Reservoir Engineering for Technicians

RESR1003

4. Oil and Gas in Place

1
2
 Reservoir Volume Estimation
1. Reserves or recoverable reserves are the volume of
hydrocarbons that can be profitably extracted from a
reservoir using existing technology.
2. Resources are reserves plus all other hydrocarbons that
may eventually become producible; this includes known
oil and gas deposits present that cannot be
technologically or economically recovered as well as
other undiscovered potential reserves

3
Volume Estimation

4
Volume Estimations

5
 Homework
What are Guyana’s latest reserves estimates for oil in mb
(million barrels) and gas in tcf in each category below?
• Proved reserves 
• Probable reserves
• Possible reserves

1P = Proved Reserves
2P = Proved + Probable Reserves
3P = Proved + Probable + Possible Reserves
6
 Methods of Estimating Reserves
1. Pre-drill seismic/statistical estimates
2. Volumetric methods: Used early in life of field
3. Material balance methods: Used in a mature field with
abundant geological, petrophysical, and engineering
data.
1. Tank balances
2. Decline trend analysis
3. Computer simulations
 Volumetric Analysis
• Volumetric analysis of a reservoir employs geological
observations and information to estimate original fluids-in-
place.
• Volumetric calculations are typically used:
1. prior to production to estimate reserves
2. after considerable production to determine the efficiency of
recovery, the areal extent of the reservoir
3. as a basis for advanced studies such as reservoir simulations
 OHIP
• Original Hydrocarbon In Place (OHIP) or Hydrocarbon
Initially In Place (HIIP) is the total volume of oil and gas
stored in a reservoir prior to production.
– Original Oil In Place (OOIP) or Oil Initially In Place (OIIP)
– Original Gas In Place (OGIP) or Gas Initially In Place (GIIP)
• It is the total amount of hydrocarbon that is potentially in a
reservoir and not the amount which can be recovered.
• It is a fixed quantity that has developed through
geological time.
9
 Volumetric Method
• Volumetric estimates of OOIP and OGIP are based on a
geological model that geometrically describes the volume
of hydrocarbons in the reservoir. 
• Dependent on quality of reservoir description.
• Disadvantage: Reserves estimates often high because
this method does not consider reservoir heterogeneity.

10
 Volumetric Method Requirements
1. Reservoir volume (areal
extent of reservoir x
average thickness)
2. Reservoir porosity
3. Hydrocarbon saturation
4. Formation volume factor
of hydrocarbon

11
 Reservoir Volume Determination
1. geological and fluid pressure analysis: can be very
difficult to determine & subject to significant errors.

2. creating contour maps: where contour lines are drawn on

a map to connect points of equal value compared to
some chosen reference.

12
 Contour Map Types
1. Structure Maps: drawn at
constant depth of productive
zones
2. Isopach Maps: drawn at equal
reservoir sand thickness
– Net pay thickness: intervals of the
reservoir which are able to produce
hydrocarbon.
– Gross thickness: total interval in the
which the reservoir occurs, including
non-productive intervals.
13
 Structure Map

(a) Structure map of the top of the reservoir with contour lines drawn for
every 50 ft of elevation.
(b) Cross section through the reservoir, along the line X−Y
14
Net Pay Isopach Map

15
 Creating Isopach Map

Location Map Net Pay Isopach Map

16
 Calculating reservoir volume
1. Find areas between isopach contours by:
• Grid square counting
• Using a planimeter (instrument used to measure the area of an
arbitrary 2d shape.)
• Using mapping software
2. Then calculate reservoir bulk volume using any of the standard
numerical methods, including:
• Trapezoidal rule
• Simpson's rule

17
 Trapezoidal Rule

Where:
• V= reservoir bulk volume, acre-ft
• h = contour interval, ft
• A0 is the area of largest contour area, acre
• An is the area of the smallest contour area, acre
• hn= height from the top contour to the crest of the reservoir, ft
18
 Simpson's Rule

Gives a more accurate approximation,

however there must be an odd number of
contour lines
Where:
• V = reservoir bulk volume, acre-ft
• h = the contour interval, ft
• A0 is the area of largest contour area, acre
• An is the area of the smallest contour area, acre
• h’ = height from the top contour to the crest of the reservoir,
ft 19
 Exercise 1

The data from a contour map shows

area as a function of the depth of a
production zone. Calculate the reservoir
volume using the trapezoidal rule.
2890ft is the height from the top contour
to the crest of the reservoir,

20
 Porosity, Φ
• Porosity is the ratio of pore space
in the rock to the bulk volume of
the rock.
• Fluids occupy these pore spaces.
Porosity can be considered as the
fraction or % of rock not occupied
by solids.

