TPG4150 Reservoir Recovery Techniques 2003 1

Material Balance Equations

Material Balance Equations

To illustrate the simplest possible model we can have for analysis of reservoir behavior, we will start with
derivation of so-called Material Balance Equations. This type of model excludes fluid flow inside the reservoir,
and considers fluid and rock expansion/compression effects only, in addition, of course, to fluid injection and
production. First, let us define the symbols used in the material balance equations:

Symbols used in material balance equations

Bg Formation volume factor for gas (res.vol./st.vol.)

Bo Formation volume factor for oil (res.vol./st.vol.)
Bw Formation volume factor for water (res.vol./st.vol.)
Cr Pore compressibility (pressure-1)
Cw Water compressibility (pressure-1)
DP P2 - P1
Gi Cumulative gas injected (st.vol.)
Gp Cumulative gas produced (st.vol.)
m Initial gas cap size (res.vol. of gas cap)/(res.vol. of oil zone)
N Original oil in place (st.vol.)
Np Cumulative oil produced (st.vol.)
P Pressure
Rp Cumulative producing gas-oil ratio (st.vol./st.vol) = G p / N p
Rso Solution gas-oil ratio (st.vol. gas/st.vol. oil)
Sg Gas saturation
So Oil saturation
Sw Water saturation
T Temperature
Vb Bulk volume (res.vol.)
Vp Pore volume (res.vol.)
We Cumulative aquifer influx (st.vol.)
Wi Cumulative water injected (st.vol.)
Wp Cumulative water produced (st.vol.)
r Density (mass/vol.)
f Porosity

Then, the Black Oil fluid phase behavior is illustrated by the following figures:

Fluid phase behavior parameters (Black Oil)

Bo R so Bg Bw

P P P P

Department of Petroleum Engineering and Applied Geophysics Professor Jon Kleppe

Norwegian University of Science and Technology August 13, 2003
TPG4150 Reservoir Recovery Techniques 2003 2
Material Balance Equations

ro S + r g SR s o
Oil density: ro =
Bo
1 Vw
Water compressibility: C w = -( )( )
V w P T
Water volume change: B w 2 = Bw 1 e -cw DP Bw 1 (1 - c w D P)

Finally, we need to quantify the behavior of the pores during pressure change in the reservoir. The rock
compressibility used in the following is the pore compressibility, and assumes that the bulk volume of the rock
itself does not change.

Pore volume behavior

1 f
Rock compressibility: Cr = ( )( ) T
f P
Porosity change: f w 2 = fw 1 e cr DP fw 1 (1 + cr DP)

The material balance equations are based on simple mass balances of the fluids in the reservoir, and may in
words be formulated as follows:

Principle of material conservation

Amount of fluids present Amount of Amount of fluids remaining

in the reservoir initially - fluids produced = in the reservoir finally
(st. vol.) (st. vol.) (st. vol.)

We will define our reservoir system in terms of a simple block diagram, with an initial reservoir stage before
production/injection starts, and a final stage at which time we would like to determine pressure and/or
production.

Block diagram of reservoir

oil production: Np
gas production: RpNp
water production: Wp

Initial stage (1) Final stage (2)

Gas Gas

Oil Oil

Water Water

gas injection: Gi
water injection: Wi
aquifer influx: We

Department of Petroleum Engineering and Applied Geophysics Professor Jon Kleppe

Norwegian University of Science and Technology August 13, 2003
TPG4150 Reservoir Recovery Techniques 2003 3
Material Balance Equations

The two stages on the block diagram are reflected in the fluid phase behavior plots as follows:

Initial and final fluid conditions

Bg Bw

2
2 1
| |
|
1
|
P P

Bo R so

1
1
|
| 2
2
| |

P P

Note: If a gas cap is present ini-

tially, then the initial pressure is
equal to the bubble point pressure

Now, we will apply the above material balance equation to the three fluids involved, oil, gas and water:

Equation 1: Oil material balance

Oil present Oil remaining

in the reservoir Oil in the reservoir

- produced =
initially (st. vol.) finally
(st. vol.) (st. vol.)
or
N - Np = V p2 S o 2 /Bo 2
yielding
( N - N p ) Bo 2
So 2 =
Vp2

Equation 2: Water material balance

Water present Water remaining

in the reservoir Water Water Aquifer in the reservoir

- produced + injected + influx =
initially finally
(st. vol.) (st. vol.) (st. vol.)
(st. vol.) (st. vol.)
or
V p1 S w 1 /B w1 - Wp + Wi + We = Vp 2 S w 2 /Bw 2
yielding
S 1 B
S w 2 = (1 + m)NBo 1 w 1

(
+ Wi + We - Wp w 2
1- Sw1 Bw1 V p 2
)

Department of Petroleum Engineering and Applied Geophysics Professor Jon Kleppe

Norwegian University of Science and Technology August 13, 2003
TPG4150 Reservoir Recovery Techniques 2003 4
Material Balance Equations

Equation 3: Gas material balance

Solution gas Free gas

present in the present in the Gas Gas

reservoir initially + reservoir initially - produced + injected
(st. vol.) (st. vol.)
(st. vol.) (st. vol.)

Solution gas Free gas

present in the present in the

= +
reservoir finally reservoir finally
(st. vol.) (st. vol.)
or
NRs o1 + mNBo1 /Bg 2 - R p N p = (N-N p )R s o2 + Vp 2 S g 2 /B g 2
yielding

B
B g2
Sg 2 = N (Rso1 - Rso2 ) + m( o1 ) - N p (R p - Rso2 ) + G i ( )
B g2
V
p 2

In addition to these three fluid balances, we have the following relationships for fluid saturations and pore
volume change:

Equation 4: Sum of saturations

S o + S w + S g = 1.0

Equation 5: Pore volume change

V p 2 =Vp 1( 1+cr DP)

Department of Petroleum Engineering and Applied Geophysics Professor Jon Kleppe

Norwegian University of Science and Technology August 13, 2003
TPG4150 Reservoir Recovery Techniques 2003 5
Material Balance Equations

By combining the 5 equations above, and grouping terms, we obtain the material balance relationships, as
shown below:

THE COMPLETE BLACK OIL MATERIAL BALANCE EQUATION:

( )
F = N E o + mE g + E f ,w + (Wi + We )Bw 2 + Gi Bg 2

where

production terms are

[ ( ) ]
F = N p Bo 2 + R p - Rso2 Bg 2 + W p Bw 2

oil and solution gas expansion terms are

E o = (Bo 2 - B o 1) + (Rso1 - Rso2 )B g 2

gas cap expansion terms are

Bg2
E g = B o 1 - 1
Bg1

and rock and water compression/expansion terms are

Cr + Cw S w 1
E f ,w = -(1 + m)Bo 1 DP
1- Sw1

Department of Petroleum Engineering and Applied Geophysics Professor Jon Kleppe

Norwegian University of Science and Technology August 13, 2003