Fundamentals of Reservoir Engineering

About the Course

This 5-day Fundamentals of Reservoir Engineering training course introduces fundamental concepts and techniques in reservoir engineering, focusing on the principles of fluid flow through porous media, reservoir rock properties, and basic well-testing methods. It typically gives an overview of the petroleum geology and the different subsurface reservoir traps. It also highlights the roles and responsibilities of the reservoir engineer and the value of integrating with other subsurface disciplines in what is known as asset teams in managing the field through its different cycles from exploration appraisal followed by development to abandonment. Similarly, this programme covers the reservoir rock and fluid properties, including the study of porosity, permeability, fluid saturation, relative permeability, and capillary pressure.

The delegates will learn to calculate these properties from well logs and core data. Reservoir fluid properties and the different lab measurements are discussed, in addition to the basic concepts of hydrocarbon phase diagrams. Then, the reservoir drive mechanisms are introduced, where the various forces that drive hydrocarbons out of a reservoir, such as gas drive, water drive, and solution drive, are studied. This is followed by an explanation of the different stages of oil recovery, namely the primary and secondary recovery. Waterflooding as a secondary recovery is demonstrated along with the other recovery prediction methods. Lastly, it covers the hydrocarbon resource assessment and evaluation along with the SPE PRMS guidelines, in addition to evaluating the risk and uncertainty associated with the hydrocarbon reserves. Two additional advanced topics related to EOR and unconventional resource estimation are also discussed.

Core Objectives

The delegates will achieve the following objectives:

• Understand the fundamental concepts and principles governing reservoir engineering, including the properties of reservoir fluids, reservoir rock properties, and fluid flow through porous media
• Analyse and predict the behaviour of reservoir fluids under various conditions, including phase behaviour, PVT analysis, and the effects of temperature and pressure on fluid properties
• Familiarise the properties of reservoir rocks, such as porosity, permeability, and capillary pressure, and how these properties impact fluid flow and storage in porous media
• Know the techniques for characterising reservoirs, including rock classification systems, heterogeneity assessment, and methods for determining reservoir boundaries
• Understand Darcy's law, flow equations in reservoirs, and the factors affecting fluid flow, including wellbore and reservoir storage
• Equip with the knowledge and skills to perform material balance calculations and use them to estimate hydrocarbon reserves and monitor reservoir performance
• Acquire various well-testing methods, including pressure buildup and drawdown tests, and teach them how to analyse the data obtained from these tests
• Know the different reservoir drive mechanisms, such as water drive and gas cap drive, and their influence on reservoir behaviour and production
• Analyse and forecast reservoir production using techniques such as decline curve analysis and the evaluation of production data
• Understand the basics of numerical reservoir simulation, its applications, and its role in reservoir engineering studies

Training Approach

This training course will be conducted through classroom training in interactive and practical methods. There will be daily individual exercises, and everyone will get an opportunity to discuss their issues with the software or with the concept itself. There will be a PowerPoint Presentation to capture all notes and explain everything in detail, and a daily recap will be provided for maximum benefit for the delegates.

The Attendees

This training course is a core programme for petroleum engineers, and it is also helpful for professionals in other related fields, such as geology, geophysics, and petrophysics. It will introduce the basic principles of reservoir science and engineering and provide the skills needed to solve real-world problems related to reservoir development and production.

Likewise, it will be valuable to the professionals but not limited to the following:

• Petroleum Engineers
• Reservoir Engineers
• Production Engineers
• Geologists
• Petrophysicists
• Drilling Engineers
• Well Completion Engineers
• Oil and Gas Field Operators
• Geophysicists
• Technical Managers in the Oil & Gas Industry

Daily Discussion

DAY ONE: INTRODUCTION TO RESERVOIR ENGINEERING

• Petroleum Reservoirs
• Reservoir Geology
• Reservoir Structure
• Role of Reservoir Engineers
• Multidisciplinary Asset Team
• Reservoir/Field Cycles
• Hydrocarbon Types

DAY TWO: RESERVOIR ROCK AND FLUID PROPERTIES

• Reservoir Fluid Properties
  • Density Viscosity
  • Specific Gravity (GOR)
  • Saturation Pressure Deviation Factor
  • FVF
• Phase Diagram
• Reservoir Rock Properties
  • Porosity and Relative Permeability
  • Permeability Capillary Pressure
  • Compressibility
• Reservoir Fluid Flow
• Advanced Rock and Fluid Characterisation Lab Experiments

DAY THREE: OIL RESERVOIR FLUID FLOW AND PRODUCTION

• Fundamentals of Oil Production
• Inflow Performance Relationship (IPR)
• Outflow Performance Relationship (OPR)
• Reservoir Classifications
• Drive Mechanisms   

DAY FOUR: OIL RECOVERY MECHANISMS – PRIMARY AND SECONDARY RECOVERY

• Oil Recovery Principles
• Recovery Efficiency
• Waterflooding Concept
• Oil Displacement Principles
• Fractional Flow
• Buckley, Leverett & Welge
• Mobility

DAY FIVE: HYDROCARBON RESERVES ESTIMATION AND EVALUATION

• Reserves and Resources
  • Definitions
  • STOOIP Estimation
• Reserve Definitions and Estimation
• Reservoir Monitoring
• Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) Reserves Estimation
• Reserves Risk Assessment and Uncertainty Management
• Unconventional Hydrocarbon Reserves Estimation