Applied Reservoir Engineering

Introduction

This course represents the core of our reservoir engineering program and the foundation for all future studies in this subject. An in-depth study of the subject is presented. Numerous engineering practices are covered ranging from fluid and rock properties to simulation and field development planning.

An extensive manual and set of references are included. This course has been taught for many years on a worldwide basis. It has been continuously updated and improved by a team of experienced reservoir engineering consultants who spend most of their time working on major reservoir engineering projects and field studies. 

Objectives

This course is intended to provide an understanding of the fundamental principles of petroleum reservoir engineering. Course participants will examine:

• Critical properties of reservoir rocks Fluid (oil, water, and gas) relationships
• Methods to calculate hydrocarbons initially in place
• Dynamic techniques to assess reservoir performance
• Parameters that impact well/reservoir performance over time
• Well testing principles and techniques
• Aquifer characterization
• Reservoir drive mechanisms for both Oil and Gas reservoirs
• Reservoir simulation techniques
• Oil and gas field development planning principles
• Forecasting production decline
• Enhanced oil recovery processes

Target Audience

Engineers or geoscientists who will occupy the position of reservoir engineer, any other technically trained individual that desires a more in-depth foundation in reservoir engineering than is offered in the one-week Basic Reservoir Engineering and Reservoir Engineering for Other Disciplines courses.

Reservoir Engineering Outline

The course covers the following topics:

• Role of reservoir engineers in managing asset values: Asset life cycles, professional roles, hydrocarbon reservoir descriptions
• Rock properties: Porosity, permeability, compressibility, capillary pressure, wettability, and relative permeability, averaging reservoir property data
• Reservoir fluid properties: Phase behavior of reservoir fluids, gas properties, oil properties, water properties, PVT sampling and understanding laboratory reports
• Volumetric calculation of reservoir fluids in place: Oil in place, gas in place, uncertainty and probabilistic methods and recovery efficiencies
• Material balance methods: Oil recovery material balance, gas material balance, volumetric, compaction, water drive, and compartmentalized reservoirs
• Oil well testing: Radial flow theory, wellbore storage and skin, drawdowns, buildups, curve shapes, type curve solutions, interference testing, pseudo-steady-state, steady-state, average pressure estimates, PI and IPR relationships
• Gas well testing: Pressure, pressure squared, real gas pseudo pressure solutions, rate-sensitive skins, multi-rate testing, gas well deliverability
• Aquifers: Aquifer analysis and description
• Immiscible displacement: Fluid displacement process  fractional flow
• Coning, cusping, over/under running: Description of each process, critical rates calculations, breakthrough times, horizontal well applications
• Horizontal wells: Applications and uses, analysis techniques, industry experience
• Reservoir types and drive mechanisms: Gas reservoirs: volumetric, water drive and compaction drive oil reservoirs: water drive, water flood, gravity, drainage, gas cap expansion, combination drive, naturally fractured and critical reservoir fluid reservoirs
• Field development strategy: Gas field developments: characteristics, deliverability issues, contracts, planning tools oil field developments: development phases, reservoir characterization, sweep, and recovery, production policies
• Reservoir simulation: Why simulate? Various simulation models, simulator types, setting up a simulator model
• Production forecasting: Types of forecasts, purposes, methods, tools, practices, and procedures
• Enhanced oil recovery: Targets, processes, miscible displacement, thermal methods, chemical methods