These are fundamental properties of reservoir rocks that significantly influence hydrocarbon production.
- Porosity: This refers to the void space within a rock. It's expressed as a percentage of the total rock volume that is pore space. High porosity means more space for hydrocarbons to reside.
- Permeability: This measures a rock's ability to allow fluids (oil, gas, water) to flow through it. High permeability means fluids can move easily through the rock.
Reservoir Simulation
Reservoir simulation is a powerful tool used to model the behavior of a reservoir over time. It involves creating a digital representation of the reservoir and simulating fluid flow, production, and recovery processes.
- Purpose: To predict future performance, optimize production, and evaluate different development strategies.
- Process: It involves gathering data, building a geological model, assigning reservoir properties, setting up production and injection wells, and running simulations.
Other Important Concepts
- Reservoir Drive Mechanisms: These are the forces that push hydrocarbons out of the reservoir. Examples include depletion drive, water drive, and gas cap drive.
- Hydrocarbon in Place (HIP): The total volume of hydrocarbons contained within the reservoir.
- Recoverable Reserves: The portion of hydrocarbons that can be economically produced.
- Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR): Techniques used to increase oil recovery beyond primary and secondary recovery methods.
