Unit 2: Phase

Behaviour of
Hydrocarbons
Hrishikesh Chavan
[email protected]
Reservoir Fluid Types I

In general, reservoir fluids are classified into three

groups:

Incompressible fluids
An incompressible fluid is defined as the fluid
whose volume (or density) does not change with
pressure. Incompressible fluids do not exist; this
behavior, however, may be assumed in some
cases to simplify the derivation and the final form
of many flow equations.
Slightly compressible fluids
These slightly compressible fluids exhibit
small changes in volume, or density, with
changes in pressure. It should be pointed out
that crude oil and water systems fit into this
category.

Compressible fluids
These are fluids that experience large
changes in volume as a function of pressure.
All gases are considered compressible fluids.
Volume as a function of Pressure for
reservoir fluids
Flow Regimes

There are basically three types of flow

regimes that must be recognized in order to
describe the fluid flow behavior and reservoir
pressure distribution as a function of time.

Steady-state flow
Unsteady-state (Transient) flow
Pseudosteady-state flow
Steady-State Flow

Steady-state flow
The flow regime is identified as a steady-state
flow if the pressure at every location in the
reservoir remains constant, i.e., does not
change with time. In reservoirs, the steady-
state flow condition can only occur when the
reservoir is completely recharged and
supported by strong aquifer or pressure
maintenance operations.
Unsteady-State (Transient) Flow

The unsteady-state flow (frequently called

transient flow) is defined as the fluid flowing
condition at which the rate of change of
pressure with respect to time at any position
in the reservoir is not zero or constant.
Pseudo-Steady State Flow

When the pressure at different locations in the

reservoir is declining linearly as a function of
time, i.e., at a constant declining rate, the
flowing condition is characterized as the
pseudo steady-state flow.

Pseudo steady-state (PSS) flow is commonly

referred to as semi steady-state flow and
quasi steady-state flow.
Pressure-Time Relationships for the three flow regimes
Undersaturated or Saturated?

The bubble point pressure, Pb is pressure at

which the first bubble of gas appears.
If the reservoirs initial pressure (P i) is:
Above Pb, no free gas exists and the reservoir is
said to be undersaturated.

Below Pb, free gas exists (typically in the form

of a gas cap) and the reservoir is said to be
saturated.
Fluid Properties: Oil
Oil Density (): It is also known as oil gravity.
The crude oil density is defined as the mass of
a unit volume of the crude at a specified
pressure and temperature.
Units for Oil density: Pounds per cubic foot
(lb/ft3)

Specific Gravity of oil:

API Gravity of Oil

Where 0 is specific gravity of oil.

Calculate the specific gravity and the API

gravity of a crude oil system with a measured
density of 53 lb/ft3 at standard conditions. The
density of the water is approximately 62.4
lb/ft3.
Viscosity
The viscosity is defined as the internal resistance of the fluid
to flow.

Dead-Oil Viscosity
The dead-oil viscosity is defined as the viscosity of crude oil
at atmospheric pressure (no gas in solution) and system
temperature.
Saturated-Oil Viscosity
The saturated (bubble-point)-oil viscosity is defined as the
viscosity of the crude oil at the bubble-point pressure and
reservoir temperature.
Undersaturated-Oil Viscosity
The undersaturated-oil viscosity is defined as the viscosity of
the crude oil at a pressure above the bubble-point and
reservoir temperature.
Oil viscosity vs. Pressure
Oil Formation Volume Factor, Bo
The oil formation volume factor, Bo, is defined as the
ratio of the volume of oil (plus the gas in solution) at the
prevailing reservoir temperature and pressure to the
volume of oil at standard conditions.
The standard conditions are 600F and 14.7 psi.

Units are [rb/STB] or [bbl/STB]

Bo is always greater than or equal to unity.
Bo vs. Pressure
Volumetric Estimation: Oil Reservoirs
Calculation of reserves at Initial Reservoir Conditions

Calculation of reserves at Surface

where ,
7758 = conversion factor
A = reservoir area[ac]
h = net thickness [ft]
= porosity
Swi = initial water saturation (at pi)
Boi = initial oil formation volume factor (at pi) [rb/STB]
 Determination of Bo
Standings Method to find Bo ( most accurate method)

The Vasquez-Beggs correlation

Glasos correlation
Marhouns correlation
The Petrosky-Farshad correlation
Gas Oil ratio or Gas Solubility (Rs)
The gas solubility Rs is defined as the number of
standard cubic feet of gas which will dissolve in one
stock-tank barrel of crude oil at certain pressure and
temperature.

Units are scf/STB.

