Ingenieria de Reservorios-Sin Candado
Ingenieria de Reservorios-Sin Candado
Ingenieria de Reservorios-Sin Candado
5 BEHAVIOUR OF GASES
9 PERMEABILITY-ITS VARIATIONS
11 DRIVE MECHANISMS
14 PVT ANALYSIS
17 WATER INFLUX
18 IMMISCIBLE DISPLACEMENT
This Reservoir Engineering module covers material presented in a range of reservoir engineering texts and a
number of the figures and examples are based on these texts and copyright is currently being sought. The student
may find the more detailed analysis in these texts supportive when going through these notes. The following
books are considered useful in building up a reservoir engineering library.
4.Fundamental Principles of Petroleum Reservoir B.F. Towler. Society of Petroleum Engineers Inc
Engineering ISBN:55563-092-8
7.Petroleum Engineering Principles and Practise. J.S.Archer & C.Wall.Graham & Trotman.
1986. ISBN:0-86910-715-9
9.PVT and Phase Behaviour of Petroleum Reservoirs A. Danesh. Elsevier. ISBN: 0-444-82196-1
Adrian C Todd
All rights reserved no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or
otherwise without the prior permission of the Copyright owner.
2
Reservoir Engineering notes cover an extensive amount of material. They are support
material for the examination in this topic but are also considered to be useful material
in subsequent career use. Not all the material in the text can be covered in a limited
time examination.
In the context of the examination a student should consider the learning objectives at
the front of each section which should help in the level of detail and analysis which
is required in relation to an examination covering the various topics.
Detailed below is a graded analysis of each section which should help the candidate
in examination preparation. These should be considered alongside the learning
objectives.
Grading structure:
OM- Material covered in another module not for examination purposes in Reservoir
Engineering.
Darcy’s Law,
PV = nzRT
STOOIP equation
Equilibrium Ratio K=y/x
5
Introduction To Reservoir Engineering
CONTENTS
4 PROBABILISTIC REPRESENTATION OF
RESERVES
7 DEVELOPMENT PLANNING
7.1 Reservoir Modelling
7.2 Technoconomics
7.3 Coping with Uncertainty
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Having worked through this chapter the Student will be able to:
• Show using a block diagram the integration of reservoir engineering with other
petroleum engineering and other subjects.
• Calculate given the prerequisite data proved, probable and possible reserves.
• Describe briefly with the aid of a sketch the various maps used to represent
reservoir; area, thickness porosity, saturation.
• Describe briefly the use of the production (well0 test to determine reservoir
flowability and properties.
Introduction To Reservoir Engineering
1 INTRODUCTION
With the petroleum industry’s desire to conserve and produce oil and gas more efficiently
a field of specialisation has developed called Petroleum Reservoir Engineering. This
new science which can be traced back only to the mid 1930’s has been built up on a
wealth of scientific and practical experience from field and laboratory. In the 1959
text of Craft & Hawkins1 on Applied Reservoir Engineering it is commented that “as
early as 1928 petroleum engineers were giving serious consideration to gas-energy
relationships and recognised the need for more precise information concerning
physical conditions as they exist in wells and underground reservoirs. Early progress
in oil recovery methods made it obvious that computations made from wellhead or
surface data were generally misleading.” Dake2, in his text "The Practise of Reservoir
Engineering", comments that “Reservoir Engineering shares the distinction with
geology in being one of the ‘underground sciences’ of the oil industry, attempting
to describe what occurs in the wide open spaces of the reservoir between the sparse
points of observation - the wells”
The reservoir engineer in the multi-disciplinary perspective of modern oil and gas
field management is located at the heart of many of the activities acting as a central
co-ordinating role in relation to receiving information processing it and passing it on
to others. This perspective presented by Dake2 is shown in the figure below.
Exploration
Geophysics/ Petrophysics
Geology
Reservoir Engineering
Economics Production
(Project viability) Process Egineering
General Engineering
Platform Topsides Design
2
Figure 1 Reservoir Engineering in Relation to Other Activities (adapted Dake )
The responsibility of the first is shared with other disciplines whereas the second is
primarily the responsibility of the reservoir engineer. Attaching a time scale to recovery
is the development of a production profile and again is not an exclusive activity. The
day-to-day operational role is on going through the duration of the project.
A project can be conveniently divided into two stages and within these the above
activities take place, the appraisal stage and the development phase. The appraisal
phase is essentially a data collection and processing phase with the one objective of
determining the ‘viability’ of a project. The development phase covers the remaining
period if the project is considered viable from the time continuous production com-
mences to the time the field is abandoned. Reservoir engineering activity in various
forms takes place during both of these stages.
The activities of reservoir engineering fall into the following three general catego-
ries:
Before any production has been obtained, the so-called ‘volumetric estimate of
reserves’ is usually made. Geological and geophysical data are combined to obtain
a range of contour maps with the help of a planimeter and other tools the hydrocar-
bon bearing rock volumes can be estimated. From well log petrophysical analysis,
estimates of an average porosity and water saturation can be made and when applied
to the hydrocarbon rock volume yield an estimate of oil in place (STOIIP). Since
it is well known that only a fraction of this oil may in fact be ‘recoverable’, labora-
tory tests on cores may be carried out to estimate movable oil. The reserve estimate
finally arrived at is little more than an educated guess but a very important one for
it determines company policy.
