = 100 md, ф = 15%, μ = 2 cp
p1 = 2000 psi, p2 = 1990 psi, density = 42 lb/ft3 2

Calculate:
a. Flow rate in bbl/day
b. Apparent fluid velocity in ft/day
c. Actual fluid velocity in ft/day
At datum level of half the vertical distance and at point 2
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 Solution:

• Step 1:select the datum level at half the vertical distance between the
two points, i.e., at 87.15 feet
• Step 2: Calculate the fluid potential at Points 1 and 2.

• If Point 2 is selected for the datum level, then

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 Solution:
• Step 3: Calculate the flow rate

• Step 4: Calculate the velocity:

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 ❖ Slightly Compressible Fluids
• The relationship that exists between pressure and volume
for slightly compressible fluids is:

• The above equation can be written in terms of flow rate

as:

• Substituting the above relationship in Darcy’s equation

gives:

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 ❖ Slightly Compressible Fluids

• Considering the upstream pressure p1 as reference pressure

pref the equation becomes:

• Selecting the downstream pressure p2 as reference pressure

pref the equation becomes:

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Example: calculate flow rate in bbl/day of a slightly compressible fluid that
flows in a linear porous media having the following properties:
L = 2000 ft, h = 20′, width = 300′; k = 100 md, ф = 15%, μ = 2 cp; p1 = 2000
psi, p2 = 1990 psi, Co = 21 × 10−5 psi−1.
Calculate:
a. Flow rate in bbl/day
Solution:
1-

2-

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 Compressible fluids (Gases):

• For a viscous (laminar) gas flow in a homogeneous-linear system,

the real-gas equation-of-state can be applied

• The above relation can be expressed in terms of the flow rate

Rearrange

• q = gas flow rate at pressure p in bbl/day; Qsc = gas flow rate at

standard conditions, scf/day; z = gas compressibility factor; Tsc, psc =
standard temperature and pressure in °R and psia, respectively
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 Compressible fluids (Gases):

• Replacing the gas flow rate q with that of Darcy’s Law

• Integrating the above equation and assuming z and viscosity

constant over the specified pressure

Qsc = gas flow rate at standard conditions, scf/day; k = permeability, md; T = °R; μg
= cp; A = cross-sectional area, ft2; L = total length of the linear system, ft
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 Compressible fluids (Gases):
•Setting psc =14.7 psi and Tsc = 520°R in the above expression
gives:

• The above equation is valid for applications when the pressure

< 2,000 psi
• The gas properties must be evaluated at the average pressure

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 • Example: A linear porous media is flowing a 0.72 specific gravity gas at
140°F. P1 = 2100 and P2 = 1894; A = 4500 ft2; L= 2500 ft; Ka = 60 md.
Calculate the gas flow rate in scf/day (psc = 14.7 psia, Tsc = 520°R). Tpc
= 395.5°R; ppc = 668.4 psia; μg = 0.0173 cp

Solution:
Step 1. Calculate average pressure

Step 2. Calculate the pseudo-reduced P and T

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 Solution:
Step 4. Determine the z-factor from the Standing-
Katz chart

Step 6. Calculate the gas flow rate

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