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Reference: Petroleum Reservoir Rock & Fluid Properties, Abhijit Y. Dandekar

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CONTENTS

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Origin of Petroleum

1.2 Petroleum Reservoir Characteristics

1.3 Significance of Reservoir Rocks & Fluid

Properties

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LESSON OUTCOMES

At the end of the lesson, you should be able

to:

Describe the origin of petroleum

Explain the characteristics of petroleum
reservoirs

Describe the importance of reservoir rocks
& fluid properties

Why Petroleum is Very Important?

Petroleum is the main source of

energy since the industrial
revolution and will continue to be
the main source of energy for the
future.

Almost all daily products we use are
petroleum in origin such as:

plastic, polyester, cosmetics, etc.

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1.1 ORIGIN OF PETROLEUM

Petroleum comes from greek word

Petra= Rock and Oleum = Oil

Petroleum exists in three states;

Gaseous = Natural gas

Liquid = Crude oil

Semi-solid or Solid = Asphalt,
bitumen,tar

Origin of Petroleum

Photosynthesis, in which plants, in the presence of

sunlight, convert water and carbon dioxide into glucose
(basis of organic matter), water and oxygen:

6CO2 + 12H2O C6H6O6 + 6H2O + 6O2

Organic matter are recycled back to the atmosphere as

carbon through respiration, oxidation and bacterial decay
when organisms die. Normally this completes the cycle

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Origin of Petroleum

However, a minute portion escapes recycling and is

buried. Over geologic time, this small influx has produced
vast quantities of fossil organic material, estimated at
about 15 to 20 metric tons (Waples, 1981).

However, most of this material is widely dispersed within
the sedimentary column. Only about one CO2 molecule
out of every million initially taken up by photosynthesis is
eventually converted into economically exploitable oil,
natural gas or coal.

Origin of Petroleum

Thus concentrated accumulations of fossil fuels is highly

selective. How ?

In sandy, current- and wave-agitated environments, the
organic matter stays in suspension or is winnowed away,
but it can settle out in quiet water, low energy
environments. Consequently, organic matter is found
mostly in fine-grained rock types, such as shale and lime
mud. These low energy environments are usually found
in oceans, lakes, or, in the case of coal, swamps.

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Carbon Cycle

Origin of Petroleum

Reservoir Rock and Fluid

Properties - 2008 10

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Petroleum Accumulation

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Petroleum Reservoir Characteristics

Petroleum Reservoirs are created through:

1. Deposition

2. Conversion/Migration

3. Entrapment

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Petroleum Reservoir Characteristics

Specification of reservoir rock:

Capacity to store HC

Allows HC to flow through a conduit

Properties affecting capacity & flow

Porosity

Permeability

Fluid saturation

Capillary pressure

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Petroleum Reservoir Characteristics

Porosity is the amount of void spaces in a rock and a
measure of how much petroleum the rock will hold.

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Petroleum Reservoir Characteristics

Permeability is the ease that fluids move through a rock and
is determined by the diameter of the channels which connect
the pore spaces.

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Petroleum Reservoir Characteristics

Fluid Saturation the amount of the pore volume of a
reservoir rock that is filled by water, oil, or gas

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Petroleum Reservoir Characteristics

Capillary Pressure The difference between the pressures of
any two phases

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Petroleum Reservoir Characteristics

For economic viability for oil & gas production

reservoir rock must exceed a:

Minimum porosity

Minimum thickness

Minimum permeability

Minimum area

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Petroleum Reservoir Characteristics

For fluid production the rock must be permeable.

Sufficient large and interconnecting pores.

A permeable rock is porous.

Porous does not necessarily imply permeable.

Volcanic rocks, porous BUT pores not

interconnecting.

Shale, porous BUT pores very small.

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Petroleum Reservoir Characteristics

Typical trap is anticline which rocks have been
buckled into the form of dome

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Questions?

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RECAP LAST CLASS

1.0 Discuss Origin of petroleum
1.1 Describe characteristics of
reservoir rocks

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LESSON OUTCOME
2.0 Sampling of reservoir rock & fluids
Coring Methods
Whole Core & Core Plugs
2.1 Core Tests
Routine Core Analysis
Special Core Analysis

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2.0 Sampling
Why do we do sampling?

Reservoir rock

Reservoir fluid

Issues related to sampling

Cost

Handling ( P,T, compositional )

Fluid invasion

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Core Samples & Tests

Reservoir rock properties can be
measured indirectly from well logs

BUT accurate determination of various
important properties can only be
obtained from physical rock samples

Rock samples are obtained by coring
a removal of continuous formation
samples from a well bore.

The samples can be in the form of:

Rock cuttings

Cylindrically-shaped cores

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Coring Methods

Rotary Coring

Retrieved core is called whole core

Expensive operation

Sidewall Coring

Retrieved core is called sidewall core

Inexpensive operation

Pressurized Coring

Offers a method of obtaining in-situ reservoir fluid

saturation (no fluid loss)

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Coring Methods

Rotary Coring

Using coring bit which
has hole in the center

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Core Samples & Tests

Sidewall Coring

Smaller size from in
diameter and 2 inch long To
1 inch in diameter and 6 inch
long

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Coring Methods

Pressurized Coring

Used high pressure to get
the core samples in its
original conditions to avoid
any loss of the fluids

Freezing the core to
immobilize the fluids then the
core can be depressurize

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Coring Problems
Corse samples may not be representative of the
physical properties of the formation due to:

The core sample may get loss in its fluids due to

reduction of pressure and temperature

Drilling fluids that used for coring process may lead

to contaminate the fluids of the core sample or may
displace some of the core fluids

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Types of Cores
1- Whole Core

It is a complete section of conventional drilled core from

a given form action

Measure properties on a larger scale closer to that in
reservoir

Sample dimensions

Larger size equipment

Additional time needed

Control of experimental conditions such as stabilization,
flowrate, P, T can be rather tricky

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Types of Cores

2- Core Plug

Much smaller portion of whole core

Optimal to cutting cylindrical plugs (1-1.5 in) diameter
and up to 3 inch in length
Short test duration due to small size
Ease of maintaining experimental conditions

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Types of Cores

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Core Samples

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2.1 Core Tests

Routine Core Analysis

Lithologic description

Grain size distribution

Porosity

Permeability

Fluid Saturation

Etc

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2.1 Core Tests

Special Core Analysis (SCAL)

2 phase or 3 phase fluid flow

Wettability

Capillary Pressure

Relative Permeability

Electrical/Mechanical properties

Etc

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Questions?

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