Orientation Webcast

Approx. 1 hour virtual, instructor-led session

This is Reservoir Engineering

Approx. 4 hours online learning activities

This skill module is an introduction to the blended version of the Applied Reservoir Engineering course.

You will learn:

• About the Principal Tasks of a Reservoir Engineer
• About the Principal Tools of a Reservoir Engineer
• How this course is organized to cover these topics

Reservoir Rock Properties

Approx. 4 hours online learning activities

You will learn:

• Different types of rocks
• Primary rock properties from a reservoir engineering point of view
• How rock properties are measured
• How rock property values are interpolated/extrapolated throughout the reservoir

Reservoir Rock Properties Fundamentals

Approx. 2 hours virtual, instructor-led session

Approx. 6 hours online learning activities

You will learn how to:

• Describe the concept of fluid contacts
• Describe how saturations change when crossing contacts
• Describe wettability
• Describe interfacial tension
• Describe how residual oil saturation is controlled by the interplay of different forces
• Define capillary pressure
• Explain how capillary pressure is a combination of several related phenomena
• Describe how capillary pressure can be used to explain macroscopic reservoir phenomena
• Show how collecting capillary pressure data can actually save money
• Discuss the various choices available for measuring relative permeability in the laboratory
• Discuss the various choices available for measuring capillary pressure in the laboratory
• Show how reservoir engineers model relative permeability
• Show how reservoir engineers model capillary pressure
• Describe how reservoir engineers define saturations
• Apply concepts discussed in the module to build relative permeability and capillary data datasets

Reservoir Fluid

Approx. 4 hours online learning activities

You will learn how to:

• Describe how fluids change in response to changes in pressure and temperature
• Define the engineering properties of reservoir fluids
• Describe the make-up of reservoir fluids
• Describe how fluids are sampled
• Describe how fluid properties are measured in the laboratory

Reservoir Flow Properties

Approx. 4 hours online learning activities

This Reservoir Flow Properties Core module discusses the extensions and limitations of Darcy’s Law. This module also includes the application of Darcy’s Law to gas an oil and how the law can be applied to homogenize to calculate effective permeability.

You will learn how to:

• Explain the origin of Darcy’s law and how it evolved
• State the difference between gravity and the pressure gradients, and how they play a role in determining the rate of which fluid could flow in the porous medium
• Identify the differences between the equations of Linear versus radial flow when calculating the flow
• Explain how do heterogeneities affect the flow in porous medium, and how Darcy's law can be applied to homogenize to calculate effective permeability
• Differentiate between oil and gas flow
• Apply Darcy’s law to gas and oil
• Calculate the amount of fluid that is flowing when you have single cell phase vs single phase oil
• Describe the Importance of non-Darcy effect on well performance
• Apply Darcy's law when calculating the rate of the of oil and gas well
• Identify the differences between layers in parallel and layers in series
• Discuss the effective permeability of both layers in parallel and layers in series
• State limitations of Darcy’s law
• Assess the differences between gas and oil reservoirs
• Describe the effect of non-Darcy flow

Reservoir Material Balance

Approx. 4 hours online learning activities

This Reservoir Material Balance Core module covers the basics of material balance. The topics included are drive mechanisms, principles of material balance, how to develop equations, and application of the material balance equation.

You will learn how to:

• Describe the purpose of the material balance technique to estimate the initial hydrocarbons in place
• Differentiate between volumetric analysis and material balance technique
• State the basic principle of material balance analysis
• Describe the principles behind material balance equation
• Identify the data that is needed to apply the material balance equation and the uncertainties associated with collecting such data
• Identify the purpose of the modified black oil model in material balance equation
• State the assumptions involved in applying the material balance equation
• Identify the limitations of material balance technique
• Develop the material balance equations from the first principle
• Identify and explain the different mechanisms influencing the production of hydrocarbons and how they are incorporated in the material balance equation
• Understand the necessary equations to be used depending on the type of reservoir from which hydrocarbons produce
• Develop appropriate equations for dry gas, wet gas, condensate, volatile oil and black oil reservoirs
• Describe modifications of material balance equations to estimate the initial oil and gas in place
• Explain the Havlena and Odeh method and the appropriate way to linearize the material balance equations
• Express the importance of water influx and how to detect the presence of aquifer based on production data
• Recognize the uncertainties associated with predicting the water influx as a function of time

Decline Curve Analysis and Empirical Approaches

Approx. 4 hours online learning activities

This module introduces the use of statistical methods in reservoir engineering. A range of applications are described, concentrating on decline curve analysis.

