What is Reservoir Engineering?

Name: What is Reservoir Engineering?
Author: KnowledgeCity

Learn what a reservoir is and the fundamentals of reservoir engineering

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Course: On-Demand

What is reservoir engineering? Reservoir engineering is a segment of petroleum engineering that involves the study of fluid flow, oil, gas, and water, through porous rock. There are three main steps in reservoir engineering: analyze, estimate, plan. A reservoir engineer analyzes characteristics of specific rock formations to determine the viability of producing oil and gas from a reservoir. The ultimate goal in reservoir engineering is to optimize and maximize production of wells in an area with the least capital expenditure. It would be easy for a company to drill hundreds of wells in an area until it finds and produces all the oil, but this is not cost effective. A reservoir engineer will try to produce the maximum amount of oil by drilling the least number of wells. Therefore, the first step of reservoir engineering involves data acquisition analysis. The reservoir engineer works closely with geologists to analyze captured data. This may include seismic data, porosity, temperature or pressure of formation, or current depletion data. Once analysis of an oil field has been completed, the reservoir engineer estimates the recoverable reserves. Reserves are defined as oil that is commercially and technically viable to produce in an area. This is different from oil in place, OIP. Oil in place calculates the total theoretical volume of oil in an area, but all the oil may not be commercially or economically viable to produce. Reserve estimates are also often reported in SEC filings, or filing required by government organizations. The last step in reservoir engineering is creating a development plan. Based on the analysis and estimates, the reservoir engineer creates a plan to develop an area. This plan includes the number of wells required in an area, spacing of the well, location of the well, capital budget for the program, completion and drilling techniques required. Additionally, the reservoir engineer may implement enhanced recovery methods to optimize already producing reservoirs and wells.

Essential Provider : KnowledgeCity 4 Lessons · 10m in Arabic, English

Course Description

In these lessons on Reservoir Engineering Fundamentals, we will define what reservoir engineering is. We will also cover the basic terminology and components of reservoir engineering.

As part of their responsibilities, a reservoir engineer has three main goals: analyze specific rock formations of a potential reservoir, estimate how much petroleum can be recovered, and creating a development plan. These lessons will not only introduce and discuss these steps, but they will also delve into the types of reservoirs an engineer may encounter, conventional and unconventional, and explain the difference between the types. These lessons will then continue with a discussion of how to calculate hydrocarbon volume if it’s determined that hydrocarbon exists at the location in question. Finally, we will wrap up this course with a review of primary, secondary, and tertiary oil recovery phases.

What You'll Learn

Define what a reservoir is and what reservoir engineering involves
Identify the basic terminology and components of reservoir engineering
Differentiate between conventional and unconventional reservoirs
Calculate hydrocarbon volume and understand why it is important
Review the primary, secondary, and tertiary oil recovery phases

Key Takeaways

A reservoir engineer has three main goals: analyze the rock formations of a potential reservoir, estimate how much petroleum can be recovered, and create a development plan.
Reservoirs fall into two types, conventional and unconventional, which differ from one another.
If hydrocarbon is determined to exist at a location, its volume can be calculated.
Oil recovery proceeds through primary, secondary, and tertiary phases.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this course cover?

It defines what reservoir engineering is and covers the basic terminology and components of reservoir engineering, the conventional and unconventional reservoir types, how to calculate hydrocarbon volume, and the primary, secondary, and tertiary oil recovery phases.

What are the main responsibilities of a reservoir engineer discussed in this course?

A reservoir engineer has three main goals: analyze the specific rock formations of a potential reservoir, estimate how much petroleum can be recovered, and create a development plan.

What types of reservoirs are covered?

The course discusses the two types of reservoirs an engineer may encounter, conventional and unconventional, and explains the difference between them.

What skills does this course relate to?

It relates to Engineering Geology, Hydraulic Engineering, Hydrologic Engineering, Petroleum Engineering, Utility Engineering, and Petroleum Engineering Certification.

What lessons are included?

The lessons are What is Reservoir Engineering, Types of Reservoirs, Calculating Hydrocarbon Volume, and Oil Recovery.