Subject Discipline: Reservoir Engineering

Mark Cook: Associate Reservoir Engineer at TRACS International Consultancy and Independent Engineer at Delta-T Energy Consultancy.

Have you been on reservoir engineering classes in the past, heard the terms, seen the equations but not used any of it directly yourself? Would you like someone to run over the basics and just pick out the essentials, the parts everyone really needs to know? This short, focused class is designed to explain how reservoir engineers make subsurface interpretations, use these to build models to make forecasts and use these in turn to influence significant investment decisions. The course will cover what types of models the reservoir engineer uses, from simple analytical (graphical and spreadsheet) tools to more complex numerical simulators. It will put in context the key fundamentals of rock and fluid properties, reservoir deliverability, well performance and process design. The course will also illustrate how these fundamentals and the commercial E&P context place constraints on forecasts, and why a significant associated range of uncertainty results. This will be done in plain language accessible to those working outside reservoir engineering with the aim of giving you what you need to know to understand the subject – just the essential details.

Classroom version: A 1-day classroom course comprising a combination of lectures and exercises. The manual will be provided in digital format and participants should bring a laptop or tablet computer to follow the lectures and exercises.

Virtual version: Two 4.5-hour interactive online sessions presented over 2 days. A digital manual and exercise materials will be distributed to participants before the course. Some reading and several exercises are to be completed by participants off-line.

Fundamental. Designed for those who interface with reservoir engineering professionals and need to understand the language, techniques and assumptions they make in forecasting reservoir performance under various development schemes. The class will provide an opportunity for learning, inspiration and discussion.

You will learn to:

1. Understand the principles of fluid flow in porous media (reservoirs).
2. Recognize how fluid properties influence reservoir, well and processing performance.
3. Distinguish the benefits and limitations of well testing.
4. Understand how engineers decide on reservoir development methods, predict recovery factors and production profiles for oil and gas reservoirs.
5. Appreciate that not all reservoir models need to be complex and understand when simple models suffice and when complex numerical simulation models are justifiable.
6. Recognize tools used for reservoir monitoring and standards for reporting reserves.

Mark Cook: Associate Reservoir Engineer at TRACS International Consultancy and Independent Engineer at Delta-T Energy Consultancy.

The course examines reservoir engineering processes, techniques and terminology, particularly those that interface with geoscience activities. The material is structured around the three-part process of building a reservoir model: (1) building a static model to identify the main flow units, (2) developing a dynamic model to predict fluid flow in the reservoir, and (3) implementing a life-of-field reservoir management plan to maximize economic recovery. Numerous examples illustrate the use of subsurface data and the techniques employed during the construction of a reservoir model. The focus is on the principles rather than the detailed work of the reservoir engineer; the use of complex mathematics is avoided.

Classroom version: 5 days; a mix of classroom lectures (60%), case studies (20%) and exercises (20%). The manual will be provided in digital format and participants will be required to bring a laptop or tablet computer to follow the lectures and exercises.

Virtual version: Five 4-hour interactive online sessions presented over 5 days, including a mix of lectures (60%), case studies (20%) and exercises (20%). A digital manual and hard-copy exercise materials will be distributed to participants before the course.

Fundamental. The course is aimed at geoscientists, petrophysicists and others who interface with reservoir engineers on a regular basis, as well as anyone who wishes to obtain an understanding of reservoir engineering techniques.

You will learn to:

1. Effectively interact with reservoir engineering colleagues.
2. Interpret original fluid contacts, understand saturation vs height relationships and estimate original hydrocarbon in-place volumes for oil and gas reservoirs.
3. Differentiate the physical and chemical properties of hydrocarbons and their description through phase diagrams.
4. Recognize the strengths and weaknesses of well tests and their analysis.
5. Analyze production performance and describe production enhancement techniques.
6. Contrast static and dynamic reservoir models and assess the merits of reservoir numerical simulation.
7. Assess the value of reservoir management for forecasting production profiles and maximizing economic hydrocarbon recovery from a producing field over the complete life cycle.
8. Examine the controls on fluid flow in the reservoir and reservoir drive mechanisms.