HYDROCARBON RESERVES ESTIMATION

Before drilling
-Estimate of possible reserves in a new O/G field can be made before the trap is even drilled

-They give approximate figures, but they may give some indication of economic viability of the prospect.

-As a proven field is developed, its reserves are known with greater and greater accuracy until they are finally depleted.

-This is the main task of a reservoir engineer, but this task is based on geological data.

- There are several methods of calculation ranging from crude approximation made before trap is tested to more sophisticated
calculation

- Preliminary volumetric reserve calculation:

- Very approximate method
an an-1
a3 a2
a1
a0

OWC

h
- Preliminary volumetric reserve calculation:
- Very approximate method

an an-1
a3
a2
a1
a0

OWC

h
 an an-1
a3 a2
a1
a0

OWC

-A rough estimate of reserves prior to drilling is

- Recoverable Oil reserve (bbl) = Vb * F
- Where Vb = Bulk volume
- F = Recoverable Oil (bbl/acre-ft) { ---- bbl stands for barrel}
- This formulae assumes that the trap is full to the spill point
- Bulk volume is calculated from the area and close estimate from seismic data
- A planimeter is used to measure the area of various contours
- Volume is then calculated as
V = h (a0 /2 + a1 + a2 + a3 + --------- + an-1 + an/2)
Where, V = Volume
h = Contour interval
a0 = Area enclosed by the Oil/water contact
a1 = Area enclosed by the first contour
an = Area enclosed by the nth contour
- Closer the measured contour interval, the more accurate will be the result.
- Recoverable oil per acre-ft is the most difficult figure to assess unless the local information is available

- It may be calculated according to average porosity of reservoir

-  30 % for sands

10-20% for carbonate reservoirs

- ‘F’ will vary according to well spacing, reservoir permeability, fluid viscosity and effectiveness of drive mechanism

(i.e. The natural energy of a reservoir that can be used to move oil and gas toward the wellbore)
F is the fraction of the original oil in place (OIIP) that you expect to be able to produce by the end of the project.

[F is calculated as : (Oil Initial In Place - Oil produced)/ Oil Initial In Place

eg. If OIIP = 36.56bbl, Oil produced = 23.66bbl, RF = (36-56-23.66)/ 36.56 = 0.3528 i.e. 35.3%]
 Post-recovery calculations:
- Once a field has been discovered, accurate reservoir data became available and more sophisticated formulae is applied :

7758V (1-Sw) R
Recoverable oil (bbl) =
FVF
Where, V = Volume (i.e. Area * thickness )
 = Porosity (average)
Sw = Water saturation (average)
R = Recoverable factor (estimated)
FVF = Formation volume factor
7758 = Conversion factor from acre-feet to barrels

- As the well is drilled on the field, the seismic interpretation become more and more refined so that an accurate structure
contour map can be drawn.

- Log-test data: establishes Oil-Water contact and thickness of HC column.

- Porosities is calculated from wire line logs calibrated from core data.

- Water saturation is calculated from resistivity logs.

- Recovery factor: hard to estimate. Approximate values are given

 30 % for sands ; 10-20% for carbonate reservoirs
- FVF: Converts stock tank barrel of oil to its value at reservoir T & P

Ranges from 1.08 for Low GOR (Gas : Oil ratio) to 2.0 for volatile oils and high GOR.

- GOR is defined as volume of gas and liquid phase obtained by taking petroleum from one equilibrium P &T in reservoir to

another at the surface via a precisely defined path.

- GOR in reservoir = Q g /Q o = o kg /  g k o

- Where, Q = Flow rate at reservoir T & P

 = Viscosity at reservoir T & P

k = Permeability , g : Gas ; O : Oil

Oil Formation Volume Factor (Bo)

Oil and dissolved gas volume at reservoir condition

Bo =
Oil volume at standard i.e. surface condition

- Since most measurement of o/g is made at surface but fluid flow takes place in the formation, volume factors are needed to

convert measured surface volumes to reservoir conditions

- Oil Formation Volume Factor (Bo) always > 1

- Because oil in the formation usually contains dissolved gas that comes out of solution in the bore wells with dropping

pressure.

