Fluid Inclusion Data for Rw in Reserves Estimation
Authors: Krieger F.W. , Eadington P.J. , Lisk M. 
Published: December 2007

A new technique has been developed that allows determination of the resistivity of a pristine sample of irreducible water trapped during oil accumulation, This fluid inclusion technique, termed ROI, is directly applicable to the evaluation of oil accumulations where the salinity of present day formation waters below the OWC differs from that of irreducible water trapped during oil accumulation.

Determination of oil saturation for calculation of oil reserves is critically dependent on the resistivity of formation water (Rw). Water saturations calculated from logs require an Rw value for irreducible water in the oil zone. In conventional log analysis the formation water salinity in the oil zone and therefore the Rw is assumed to be the same as that below the OWC. This relies on the assumption that the water below the OWC has not changed following oil charge.

Irreducible water is trapped with oil in microscopic fluid inclusions within reservoir grains. Resistivity of this water can be derived from an ice melting temperature using the correlation between colligative and transport properties of aqueous solutions. Measurements are made on core or cuttings samples from the oil zone and exclude contamination from mud filtrate invasion.

Introduction

Water below the OWC may change after oil charge in basins which are exposed at the land surface. This may allow recharge of meteoric water, potentially resulting in lower salinity water below the OWC than in the oil zone e.g. in more shoreward oil filled reservoirs underlain by freshwater aquifers in the Gippsland Basin, calculated water saturations using the salinities from water below the OWC are inconsistent with RFT, capillary pressure and production test data. The opposite situation can also occur where tectonic movements cause relatively deep saline water to flow into reservoir rocks below the OWC.

In these situations the water below the OWC will differ in salinity and Rw from irreducible water in the oil zone which is shielded from later flow of formation water by high oil saturation.

The timing of changes in hydrology relative to oil charge has major implications because use of an inappropriate formation water resistivity value can result in incorrect reserves estimation. Decisions regarding field development are linked to reserves estimates and accurate Rw values are essential.

Current Methods for Determination of Rw

The most direct way of finding water resistivity (Rw) is to obtain a sample of formation water and measure its resistivity. However, this is seldom possible, as formation water samples are usually contaminated by mud filtrate. Rw is therefore usually calculated by one of two methods:SP methodArchie equation

Reliable determination of oil saturation from logs requires a determination of Rw from a measurement directly on a sample of the irreducible water.

Calculated Rw relies on a number of assumptions which may result in erroneous values - the SP method does not work for oil based muds and does not give correct estimations of Rw in hydrocarbon bearing zones while the Archie equation method only works in clean, water-bearing reservoirs and is typically unreliable in highly fractured or vuggy reservoirs.

Capillary Pressure and Relative Permeability

For practical purposes, the value of the irreducible or minimum water saturation in the oil zone is usually assumed to represent the interstitial water content of the pay section of the reservoir. Interstitial water in this zone is held in place by capillary forces, and flow differentials will not remove it. P. 137