22
 Fluid Saturation
Fluid saturation is how much
each fluid is present in pore
spaces of a rock. This will
affect the ability of each fluid
flow through the rock

Fluid Saturation = total

volume of the fluid/pore
volume
23
 Fluid Saturation
Oil saturation, So = volume of oil
pore volume
Gas saturation, Sg = volume of gas
pore volume
Water saturation, Sw = volume of water
pore volume
So + Sg + Sw = 1 or 100%
 So = 1 - Sg - Sw
If the reservoir contains no gas, So = 1 - Sw
24
Connate or Irreducible Water
Saturation, Swc or Swi

Normally 10−25%

25
 Formation volume factor, FVF: B
• Oil at the surface occupies less space than it does in the
subsurface, due mainly to gas evolving from the oil as
pressure and temperature are decreased. Known as oil
shrinkage.
• Conversely, gas at the surface occupies more space than
it does in the subsurface because of expansion.
• This necessitates correcting subsurface volumes to
standard units of volume measured at stock tank
(surface) conditions.
26
Bo is a value > 1
Bg is a value < 1

Units:
Bo – bbls/STB
Bg – cuft/SCF

27
 Volumetric Method
The original hydrocarbon volume expressed as a reservoir volume
is:
HCPV = BVΦ(1− Swc)
Where:
• HCPV = hydrocarbon pore volume. The total reservoir volume
which can be filled with hydrocarbons either oil, gas or both.
• BV = bulk volume of the reservoir rock
• BVΦ = pore volume (PV) and is the total volume in the reservoir
which can be occupied by fluids.

28
 Volumetric Method: OOIP
7758 Ah (1  Sw )
N
Boi
Where:
• N = OOIP (stb)
• 7758 = conversion factor from acre-ft to bbl
• A = reservoir area (acres)
• h = height or thickness of pay zone (ft)
• ø = porosity (fraction)
• Sw = connate water saturation (fraction)
• Boi = FVF for oil at initial conditions (res.bbl/stb)
 Volumetric Analysis: OGIP
43560 Ah 1  S w 
OGIP
G=
Where:
Bgi
• G = OGIP(scf)
• 43560 = conversion factor
• A = reservoir area (acres)
• h = height or thickness of pay zone (ft)
• ø = porosity (fraction)
• Sw = connate water saturation (fraction)
• Bgi = FVF for gas at initial conditions (res.ft3/scf or res.bbl/scf)
30
 Exercise 2
Calculate the original oil in place volume in MMSTB:
• Area = 26,700 acres
• Net productive thickness = 49 ft
• Porosity = 8%
• Average Sw = 45%
• Initial reservoir pressure, pi = 2980 psia
• Abandonment pressure, pa = 300 psia
• Bo at pi = 1.68 res.bbl/stb
31
 Recoverable Reserves
• Recoverable reserves, RR, are a fraction of OHIP i.e.

RR (stb or scf) = OHIP (stb or scf) x RF %

• Recovery Factor (RF) is dependent on the efficiency of

the reservoir drive mechanism.

32
 Exercise 3
A gas producing formation of area 640 acres has a uniform
thickness of 32 ft, a porosity of 19% and a connate water saturation
of 26%. The gas formation volume factor is 0.0033495 res. cu.ft/scf
at the initial reservoir pressure of 4450 psia and reservoir
temperature of 175 deg. F.
a) Calculate the OGIP in BCF
b) Calculate the recoverable reserves if the Recovery Factor is
67.2% in BCF

33
 Exercise 4
An oil producing reservoir has an oil formation volume
factor is 1.3527 res. bbls/STB at the initial reservoir
pressure of 5370 psia and reservoir temperature of 180
deg. F.
The total area is 775 acres with a uniform thickness of 30 ft,
a porosity of 22% and a connate water saturation of 25.2%.
1. Calculate the initial oil-in-place.
2. Calculate the recoverable reserves if the Recovery
Factor is 58%

35
 Exercise 5
Geological contouring of a yet to be explored region indicates that
the drainage area of a potential hydrocarbon reserves is 150 acres
and the payzone is expected to be 45 feet. The porosity of nearby
regions in the same zone is 23% and the water saturation is 20%. If
the formation volume factor is assumed to be 1.2 bbl/STB and the
recovery factor is estimated to be 0.19, calculate the recoverable
reserves from this project.

36
Exercise 6

37