You will learn how to:

• Perform Basic Statistics
• Calculate Decline Curve Analysis
• Estimate Recovery Factors

Reserves and Resources

Approx. 4 hours online learning activities

This module brings your attention to reserves management and the difference between resources and reserves at a core competency level.

You will learn:

• The importance of integration with other disciplines
• Calculations using the volumetric formulas for gas and oil
• The importance of dividing into flow units for dynamic reserves in reservoir simulation
• Reserves management: what it is and how to do it
• The Reservoir Engineer’s input to reserves and resources (R & R)
• How a Geoscientist and Reservoir Engineer work together on reserves
• The risk and uncertainty that drive reserves
• Other non-technical factors that influence R & R
• The standardized process between reserve estimates
• The ethical basis underlying R & R estimations

Pressure Transient Analysis

Approx. 4 hours online learning activities

This module brings your attention to pressure transient analysis concepts, equations, and terminology. These will get you started in the process of understanding and using this key technology for understanding oil and gas reservoir architecture and near-well parameters.

You will learn:

• Pressure transient analysis concepts, terminology, equations and objectives
• Pressure transient analysis in buildup and drawdown tests
• Time period analysis - challenges and objectives
• Semi-log and log-log analysis

Rate Transient Analysis

Approx. 4 hours online learning activities

You will learn how to:

• Describe the relationship between 'rate transient analysis' and 'pressure transient analysis'
• Describe the situations under which rate transient analysis would be preferred to pressure transient analysis

Reservoir Fluid Displacement

Approx. 4 hours online learning activities

This covers immiscible, linear displacement, as dispersed and segregated flow. It also discusses aquifers, coning, and vertical layering.

You will learn:

• About immiscible fluid displacement linearly and vertically
• About dispersed and segregated flow
• About aquifer models
• Coning in oil/water systems, including when it is most likely to occur, and how to prevent it

Enhanced Oil Recovery

Approx. 4 hours online learning activities

You will learn how to:

• Discusses the modification of rock and fluid properties in tertiary recovery
• Describes (at a high level) the range of secondary and tertiary recovery techniques currently available (and relates them back to rock & fluid properties)

Reservoir Simulation

Approx. 4 hours online learning activities

You will learn how to:

• Describe the physical basis, use and limitations of reservoir simulation models
• Describe the kind of data required to perform a simulation study
• Describe the issues and requirements for making rate and recoverable predictions for unconventional reservoirs with simulation tools (UC)
• Describe the issues and requirements for making rate and recoverable predictions for heavy-oil reservoirs with simulation tools (HO)

Reservoir Surveillance

Approx. 4 hours online learning activities

You will learn:

• How surveillance plan objectives must be aligned with asset specific tactical details
• How surveillance activities must add value and how they do not after reaching a certain optimum
• How to calculate the Value of Information derived from surveillance activities
• How surveillance activities reduce uncertainty
• How surveillance plan must change constantly as asset objectives change
• The impact of the production and well environment, including well construction concepts and how this impacts RS activities
• How production allocation impacts the quality of the data and the impact of data frequency
• Measurement principles behind oil field measurements, including concepts related to precision, accuracy, and repeatability
• Collect data that adds value to an asset RM

Reservoir Management

Approx. 4 hours online learning activities

You will learn how to:

• Retain flexibility in reservoir management without giving up key principles for depletion
• Build flow units critical to asset reservoir management
• Describe the value of an asset and the roles, risk, and uncertainty of that valuation
• Explain the roles of risk and uncertainty in that valuation
• Evaluate vertical equilibrium and no-crossflow, and how to get the most out of each through integrated technologies from multiple disciplines

Course Summary

Approx. 2 hours virtual, instructor-led session