When dealing with rocks, we are always interested in the fracture pressure. One application of fracture pressure is in drilling and completions. If we fracture the formation while we are drillng due to excessive mud weight, lost circulation could occur in the well bore which could eventually lead to a blow out if we are …
Overburden pressure is the vertical stress imposed by the overlying formation at a reference point below the surface. In other words it is the hydrostatic pressure exerted by all the material above a reference point. The overlying layers can include rock columns and bodies of water. Why is it important? Because we can use it …
Overburden Pressure: What is it and Why is it important? Read More »
In its simplest form, the subsurface consists of two things: 1) Rock grains and 2) fluid. Because we as petroleum engineers are so interested in pressure, we need a way to calculate the density of fluid-grain mixtures which can eventually get us pressure. This is where bulk density comes into play. In petroleum engineering, bulk …
The initial reservoir pressure and temperatures is one of the most important parameters we need in petroleum engineering. From initial reservoir pressure and temperatures we can determine fluid properties with correlations, estimate the amount of hydrocarbons in place, and predict an overall recovery factor from a well. How do we estimate reservoir pressure and temperature?? …
Everything we just applied to linear flow, extends to radial flow. Nothing too different! The same analogy works! The only difference is we apply Darcy’s law for radial flow. We will know work through the derivations of average permeability for series radial flow and parallel radial flow. Series Radial Flow-Harmonic Average Consider radial flow for flow units in …
Average Permeability of Flow Units in Parallel and in Series (Radial Flow) Read More »
Series Linear Flow-Harmonic Average Consider linear flow for flow units in series as shown in the diagram below: Flow going through flow units in series can be treated as resistors in series, where flow rate () represents current (), pressure () represents voltage (), and flow resistance () represents resistance (). For resistors in series, the following rules …
Average Permeability of Flow Units in Parallel and in Series (Linear Flow) Read More »
Understanding the permeability distribution in the reservoir is critical to forecasting the depletion process and predicting the estimated ultimate recovery from a well. In many cases, the reservoir is heterogeneous and contains distinct layers with different permeabilities. One method of understanding the permeability distribution is through core analysis. It is common to compute an average …
Average Permeability of Flow Units in Parallel and in Series Read More »
Darcy’s law can be applied to model reservoir flow systems. The simplest is steady-state radial flow (steady-state just means that the flow rate and pressure does not vary with time). Consider the figure below: In vertical wells, we often assume a cylindrial drainage area as depicted in the figure above. The flow is directed from …
Darcy’s law is the MOST important fundamental equation in petroleum engineering. If you don’t know it, well you have come to the right place. The Origin of Darcy’s Law Way back in 1856, a French engineer by the name of Henry Darcy set up an experiment to investigate the flow of water through sand filter …
Upstream Production is one of the most rewarding and fulfilling career opportunities in the oil and gas industry. Engineers in Upstream Production provide technical support for a variety of operations such as deep water offshore production, pressure maintenance and waterflood projects, and enhanced oil recovery. Engineers in upstream production often conduct technical work in an …
Types of Petroleum Engineering Jobs in Upstream And Which One Is Right For You Read More »