Chapter 3

Reserve Estimation

Lecture notes for PET 370

Spring 2012
Prepared by: Thomas W. Engler,
Ph.D., P.E.

Reserve Estimation

Volumetric oil in place,

7758A n
N
h ifi (1 Swi )
Boi i 1
where,
N = oil in place, stb
A = drainage area, acres
Boi = initial formation volume factor,rb/stb
hi = individual zone thickness, ft
fi = porosity, fraction
Swi = water saturation, fraction
Reserves are defined by:
R = N * (Er)
Er = recovery factor

Depth merge & correlate

Measured Water Sample

Sonic

Published Water Tables

Density
Lithology

Rw = Ro/F

Neutron
Gas/Liquid

SP log

others

Vsh
SP

fm
Sw

F * Rw
Rt

Induction log

GR
Porosity logs

Laterologs

So = 1 - S w
Volumetric oil in place,
7758A n
N
h ifi (1 S wi )
Boi i 1

Reserves,
R = N * RF
Flowchart for Well Log Interpretation

Reserve Estimation

Definition of Reservoir Intervals

Reserve Estimation

Cutoff Values

1. Shale content (Vsh) eliminate the portion of the

formation which contains large quantities of shale.
Vshcutoff 20 to 30 %
(Note: shale plays up to 40 to 50%)
GROSS SAND
2. Porosity eliminate the portion of the formation which is
low porosity (and low permeability) and therefore would
be non-productive.
Sandstones
fcutoff 5% to 15%
consolidated friable, unconsolidated
Carbonates
fcutoff 4%
(Note: shale plays ~ 3 to 4%)
NET SAND
3. Water saturation eliminate the portion of the formation
which contains large volumes of water in the pore space.
Sandstones
Swcutoff 60%
Carbonates
Swcutoff 50%

NET PAY

Reserve Estimation

Cutoff Values

Specific Correlation

Applicable to U.S. gulf coast sands

Correlation between k, f, and Sw
Assumes oil/water viscosity ratio = 2.0

Reserve Estimation

Averaging

Porosity thickness weighted average

n
f i hi
f i 1
n
hi
i 1

h1

f1

h2

f2

h3

f3

Water saturation volume weighted average

n
S wi i h i
S w i 1
n
i h i
i 1

Reserve Estimation

Reservoir Volume

h
Vb An An 1 An * An 1
3
or
h
Vb An An 1
2

Reserve Estimation

Recovery Factor

Determined from:
1. displacement efficiency studies
2. correlations based on statistical studies of particular
types of reservoir mechanisms

OIL
volumetric reservoirs

1 Sw S g B
oi
Er 1
1 S w Bo

Total free gas saturation at abandonment by core analysis. Assumes core fluids (oil and water)
are displaced by expansion of the liberated gas while removing the core to the surfacesimilar
process to depletion.

hydraulic reservoirs

Er

1 S w S or
1 Sw

Estimate Sor from the remaining oil in the cores after flushed by mud filtrate and expansion of
gasdisplacement process

Reserve Estimation

Recovery Factor

GAS
Volumetric Reservoirs

B gi

E r 1
B ga

Hydraulic Reservoirs

B gi

1 S w S gr
B ga

Er
1 Sw

Reserve Estimation

Recovery Factor

From displacement of reservoir fluids (invasion) using well

logs

Reserve Estimation

Recovery Factor

From displacement of reservoir fluids (invasion) using well

logs
Difference between initial oil saturation, Soi and the
residual oil saturation, Sor, that remains after the
formation is invaded by water:
Som = Soi - Sor
Inferring mud filtrate invasion as an efficient
displacement mechanism, then
Som = Sxo - Sw
Recovery factor for water drive reservoirs,

S xo S w
Er

wd
1 Sw

....for depletion drive, use rule of thumb of 1/2 of (RF)wd

Reserve Estimation

Recovery Factor

Statistical Performance
Soln Gor

60

200

600

1000

2000

Oil
gravity

maximum

Sandstones
average

15
30
50
15
30
50
15
30
50
15
30
50
15
30
50

12.8
21.3
34.2
13.3
22.2
37.4
18.0
24.3
35.6
34.4
33.7
40.7

8.6
15.2
24.8
8.8
15.2
26.4
11.3
15.1
23.0
21.2
20.2
24.8

minimum

2.6
8.7
16.9
3.3
8.4
17.6
6.0
8.4
13.8
12.6
11.6
15.6

maximum

Carbonates
average

minimum

28.0
32.8
39.0
27.5
32.3
39.8
26.6
30.0
36.1
32.6
31.8
32.8

4.4
9.9
18.6
4.5
9.8
19.3
6.9
9.6
15.1
13.2
12.0
14.5

0.6
2.9
8.0
0.9
2.6
7.4
1.9
2.5
4.3
4.0
3.1
5.0

Solution Gas Drive Reservoirs (Arps, 1962)

Drive
Water drive
Solution gas
drive without
supplemental
drives
Solution gas
drive with
supplemental
drives
Gas cap drive
Gravity drainage
Gas depletion
Gas water drive

minimum
27.8
9.5

Sandstones
average
51.1
21.3

13.1

28.4

57.9

15.8
16.0
75.0
50.0

32.5
57.2
85.0
70.0

67.0
63.8
95.0
80.0

maximum minimum
86.7
6.3
46.0
15.5

9.0

Carbonates
average
maximum
43.6
80.5
17.6
20.7

21.8

48.1

Combined with sandstone

Data not available

Recovery factor for different drive mechanisms

Electrical Properties of Rocks

References

Chapter 11, Sec 11.4-11.7, Bassiouni, Z: Theory,

Measurement, and Interpretation of Well Logs, SPE
Textbook Series, Vol. 4, (1994)
Corelab, Fundamentals of Core Analysis, Houston, TX
(1983), Chapter 7