- Gas formation volume factor is defined as the ratio of gas volume at reservoir condition to the gas volume at standard
condition,
 Reeserve estimation formulas used in industries
[Where: A: Area in Sq.Km
For Oil: OIIP: Oil Initial In Place He: Thickness in meter
phi: Porosity (%)
OIIP = A*He*phi*So* 6.29 MMbbl So= Oil Saturation
FVF Sg = Gas saturation
Solution Gas: GIIP: Gas Initial In Place GOR: Gas to Oil Ratio
FVF: Formation Volume Factor
GIIP = A*He*phi*So*GOR*35.314 MMScf Bg: Gas Formation Volume Factor
FVF 6.29 : Conversion factor of m3 to MMbbl
Free Gas: (if area in sq km and thickness in meter)
35.314: Conversion factor of m3 to MMScf
GIIP = A*He*phi*Sg* 35.314 MMScf (if area in sq km and thickness in meter)
Bg* 1000 MMbbl: Million Barrel
Oil and Gas together: OGIP: Oil and Gas In Place MMScf: Million Scf
Scf: Standard Cubic Feet
OGIP = A*He*phi*So* GOR*35.314 MMScf bbl: Barrel ]
Bg * 1000
HCPV: Hydrocarbon Pore Volume = A*He*phi*So* 6.29 MMbbl

[ m3 = Cubic meter ; bbl : Berrel , Mbbl : Thousand Barrel ; MMbbl : Million barrel ; Scf: Standard Cubic Feet ;
MScf : Thousand Scf ; MMScf : Million Scf ; Bcf : Billion Scf ;
1 Barrel ( US, Fluid) : 119.240471 Liters ; 1 Barrel ( US, Oil) : 158.8972295 Liters ; 1 Barrel (UK) : 163.65924 Liters]
8
 Exercise -1
North Dome Field:

Productive Area: ~ 20 x 40 Sq Kms

Total Thickness:- 310m
NTG:- 50% Net-to-gross (NTG) is the fraction of reservoir volume occupied by
hydrocarbon- bearing rocks
Average Porosity: ~ 20%
Average Sw: ~ 20%
Depth of the reservoir :~ 3352m (Carbonate)
Bg = 0.003
Considering free gas,
find GIIP and reserves in Bcf

GIIP= Area*He*Phi*Sg*35.314 MMScf

Bg*1000

Calculate the reserve (assuming 65%

RF).
 Solution -1
North Dome Field:

Productive Area: ~ 20 x 40 Sq Kms

Average Thickness: ~ 155m
Average Porosity: ~ 20%
Average Swi: ~ 20% ( Sg=1-Swi, 1-0.2, =80%)
DEPTH ~ 3352m (Carbonate reservoir)
Bg = 0.003
Solution:
Area*He*Phi*Sg*35.314 MMScf
Bg*1000

GIIP 233.543 Bcf

Reserves (assuming 65% RF)

151.8 Bcf

Get ready for a lot of zeros

 Petrophysical Parameters of the Wells Exercise- 2
Well Top He Porosity Sw So FVF HCPV
(m) (m) (%) (%) (%)
A 4984 20 48

B 4972 22 35

C 4982 15 45

D 4993 12 63

E 4988 16 57

F 4971 23 49

G 4984 9 66 1.2

H 4991 12 62

I 4971 25 33

J 4979 23 32

K 4989 18 61

OWC= 4995m , Calculate OIIP for all individual wells

Area = 40 sq km for all the wells
HCPV = A * He* Phi * So*6.29
OOIP = HCPV/1.2
Exercise- 3
• There are six prospects in the block. Exercise- 3
• Estimate the reserves and rank the prospects.
• Give Geological chance factor to each prospect and multiply with the reserves for
the final risked reserves.

GCOS: Geological chances of success

Solution- 3