In 1987 the Society of Petroleum Engineers in collaboration with the World Petroleum
Congress published definitions with respect to reserves and these are now accepted
world-wide 3. These definitions have been used in the summary of reserve defini-
tions which follow.
Introduction To Reservoir Engineering
In the past the traditionally available reservoir engineering tools were mainly
designed to give satisfactory results for a slide rule and graph paper approach. For
many problems encountered by reservoir engineers today this remains a perfectly
valid approach where the slide rule has been replaced by the calculator. Increasingly,
however, the advance of computing capability is enabling reservoir engineering
modelling methods (‘simulations’) to be carried out at the engineers desk, previously
considered impossible.
The basis of the development of the 'model' of the reservoir are the various data
sources. As the appraisal develops the uncertainty reduces in relation to the quality
of the forecasts predicted by the model. Building up this ‘geological’ model of the
reservoir progresses from the early interpretation of the geophysical surveys, through
various well derived data sets, which include drilling information, indirect wireline
measurements, recovered core data, recovered fluid analysis, pressure depth surveys,
to information generated during production.
3. RESERVE ESTIMATING
The Society of Petroleum Engineers SPE and World Petroleum Congress WPO1987
agreed classification of reserves3 provides a valuable standard by which to define
reserves, the section below is based on this classification document.
3.1 Definitions
Reserves are those quantities of petroleum which are anticipated to be commercially
recovered from known accumulations from a given date forward.
All reserve estimates involve some degree of uncertainty. The uncertainty depends
chiefly on the amount of reliable geologic and engineering data available at the time
Unproved reserves are less certain to be recovered than proved reserves and may
be further sub-classified as probable and possible reserves to denote progressively
increasing uncertainty in their recoverability.
If deterministic methods are used, the term reasonable certainty is intended to express
a high degree of confidence that the quantities will be recovered. If probabilistic
methods are used, there should be at least a 90% probability that the quantities actu-
ally recovered will equal or exceed the estimate.
Introduction To Reservoir Engineering
the term proved refers to the actual quantities of petroleum reserves and not just
the productivity of the well or reservoir. In certain cases, proved reserves may
be assigned on the basis of well logs and/or core analysis that indicate the subject
reservoir is hydrocarbon bearing and is analogous to reservoirs in the same area that
are producing or have demonstrated the ability to produce on formation tests.
The area of the reservoir considered as proved includes (1) the area delineated by
drilling and defined by fluid contacts, if any, and (2) the undrilled portions of the
reservoir that can reasonably be judged as commercially productive on the basis of
available geological and engineering data. In the absence of data on fluid contacts, the
lowest known occurrence of hydrocarbons controls the proved limit unless otherwise
indicated by definitive geological, engineering or performance data. Reserves may be
classified as proved if facilities to process and transport those reserves to market are
operational at the time of the estimate or there is a reasonable expectation that such
facilities will be installed. Reserves in undeveloped locations may be classified as
proved undeveloped provided (1) the locations are direct offsets to wells that have
indicated commercial production in the objective formation, (2) it is reasonably
certain such locations are within the known proved productive limits of the objective
formation, (3) the locations conform to existing well spacing regulations where
applicable, and (4) it is reasonably certain the locations will be developed. Reserves
from other locations are categorised as proved undeveloped only where interpretations
of geological and engineering data from wells indicate with reasonable certainty that
the objective formation is laterally continuous and contains commercially recoverable
petroleum at locations beyond direct offsets.
Before looking at further detail we will carry out some tests to help emphasise the
above definition.
Test 1
There are 950 MM stb ( million stock tank barrels) of oil initially in place in a res-
ervoir. It is estimated that 500 MM stb can be produced. Already 100 MM stb have
been produced. In the boxes below, identify the correct answer.
Before starting production it was estimated that there was a 90% chance of produc-
ing at least 100 MM stb, 50% chance of producing 500 MM stb and 10% chance of
producing 700MM stb. That is we are sure we can produce at least 100MM stb, and
we will probably produce as much as 500 MM stb, and we will possibly produce as
much as 700 MM stb.
Test 3
Test 4
Test 5
A reservoir has been discovered by drilling a successful exploration well, and drilling
a number of producing wells. We have even produced some 200 MM stb of oil.
Introduction To Reservoir Engineering
Test 1 answer
There are 950 MM stock tank boards in place. It is estimated that 500 MM stb can
be produced and 100 MM stb have been produced then 400 recoverable reserves
remain.
Test 2 answer
Test 3 answer
Economic Variables
What economic factors are used in the calculations? What oil and gas price do we
use for proved reserve estimates? Is inflation taken into account? Do we predict
future price trends? Do we apply discount factors to calculate present value of the
project? Are all these used in proved reserve calculations? The current economic
conditions are used for the calculations, with respect to prices, costs, contracts and
government regulations.
Test 4 answer
The following sources are required for proved reserves. Maps (from seismic and/
geological data). Petrophysical logs. Well test results and rock properties from core
analysis tests on recovered core.
This comes from drilled and produced hydrocarbons, the definition of the gas and oil
and water contacts or the highest and lowest observed level of hydrocarbons. Also
the undrilled area adjacent to the drilled can be used.
Test 5 answer
Possible Possible
Probability Levels
P50
Probable Probable
Time
Seismic Discovery of Start of Dev Start of Abandonment
Data Well Planning Production
What are the amounts termed that are not recoverable? The quantity of hydrocar-
bons that remains in the reservoir are called remaining hydrocarbons in place, NOT
remaining reserves!
