TM6001 & TM8002

METODOLOGI PENELITIAN
Mid. Term Exam

Nama : Sesilia Nandya Listyaningtyas

NIM : 22217012
Tanggal Pengumpulan : 23 Oktober 2017
Dosen : Prof. Ir. Pudji Permadi, M.Sc., Ph.D

PROGRAM STUDI TEKNIK PERMINYAKAN

FAKULTAS TEKNIK PERTAMBANGAN DAN PERMINYAKAN
INSTITUT TEKNOLOGI BANDUNG
2017
1. Is the paper categorized as research, investigation, exploration, study, or review
paper? Why?
This paper is categorized as an investigation. At first, through the use of both reservoir
simulation and field examples, the authors illustrated and demonstrated the failure of
straight-line p/z method to assess gas in place (GIP) and reserves in several cases of tight-
gas reservoir which have a several behavior and conditions that resulting in a violation of
the fundamental assumptions behind the method. Then, the author presented a different
material-balance method as one obvious solution to the material-balance problem in tight-
gas reservoir using reservoir simulation, the Communicating Reservoir (CR) model, to
determine reservoir size more accurately.

In addition, this paper can’t be categorized as a research because there are no concept of
science was inferred from the paper so there are no contribution to science development.
It is not study because the authors generate the more accurate method for unconventional
object which can’t be handled by previous method. It also not exploration or review
because the authors try to solving the existing problems by presented a different method.

2. Give the sentence(s) or statement(s) indicating “loophole(s)” in the paper as the

motivation of the author to do the scientific activity you answered to the Problem
No.1 above?
“The concept of the straight-line p/z plot material balance also fails in tight, lower-
permeability reservoirs. In these cases, the tank assumptions do not apply by definition;
tight reservoirs lead to substantial pressure gradients. These gradients manifest themselves
in terms of scattered, generally curve, and rate-dependent p/z plot behavior. This behavior
is readily illustrated through the use of both reservoir simulation and field examples, which
show that the p/z plot method can incur greater than 100% error in estimating GIIP and
reserves.”

3. Did the author use deductive or inductive method in explaining the results of his
work? Describe your answer!
Inductive method. Because the authors used observation data, pressure history of the
wells, to conduct a measurement and simulation for explaining the results of his work. It
was done by using p/z plots in several cases of tight-gas reservoirs for demonstrate the
failure of the method because the straight line may or may not point to the true GIIP. In
 the CR model, the pressure decline is compared with actual pressures from well history as
a function of time. Material-balance history match was performed until an acceptable
match of the pressure decline is obtained.

4. Did the author consider aspects such as repeatability, economy, and consistencies in
conducting his scientific work? Describe your answer!
Repeatability.
In the paper, the authors obviously describes how to apply the CR method such as:
- The necessary CR model input (tank sizes, the intertank communication factors, the
initial pressure of the tanks, and the production rate profiles from the individual tanks)
- How to perform a material-balance history match (by varying the number of tanks
required, the size of the tanks, and the communication factors)
- Suggest the 3 optional program that can be used to run a CR model (by using a
spreadsheet program, generate a stand-alone CR model solver using rudimentary
programming skills, or using a reservoir simulator with gridblocks to represent tanks)
so that anyone can easily follow and perform such computation.

Economy.
If the p/z plots applied in tight-gas reservoir, shut-in times of months or even years can be
required to establish the reservoir pressure surrounding the well. Automatically, the
economy aspect will be affected because shut-in time means there are no gas to be
produced. To minimize the economic losses, the authors give a different method (by CR
model) that can be applied in tight-gas reservoir which only required short shut-in times
(36 days shut-in period). Even it gives more accurate result.

Consistencies.
The authors relieve the inconsistency of straight-line p/z plot by perform the material-
balance analysis with the CR model. Besides, the unit used during the measurement and
simulation is consistent (e.g. cubic meter, MPa, etc).

5. Find and write down the word or words drawn from the paper that indicate WHAT,
WHY, and HOW!
WHAT : Material balance calculation in tight-gas reservoir
WHY : The tank assumption being violated
 HOW : A different method of material balance calculation is required

6. What are, respectively, the subject, the object, and the problem of his scientific work?
The subject: Material balance calculation in tight-gas reservoir
The object: Conditions and characteristic of tight-gas reservoir (existing substantial
pressure gradient, low permeability, heterogeneity, pressure history of the wells)
The problem: A different material-balance method in tight-gas reservoir that can determine
reservoir size much more accurately

7. After reading the complete paper,

i. Is (are) the problem(s) general or specific?
Specific problem. Of all cases (effect of aquifer, an oil leg, rock compressibility effect,
condensation) which may affect the determination of GIIP, the method for assessing
GIIP that generate in this paper was applied for tight-gas reservoir case only.

ii. Is there any factor that may affect WHAT/WHY

Existing substantial pressure gradient, low permeability, heterogeneity, pressure
history of the wells

iii. Is there any assumption necessary to limit the problem(s)?

- 36 day shut-in period was assumed for all cases
- The reservoir is consist of number of tanks that are allowed to communicate
- Tanks can either be depleted directly by wells or indirectly through other tanks
- Flow rate between tanks is set proportionally to either the difference in the square
of tank pressures or the difference in pseudo-pressures

8. What is the category of the problem of his scientific work? Describe your answer!
Establishing a system problem. To determine the gas initial in place (GIIP), the authors
create a CR model that must be capable of matching to the observed pressure decline. To
perform a material-balance history match, the reservoir should be divided into as few tanks
as possible that contain wells that are proximate and that measure consistent reservoir
pressures. Only if the model is still incapable of matching the observed pressure decline
should additional tanks be added. Additional tanks can be added either by subdividing the
previously defined tanks or by adding tanks that contain no drainage points.
9. How did the author characterize the problem to solve in his work?
The authors characterize the problem by identifying the conditions and characteristic of
the tight-reservoir which violate the concept of straight-line p/z plots, then make an
obvious solution which can be applied without change the conditions and characteristic of
the tight-reservoir.

10. What is type of the approach (imitative, partial solution, or integrative/holistic)

employed by the author to arrive at the solution? Describe your answer!
Partial solution approach, from a large scale problem is broken into several parts, each
is solved separately. The straight-line p/z plot material balance assume that reservoir
behaves as a tank, usually as a single tank. But the fundamental assumptions can’t be
applied in tight-gas reservoir because the substantial pressure gradients is exist within the
formation, resulting in a violation of the basic tank assumptions. Hence, the authors give
one obvious solution to the material balance problem in tight-gas reservoir, by the CR
model. Rather than use of a single tank, the technique consists of subdividing the reservoir
into a number of tanks that are allowed to communicate. Such tanks can either be depleted
directly by wells or indirectly through other tanks. Flow rate between tanks is set
proportionally to either the difference in the square of tank pressures or the difference in
pseudo-pressures.