PgDip/MSc Energy Programme/Subsurface Reservoir Rock Properties

Material Balance Examples - 1

1. The table below gives data for an undersaturated oil reservoir which had an initial pressure
of 3480 psia. The bubblepoint pressure of the reservoir fluid was 3000 psia. Production
operations were started without the use of any water injection or gas reinjection, and when
the reservoir pressure had fallen to 3000 psia the cumulative production figures were as
follows:-

oil: 3.84 x 106 stb

gas: 2.50 x 109 scf
water: negligible

Estimate the natural water influx (rb) into the reservoir during this period of production.

PVT Data
Pressure Bo Rs Bg
(psia) (rb/stb) (scf/stb) (rb/scf)
3480 1.8505 640 -
3000 (pb) 1.8594 640 0.000890

Other Reservoir and Fluid Data

Bulk volume of reservoir 55,000 acre-ft
Porosity 19.5%
Connate water saturation 24.0%
Formation compressibility 9.4 x 10-6 /psi
Water compressibility 3.2 x 10-6 /psi

2. PVT data is given below for a reservoir which had an initial pressure of 3850 psia. The
aquifer in contact with the oil was inactive, and the reservoir was produced by depletion
drive down to a final abandonment pressure of 1000 psia , without the use of any secondary
recovery operations. The bubble point pressure of the oil was 3350 psia.

At abandonment the cumulative production data was as follows:-

oil: 23.5 x 106 stb
gas: 31.2 x 109 scf
water: negligible

Determine:-
(a) the oil initially in place (stb) and the recovery efficiency
(b) the free gas saturation in the reservoir at abandonment.

© The Robert Gordon University 2009 -1-

PgDip/MSc Energy Programme/Subsurface Reservoir Rock Properties

2 (cont)
PVT and Reservoir Data
pressure Bo Rs Bg
(psia) (rb/stb) (scf/stb) (rb/scf)
3850 1.2849 620 -
3350 1.2985 620 0.00089
1000 1.0890 115 0.00410
Connate water saturation 22.6%

3. A black oil reservoir had an initial pressure of 4500 psia and an estimated bulk volume of
120,000 acre-ft. From the geological data available it was expected that natural water influx
into the reservoir would be negligible. Other relevant reservoir and fluid data is given below.

12 months after production operations were begun the reservoir pressure had fallen to 3500
psia and the cumulative oil production was 3.17 x 106 stb with negligible water cut. Does
this data support the initial assumption of negligible water influx?

PVT Data
Pressure Bo Rs
(psia) (rb/stb) (scf/stb)
4500 1.3080 620
3500 1.3242 620
Bubble point pressure = 3240 psia
Reservoir Properties
Porosity 22.5%
Swc 26.0%
cw 3.3 x 10-6 /psi
cf 10.0 x 10-6 /psi

4. An oil reservoir with a large gas cap had an initial pressure of 3200 psia. From data
collected during exploration and appraisal operations it was estimated that the value of m
(initial gas cap volume divided by initial oil volume) was 0.420. Natural water influx into
the reservoir was negligible (owing to the low permeability of the aquifer) and production
was carried out without any secondary recovery operations. When the reservoir pressure had
fallen to 2000 psia the cumulative production data was as follows:-

oil: 24.41 x 106 stb

gas: 26.85 x 109 scf
water: negligible

Determine (i) the initial oil in place (stb) and (ii) the initial gas in place in the gas cap (scf)
making use of the following data:-

© The Robert Gordon University 2009 -2-

PgDip/MSc Energy Programme/Subsurface Reservoir Rock Properties

4 (cont)
PVT Data
Pressure Bo Rs Bg
(psia) (rb/stb) (scf/stb) (rb/scf)
3200 1.4880 839 0.000942
2000 1.3172 482 0.00150

5. A small offshore reservoir had an initial pressure of 4800 psia. Natural waterdrive was
insignificant, and the reservoir was produced by depletion drive with no secondary recovery
down to its bubble point pressure of 2600 psia. The cumulative oil production at this stage
was 2.40 x 106 stb with negligible water cut. Determine the stock tank oil initially in place.

Production was then continued further down to a reservoir pressure of 1500 psia also by
depletion drive. At this stage the cumulative oil production (measured from the opening of
the reservoir) was 10.20 x 106 stb, but no reliable figure was available for the gas production
(owing to metering problems).

Determine the cumulative gas production from the reservoir.

PVT Data
Pressure Bo Rs Bg
(psia) (rb/stb) (scf/stb) (rb/scf)
4800 1.2870 620 -
2600 (pb) 1.3233 620 0.00110
1500 1.2188 340 0.00197
Reservoir Properties
Swc 26.0%
cw 3.10 x 10-6 /psi
cf 9.60 x 10-6 /psi

6. An undersaturated reservoir with a bulk volume of 37,400 acre-ft and an initial pressure of
3450 psia is to be developed. Geological data indicates that natural water influx will be
negligible and the reservoir is to be produced by depletion drive down to a final
abandonment pressure of 1000 psia without the use of any secondary recovery operations.
Reservoir and oil properties are given below.

(a) Show that the recovery ratio, Np/N, can be related to the cumulative gas-oil ratio Rp
by the expression:-

Np/N = 413/(Rp + 238)

(b) Hence estimate the total oil production to be expected if the cumulative gas-oil ratio
over the total productive life of the reservoir has a value of 1200 scf/stb.

© The Robert Gordon University 2009 -3-

PgDip/MSc Energy Programme/Subsurface Reservoir Rock Properties

6 (cont)
PVT Data
Pressure Bo Rs Bg
(psia) (rb/stb) (scf/stb) (rb/scf)
3450 1.3502 610 -
3320 (pb) 1.3529 610 0.00094
1000 1.1878 145 0.00310

Reservoir Data
Porosity 18.5%
Connate water saturation 24.8%

7. A highly undersaturated black oil reservoir with an initial pressure of 6400 psia has a strong
natural water drive. Production was started without the use of any secondary recovery
operations and when 4.50 x 106 stb of oil had been produced with negligible water cut the
reservoir pressure had fallen to 3800 psia. Determine the natural water influx into the
reservoir during this period of production.

PVT Data
Pressure Bo Rs
(psia) (rb/stb) (scf/stb)
6400 1.2333 500
3800 1.2590 500

Bubble point pressure = 2650 psia

Reservoir Data
Bulk volume 65,000 acre-ft
Porosity 17.5%
Connate water saturation 22.0%
Formation compressibility 7.00 x 10-6 /psi

Water Properties
Compressibility 3.40 x 10-6/psi
Bw 1.01 rb/stb

© The Robert Gordon University 2009 -4-