Reservoir Fluid Properties

27/3/17 Lecture

Properties of Oilfield Waters:

Produced oilfield water

Extraction of oil and gas from underground reservoirs often is accompanied by

water or brine, which is referred to as produced water. As reservoirs mature,
especially if secondary or tertiary recovery methods are used, the quantity of water
climbs and often exceeds the volume of the hydrocarbons before the reservoir is
exhausted. The cost of producing, handling, and disposing of the produced water
often defines the economic lifetime of a field and the actual hydrocarbon reserves;
therefore, understanding and predicting the aspects, behavior, and problems
induced by the produced-water flow is important.

Where does the water come from?

In the original reservoir, the pores in the mineral matrix contain the natural fluids at
chemical equilibrium. Because reservoir rock is largely of sedimentary origin,
water was present at the time of rock genesis and, therefore, is trapped in the pores
of the rock. Water may also move or migrate according to the hydraulic pressures
induced by geological processes that also form the reservoirs.

In hydrocarbon reservoirs, some of the water is displaced by the hydrocarbon, but

some water always remains. If the rock originated in a sea or ocean, then it will be
saline. Rocks deposited in lakes, rivers, or estuaries have fresher water. Originally,
the water was in chemical equilibrium with the mineral suite of the rock, but, on
invasion of the oil and gas, a new equilibrium with those phases was achieved.
Thus, there are both equilibria and chemical-reaction dynamics associated with the
inorganic (mineral) phases and the oil and gas phases that are important to
understand. Water is an excellent solvent; it will react to dissolve many of the
phases it contacts.

Primary production

When oil or gas is flowed or lifted from a reservoir, some water inevitably
accompanies the other phases. This is a consequence of the relative permeability
behavior of the rock. In particular, if the water saturation is above the irreducible
water saturation (Swr), then some water will move along with the oil and gas
phases present as the fluids flow from the pores of the reservoir rock. This water is
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27/3/17 Lecture

in chemical equilibrium with the rock and gas phases under the original
temperature and pressure present in the reservoir.

During primary production, the water cut may increase as the reservoir is depleted.
This is particularly important in reservoirs that have natural waterdrives so that a
water aquifer is in both pressure and hydraulic communication with the
hydrocarbon reservoir. Thus, as the hydrocarbon is produced, the water from the
aquifer is drawn in to fill the void left behind, and the water saturation of the rock
is increased. The pressure in the reservoir attempts to stay constant. Depending on
the efficiency of the hydraulic connection to the aquifer, the pressure decline over
time will be reduced, perhaps to zero in some cases. However, the proportion of
water produced will rise until the cost of handling the water exceeds the value of
the hydrocarbons produced. Oil and gas reserves of the typical reservoir are limited
by this water-handling cost. Clearly, produced-water issues are central, although
this may not be immediately apparent because only the hydrocarbons produce
revenue.

Sir Information:
Factors Influencing Water (connate) Production:

The following factors influence the amount of connate water saturation in the
reservoir, the amount of water upon discovery. (yani jo water pore me hai, agar
ziada hai to produce hojae ga with oil or gas; is water ki amount ye factors govern
krte hain)

If permeability of reservoir is more, then water will produce in lesser amount. In

contrast if reservoir permeability is less, then water will produce more. This
phenomenon is related to sweeping efficiency- the efficiency of oil being displaced
by water in a reservoir, which is obviously a function of permeability. If the
reservoir permeability is less, then water might not be able to sweep the oil
properly; oil will not be displaced properly.

Also, permeability is also linked with capillary forces; the better permeability, the
lower capillary forces. Oil will easily enter in a larger pore throat, less capillary
force is required to push it into the pore throat.
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27/3/17 Lecture

Also, wettability-the tendency of one fluid to spread on or adhere to a solid surface

in the presence of other immiscible fluids- is also a factor. If the reservoir is water
wet then it will offer affinity to water and connate water will be more then. So it is
desirable that reservoir be oilwet so that connate water saturation is less.

Now we move to Aquifer Water. Is presence of aquifer water good or lethal?

Ans: For oil reservoirs, aquifer water is a pressure-providing support and if the
reservoir is properly managed (water cut be minimized or no water produces) then
this pressure is good. However Aquifer water is lethal for gas reservoirs.

For Gas reservoirs; gas is less dense than water, and when water acquires mobility
into reservoir, then water encroachment causes gas to trap in the moving water; it
restricts the gas production by sealing it in the pores, and water instead produces.
Gas remains in high pressure and high mass/moles, trapped in pores.

To solve this issue, water production wells are drilled for water-drive gas reservoirs
so as to produce water from these wells and limit the encroachment of water
towards the gas-producing well.

Dehydration Facility:

Aquifer water can be removed from separator, but dissolved water (vapor) in gas
can cause hydrate formation in transportation pipelines, so dehydration facility is
required. Liquid MEG (monoethylene glycol) is a common, less costly dehydrating
agent,although the most effective glycol (albeit expensive) is TEG.

How do you know whether the water from separator is connate or aquifer water?

Salinity- connate waters salinity or salt content is very, very low whereas the
aquifer water has a water salinity equal to 10 times that of sea water, around
300,000 ppm salt content in it. Salinity is determined in laboratory.

Summary: Water comes at surface from three sources;

i. Connate water (seldom comes to surface)

ii. Aquifer water (this arrives in considerable quantity)
iii. Dissolved vapor in saturated gas
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27/3/17 Lecture

Water coning is penetration of water in the well; waters breakthrough prediction is

our task. So we are studying Bw & w trends.

Three factors affect the change in water volume from reservoir to surface:

a. Change by pressure reduction

b. Change by temperature reduction
c. Change by gas liberation

Now as no gas is dissolved in water, so volume change only depends on the former
two factors, whose individual contribution is very small. So its trend is shown by
curve 16-4. Change in Bw is very small; e.g. if initially 1.1, then it will rise to 1.2.
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If a pure component experiences pressure decrease, then the intermolecular

space increase and density decreases. So therefore viscosity decreases due to less
molecular friction (albeit composition is constant). This is the case for water. Water
viscosity decreases with pressure reduction.

Note that water doesnt have any appreciable gas dissolved in it.

The necessity of Bw is in darcy law;

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27/3/17 Lecture

Kw A p
Qw =
w Bw L

Where Qw is surface flowrate of water cut, stb/day.