Glossary of Terms in Reservoir Engineering

Bottom hole pressure (BHP) The pressure measured at the bottom of the hole, bar
CAPEX Capital expenditures creating future benefits, $
Capillary Pressure (Pc) The pressure difference between non-wetting and wetting
phase, bar
Density (ρ) Mass per unit of volume, kg/m3
Drainage Wetting phase decreases
Formation volume factor, FVF (Bo) The volume of oil at reservoir conditions corresponding to a
unit volume of oil at surface conditions, Rm3/Sm3
Gas saturation (Sg) See: Saturation
GIIP Gas initially in place
GOR Gas-oil ratio, Sm3/Sm3
Imbibition Wetting phase increases
Mobility The ratio of effective permeability to phase viscosity
Mobility ratio (M) Mobility to wetting phase/mobility to non-wetting phase
Net to gross (N/G) The ratio of productive reservoir to total reservoir thickness
Oil saturation, So See: Saturation
OPEX Operational expenditures, $
Permeability, absolute (k) Describes the flow property of a porous rock, D
Permeability, relative (kr) The ability to flow with two or more phases present, D
Porosity, ф The percentage of the rock that can contain fluid, fraction
PVT (pressure, volume, temperature) A term used in fluid properties evaluation
Recovery factor, RF Produced oil/STOIIP or Net gas produced/GIIP
Saturation The fraction of the pore space occupied by water, oil or gas
SCAL Special core analysis
STOIIP Stock tank oil initially in place
Transmissibility A measure on how easily liquid can flow horizontally through
a porous media
Viscosity, µ A fluid property that describes their resistance to flow, cP
Water cut, WC A ratio of water produced to total liquids produced
Water saturation, initial (Swi) Connate water saturation
Water saturation, irreducible (Swir) Lowest possible water saturation
Water saturation, Sw See: Saturation
Wellhead pressure (WHP) The pressure measured at the wellhead, bar