04 - Compressibility

COMPRESSIBILITY
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Introduction
During primary production of oil and gas, rock and fluid
compressibility contribute to driving energy. Sometimes a
water or gas cap drive is absent. In this case, the volumetric
expansion of fluids and reduction in pore volume of rock
are the primary mechanisms of initial production in an oil
reservoir. Knowledge of rock and fluid compressibility is
important in reservoir studies in order to evaluate flow
characteristics accurately under changing reservoir pressure
conditions.

Introduction
A reservoir thousands of feet underground is subjected to an
overburden pressure caused by the weight of the overlying
formations. Overburden pressures vary from area to area depending
on factors such as depth, nature of the structure, consolidation of the
formation, and possibly the geologic age and history of the rocks.
Depth of the formation is the most important consideration, and a
typical value of overburden pressure is approximately one psi per
foot of depth.
The weight of the overburden simply applies a compressive force to
the reservoir. The pressure in the rock pore spaces does not normally
approach the overburden pressure. A typical pore pressure,
commonly referred to as the reservoir pressure, is approximately 0.5
psi per foot of depth, assuming that the reservoir is sufficiently
consolidated so the overburden pressure is not transmitted to the
fluids in the pore spaces.

Introduction
The pressure difference between overburden and internal
pore pressure is referred to as the effective overburden
pressure. During pressure depletion operations, the internal
pore pressure decreases and, therefore, the effective
overburden pressure increases. This increase causes the
following effects:
• The bulk volume of the reservoir rock is reduced.
• Sand grains within the pore spaces expand.
These two volume changes tend to reduce the pore space
and, therefore, the porosity of the rock. Often these data
exhibit relationships with both porosity and the effective
overburden pressure. Compressibility typically decreases
with increasing porosity and effective overburden pressure.
Rock-matrix compressibility, cr
Is defined as the fractional change in volume of the solid
rock material (grains) with a unit change in pressure.
Mathematically, the rock compressibility coefficient is
given by
where cr = rock-matrix compressibility, psi−1

Vr = volume of solids
The subscript T indicates that the derivative is taken at
constant temperature.

Rock-bulk compressibility, cB
Is defined as the fractional change in volume of the bulk
volume of the rock with a unit change in pressure. The
rock-bulk compressibility is defined mathematically by:
where cB = rock-bulk compressibility coefficient, psi−1

VB = bulk volume

Pore compressibility, cp
The pore compressibility coefficient is defined as the
fractional change in pore volume of the rock with a unit
change in pressure and given by the following relationship:
where p = pore pressure, psi

cp = pore compressibility coefficient, psi−1
Vp = pore volume

For most petroleum reservoirs, the rock and bulk
compressibility are considered small in comparison with
the pore compressibility cp. The formation compressibility
cf is the term commonly used to describe the total
compressibility of the formation and is set equal to cp
or

Example 1
Calculate the reduction in the pore volume of a reservoir
due to a pressure drop of 10 psi. The reservoir original pore
volume is one million barrels with an estimated formation
compressibility of 10 × 10−6 psi−1
Example 2
Given the following data:
• cf = 10 × 10−6 • original pressure = 5,000 psi
• original porosity = 18% • current pressure = 4,500 psi
Calculate the porosity at 4,500 psi.

It should be pointed out that the total reservoir
compressibility ct is extensively used in the transient flow
equation and the material balance equation as defined by the
following expression:
ct = Soco + Swcw + Sgcg + cf
where So, Sw, Sg = oil, water, and gas saturation
co = oil compressibility, psi−1
cw = water compressibility, psi−1
cg = gas compressibility, psi−1
ct = total reservoir compressibility

In general, the formation compressibility cf is the same
order of magnitude as the compressibility of the oil and
water and, therefore, cannot be regulated. Several authors
have attempted to correlate the pore compressibility with
various parameters including the formation porosity. Hall
(1953) correlated the pore compressibility with porosity as
given by the following relationship:
where cf = formation compressibility, psi−1

φ = porosity, fraction

Newman (1973) used 79 samples for consolidated
sandstones and limestones to develop a correlation between
the formation compressibility and porosity. The proposed
generalized hyperbolic form of the equation is:
For consolidated sandstones For limestones

a = 97.32 × 10−6 a = 0.8535
b = 0.699993 b = 1.075
c = 79.8181
c = 2.202 × 106

Example 3
Estimate the compressibility coefficient of a sandstone
formation that is characterized by a porosity of 0.2, using:
a. Hall’s correlation
b. Newman’s correlation

Example 4
A sandstone reservoir has an average thickness of 85 feet and a total
volume of 7,650 acre-feet. Density log readings through the fresh
water portion of the reservoir indicate a density of 2.40 gm/cc. The
Highgrade #1 Well was drilled and cored through the reservoir. A rock
sample was sent to the laboratory and the following tests were run.
The dry weight of the core sample was found to be 140 gm while the
sample dimensions were 1.575 inches long and 1.960 inches in
diameter. Assuming the compressibility at 4,500 psi is the average
compressibility in the reservoir, how much subsidence occurs when
the reservoir pressure declines from 5,500 psi to 3,500 psi?
Calculate
A. Reservoir Porosity
B. Sample Pore Volume
C. Compressibility at 4,500 psi
D. Amount of Ground Subsidence.

Example 4
160-acre and 100 ft thick reservoir has a porosity of 11%.
The pore compressibility is 5.0 x 10-6 (1/psi). If the pressure
decreases 3,000 psi, what is the subsidence (ft)?

04 - Compressibility

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What is compressibility and why is it important in reservoir studies?

What is compressibility and why is it important in reservoir studies?

What are the different types of compressibility defined in the document?

What are the different types of compressibility defined in the document?

COMPRESSIBILITY

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where cr = rock-matrix compressibility, psi−1

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where cB = rock-bulk compressibility coefficient, psi−1

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where p = pore pressure, psi

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where cf = formation compressibility, psi−1

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For consolidated sandstones For limestones

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