10
Introduction To Reservoir Engineering
(ii) It is reasonably certain that the project will proceed. Reserves to be recovered
by improved recovery methods that have yet to be established through
commercially successful applications are included in the proved classification
only:
(i) After a favourable production response from the subject reservoir from either
(b) An installed program where the response provides support for the analysis
on which the project is based and
(3) Incremental reserves attributable to infill drilling that could have been classified
as proved if closer statutory spacing had been approved at the time of the
estimate,
(5) Reserves in an area of the formation that appears to be separated from the
proved area by faulting and the geologic interpretation indicates the subject
area is structurally higher than the proved area,
(2) reserves in formations that appear to be petroleum bearing based on log and
core analysis but may not be productive at commercial rates,
(3) incremental reserves attributed to infill drilling that are subject to technical
uncertainty,
12
Introduction To Reservoir Engineering
3.4.1. Developed:
Developed reserves are expected to be recovered from existing wells including reserves
behind pipe. Improved recovery reserves are considered developed only after the
necessary equipment has been installed, or when the costs to do so are relatively minor.
Developed reserves may be sub-categorised as producing or non-producing.
3.4.1.1 Producing:
Reserves subcategorised as producing are expected to be recovered from comple-
tion intervals which are open and producing at the time of the estimate. Improved
recovery reserves are considered producing only after the improved recovery project
is in operation.
3.4.1.2. Non-producing:
Reserves subcategorised as non-producing include shut-in and behind-pipe reserves.
Shut-in reserves are expected to be recovered from (1) completion intervals which
are open at the time of the estimate but which have not started producing, (2) wells
which were shut-in for market conditions or pipeline connections, or (3) wells not
capable of production for mechanical reasons. Behind-pipe reserves are expected to
be recovered from zones in existing wells, which will require additional completion
work or future recompletion prior to the start of production.
Whereas in the deterministic approach the volumes are determined by the calculation
of values determined for the various parameters, with the probalistic statistical analysis
is used, using tools like Monte Carlo methods. The curve as shown in the figure 3
below presents the probability that the reserves will have a volume greater or equal
to the chosen value.
1.0
0.9 'Proven'
as large as indicated.
'Proven + Proable
0.1 + Possible'
0
Recoverable Reserve
On this curve:
The proven reserves represent the reserves volume corresponding to 90% probability
on the distribution curve.
The probable reserves represent the reserves volume corresponding to the difference
between 50 and 90% probability on the distribution curve.
The possible reserves represent the reserves volume corresponding to the difference
between 10 and 50% probability on the distribution curve.
As with the deterministic approach there is also some measure of subjectivity in the
probalistic approach. For each of the elements in the following equation, there is a
probability function expression in low, medium and high probabilities for the particular
values. A schematic of a possible distribution scenario for each of the elements and
the final result is given below in the figure 4.
P = p50
p10
14
Introduction To Reservoir Engineering
Probable = 240 MM stb which together with the proven makes up the P50 figure.
of 740MMstb
Possible = 120 MM stb which together with the proven and probable makes up the
P10 value of 860MMstb
60
Proven 500 MMstb P50
50
Probable 240 M
40
30
P+P+P = 860 MMstb
20
120 P10
10
Proven Probable Possible
0
0 200 400 600 800 1000
Reserves / MMstb
As a field is developed and the fluids are produced the shape of the probability curve
changes. Probability figures for reserves are gradually converted into recovery leav-
ing less uncertainty with respect to the reserves. This is illustrated in figure 6.
80
70
Probability / %
60
50 P50
40
Proved ultimate recovery.
30
20
10 P10
Production Proved reserves
0
0 200 400 600 800 1000
Reserves / MMstb
5.1 The volume of oil and gas in-place depends on a number of parameters :
The aerial coverage of the reservoir. A
The thickness of the reservoir rock contributing to the hydrocarbon volume. hn
The pore volume, as expressed by the porosity ,φ , the reservoir quality rock.
The proportion of pore space occupied by the hydrocarbon ( the saturation ).
1-Sw
The simple equation used in calculation of the volume of fluids in the reservoir, V,
is
V=Ahnφ(1-Sw): (1)
where:
A= average area
hn = nett thickness. nett thickness = gross thickness x nett: gross ratio
φ = average porosity
Sw = average water saturation.
When expressed as stock tank or standard gas volumes, equation above is divided
by the formation volume factor Bo or Bg.
V = Ahnφ (1 − Sw ) / Bo (2)
16
Introduction To Reservoir Engineering
The recovery factor, RF, indicates the proportion of the in-place hydrocarbons ex-
pected to be recovered. To convert in place volumes to reserves we need to multiply
the STOIIP by the recovery factor so that:
The line over the various terms indicates the average value for these spatial
parameters.
The reservoir area A, will vary according to the category; proven, probable or pos-
sible, that is being used to define the reserves.
Oil
Using this data and possible suggested structure we can carry out some oil in place
calculations and estimate reserves. These figures however are not admissible in public
reserve estimates. They are useful inside the company to justify project expenditure!
