∞virtualcampus

at The Robert Gordon University

Petroleum Technology 1
Unit 3, Petroleum Properties

Open Distance Learning

PgC/PgD/MSc in Oil and Gas Engineering

2
January 2002, Version 1
School of Mechanical and Offshore Engineering

postgraduate
PgDip/MSc Oil and Gas Engineering/Petroleum Technology 1 Topic 21: General Material
Balance

Topic 21: General Material Balance

Review

In this topic the general material balance equation is derived and rearranged
according to the drive mechanisms present in the reservoir.

Content
This equation takes into account all types of reservoir drive mechanisms. It can be
applied to reservoirs producing by one particular dominant mechanism or reservoirs with
combination drive. The balance can be represented schematically by the following
diagram:-

G = initial gas cap volume (scf)

m = initial gas cap volume (reservoir conditions)

initial oil volume (reservoir conditions)

© The Robert Gordon University 2002 1

PgDip/MSc Oil and Gas Engineering/Petroleum Technology 1 Topic 21: General Material
Balance

N = oil initially in place in reservoir

Np = oil produced

Rp = cumulative gas- oil ratio

= cumulative gas production (scf)

cumulative oil production (stb)

We = cumulative water influx from aquifer into reservoir (rb)

Wp = produced water (stb)

Bw = water formation volume factor (rb/stb)

= volume of water measured at reservoir conditions required to give unit
volume of water at stock tank conditions

Now

 Volume of free gas  Volume of initial   Volume of   Volume of gas

    -  gas  -  remaining in 
in reservoir at  = gas (free     
 time t = t  and dissolved )  produced   solution
 1   

(All volumes measured in scf).

Note that in this equation each term represents a mass of gas, although expressed in
terms of volume, since all volumes are measured under the same standard conditions.
We have:-

 Volume of initial 
gas (free  = G + NR (scf)
  si
and dissolved ) 

 Volume of 
 gas  = N R (scf)
  p p
produced 

 Volume of gas
 remaining in  = (N − N )R (scf)
  p s
 solution 

mNB oi
and G=
B gi

© The Robert Gordon University 2002 2

PgDip/MSc Oil and Gas Engineering/Petroleum Technology 1 Topic 21: General Material
Balance

Converting all volumes to reservoir conditions we then obtain:

 Volume of free gas

 in reservoir  = B  mNB oi + NR − N R − (N − N )R  (rb) (A)
  g si p p p s
 at time t = t 1   B gi 

Now at reservoir conditions:-

Oil volume = pore volume - connate water volume -free gas volume-water influx volume.

Summarising:

t=0 t=t1

Oil volume (rb) NBoi (N − Np )Bo

Pore volume (rb) Vpi Vpi (1 − c f ∆p)

Gas volume (rb) GBgi Given by (A) above

Connate water volume (rb) VpiS wc Vp S wc (1 + c w ∆p)

Water influx (rb) ---- We − WpB w

Then for t=0

NB oi = VpiS wc − mNB oi − 0

NBoi (1 + m)
Vpi = (B)
1 − S wc

A corresponding equation may be written for t = t1 which when combined with (B) to
eliminate Vpi gives:

NBoi (1 + m) mNB oiBg

(N − Np )Bo = [1 − c f ∆p − S wc − S wc c w ∆p] −
1 − S wc B gi

−NR siB g + NpR pB g + (N − Np )R sB g − (We − WpB w ) (C)

© The Robert Gordon University 2002 3

PgDip/MSc Oil and Gas Engineering/Petroleum Technology 1 Topic 21: General Material
Balance

It is convenient to make use of the substitution

B t = Bo + (R si − R s )Bg = total oil formation volume factor.

Then by adding and subtracting the quantity NpRsiBg on the RHS of (C) and rearranging
we obtain:-

N=
[ ]
Np B t + (R p − R si )Bg − (We − WpB w )
General Material
 Bg  (1 + m)(S wc c w + c f )∆p
B t − B ti + mB ti  − 1 + B ti Balance Equation
 Bgi  (1 − S wc )

This is the usual form of the general material balance equation, originally developed by
Schilthuis (1936). The equation may readily be expressed in terms of Bo and Boi if
required, since

Bti = Boi (always)

Bt = Bo + (Rsi – Rs ) Bg

Note that in the above derivation Bg is expressed in units of rb/scf as used, for example,
by Dake, Cole and Craft & Hawkins. Some older works use units of rb/stb (or rcf/scf)
with the result that in their equations the term Bg / 5.6l5 everywhere replaces Bg in the
derivation given above.
For most applications the general material balance equation can be simplified, since one
or more of the terms appearing in it is identically zero or can be neglected; eg, for a
reservoir which is undersaturated throughout the period of production being considered,

Rs= Rsi= Rp

(since above the bubble-point the solution gas-oil ratio remains constant and all the gas
produced has been liberated from the oil produced).

