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RESERVOIR SIMULATION

Lecture Two
Basic Concepts

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Part 1
Reservoir Engineering

Darcy’s Law

 Darcy's law is an equation that describes the flow of a fluid through a porous medium.
 The difference in the pressure (p1 – p2) in 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 force causing flow would then be the vector sum of these two. In practice, we obtain this
result by introducing a new parameter, called fluid potential (Φ)

𝒅𝑷 General Form
𝒅𝒙

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Fluid Potential (Φ)

 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 D (distance) is positive in the vertical upward direction and

Fluid Potential (Φ)

 The potential drop along s-direction (gradient) is equal to:

dΦ
=
ds

 Where &

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Mathematical Relationships of the Reservoir

Fluids

The mathematical relationships are intended to describe the flow behavior of the reservoir
fluids. The mathematical forms of these relationships will vary depending upon the
characteristics of the reservoir. The primary reservoir characteristics that must be
considered include:
 Types of fluids in the reservoir
 Flow regimes
 Reservoir geometry
 Number of flowing fluids in the reservoir

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Types of Fluids in the Reservoir

 The isothermal compressibility coefficient (C) is essentially the controlling factor in identifying the
type of the reservoir fluid.

 In general, reservoir fluids are classified into three groups:

1. Incompressible fluids
2. Slightly compressible fluids
3. Compressible fluids

Types of Fluids in the Reservoir

 The isothermal compressibility coefficient (c) is described mathematically by the following two
equivalent expressions:
▪ In terms of fluid volume:

-------------------(1)

▪ In terms of fluid density:

-------------------(2)

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Types of Fluids in the Reservoir

1. Incompressible fluids

 An incompressible fluid is defined as the fluid whose volume (or density) does not change with
pressure, i.e.:

 Pressure response is felt directly with equal intensity at any point in the reservoir.
 Do they exist ?

Types of Fluids in the Reservoir

2. Slightly compressible fluids

 These “slightly” compressible fluids exhibit small changes in volume, or density, with changes in
pressure.

 Knowing the volume Vref of a slightly compressible liquid at a reference (initial) pressure Pref, the
changes in the volumetric behavior of this fluid as a function of pressure p can be mathematically
described by:

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Types of Fluids in the Reservoir

2. Slightly compressible fluids

--------------(3)

Types of Fluids in the Reservoir

2. Slightly compressible fluids

------------------ (4)

(4)

------------------ (5)

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Types of Fluids in the Reservoir

2. Slightly compressible fluids

(3) (5)

(2)

Types of Fluids in the Reservoir

3. Compressible fluids
 These are fluids that experience large changes in volume as a function of pressure. All gases are
considered compressible fluids.
 For slightly compressible and compressible fluids, the pressure shock (or at least part of it) will be
absorbed initially by fluid compression until the fluids can no longer compress. The remainder of
the energy will then be transmitted to the next point in space, and so on. The energy stored in
the compressed fluid will be released later and transmitted from one point to the next. In time,
the pressure shock (or at least part of it) will be felt at any observation point.
 The isothermal compressibility of any compressible fluid is described by the following expression:

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Types of Fluids in the Reservoir

Density
“𝜌”

Types of Fluids in the Reservoir

Let's do an experiment

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Flow Regimes

 There are three flow regimes:

1. Steady-state flow
2. Unsteady-state flow
3. Pseudosteady-state flow

Reservoir Geometry

 The shape of a reservoir has a significant effect on its flow behavior. Most reservoirs have
irregular boundaries and a rigorous mathematical description of geometry is often possible only
with the use of numerical simulators. For many engineering purposes, however, the actual flow
geometry may be represented by one of the following flow geometries:
1. Radial flow
2. Linear flow
3. Spherical and hemispherical flow

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Reservoir Geometry

1. Radial flow
 In the absence of severe reservoir heterogeneities, flow into or away from a wellbore will follow
radial flow lines from a substantial distance from the wellbore. Because fluids move toward the
well from all directions and coverage at the wellbore.