The question is where do we locate the first exploration well and get involved in large
exploration expenditure costs. Figure 8 suggest three alternatives
Oil
In figure 9 an exploration well has been drilled and a core recovered and the struc-
ture of the field with respect to formations and contacts redefined. The redefined
structure can now be used to provide an estimate of reserves according to the
three, proven, probable and possible perspectives. Figure 10
Oil
18
Introduction To Reservoir Engineering
Proved
e
l
ab
ble
bl
si Oil ible
ba
ob
os s
Pos
o
Pr
P
Pr
Figure 10 After The Exploration Well Was Drilled.
Subsequent appraisal wells are now drilled to give better definition of the reserves
of the field. Well 2 aimed at defining the field to the left identifies some additional
isolated hydrocarbon structure with its own oil water contact. Figure 11. The well, as
well as increasing the proven reserves, further identifies previous unknown reserves.
The next appraisal well is aimed at defining the reserves in the other direction. Dur-
ing well testing on wells 1or 2 indications of faulting are also helping to define the
flowing nature of the accumulation. Figure 12 for the further appraisal well confirms
the accumulation to the right and also identifies the impact of the fault with a new
oil water contact. Subsequent appraisal wells and early development give greater
definition to the field description. Figure 13
ven
Pro Proven
Oil
Gas
ven
Pro Proven
Oil
Gas
ven
Pro Proven
Oil
From a deterministic perspective the various reserve estimates, that is, proven,
probable and possible can be further determined. The indication of the various
elements based on the top structure map are shown. Figure 14
20
Introduction To Reservoir Engineering
Probable
1
Proved
3
4
2
Possible
Fault B
ounda
ry
Porosity
Fluid Boundary
Contact
ry
Bo unda
Fault
7
Figure 15 Structure Contour Map.
se lu
St m
ru e
ctu
re
(units ss)
Hydrocarbon Water
Contact Elevation
o
Area Contained by Contour
7
Figure 16 Reservoir cross section.
Figures 17 & 18 show an example of a top structure map and cross section of the
Rough Gas field in the North Sea.
47/2 47/3
Completed Producers
Gw
x Abandoned Wells
9
95500
00 C.I. = 50ft.
C
w
G
0
955000
960
95 50 8
94 00 8
94 50 8
93 00 8 8
8 93 8
B 250 8 A
9 A2 00
A
8 92
47/7 47/8 8 A A4
47/8-1x A5
A
8 A Platform A
A3
9100 A6
50
91 93
9200
50
92
93 50
00
x 47/8-2
5
Figure 17 Top Sand Structure Map Rough Gas Field.
22
Introduction To Reservoir Engineering
Depth (ft) A3 A1 A4
subsea
9000 A2 A5
Unc
onf
9200 orm
Rot ity
lieg
Fault
end
Fault
Unc es
onfo
9400 rmit
y
Tentative
9600 hydrocarbon/
water contact
9800
Carboniferous
Sands
5
Figure 18 Schematic Cross Section of The Rough Field.
Isopach C I
25 Units
75
100
125
150
0
7
Figure 19 Net Pay Thickness Isopach.
130
C
Gw
120
0
11 0
10
A2
47/7 47/8 A4
47/8-1 x A5
80
A1
70
11
6
A3
11
100
0
90
A6
x 47/8-2
5
Figure 20 Rough Field Isopach.
The isopach map can also be used to calculate reservoir volume. For example in figure
21 the area under a plot of net pay thickness vs. area contained within the contour
provides a net pay volume. These plots can be generated for each section or rock
type. The thickness plots for each section are called isoliths.
40
Area Enclosed = Net Rock Volume
Net Pay Isopach Value
80
120
140
OWC
180
Area Contained by Contour
7
Figure 21 Hydrocarbon Volume From Net Pay Isopach.
24
Introduction To Reservoir Engineering
∑φ h k n, k
φw = k =1
hn (4)
where φk is the average porosity derived from the log over a small thickness hn,k
within the net pay thickness, hn.
These values of porosity can then be plotted to generate an isoporosity map as il-
lustrated in figure 22. The example of an isoporosity map for the Rough Field is
shown in figure 23.
Porosity C I
5%
25
20
15
5 10
7
Figure 22 Iso Porosity Map.
47/2 47/3
Gw
C
C
w
G
A2
x A5
A
A1
12%
%
10
A3
8%
A6
6%
47/8-2
x
7
Figure 23 Rough Field Iso Porosity Map.
∑S w, k φ k h n,k
Sw,w = k =1
φwh n (5)
The values of Sw,w can be plotted and contours of constant saturation (isosaturation)
presented. Figure 24.
Shale
15 20
25
30 35
40
WOC
4
Figure 24 Iso Saturation (sw) Map.
A more detailed description together with exercises are given in the mapping section
of the geology module.
26
Introduction To Reservoir Engineering
φ (1 − Sw )
0.1611 0.0979 0.1741
k pb
ER, o = 0.4185 (Sw ) 0.3722
Bob µob pa
(6)
φ (1 − Sw )
0.0422 0.0770
k µ wi p
ER, o = 0.54898 (Sw )− o.1903 pi − 0.2159
Boi µoi a
(7)
b refers to bubble point conditions, i is the initial condition and a, refers to abandonment
pressure.