Can be obtained experimentally on a sample taken from

the reservoir or through the use of empirical equations
following the work of:
Standing
Vasquez and Beggs
Glaso
Marhoun
Gas solubility vs.
Pressure
Standings Correlation for
Rs
Solution Gas specific
gravity, g
Numerical
Calculate the formation volume factor of an
oil having a density of 53 lb/ft3 taken from a
producing reservoir at a temperature of 220oF
and 2560psi.
Data from the primary and intermediate
separators as well as from the stock tank are
given below:
Important Gas Properties
Specific Gas Gravity

Compressibility or Z factors
1. Critical Pressures and Temperatures
2. Pseudo-reduced pressures and temperatures

.Gas Formation Volume factor

Specific gas gravity
It is the ratio of the density of the gas at
standard pressure and temperature to the
density of air at the same standard pressure
and temperature.
gas MWgas
g
air MWair

Molecular weight of air is 28.97.

Gas Formation volume factor, Bg
The gas formation volume factor is used to
relate the volume of gas, as measured at
reservoir conditions, to the volume of the gas
as measured at standard conditions.
defined as the actual volume occupied by a
certain amount of gas at a specified pressure
and temperature, divided by the volume
occupied by the same amount of gas at
standard conditions.
Unit of Bg is ft3/scf
Bg is always less than unity.
Calculation of Bg
Bg vs. Pressure
 Ideal Gas Equation
For an ideal gas, the volume of molecules of gases are
insignificant compared with the total volume occupied by the
gas.
It is also assumed that these molecules have no attractive or
repulsive forces between them, and that all collisions of
molecules are perfectly elastic.

pV=nRT Ideal Gas Law

Where, p = absolute pressure, psia

V = volume, ft3
T = absolute temperature, R
n = number of moles of gas, lb-mole
R = the universal gas constant which, for the above units, has
the value 10.730 psia ft3/lb-mole R
Apparent Molecular
Weight
If yi represents the mole fraction of the ith component
in a gas mixture, the apparent molecular weight is
defined mathematically by the following equation:

where Ma = apparent molecular weight of a gas mixture

Mi = molecular weight of the ith component in the
mixture
yi = mole fraction of component i in the mixture
Calculate Molecular Weight of
Dry Air
Volume Ratio Molecular Mass
Components in
compared to Dry -M
Dry Air
Air (yi) (kg/kmol)

Oxygen 0.2095 32.00

Nitrogen 0.7809 28.02

Carbon Dioxide 0.0003 44.01

Argon 0.00933 39.94

Real gas Equation
In case of real gases, there is force of attraction and
repulsion and collisions between molecules of gas are not
perfectly elastic.
This causes deviation from ideal gas law and gives
following real gas equation.

pV=znRT

Where z=compressibility
= gas deviation factor
= gas compressibility factor or
= Z factor
Z factor
Z factor is given as

Va Actual Volume of molecules of gas at given P and T

z
Vi Ideal Volume of gas molecules at given P and T

Being a ratio, z factor is dimensionless

Generally between 0.7 and 1.2
Typical Z vs. Pressure
Z-factor correlation

Correlation requires a knowledge of the composition of gas or

at least the gas gravity

gas MWgas
g
air MWair
If the gas gravity is known, we can calculate pseudo-critical
properties using the following empirical equations:

Ppc = 756.8 131.0g 3.6g2

Tpc = 169.2 349.5g 74.0 g2

This correlation developed by Sutton after studying gases

having 0.57 < g <1.68
Another correlation to calculate pseudo critical
pressure and temperature is given as follows:

ppc = yi pci and

Tpc = yi Tci

where the summation is over all the components present

in the gas Parameters pci & Tci are the critical pressure
and temperature of the ith component.
yi = volume fractions or mole fractions of each
component
Calculate the pseudo reduced pressure &
temperature
P
Ppr
Ppc
T
T pr
T pc

Where P& T are pressure and temperature at

which it is required to determine z.
Numerical:
Calculate the gas deviation factor given the
following parameters:
Specific gravity = 0.665
Reservoir Temperature = 213oF
Reservoir Pressure = 3250psia
Numerical:
For the gas composition below and at a
pressure of 2000 psia and temperature 180 0F
determine the deviation factor.
Numerical
Calculate a value of the formation volume
factor of a dry gas in ft3/scf with the specific
gravity of 0.818 at reservoir temperature of
220oF and reservoir pressure of 2100 psig.
Pressure-Temperature
Diagram
Phase envelope (two-phase region) The
region enclosed by the bubble- point curve and
the dew-point curve , wherein gas and liquid
coexist in equilibrium, is identified as the phase
envelope of the hydrocarbon system.

Critical point: The critical point for a

multicomponent mixture is referred to as the state
of pressure and temperature at which all intensive
properties of the gas and liquid phases are equal.
At the critical point, the corresponding pressure
and temperature are called the critical pressure p c
and critical temperature T c of the mixture.
Definitions
Cricondentherm (Tct): The Cricondentherm is defined as
the maximum temperature above which liquid cannot be
formed regardless of pressure . The corresponding pressure
is termed the Cricondentherm pressure p ct.

