Material Balance

Derivation of material balance

General form of material balance
Linear form of material balance equation
Uses and limitations of material balance

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Cross Section of a Combination Drive
Reservoir

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 Use of Material Balance Equations

Determining hydrocarbon in place under various

conditions
Determining water influx
Predicting reservoir pressure

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 Material Balance

During production, from time 0 to time t:

Change in Oil volume + Change in Free Gas Volume

+ Change in Water Volume + Change in Void Space
Volume = 0

During production, overall volume change is zero.

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 What do we need for the calculation?

Production, reservoir, and lab data:

Initial reservoir pressure, average reservoir
pressure at time t
Produced oil, gas, water
Amount of water that enters into the reservoir
Formation volume factors
Gas oil ratios
Initial ratio of gas and oil volume

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Symbols Used in Material Balance

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 Symbols Used in Material Balance
m: initial reservoir free gas volume / initial reservoir oil volume (t0)
Vf: Initial void space, bbl (t0)
N: Initial reservoir oil, STB (t0)
Np: Cumulative produced oil, STB (t)
G: Initial reservoir free gas, SCF (t0)
Gf: Volume of free gas in the reservoir, SCF (t)
W: Initial reservoir water, bbl (t0)
Wp: Cumulative produced water, STB (t)
We: Water influx into reservoir, bbl (t)

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Boi: Initial oil formation volume factor, bbl/STB (t0)
Bo: oil formation volume factor, bbl/STB (t)
Bgi: Initial gas formation volume factor, bbl/SCF (t0)
Bg: Gas formation volume factor, bbl/SCF (t)
Bw: Water formation volume factor, bbl/STB (t)

Rsoi: Initial solution gas-oil ratio, SCF/STB (t0)

Rp : Cumulative produced gas-oil ratio, SCF/STB (t)
Rso: Solution gas-oil ratio, SCF/STB (t)

cw: Water isothermal compressibility, psi-1

p: change in average reservoir pressure, psia (t)
Swi: Initial water saturation (t0)
Vf: Initial void space, bbl (t0)
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 Oil Volume Change

Initial reservoir oil volume: NBoi

Oil volume at time t and pressure p: (N-Np)Bo

Change in oil volume = NBoi - (N-Np)Bo

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 Free Gas Volume Change
GBgi
Ratio of initial free gas to initial oil volume: m
NBoi
Initial free gas volume = GBgi NmBoi

SCF free gas at t:

SCF initial gas (free + dissolved) - SCF gas produced - SCF in solution
NmBoi
Gf NRsoi [ N p R p ] [( N N p ) Rso ]
Bgi
Reservoir free gas volume at time t=
NmBoi
NRsoi N p R p ( N N p ) Rso Bg
Bgi
Change in free gas volume:
NmBoi
NmBoi NRsoi N p R p ( N N p ) Rso Bg
Bgi
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 Water Volume Change

Initial reservoir water volume (t0): W (res bbl)

Cumulative water produced at t = Wp (STB)
Reservoir volume of cumulative produced water
(t) = BwWp
Volume of encroached water at t: We (res bbl)
Change in volume of water due to change in
pressure: Wcwp (res bbl)
Reservoir water volume at t: W - BwWp + We+ Wcwp
Change in water volume:
W (W - BwWp + We+ Wcwp) = BwWp We - Wcwp
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 Rock Volume Change
Initial void space volume = Vf
Volume at time t = V f V f c f p

Change in void space volume =

V f [V f V f c f p] V f c f p

Change in rock volume =

V f c f p

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 Total Change in Water and Rock Volume

We BwW p Wcw p V f c f p

NBoi NmBoi
With W=Vf S wi , and Vf ,
1 S wi

We have total change in water and rock volume:

NBoi NmBoi
We BwW p [ ](cw S wi c f )p
1 S wi
cw S wi c f
We BwW p (1 m) NBoi p
1 S wi
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 Total Change in Oil and Free Gas Volume

NmBoi Bg
NBoi NBo N p Bo NmBoi [ ] NRsoi Bg N p R p Bg
Bgi
NBg Rso N p Bg Rso

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 Material Balance

During production, from time 0 to time t:

Change in Oil volume + Change in Free Gas Volume

==
-(Change in Water Volume + Change in Void Space
Volume)

During production, overall volume change is zero.