RESIDUAL SATURATIONS
1.00 1.00
Reservoirs
0.50 0.50
0.05 0.05
−σ +σ
MEDIAN
0 0
2 5 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 95 98
Figure 25 Log - Probability Residual Oil Saturation For Water Drive and Solution Gas
6
Drive Reservoirs. (API )
2 5 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 95 98
OIL RECOVERY EFFICIENCY AT FIELD ABANDONMENT
RESIDUAL SATURATIONS
1.00 1.00
Water Drive
IN PERCENT OF OIL PLACE
0.05 0.05
−σ +σ
MEDIAN
0 0
2 5 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 95 98
6
Figure 26 Log - Probability of Oil Recovery For Various Drive Mechanisms. (API )
28
Introduction To Reservoir Engineering
4 5 4 3 2 1
0.5
123
0.25
7
Figure 27 Isocapacity Map.
47/2
Gw
C
C
w
G
120 A2
47/7 47/8 100 A4
80 A5
47/8-1 x
60 Platform B
40
A3
0
A6
x 47/8-2
Contour Intervals 20 millidarcies
5
Figure 28 Rough Field Permeability Map.
where:
_ _
Sh = 1 − Sw
Figure 29 gives an HPT map and the Rough Field HPT map is given in figure 30
12
15
11
0
14 10
14
13
13
12
11
10
9
0
7
Figure 29 Hydrocarbon Pore Thickness Map.
10
A2
9
8
A4
A5 7
A1 6
A3 5
A6
4
5
Figure 30 Rough Field Hydrocarbon Pore Thickness.
30
Introduction To Reservoir Engineering
A considerable amount of reservoir data can be obtained from these well tests
sometimes called DST’s ( drill stem tests). It has been the practise over recent years
for the produced fluids to be flared since there is unlikely to be an infrastructure to
collect these fluids. Now that companies are moving to a zero or reduced hydrocarbon
emission policy the nature and facilities required for these tests are changing. A
feature of the flaring approach is a public demonstration of the productivity of the
well being tested.
Production casing
Production tubing
Cement
Packer
Perforations
Down hole
pressure monitor
32
Introduction To Reservoir Engineering
q bbls / day
Flow 1 Flow 2 Well shut in
Pi
Pressure build up
Well test analysis is a powerful reservoir engineering tool and is treated in depth in
a subsequent module of the Petroleum Engineering course.
The nature of the fluids is key to reservoir behaviour and also subsequent processing
in any development. The collection and analysis of these fluids is an important
role and is at the focus of PVT analysis. This topic is covered in Chapter 14 PVT
Analysis. The pressure profile in a well is another important aspect of reservoir
characterisation and can be used to identify fluid contacts. When used during the
early stages of production it can be a powerful means of refining the structure and
hydrodynamic continuity characteristics of the reservoir. This is covered in the next
chapter. Like PVT analysis where the information is based on samples removed
from the reservoir, core analysis is based on recovered core from the formation.
Various tests on this material and its reaction to various fluids provides many of the
reservoir engineering parameters important in determining the viability of a project.
Core analysis also provides a cross check for indirect measurements made downhole.
These core analysis perspectives are covered in chapters 7 and 8.
In any project new data is always being generated. Indeed for a reservoir, its
characteristics are unlocked over the whole lifetime of the project. The duration of
the appraisal stage clearly is a techno economic decision related to the confidence
to go ahead based on a good foundation of quality data and forecasts. Fine tuning
can always be carried out but this is costly if this delays the development stage. It
is important to identify and fill the gaps for the largest uncertainties, and having
sufficient information to design a system which is safe and cost effective. The
difficulty is making the decision on the data under which a line is drawn which
defines the basis for field development design. In reservoir development the reservoir
is always revealing its properties, indeed it is in the production phase that the true
characteristics are revealed.
7 DEVELOPMENT PLANNING
The starting point will invariably be a reservoir map used to calculate reserves, but
in addition use will be made of the material balance equation (chapter 15), together
with some drive concepts (chapter 11), to predict reservoir behaviour. One of the
problems faced in making predictions is to adequately take into account knowledge
about geological trends and, although individual well models can be adjusted to reflect
local conditions, there is no practical ‘desk calculator’ technique for using say, the
material balance equation and well models to come up with a predictive reservoir
performance. Displacement models such as those derived by Buckley and Leverett
(chapter 18), mainly from observations in the laboratory, give some insight into
reservoir behaviour but again do not significantly assist in allowing the engineer to
study the effect of alternative development plans on a heterogeneous reservoir.
With insight and ingenuity, the reservoir can be divided into a number of simple
units that can be analysed by the traditionally available techniques but such an
approach remains unsatisfactory. Over recent years the integration of geological and
geophysical perspectives is contributing considerably to the ‘confidence’ in reservoir
modelling.
7.2 Technoeconomics
For hydrocarbon accumulations found on dry land the traditional reservoir engineering
techniques available for field development planning were, in fact, quite adequate. This
is mainly so because land development operations offer a high degree of planning
34
Introduction To Reservoir Engineering
flexibility to oil companies and hence allow them to make optimal use of the latest
information. In an offshore environment this is not the case; once platforms have
been ordered most development options are closed. It is with respect to offshore field
development planning that reservoir simulation models have found their greatest
application potential.
It is clear from what we have overviewed in this chapter and the topics which will be
covered in the subsequent chapters that there are many parameters which contribute
to the viability of the various aspects of successful oil and gas production. It is also
clear that the various forms of data required, the confidence in the absolute values
vary according to the type, and therefore the final impact on the final result will vary
according to the particular parameter.
The following list summarises some of the principal uncertainties associated with
the performance of the overall reservoir model. The type of data can for example
be subdivided into two aspects “static” and “dynamic” data .