Then Bt = Bo
m = 0 (no gas cap)

and the equation simplifies to:-

NpBo − ( We − WpB w )
N=
(S c + c f )∆p
Bo − Boi + Boi wc w
(1 − S wc )

© The Robert Gordon University 2002 4

PgDip/MSc Oil and Gas Engineering/Petroleum Technology 1 Topic 21: General Material
Balance

The compressibility of the formation and connate water is usually only significant in
undersaturated reservoirs; when the reservoir pressure is below the bubble-point the
effect of these compressibilities is normally negligible. In most cases where a reservoir
is initially undersaturated but the final pressure is below the bubble-point it will be found
that the quantity of oil produced during undersaturated conditions is only a small fraction
of the total production; it is therefore usually acceptable to neglect the term in the
material balance equation involving the formation and connate water compressibilities in
any case where the final reservoir pressure is well below the bubble- point. In such
cases the material balance equation becomes:-

N=
[ ]
Np B t + (R p − R si )Bg − (We − WpB w )
 Bg 
B t − B ti + mB ti  − 1
 B gi 

© The Robert Gordon University 2002 5

PgDip/MSc Oil and Gas Engineering/Petroleum Technology 1 Topic 21: General Material
Balance

The Material Balance as a Linear Function

This rearrangement of the material balance equation is due to Havlena and Odeh (1963-
4), who re-expressed it in terms of the following parameters:-

[ ]
F = Np Bo + (R p − R s )B g + WpB w

Eo = B t − B ti = Bo − Boi + (R si − R s )B g

 Bg 
E g = B ti  − 1
 Bgi 

(1 + m)(S wc c w + c f )∆p
E fw = B ti
(1 − S wc )

Note that in the Efw term ∆p is the cumulative pressure drop –ie, the initial reservoir
pressure minus the current reservoir pressure at the time under consideration.

Then the general material balance becomes:-

F = N(Eo + mE g + E fw ) + We ( D)

eg, for a reservoir with no initial gas cap (m = 0) and negligible water influx (We= 0) for
which formation and connate water compressibilities are negligible (Efw = 0) the balance
becomes:-

F = NE o

Since N is a constant, it can be seen that a plot of the production data in the form F
versus Eo should give a straight line of slope N passing through the origin.
If the plot is found to be non-linear, and the data is reliable, then one of the assumptions
must be invalid -eg formation and water compressibilities are not negligible, or there is a
previously unsuspected water influx into the reservoir. If the latter is the case, (D) could
be put in the form:-

F W
=N+ e
Eo Eo

A plot of F / Eo versus W e / Eo should then give a straight line of unit slope and intercept
N provided that a suitable flow model is being used to describe the water influx.
If the formation and water compressibilities need to be taken into account together with
the effects of water influx, (D ) becomes

F We
=N+
Eo + E fw Eo + E fw

© The Robert Gordon University 2002 6

PgDip/MSc Oil and Gas Engineering/Petroleum Technology 1 Topic 21: General Material
Balance

For a reservoir with a gas cap and negligible water drive (D) becomes:-

F = N(E o + mE g )

assuming formation and water compressibilities are negligible. (When W e is negligible, it

is found that water production W p will also usually be negligible.) In such a case, it is
often difficult to evaluate m with confidence. If the value of m used to calculate (Eo +
mEg) is in error, the plot of F versus (Eo + mEg) will be curved as shown in the sketch in
Figure 1; the correct value of m gives a straight line of slope N.

Figure 1. Graph of F versus (Eo+mEg)

The physical significance of the parameters used by Havlena and Odeh may be seen as
follows. At time t = t1, the oil produced is Np stb, the gas produced is NpRp scf and the
water produced is W p stb. If these volumes could be returned to the reservoir at the final
reservoir pressure, the volume of oil would be NpBo; this will have in solution NpRs scf of
gas, while the remainder of the produced gas, Np (Rp -Rs) scf will exist as free gas at the
final reservoir pressure, having a volume Np(Rp -Rs)Bg rb. Similarly the water will occupy
a volume W pBw. Then:-

 Volume of produced fluids 

at final reservoir conditions = NpB o + Np (R p − R s )B g + WpB w
 

= F by definition

Hence F is equal to the volume which would be occupied by the produced fluids at the
final reservoir conditions (called the underground withdrawal by Dake). It can further be
seen that:-

Eo = (B o − Boi ) + (R si − R s )B g

= expansion of oil + originally dissolved gas (per stb of oil initially in place)

Eg = expansion of gas in gas cap (per stb of oil initially in place )

Efw = expansion of connate water and reduction of pore volume (per stb of oil initially
in place )

© The Robert Gordon University 2002 7

PgDip/MSc Oil and Gas Engineering/Petroleum Technology 1 Topic 21: General Material
Balance

It is often found that material balance methods are subject to serious difficulties in
application. Some of these problems are the result of limitations imposed by the
underlying assumptions, particularly the implicit assumption that at any instant of time
conditions are uniform throughout the reservoir. For gas reservoirs this will usually be a
reasonable approximation, but for heavy oil reservoirs it is frequently unrealistic.
Another source of difficulty is that the results obtained from material balance
calculations are critically dependent on the accuracy of the PVT data for the reservoir
fluids. Difficulties in obtaining representative fluid samples from the reservoir and in
transporting and analysing samples recovered often result in unreliable PVT data, and
even quite small errors in this data can make the results of any material balance
analysis totally meaningless.

© The Robert Gordon University 2002 8