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Reservoir Drive Mechanisms
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Depletion Drive Reservoirs
l A depletion drive reservoir is one in which the
hydrocarbons are NOT in contact with a
supporting aquifer.
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Water Drive Reservoirs
l Expansion of an active aquifer
Active aquifer
Key issue-relative
size of aquifer to
hydrocarbon
accumulation
1 V
c
V P
Key issues:
Mobility of
water in
aquifer
Barriers to flow
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Compaction Drive
l Not a common
drive mechanism.
l Characteristics
can be dramatic
as a result of
increase in net
overburden stress
as pore pressure
reduced.
l Nature of the rock
or its consolidation
determines extent
of mechanism
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Depletion Type Reservoirs
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Solution Gas Drive
l Above bubble point:
l Low compressibility of
oil, connate water and
pore space.
l Rapid decline in
pressure.
l Impact of water and
pore space should not
be neglected
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Solution Gas Drive
l Liberated gas can also migrate vertically and
form secondary gas cap
Secondary gas cap
Wellbore
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Water Drive Reservoirs
l Two types
l Edge water drive
l Bottom water drive
Combination Drive
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Reservoir Performance
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Solution Gas Drive
Initial pressure drop rapid due to low compressibility of system
Pressure continues to decline and solution gas drive becomes
effective
Reduced oil
production due to
decreasing pressure
and reducing relative
permeability to oil
Gas production
increases as gas comes
out of solution and
moves ahead of
associated oil due to
favourable relative
permeability
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Solution Gas Drive
l By definition should be
no water production.
l Due to rapid pressure
drop artificial lift
required in early years.
l Expected oil recovery,
low, 5-30% STOIIP.
l Well locations low to
encourage vertical gas
migration
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Gas Cap Drive Pressure
Oil Production Production of fluids
Has a significant decline but less than largely due to high
solution gas drive. compressibility of gas
Decline due to reducing pressure and cap.
solution gas drive Pressure declines
slowly depending on
gas cap size.
Gas-Oil Ratio
Early stages GOR
steady.
Slowly impact of
solution gas drive
increases Rp
Low gas viscosity>high
gas mobility
Gas by-passing oil
Well behaviour
Longer, depends on
gas cap size
Recovery
20-40% STOIIP
Well Locations
Away from gas oil
contact
Not too close to
water oil contact
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Water Drive
l Majority of water drive reservoirs energy from
compressibility of aquifer.
l Effectiveness depends on ability of water to replace
volume of oil produced.
l Key issue- size and permeability of aquifer.
l For compressibility to be effective the relative size
needs to be very large.
l Challenge to reservoir engineer is to predict
behaviour prior to production.
l Difficult to justify exploration costs to determine the
size of a water accumulation
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Water Drive - Artesian flow
Oil flowrate is less than
potential flow of water from
aquifer
Producing GOR Rp
Remains constant since
reservoir
undersaturated.
Pressure
at oil water contact
constant
Plateau phase possible.
Decline due to water
production
Water cut, determines when abandonment of well occurs
Productivity
remains high.
Reduces as
water production
increases
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Solution Gas Drive
l Characteristics l Trend
u Reservoir pressure ä Declines rapidly
u Gas-Oil Ratio ä First low then rises through a maximum
u Production rate ä First high, then declines rapidly
u Water production ä None
u Well behaviour ä Requires artificial lift early
u Expected recovery ä 5-30% STOIIP
l Characteristics l Trend
u Reservoir pressure ä falls slowly and continuously
u Gas-Oil Ratio ä Rises continuously
u Production rate ä First high, then declines gradually
u Water production ä Absent or negligible
u Well behaviour ä Long flowing life depending on gas cap
u Expected recovery ä 20-40% STOIIP
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Water Drive
l Characteristics l Trend
u Reservoir pressure ä Remains high
u Gas-Oil Ratio ä Steady
u Water production ä Early and increases to large amount
u Well behaviour ä Flow until water production excessive
u Expected recovery ä up to 60% STOIIP
Recovery
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