Static Properties
• Reservoir structure
• Reservoir properties
• Reservoir sand connectivity
• Impact of faults
• “thief” sands
Dynamic Properties
• Relative permeability etc
• Fluid properties
• Aquifer behaviour
• Well productivity (fractures, welltype, condensate drop out etc.)
The impact of each of these parameters will vary according to the particular field but
it is important that the company is not ignorant of the magnitude of the contributing
uncertainties, so that resources can be directed at cost effectively reducing specific
uncertainties. Figure 33 illustrates an outcome which might arise from an analysis
of various uncertainties for a particular field. It demonstrates for this particular field
and at the time of analysis the impact of the various data has on the final project cost.
Clearly in this case the aquifer behaviour uncertainties has the least impact whereas
reservoir structure and well productivity uncertainties had the most significant. An-
other field would result in different impact perspectives, and therefore a different
strategy to reduce overall project uncertainty would be required.
Sand
conectives
Aquifer
behaviour
Fluid properties
Relative
permeabilities etc.
Thief zones
Faults
- Changes +
During the development phase Dake2 has identified a number of roles for the Reservoir
Engineering which are targeted at optimising production. It is an irony that some
of the best data is generated during the production phase. Through production the
reservoir unveils more of its secrets. Some of these may cause modifications to the
development, perhaps in defining new well locations. The nature of the hydrodynamic
continuity of the reservoir is mainly revealed through pressure surveys run after a period
of production. This may define zones not being drained and therefore modifications
to the well completions might result.
As production progresses fluid contacts rise and therefore these contacts need to
be monitored and the results used to decide, for example, to recomplete a well as a
result of, for example excessive water production. As is pointed out in the chapter on
reservoir pressure, development wells before they are completed provide a valuable
resource to the reservoir engineer to enable surveys of pressure to be run to provide
a dynamic pressure-depth profile.
36
Introduction To Reservoir Engineering
More simple approaches not requiring the resources of a complex simulator can also
be used to up date early predictions, for example material balance studies.
Once production has been obtained, the additional data becomes available and makes
an important contribution to the refining of the initial reserves estimates. Two tech-
niques historically used are decline curve analysis and material balance studies.
In material balance studies, the pressure-volume behaviour of the entire field is
studied assuming an infinite permeability for the reservoir. By assuming an initial
oil-in-place from volumetric calculations, the pressure is allowed to decline following
fluid withdrawal. This decline is matched against the observed pressure behaviour
and, if necessary, the original oil-in-place figure is modified until a match is obtained.
In the presence of a water drive, additional variables are included by allowing water
influx into the ‘tank’. Water influx is governed by mathematical relationships such
as van Everdingen and Hurst (These concepts are covered in Chapters 11, 12, and
13 MB/MB Applications and Water Influx).
Decline curves are plots of rate of withdrawal versus time or cumulative withdrawal
on a variety of co-ordinate scales. Usually a straight line is sought through these ob-
servations and extrapolated to give ultimate recovery and rates of recovery. Decline
curves only use rates of withdrawal and pay relatively little attention to the reservoir
and flowing pressures. A change in the mode of operation of the field could change the
slope of the decline curve; hence, this is one of the weaknesses of this technique.
A noteworthy feature of these two approaches is that the engineer in fact ‘fits’ a sim-
ple model to observe data and uses this model to predict the future by extrapolation.
As more data becomes available the model gets ‘updated’ and predicted results are
adjusted. Decline curve analysis has not been used to the same extent as in the 60’s
and 70’s. With the power of computing and the efforts made to integrate geological
understanding , the physics of the flow and behaviour of rock and fluid systems into
reservoir simulation, the ‘fitting” and the uncertainty of earlier methods are being
superseded by integrated reservoir simulation modelling.
The routine company function will generate the need for on going production pro-
file updates. The generation of these is generally the responsibility of the reservoir
engineer, who might chose simple analytical approaches to the more costly reservoir
simulation methods.
Plateau phase
Production rate
Artificial lift
Economic limit
Time - years
The challenge facing the industry is the issue of the proportion of hydrocarbons left
behind. The ability to extract a greater proportion of the in-place fluids is obviously
a target to be aimed at and over recent years recoveries have increased through the
application of innovative technology. Historically there have been three phases of
recovery considered. Primary recovery, which is that recovery obtained through the
natural energy of the reservoir.
Much effort was put into enhanced oil recovery (EOR) research up until the mid
seventies. Sometimes it is termed tertiary recovery. When the oil price has dropped
the economics of many of the proposed methods are not viable. Many are based on
38
Introduction To Reservoir Engineering
the injection of chemicals which are often oil based. The subject of EOR has not been
forgotten and innovative methods are being investigated within the more volatile
oil price arena. Figure 35 gives a schematic representation of the various phases of
development and includes the various improved recovery methods. More recently
a new term has been introduced called Improved Oil Recovery (IOR). IOR is more
loosely defined and covers all approaches which might be used to improve the recov-
ery of hydrocarbons in place. Clearly it is not as specific as EOR but provides more
of an achievable target than perhaps some of the more sophisticated EOR methods.
As we have entered into the next millennium it is interesting to note that a number
of major improved recovery initiatives are being considered particularly with respect
to gas injection. One perspective which make a project more viable is that of the
disposal of gas for example which is an environmental challenge in one field can
be the source of gas for another field requiring gas for a gas injection improved oil
recovery process.