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 NmBoi Bg
NBoi NBo N p Bo NmBoi [ ] NRsoi Bg N p R p Bg
Bgi
cw S wi c f
NBg Rso N p Bg Rso We BwW p (1 m) NBoi p
1 S wi
Adding and subtracting the term N p Bg Rsoi ,
NmBoi Bg
NBoi NBo N p Bo NmBoi [ ] NRsoi Bg N p R p Bg NBg Rso N p Bg Rso
Bgi
cw S wi c f
N p Bg Rsoi N p Bg Rsoi We BwW p (1 m) NBoi p
1 S wi
Then grouping items:
NBoi NmBoi N [ Bo ( Rsoi Rso ) Bg ] N p [ Bo ( Rsoi Rso ) Bg ]
NmBoi Bg cw S wi c f
( R p Rsoi ) Bg N p [ ] We BwW p (1 m) NBoi p
Bgi 1 S wi
Write Boi Bti and [Bo +(R soi -R so )Bg ]=Bt , we have:
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 Bg
N(Bti Bt ) N p [ Bt ( R p Roi ) Bg ] NmBti (1 )
Bgi
cw S wi c f
We BwW p (1 m) NBti p
1 S wi

Rearrange to become:

NmBti cw S wi c f
N(Bt Bti ) ( Bg Bgi ) (1 m) NBti p We
Bgi 1 S wi
N p [ Bt ( R p Rsoi ) Bg ] BwW p

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 General Material Balance Equation

Expansion of oil Change in void

or gas zones space volume

NmBti cw S wi c f
N(Bt Bti ) ( Bg Bgi ) (1 m) NBti p We
Bgi 1 S wi
N p [ Bt ( R p Rsoi ) Bg ] BwW p Water influx

Oil and gas Water production

production

For saturated oil reservoir with an associated gas cap.

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 Simplifications
Unsaturated oil reservoir: m = 0
cw S wi c f
N(Bt Bti ) NBti p We N p [ Bt ( R p Rsoi ) Bg ] BwW p
1 S wi
Gas reservoir: N p R p G p and NmBti GBgi
cw S wi c f
N(Bt Bti ) G ( Bg Bgi ) ( NBti GBgi ) p We
1 S wi
N p Bt (G p NRsoi ) Bg BwW p

No initial oil, N = 0, Np = 0:
cw S wi c f
G ( Bg Bgi ) GBgi p We G p Bg BwW p
1 S wi

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 Drive Mechanisms

Segregation
Drive (Gas cap)

Depletion Drive
(Volumetric reservoir)

Water Drive

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 Drive Mechanisms
NmBti cw S wi c f
N(Bt Bti ) ( Bg Bgi ) (1 m) NBti p We
Bgi 1 S wi
N p [ Bt ( R p Rsoi ) Bg ] BwW p

With three drives, compressibility term is negligible

Rearrange
NmBti
N(Bt Bti ) ( Bg Bgi ) (We BwW p ) N p [ Bt ( R p Rsoi ) Bg ]
Bgi

Divide each term by the right hand side term

NmBti
( Bg Bgi )
N(Bt Bti ) Bgi (We BwW p )
1
N p [ Bt ( R p Rsoi ) Bg ] N p [ Bt ( R p Rsoi ) Bg ] N p [ Bt ( R p Rsoi ) Bg ]

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Depletion Drive Index Segregation Drive Index Water Drive Index
Assumption of Material Balance Equations
The reservoir may have an initial gas phase and
liquid phase.
The gas is dissolved in the liquid phase and is in
equilibrium.
Oil can become volatile and enter into the gas
phase.
Water is allowed to invade the reservoir from the
aquifer during production.
Water and rock are compressible.

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 Limitations of Material Balance Equations
Sources of error:
Assumptions:
- Gas and oil may not be at equilibrium

Data:
- gas libration processes simulate those that
occur in reservoir
- Average pressure (how it was averaged, extent
of spatial variation)
- Error in estimates of gas and water production.

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Havlena and Odeh method: linearization
F: net production from reservoir

N p [ Bt ( R p Rsoi ) Bg ] BwW p WI GI BIg

mBti cw S wi c f

= N[(Bt Bti ) ( Bg Bgi ) (1 m) NBti p ] We
Bgi 1 S wi

Here WI, cumulative water injection, G I, cumulative gas injection
BIg , formation volume factor of injected gas

Eo: expansion of oil Eg: expansion of gas Ef,w: expansion of

formation and water

NmBti
F NEo N (1 m) Bti E f , w Eg We
Bgi 24
Havlena and Odeh method: linearization

NmBti
F NEo N (1 m) Bti E f , w Eg We
Bgi

When no original gas cap, no water influx, and negligible

formation and water compressibilities:

F NEo

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