COMPRESSIBILITY OF

RESERVOIR ROCKS

COMPACTION OF SEDIMENTS
Porosity is reduced by compaction
Porosity reduction is determined by maximum
burial depth
Principal effects are:

Changes in packing
Pressure solution
Recrystallization
Deformation of rock fragments

Compaction effects are not reversed by

erosional unroofing (hysteresis effect)

MECHANICS OF COMPACTION
Rotation and Closer
Packing

Platy Grains
(e.g., clays)

Ductile Grain
Deformation

Breakage of
Brittle Grains

Pressure Solution
At Grain
Contacts

Non-Platy Grains
(e.g., qtz., feldspar)
Ductile Framework
Grain, e.g., Shale Rock
Fragment)

Modified from Jonas and McBride, 1977

Relationship of Original Formation

Porosity to Overburden Pressure
50

Porosity, %

40

Sandstones

30
20
Shales
10
0

1,000

2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
Overburden pressure, psi

6,000

Isothermal Compressibility
General Definition
The relative volume change of matter per unit
pressure change under conditions of constant
temperature
Usually, petroleum reservoirs can be considered
isothermal (an exception: thermal stimulation)
Increasing pressure causes volume of material to
decrease (compression) - e.g. reservoir fluids
Decreasing pressure causes volume of material to
increase (expansion) - e.g. reservoir fluids

Isothermal Compressibility
1 V

C
V p
Coefficient of Isothermal Compressibility

General Equation
C:

ALWAYS positive value

oilfield units: 1/psia

V: Volume
oilfield units: ft3

p: Pressure exerted on material

oilfield units: psia

Negative sign in equation determined by V/p term, to force the coefficient

C to be positive
Volume is a function of pressure only (temperature is constant, and amount
of material is constant)

Formation Compressibility

Importance

Formation compressibility can have a significant impact on

reservoir performance
Subsidence can have significant environmental impact

Types
Matrix Compressibility ( Cm ): relative change in volume of
solid rock material (grain volume) per unit pressure change
(usually Cm 0).
Pore Compressibility ( Cf ): relative change in pore volume
per unit pressure change.
Bulk Compressibility ( Cb ): relative change in bulk volume
per unit pressure change ( usually Vb Vp). Significant
decrease in bulk volume can cause subsidence.

FORMATION COMPRESSIBILITY
Vp

1
Cf
Vp

Under static conditions, downward

1. overburden force must be balanced by
upward forces of the matrix and fluid in
pores

2. Thus:

F F
o

AND

p p p
o

3.
Pressure Gradients,
Normal Reservoirs:
dpo/dZ = 1.0 psia/ft
dp/dZ = 0.465 psia/ft

4.
As fluids are produced from reservoir, fluid pressure (p) usually
decreases while overburden is constant, and:
(a) force on matrix increases ( net compaction pressure,
pm=po-p)
(b) bulk volume decreases, and
(c) pore volume decreases.

Formation Compressibility
1 Vp

C f
Vp (Pore
pVolume

Formation Compressibility
Comp.)

Equation
Cf :

ALWAYS positive value

oilfield units: 1/psia

Vp: Pore volume

oilfield units: ft3

p: Pressure of fluid in pores

oilfield units: psia

Positive sign in equation determined by Vp/p term, to force Cf to be

positive
Pore volume is function of pressure only (temperature is constant, amount of
reservoir rock is constant)

Subsidence and Bulk Compressibility

Process of subsidence
Bulk volume decreases as fluids are produced
Area is constant
Formation thickness decreases (causing subsidence of strata above)

Porosity: = Vp/Vb = 1-(Vm/Vb); where Vb=Vp+Vm

Net compaction pressure: pm = po - p
Overburden (po) is constant dpm= -dp
As net compaction pressure increases
Bulk volume decreases; Cb = -1/Vb (Vbpm)
Pore volume decreases; Cf= -1/Vp (Vppm)
Matrix volume decreases; Cm= -1/Vm (Vmpm)

Substituting from definitions above

Cb = (-1/Vb) [(Vppm) + (Vmpm) ]
Cb = (-1/Vb) [(- Cf Vp) + (- Cm Vm)]
Cb = Cf + (1-)Cm; usually Cm << Cf

Formation Compressibility
Calculation of Pore Volume Change
Separate

1
C f dp
dVp
Vp
p2

and Integrate

Vp2

1
p Cf dp V Vp dVp
1
p1

Two common approaches for constant value of Cf

Exact Integration
1st Order Approximation

Formation Compressibility
Pore Volume Change - Continued
Exact Integration

C f p

p2
p1

Vp2

ln(Vp ) V

p1

Exponentiating (Inverse of Natural Logarithm) and

rearranging

Vp2 Vp1e Cf (p 2 p1 )

OR

Vp Vp1 e Cf (p 2 p1 ) 1

Formation Compressibility
Pore Volume Change - Continued
1st Order Approximation

1 dVp
1 Vp

C f
Vp dp Vp p
1 Vp2 Vp1

Cf
Vp1 p 2 p1
Vp Vp1C f (p 2 p1 )
Vp2 Vp1 1 C f (p 2 p1 )

Laboratory Determination of Cf
In reservoirs, overburden pressure is constant and
the pressure of fluid in pores changes, resulting in
pore volume change
In the laboratory, we change the confining
pressure on the core plug (overburden) while
holding the pore pressure constant
Remember that the net compaction pressure on the
matrix is the difference between the overburden
and pore pressures
This allows us to obtain useful results in the laboratory

Laboratory Determination of Cf
Laboratory Procedure
Core plug is 100% saturated with brine
Core plug is placed in rubber or soft copper sleeve
As pressure outside sleeve is increased, pore volume
decreases and the volume of expelled brine is measured
pconfining

Hysteresis Effect - Formation Compressibility

Hysteresis: The lagging of an effect behind its cause, as when the
change in magnetism of a body lags behind changes in the magnetic
field. (definition from dictionary.com, 2002)
Hysteresis is used by Petroleum Engineers to describe the effects of
path dependence and irreversibilities we observe in reservoir behavior

Pore Volume

For example, if we decrease reservoir pressure from initial conditions, pore

volume decreases. If we then increase reservoir pressure back to the initial
pressure, pore volume does not increase all the way back to the initial pore
volume.
Initial
Conditions

Pore Pressure