Primary
Recovery
C
Natural Artifical Lift O
Pump gas lift etc. N
Flow V
E
N
Secondary T
Recovery I
O
N
A
Natural Pressure L
Flow Maintenance
Water, gas injection
Tertiary
Recovery
E
O
R Thermal Gas Chemical Microbial
As we have discussed the role of the reservoir engineer in combination with other
disciplines is to predict the behaviour of the reservoir. Whereas in the early years of
oil exploration little attention was paid to understanding the detailed characteristics
of the reservoir, it is now recognized that detailed reservoir properties associated with
often complex physical and chemical laws determine field behaviour. The unlocking
of these characteristics and understanding the laws enable engineering plans to be
put in place to ensure optimised developments are implemented. This is schemati-
cally illustrated in figure 36.
Development
Plan
Reservoir Description
Unique
Dynamic and Static
At one extreme for example in a blow - out situation, a reservoir produces in an un-
controlled manner only restricted by the size of the well through which is producing.
Optmised development however based on a thorough understanding of the reservoir
enables the reservoir to be produced in a controlled, optimised manner.
In many other industries the effort expended on one project can be utilised in engi-
neering a duplicate or a similar size unit elsewhere. Such opportunities are not pos-
sible in the engineering of a reservoir. Reservoirs are unique in many aspects. The
composition of the fluids are unique, the rock characteristics and related properties
are unique, the size and shape are unique and so on. From our perspective this reser-
voir description is dynamic as the reservoir over a period of time gives up its secrets.
From the reservoir’s perspective however the description is static, except with the
changes resulting from the impact of fluid production or injection. The challenge
to those involved is reducing the time it takes for our dynamic description to match,
our static description known only to the reservoir or whoever was responsible for
its formation! The answer perhaps is more of a philosophical nature. The reality is
shown in figure 37 where the top structure map for a North Sea gas field with a ten
year gap shows the impact of knowledge gained from a number of wells as against
that interpreted from the one well. Considerable faulting is shown not as a result of
major geological a activity over the ten years but knowledge gained from the data
associated with the new wells.
40
Introduction To Reservoir Engineering
21
00
0
0
200
100
53°10 53°10
SHELL/ESSO 49/26 AMOCO 49/27
20
2200
00
21
21
49/26.1 00
53°05 53°05
12
00
100
80 0
0
20
10
00
00
20 100
10
20
100
20
00 0
00
0
00
00
0
210
2000
2°00 2°20
Present interpretation of Leman Gas-field, showing contours on top of Rotliegendes in feet below sea-level
Figure 37 (a) The Leman Field as it Appeared to be When The Exploration Well Was
The Leman field as it appeared to be when the exploration well was drilled
Drilled.
Depth in feet
0 1 Miles
0 1 2 KMS
70
A permanent platform
63
00 63
00
53°05 53°05
620
0 6400
6300
69
00
610
6900 0
6300 6
90 0
690
0 64
69
0
00
0
6300
70 69 6400
00 00
53°00 53°00
Present interpretation of Leman Gas-field, showing contours on top of Rotliegendes in feet below sea level.
The coverage of the reservoir has also changed effecting the equity associated with
the blocks. This illustrates the early benefits to be gained from drilling a number of
exploration wells. These equity agreements, are called unitisation agreements and such
agreements are shortened when good quality and comprehensive reservoir descrip-
tion data is available. Clearly there can never be sufficient description, however the
10. CONCLUSION
It is also important that the Petroleum Reservoir Engineer has a thorough basic
understanding in general, historical and petroleum geology. The influence of geological
history on the structural conditions existing in a reservoir should be known and
considered in making a reservoir engineering study. Such a study may also help to
identify and characterise the reservoir as to its aerial extent, thickness and stratification
and the chemical composition, size distribution and texture of the rock materials.
In his latest text, Dake2 comments on some of the philosophy of approach to reser-
voir engineering, and identifies the importance of pinning down interpretation and
prediction of reservoir behaviour to well grounded laws of physics.
Reservoir forecasting has moved on considerably since wells were drilled with little
interest and concern into the production and forecasting of what was happening in
the reservoirs thousands of feet below. The approach to coping with uncertainty as
jokingly reflected in the cartoon below, (Figure 38) is no longer the case as sophisti-
cated computational tools enable predictions to be made with confidence and where
uncertainty exists the degree of uncertainty can be defined.
42
Introduction To Reservoir Engineering
"We feed the geological data for the area, the computer produces a schematic topological
overview designating high probability key points, then we stick the printout on the wall and
Lever throws darts at it."
REFERENCES
CONTENTS
1 INTRODUCTION
2 ABNORMAL PRESSURES
6. RESERVOIR TEMPERATURE
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Having worked through this chapter the Student will be able to:
• Having worked through this chapter the student will be able to:
• Describe briefly and sketch the pressure gradients associated with overpressured
and underpressured reservoirs.
• Describe briefly , sketch and present equations for the pressures in a water
supported oil and gas bearing formation.
Reservoir Pressures and Temperatures
1. INTRODUCTION
Oil and gas accumulations are found at a range of sub-surface depths. At these depths
pressure exists as a result of the depositional process and from the fluids contained
within the prous media. These pressures are called lithostatic pressures and fluid
pressures. These pressures are illustrated in figure 1.
