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Drive mechanisms[edit]

A virgin reservoir may be under sufficient pressure to push hydrocarbons to


surface. As the fluids are produced, the pressure will often decline, and
production will falter. The reservoir may respond to the withdrawal of fluid in a
way that tends to maintain the pressure. Artificial drive methods may be
necessary.

Solution gas drive[edit]


This mechanism (also known as depletion drive) depends on the associated gas
of the oil. The virgin reservoir may be entirely liquid, but will be expected to have
gaseous hydrocarbons in solution due to the pressure. As the reservoir depletes,
the pressure falls below the bubble point, and the gas comes out of solution to
form a gas cap at the top. This gas cap pushes down on the liquid helping to
maintain pressure.
This occurs when the natural gas is in a cap below the oil. When the well is
drilled the lowered pressure above means that the oil expands. As the pressure
is reduced it reaches bubble point and subsequently the gas bubbles drive the oil
to the surface. The bubbles then reach critical saturation and flow together as a
single gas phase. Beyond this point and below this pressure the gas phase flows
out more rapidly than the oil because of its lowered viscosity. More free gas is
produced and eventually the energy source is depleted. In some cases
depending on the geology the gas may migrate to the top of the oil and form a
secondary gas cap.
Some energy may be supplied by water, gas in water, or compressed rock.
These are usually minor contributions with respect to hydrocarbon expansion.
By properly managing the production rates, greater benefits can be had from
solution gas drives. Secondary recovery involves the injection of gas or water to
maintain reservoir pressure. The gas/oil ratio and the oil production rate are
stable until the reservoir pressure drops below the bubble point when critical gas
saturation is reached. When the gas is exhausted, the gas/oil ratio and the oil
rate drops, the reservoir pressure has been reduced and the reservoir energy
exhausted.

Gas cap drive[edit]


In reservoirs already having a gas cap (the virgin pressure is already below
bubble point), the gas cap expands with the depletion of the reservoir, pushing
down on the liquid sections applying extra pressure.
This is present in the reservoir if there is more gas than can be dissolved in the
reservoir. The gas will often migrate to the crest of the structure. It is compressed
on top of the oil reserve, as the oil is produced the cap helps to push the oil out.
Over time the gas cap moves down and infiltrates the oil and eventually the well
will begin to produce more and more gas until it produces only gas. It is best to
manage the gas cap effectively; that is, placing the oil wells such that the gas cap
will not reach them until the maximum amount of oil is produced. Also a high
production rate may cause the gas to migrate downward into the production
interval. In this case over time the reservoir pressure depletion is not as steep as
in the case of solution based gas drive. In this case the oil rate will not decline as
steeply but will depend also on the placement of the well with respect to the gas
cap.
As with other drive mechanisms, water or gas injection can be used to maintain
reservoir pressure. When a gas cap is coupled with water influx the recovery
mechanism can be highly efficient.

Aquifer (water) drive[edit]


Water (usually salty) may be present below the hydrocarbons. Water, as with all
liquids, is compressible to a small degree. As the hydrocarbons are depleted, the
reduction in pressure in the reservoir allows the water to expand slightly.
Although this unit expansion is minute, if the aquifer is large enough this will
translate into a large increase in volume, which will push up on the hydrocarbons,
maintaining pressure.
With a water-drive reservoir the decline in reservoir pressure is very slight; in
some cases the reservoir pressure may remain unchanged. The gas/oil ratio also
remains stable. The oil rate will remain fairly stable until the water reaches the
well. In time, the water cut will increase and the well will be watered out. [13]

The water may be present in an aquifer (but rarely one replenished with surface
water). This water gradually replaces the volume of oil and gas that is produced
out of the well, given that the production rate is equivalent to the aquifer activity.
That is, the aquifer is being replenished from some natural water influx. If the
water begins to be produced along with the oil, the recovery rate may become
uneconomical owing to the higher lifting and water disposal costs.

Water and gas injection[edit]


Main article: Water injection (oil production)
If the natural drives are insufficient, as they very often are, then the pressure can
be artificially maintained by injecting water into the aquifer or gas into the gas
cap.

Gravity Drainage[edit]
The force of gravity will cause the oil to move downward of the gas and upward
of the water. If vertical permeability exists then recovery rates may be even
better.

Gas & Gas Condensate Reservoirs[edit]


These occur if the reservoir conditions allow the hydrocarbons to exist as a gas.
Retrieval is a matter of gas expansion. Recovery from a closed reservoir (i.e., no
water drive) is very good, especially if bottom hole pressure is reduced to a
minimum (usually done with compressors at the well head). Any produced liquids
are light coloured to colourless, with a gravity higher than 45 API.
Gas Cycling is the process where dry gas is injected and produced along with
condensed liquid.

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