Well
Flow lines

Top view Side view

Reservoir Geometry

2. Linear flow
 Linear flow occurs when flow paths are parallel and the fluid flows in a single direction. In
addition, the cross sectional area to flow must be constant.
 A common application of linear flow equations is the fluid flow into vertical hydraulic fractures

Inlet Outlet Fracture

P1 P2
A Well

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Reservoir Geometry

3. Spherical and Hemispherical Flow

 Depending upon the type of wellbore completion configuration.
 A well with a limited perforated interval could result in spherical flow, while a well that only
partially penetrates the pay zone could result in hemispherical flow.

Spherical Hemispherical

Number of Flowing Fluids in the Reservoir

 There are generally three cases of flowing systems:

1. Single-phase flow (oil, water, or gas)
2. Two-phase flow (oil-water, oil-gas, or gas-water)
3. Three-phase flow (oil, water, and gas)
 The description of fluid flow and subsequent analysis of pressure data becomes more difficult as
the number of mobile fluids increases.

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Part 2
Rock Properties

Porosity and the Concept of Heterogeneity

 Two primary types of porosity can be encountered in a real reservoir rock: total porosity and
effective porosity.
 Because only interconnected pores produce fluids, we are concerned mainly with effective
porosity. Therefore, in the remainder of this course the term porosity is used to mean only
effective porosity.

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Porosity and the Concept of Heterogeneity

 Porosity is dependent on pressure because of rock compressibility, which is usually assumed to be

constant (generally about 10^-6 to 10^-7 psi ^-1).
 Rock porosity at any pressure can be expressed as
Yes, This is pore
pressure

H.W 2.1/ Prove that the effective compressibility of an oil filled (single-phase) reservoir is given by:

Hint: start with .

Permeability

 Permeability is the capacity of a porous medium to transmit fluids through its interconnected
pores.
 There are three types, absolute, effective and relative permeability.

Kv

KH = Kx = Ky

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Homogenous, Heterogenous, Isotropic and

Anisotropy

 A reservoir-rock property often varies in space from one point to another or from one region to
another. If a property is constant and independent of location, the reservoir rock is called
homogeneous.
 If, however, a property varies with location, itis called heterogeneous. In reality, homogeneous
reservoirs are rare, so the concept of homogeneity is generally used for ideal porous media.
 A reservoir exhibits an isotropic property distribution if that property has the same value
regardless of the direction in which it is measured.
 On the other hand, if the value varies with direction, the reservoir is anisotropic with respect to
that property.
 Only those properties that are not volume-based can exhibit directional dependency.
 Homogeneity and heterogeneity and isotropy and anisotropy are each related to a single
property, so these terms should always be us in reference to a specific property

Example

Consider the following 1D horizontal porous medium

in which steady-state flow of oil is taking place in the
positive x direction. Let the permeability of the
system vary according to

where x is in feet and k is in darcies. At x = 0, p = pw,

and at x =L, p= pL. If the viscosity of oil is µo and the
dimensions of the porous medium, h, Δy, and L, are
in feet, obtain an expression that describes the
average permeability of the porous medium.

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Part 3
Fluid Properties

Types of Fluids in the Reservoir

Incomp.
 Incompressible fluid type is an idealization for gas-free (or dead) oil Slightly comp.
and water. Comp.
 slightly compressible fluid has a small but constant compressibility Oil+ it solution gas
that usually ranges from 10^-5 to 10^-6 psi^-1 .
 Under reservoir conditions, dead oil, undersaturated oil, and water
behave as slightly compressible fluids.
 A compressible fluid has a higher compressibility than a slightly
compressible fluid, usually approximately 10^-3 to 10^-4 psi^-1.
Gas is a good example of a compressible fluid.
Density
 In multiphase flow in petroleum reservoirs, water is treated either as
incompressible or slightly compressible and natural gas is treated
as compressible. Oil and its solution gas are treated as slightly
compressible when reservoir pressure is higher than the oil bubble
point pressure and as compressible when reservoir pressure falls
below bubble point pressure.
Pb

Pressure

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Fluid Compressibility and Gas-Compressibility

Factor

 Fluid compressibility is defined as the relative volumetric change of a given mass to pressure
change at constant temperature.

