Reservoir Engineering

Reservoir Fluid Properties and Petroleum Geology

• Reservoir fluid properties
• “Our Reservoir”
• Petroleum geology

The day will begin with a presentation on the early history of the oil and gas industry, set up to show how the day’s activities will be affected by tradition.  After this the class will form “Our Company” and choose a site for its first well.  This well will drill through an oil zone and create “Our Reservoir”.  A reservoir fluid sample will be taken and analyzed to determine fluid properties and basic geology will be used to put all decisions in the proper geological perspective.

A core will be taken from the reservoir and rock and fluid properties will also be obtained.  Several characteristics of reservoirs will be discussed and a decision on what type of well should be drilled will be made.

Petroleum Reservoirs and Geologic Traps

• Petroleum reservoirs
• Reservoir fluid distribution and flow characteristics
• Geologic traps
• Hydrocarbon reservoir classification

Geologic traps will discussed and the reservoir will be further defined by the seismic data and the reservoir fluid analysis from which the reservoir phase envelope will be obtained and appraisal wells will be drilled.  Phase envelopes will be discussed and reservoirs will be classified as oil reservoirs or gas reservoirs, based on those phase envelopes.  From this information, the reservoir will be classified and, based on current economics and technology, it will be determined whether or not the reservoir justifies development.

A reservoir development plan will prepared, including the drilling of development wells. The drilling and completion program for development wells in “Our Reservoir” will be prepared.

Radial Flow Equations and Well Testing

• Radial flow equations
• The producing oil well
• Well testing

A Darcy Equation Mathematical Model for a producing oil well in “Our Reservoir” will be developed and applied to help with considering reservoir pressure distribution during production. Pressure transient analysis will be discussed, as related to pressure build-up testing, obtaining data relative to the reservoir definition, and effects on production.  This will include skin factor and determination of equivalent effective permeability to the flow of oil beyond any damaged zone.

Defining the Reservoir and Material Balance

• Defining the reservoir
• Original Hydrocarbon-In-Place
• Material balance

A seismic grid will be prepared for “Our Reservoir” from which a structural contour map will be obtained. Based on the structural contour map and information from the wildcat well, appraisal wells will be drilled and tested. From this data, Original-Oil-In-Place and Original-Gas-In-Place for “Our Reservoir” will be found. Relative permeability core analysis for “Our Reservoir” will be obtained, as well as capillary pressure core analysis. From this data, the oil-water transition zone will be defined and located relative to the structural contour map.

Gas Reservoirs and Reservoir Overview

• Gas reservoirs
• The producing gas well
• Factors that affect production
• Recovery
• Maximizing and monitoring production
• Reservoir overview

Gas properties relative to gas reservoirs will be discussed. Gas reservoirs will be analyzed, and participants will apply material balance concepts. A wildcat well will be drilled, which will discover a gas reservoir.  A sample of gas will collected and data including the reservoir phase envelope will be obtained from gas analysis. Utilizing gas material balance concepts, Original-Gas-In-Place will be estimated and the P/Z plot will be prepared.

Factors that affect production for oil and gas reservoirs will be considered, including acidizing or fracturing of reservoirs. Recovery factors will then be discussed.