Cricondenbar (pcb): The Cricondenbar is the maximum

pressure above which no gas can be formed regardless of
temperature. The corresponding temperature is called the
Cricondenbar temperature Tcb.

Oil reservoirsIf the reservoir temperature T is less than

the critical temperature Tc of the reservoir fluid, the
reservoir is classified as an oil reservoir.
Gas reservoirsIf the reservoir temperature is greater
than the critical temperature of the hydrocarbon fluid, the
reservoir is considered a gas reservoir.
Quality lines: The dashed lines within the phase
diagram are called quality lines. They describe the
pressure and temperature conditions for equal
volumes of liquids. Note that the quality lines
converge at the critical point.

Bubble-point curve: The bubble-point curve is

defined as the line separating the liquid-phase region
from the two-phase region.

Dew-point curve: The dew-point curve is defined as

the line separating the vapor-phase region from the
two-phase region.
Initial conditions at A: gas reservoir
Production from A-A1: only gas is produced
since path A-A1 is above the cricondentherm
(maximum two phase temperature 250oF)
Production from A-A2: fluid in reservoir is gas
but fluids produced through wellbore and
surface separators are two phases (gas and
condensate are produced)

A-A1 dry gas reservoir

A-A2 wet gas reservoir
 Wet Gas

Dry
Gas
Consider reservoir at point B: 3300 psia and 180oF
B gas reservoir (since above critical temperature)
The critical point on a phase diagram at which both
the liquid and gas phases of a substance have the
same density, and are therefore indistinguishable.
For B, as pressure declines gas is produced until B1
(dew point).
Below B1, liquid condenses out of the reservoir as a
fog or dew. This condensed liquid adheres to the
pore spaces of the reservoir and is immobile. The
gas produced at the surface is associated with a
lower liquid content and subsequently higher gas-
oil ratio.
Retrogade condensate Reservoir
If the reservoir temperature lies between the
critical temperature Tc and cricondentherm,
the reservoir is classified as a retrograde gas
condensate reservoir.

This category of gas reservoir is a unique in

that the special thermodynamic behaviour of
the reservoir fluid is the controlling factor in
the development and the depletion process of
the reservoir.
Retrogade Condensation Phenomenon
As pressure decreases isothermally, below
dew point, liquid drops out of the gas and
volume of liquid near to wellbore increases.
The volume of liquid dropout increases until it
reaches to maximum value.
As pressure further declines isothermally, the
liquid dropout volume reduces.
This anomalous behaviour of condensate is
regarded as Retrograde Condensation.
Liquid Dropout curve for
GCR
Types of crude oils
It should be noted
that quality lines,
Ordinary Black Oil which are
approximately
equally spaced
characterize this
black oil phase
diagram.
When produced,
ordinary black oils
usually yield gas-oil
ratios between 200
700 scf/STB and oil
gravities of 15 to 40
API. The stock tank
Low shrinkage Oil
The diagram is
characterized
by quality lines
that are closely
spaced near the
dew-point
curve.
Liquid shrinkage curve and Properties
Oil formation
volume factor
less than 1.2
bbl/STB
Gas-oil ratio less
than 200 scf/STB
Oil gravity less
than 35 API
Black or deeply
colored
Volatile oil or High
shrinkage oil
The phase diagram for a volatile (high-
shrinkage) crude oil is given in the next slide.
Note that the quality lines are close together
near the bubble-point and are more widely
spaced at lower pressures.

This type of crude oil is commonly

characterized by a high liquid shrinkage
immediately below the bubble-point.
P and T diagram and Liquid
shrinkage diagram for volatile oil
Characteristics of High Shrinkage Oil

The other characteristic properties of this oil include:

Oil formation volume factor less than 2 bbl/STB

Gas-oil ratios between 2,0003,200 scf/STB

Oil gravities between 4555API

Greenish to orange in colour

Near Critical crude oil
If the reservoir temperature T is near the critical temperature
of the hydrocarbon system, the hydrocarbon mixture is
identified as a near-critical crude oil.

Because all the quality lines converge at the critical point, an

isothermal pressure drop (as shown by the vertical line EF)
may shrink the crude oil from 100% of the hydrocarbon pore
volume at the bubble-point to 55% or less at a pressure 10 to
50 psi below the bubble-point.

The near-critical crude oil is characterized by a high GOR in

excess of 3,000 scf/STB with an oil formation volume factor of
2.0 bbl/STB or higher.
P and T diagram and Liquid shrinkage
diagram for near critical oil
Thank you for your kind
attention.
Any questions comments?
 Molar Composition and
properties of Reservoir fluids
Differential Liberation
Flash Expansion