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Reservoir EngineeringMaterial Balance and Production

Oil Bubble Radius for Circular Drainage Area Formula

rob=[5.615Npπϕh((1Swi)/BoiSo/Bo)]0.5r_{ob}=\left[\frac{5.615N_p}{\pi\phi h\left((1-S_{wi})/B_{oi}-S_o/B_o\right)}\right]^{0.5}

Oil Bubble Radius for Circular Drainage Area calculates oil bubble radius for material balance and production workflows in reservoir engineering.

Calculate

How engineers use this formula

Use this formula when the listed inputs (N_p, phi, h, S_wi, B_o, B_oi, S_o) are known and the assumptions behind the cited material balance and production relationship match the engineering case being checked.

Assumptions

  • Input values are representative for the well, reservoir, fluid, or equipment case being evaluated.
  • The declared units match the field-unit constants used in the formula.
  • The cited formula applies to the selected petroleum engineering workflow.

Limitations

  • The calculation does not replace a full engineering model or operating procedure.
  • Accuracy depends on the source correlation, assumptions, input quality, and unit consistency.

Common mistakes

  • Mixing unit systems without converting the inputs.
  • Using default example values as field recommendations.
  • Applying the formula outside the source assumptions.

Default example

Using the default inputs, r_ob equals 259.628813 ft.

N_pbbl

100000

phifraction

0.2

hft

50

S_wifraction

0.25

B_obbl/STB

1.2

B_oibbl/STB

1.1

S_ofraction

0.5

Inputs

N_p

bbl

Well Current Cumulative Oil Production

phi

fraction

Porosity

h

ft

Thickness

S_wi

fraction

Initial Water Saturation at Bubble Point Pressure

B_o

bbl/STB

Oil Formation Volume Factor

B_oi

bbl/STB

Initial Oil Formation Volume Factor

S_o

fraction

Current Oil Saturation

Outputs

r_ob

ft

Oil Bubble Radius

N_p

bbl

Well Current Cumulative Oil Production

h

ft

Thickness

phi

fraction

Porosity

Source and review

reviewed

Advanced Reservoir Engineering, Ahmed, T., McKinney, P. D. (2005)

Ahmed, T. and McKinney, P. D. 2005. Advanced Reservoir Engineering, Gulf Publishing of Elsevier, Chapter 4, Page 313.

Source

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