C𝚤

 where 𝚤 = o, w, or g. With the definition of fluid density, 𝜌 = m/V, an equivalent expression for
fluid compressibility is:

C𝚤

Fluid Compressibility and Gas-Compressibility

Factor

 For gas:

 Also, can be expressed as reduced compressibility :

Where Cr = Cg* Ppc

H.W 2.2/Derive the equation for reduced compressibility of areal gas from the basic definition of
compressibility. Also find the compressibility of an ideal gas.

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Solution-Gas/Liquid Ratio

 At reservoir temperature and pressure, the

thermodynamic equilibrium of a gas/liquid system is Saturated Oil Undersaturated Oil
achieved by the transfer of mass between the two
phases. In a black-oil system, this mass transfer can be
described by the solution-gas/liquid ratio.
 In black-oil reservoirs there are two solution-gas/liquid Rs
ratios: solution-gas/oil ratio and solution-gas/water ratio.
The solution-gas/water ratio can, for all practical
purposes, be assumed to be zero; therefore, this section
is devoted to the solution-gas/oil ratio (Rs).
Pb

Solution-Gas/Liquid Ratio

 Several practical instances exist when treatment of a

black oil as a constant-bubble point fluid is not realistic.! F G
B A

D E
Rs
C
H.W/ What are the situations that may cause different
values of bubble point pressure ?

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Formation Volume Factor (FVF)

 FVF’s are used to convert volumes at reservoir pressure

and temperature to their equivalent volumes at
Standard conditions. Saturated Oil Undersaturated Oil

 The phase FVF is the ratio of the volume that the phase Bob
occupies at reservoir pressure and temperature to that
at standard conditions.
Bo

 For a single phase (water, gas, or dead oil) above Pb

equation may be written in terms of densities.
P

Formation Volume Factor (FVF)

 For slightly compressible fluids, such as water and gas-free (dead) oil, incorporating the effect of
temperature:

Where CT𝚤 = coefficient of thermal expansion of the fluid.

 The FVF of an undersaturated oil can be obtained with this eq.:

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Formation Volume Factor (FVF)

 For the gas phase:

Bg

Fluid Density

Incomp.
Slightly comp.
 The density of water, gas, and gas-free oil can be
Comp.
obtained from:
Oil+ it solution gas

 Incorporating the effect of temperature:

Density

 For the gas phase Pb

Pressure

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Fluid Density

 If ideal mixing of oil and solution gas is assumed, then the oil phase density (stock-tank oil plus the
solution gas dissolved in it) is estimated by :

where P ≤Pb. or

where P > Pb.

H.W 2.3/ Derive an expression for the density of slightly compressible fluids at reservoir pressure and
temperature Then use the resulting expression to derive the FVF at reservoir pressure and temperature .

Fluid Viscosity

 Viscosity is a measure of a fluid's resistance to flow. It

describes the internal friction of a moving fluid.
Saturated Oil Undersaturated Oil
 For undersaturated oil:

Where Cµ = fractional change of viscosity per unit change of µo

pressure.

Pb

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Part 4
Fluid/Rock Properties

Fluid Saturation

 Fluid saturation of a particular fluid is the fraction of the pore space that is occupied by that fluid.
 For two-phase flow of oil and water:

 For two-phase flow of oil and gas:

 For three-phase flow of oil, water, and gas:

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Capillary Pressure

 Capillary pressure exists whenever pores(capillaries)are saturated

with two or more phases.
 In a two-phase system, capillary pressure is, by definition, the
pressure of the nonwetting phase minus the pressure of the wetting
phase.
For oil-water system:

For gas-oil system:

Relative Permeability

 Relative permeability is the ratio of effective permeability of a particular fluid at a particular

saturation to absolute permeability of that fluid at total saturation

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Thank you

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