Reservoir Pressure & Temperature

Reservoir Pressure and Distribution of Fluid Phases.

The migration and accumulation of petroleum in a reservoir leads to the

replacement of the original pore water by gas and oil , even though the
rock pores remain "water-wet" (i.e., their walls are covered with a thin film
of water). The density difference makes the gas accumulate at the top of
the reservoir, and the oil directly below.
The following fluid interfaces in the reservoir are important:

The Gas-Oil Contact (GOC) – a surface separating the gas cap from
the underlying oil zone. Below the GOC, gas can be present only as a
dissolved phase in oil.

The Oil-Water Contact (OWC) – a surface separating the oil zone from
the underlying water zone. Below the OWC, oil is generally absent.

The Free-Water Level (FWL) – an imaginary surface at which the

pressure in the oil zone equals to that in the water zone, i.e. po = pw. In
other words, FWL is the oil-water contact in the absence of the capillary
forces associated with a porous medium, i.e. in a well.

The Free-Oil Level (FOL) – the level above which the oil saturation is
sufficiently high to allow full oil mobility (100% oil productivity) and the
water saturation is low enough to make water immobile. In most reservoirs,
this is the level where So exceeds 70%, which means Sw < 30%.
Lithostatic Pressures & Fluid Pressures

 Lithostatic pressure:
 Grain to grain transmission of weight of rock.
 Sometimes termed geostatic or overburden pressure.
 Function of depth and density.
 1 psi./ Ft
 Pov at depth D = 1.0 x D psi.
Lithostatic Pressures & Fluid Pressures

 Lithostatic pressure is balanced in part by the pressure of fluids within

pores, pore pressure and by grains of rock under compaction.
 Unconsolidated sands, overburden totally supported by fluid pressure
and fluid pressure equals overburden pressure.
 In deposited rocks, like reservoirs, fluid pressure is not supporting the
rocks but arises from the continuity of the aqueous phase from surface
to the depth.
 The fluid pressure is termed as hydrostatic pressure.
Hydrostatic Pressure
 Imposed by a column of fluid at rest.
 Value depends on the density of fluid.
 Water - salinity
 0.433 psi/ft - fresh water
 0.450 psi/ft for saline water 55,000ppm
 0.465 psi/ft for saline water 88,000ppm
 Pfluid = ρfluidDg
Here, g=acceleration due to gravity
D= depth.
Lithostatic Pressures & Fluid Pressures

Hydrostatic pressure

Lithostatic pressure
Fluid Pressure
Fluid pressure is dictated by prevailing water pressure in vicinity of reservoir.

In a normal situation the water pressure at any depth is:

  dP  
PW     D   14.7 psia (dP/dD is the hydrostatic gradient)
  dD  water 
Assumes continuity of water pressure from surface and constant salinity.
In most cases even though the water bearing sands are divided between
impermeable shales, any break of such sealing systems will lead to
hydrostatic pressure continuity, but the salinity can vary with depth.

If pressure extrapolated to zero depth is atmospheric pressure

- normal pressured reservoir
Fluid Pressure-Abnormal Pressure

Under certain conditions fluid pressures are not normal.

 Over-pressured reservoirs.
 Hydrostatic pressure greater than normal pressure
 Under-pressured reservoirs
 Hydrostatic pressure below normal pressure

Abnormal pressured reservoirs can be defined by the equation:

  dP  
PW    D   14.7  Cpsia
  dD  water 

C - constant positive - over-pressured

C - constant negative - under-pressured
Abnormal Pressure

Over-pressured
reservoir

Under-pressured
reservoir
Causes of Abnormal Pressure

 Thermal effects-expansion or contraction of water: An

increase in temperature of 1oF can cause an increase of 125 psi in a
sealed fresh water system.
 Rapid burial of sediments: It consists of layers of sand and clay.
Speed of burial does not allow fluids to escape from pore space.
 Geological changes: The uplifting of the reservoir, or the
equivalent, surface erosion, both of which result in the water
pressure in the reservoir sand being too high for its depth of
burial; the opposite effect occurs in a downthrown reservoir in
which abnormally low fluid pressure can occur.
 Osmotic effects via salinity differences: the sealing shale
acting as the semi-permeable membrane in this ionic exchange; if
the water within the seal is more saline than the surrounding
water the osmosis will cause an abnormally high pressure and vice
versa.
Causes of Abnormal Pressure
Geological changes
 Pressure distribution for an oil reservoir with a
gas-cap and oil water contact.

Pressure

Path of well Impermeable

bed

Gradient in gas column

Gradient in oil column

Gradient in aquifer

Over pressured reservoir

Fluid Pressures-Hydrocarbon Systems
 Hydrocarbon pressure regimes different since densities of oil and gas are less than
water.

 dP 
   0.45 psi / ft
 dD  water

Pressure
0  dP 
  gas  0.08 psi / ft
 dD 
Depth

 dP 
   0.35 psi / ft
 dD oil
Pressure distribution for an oil reservoir with a
gas-cap and oil water contact.

The composition of the

respective fluids gives rise to
different pressure gradients.

These gradients will be

determined by the density
of the fluids which result
from the specific
composition of the fluids.
Problem

Solution
Problem
Following data were obtained from an oil reservoir. Water pressure at a depth
of 2,756 ft is 1,920 psia. Oil pressure at a depth of 2,560 ft is 1,840 psia.
Consider normal hydrostatic pressure gradient. Calculate the depth of OWC and
pressure at OWC. Redo the calculation considering water is over-pressured by
20 psi.
 Uncertainties about contact
1. Assume normal hydrostatic pressure regime
At the oil water contact
The linear equation for the oil pressure above the oil water contact
Po= 2490 at OWC (5500ft), so the constant can be evaluated to give the equation
The gas oil contact at 5200ft and the linear equation of the gas pressure line would be
2. Water is over pressured by 20 psi
The linear equation for the water
OWC would be at 5300ft instead of 5500ft.
If the exploration well has only penetrated the gas cap:
The linear equation for the water, Pw= 0.45D+15 psia
The linear equation for the gas, Pg=0.08D+1969 psia
Assuming there is no oil
Water gas contact would be at 5,821 ft (DPGC)
DPGC= deepest possible gas water contact.
Since there is no physical reason why an oil column should not extend then
Assuming the oil gradient of 0.35psi/ft and Po= 0.35D+C
If at 5150 ft a GOC exist then Pg= 2381psia and C=579
Solution of Po=Pw gives OWC at 5640ft.
Reservoir Temperature
 Earth temperature increases from surface to centre
 Heat flow outwards generates a geothermal gradient.
 Obtained from wellbore temperature surveys.
 Reservoir geothermal gradients around 1.6oF/100 ft ( 0.029K/m).
 Because of large thermal capacity and surface area of porous reservoir, flow
processes in a reservoir occur at constant temperature.
 Local conditions , e.g. around the well can be influenced by transient cooling or
heating effects of injected fluids.