The lithostatic pressure is caused by the pressure of rock which is transmitted through
the sub-surface by grain-to grain contacts. This lithostatic or sometimes called geostatic
or overburden pressure is of the order of 1 psi/ft. The lithostatic pressure gradient
varies according to depth, the density of the overburden, and the extent to which the
rocks are supported by water pressure. If we use this geostatic pressure gradient of
1 psi/ft. then the geostatic pressure Pov, in psig at a depth of D feet is
The geostatic pressure is balanced in part by the pressure of the fluid within the pore
space, the pore pressure, and also by the grains of rock under compaction. In un-
consolidated sands, loose sands, the overburden pressure is totally supported by the
fluid and the fluid pressure Pf is equal to the overburden pressure Pov . In deposited
formations like reservoir rocks the fluid pressure is not supporting the rocks above
but arises from the continuity of the aqueous phase from the surface to the depth D in
the reservoir. This fluid pressure is called the hydrostatic pressure. The hydrostatic
pressure is imposed by a column of fluid at rest. Its value depends on the density of
the water ρw, which is affected by salinity. In a sedimentary basin, where sediment
has settled in a region of water and hydrocarbons have been generated and trapped,
we can expect a hydrostatic pressure. For a column of fresh water the hydrostatic
pressure is 0.433 psi/ft. For water with 55,000 ppm of dissolved salts the gradient is
0.45 psi/ft; for 88,000 ppm of dissolved salts the gradient is about 0.465 psi/ft.
Its variation with depth is given by the equation.
Pf = ρwDg (2)
There is another fluid pressure which arises as a result of fluid movement and that
is called the hydrodynamic pressure. This is the fluid potential pressure gradient
which is caused by fluid flow. This however does not contribute to in-situ pressures
at rest.
FP GP
Depth (Ft.)
Overpressure Overburden
Pressure (OP)
Underpressure Normal
Figure 1 Gives the relationship between the lithostatic pressure and the hydrostatic
1
pressure.
dP
Pw = x D + 14.7psia
dD water
(3)
This equation assumes continuity of water pressure from the surface and constant
salinity. In most cases even though the water bearing sands are divided between
impermeable shales, any break of such sealing systems will lead to hydrostatic pres-
sure continuity, but the salinity can vary with depth.
Reservoirs whose water pressure gradient when extrapolated to zero depth give an
absolute pressure equivalent to atmospheric pressure are called normal pressured
reservoirs.
EXERCISE 1
If the average pressure gradient in a region is 0.47 psi/ft, calculate the pore
pressure in a normally pressurised formation at 7400ft. Convert the pressure from
psi to KPa, then express the pressure in MPa. What is the pressure gradient in
KPa/m?
Reservoir Pressures and Temperatures
2. ABNORMAL PRESSURE
Under certain conditions, fluid pressures may depart substantially from the normal
pressure. Overpressured reservoirs are those where the hydrostatic pressure is greater
than the normal pressure and underpressured reservoirs are below normal pressure.
Figure 1. They are called abnormal pressured reservoirs and can be defined by the
equation:
dP
Pw = x D + 14.7 psia + C
dD water
(4)
where C is a constant, being positive for overpressured and negative for an under-
pressured system.
For abnormally pressured reservoirs, the sand is sealed off from the surrounding strata
so that there is not hydrostatic pressure continuity to the surface.
Conditions which cause abnormal fluid pressure in water bearing sands have been
identified by Bradley 2 and include (Figure 2):
FP-Too High
Upthrust
(a)
Original Deposition
North Sea
Glacier
(c)
Normal Surface Greenland 3 km thick
1300 psi/1000 m ice
• Osmosis between waters having different salinity, the sealing shale acting as a
semi-permeable membrane. If the water within the seal is more saline than the
surrounding water, the osmosis will cause a high pressure and vice versa.
Overpressured reservoirs are common in Tertiary deltaic deposits such as the North
Sea, Niger delta and the Gulf Coast of Texas. In the North Sea one mechanism for
overpressure is the inability to expel water from a system of rapidly compacted
shales.
With abnormally pressured reservoirs a permeability barrier must exist, which inhibit
pressure release. These may be lithological or structural. Common lithological
barriers are evaporates and shales. Less common are the impermeable carbonates
and sandstones. Structure permeability barriers may result from faults which, in
some cases, seal. The subject on of abnormal pressures is covered more fully in
the Geology Module
If reservoirs are all normal pressured systems then the pressure gradient for these
reservoirs would be virtually all the same, other than from the influence of salinity.
The figure below shows the water pressure gradients for a number of reservoirs in
the North Sea and indicates the significant overpressuring in this region. Often these
overpressuring show regional trends. For example the fields depicted in figure 3
show an increase in abnormal pressure in the south east direction. Clearly if all these
reservoirs were normally pressured then the pressure depths values would lie on the
same gradient line with a zero depth pressure value of atmospheric pressure.
Reservoir Pressures and Temperatures
8,000
Statfjord OWC
Brent OWC
9,000
Thistle OWC
Cormorant
OWC
4
10,000
1
2
Subsea Depth (Feet)
Ninian
OWC
11,000 Heather
OWC
3
Lyell
5
12,000
Alwyn
N.W. Alwyn
S.W> Ninian
Pressure, psig
3
Figure 3 Examples of overpressured reservoirs in the North Sea
Pressure gradients in hydrocarbon systems are different from those of water systems
and are determined by the oil and gas phase in-situ specific gravities, ρo and ρg of
each fluid.
The pressure gradients are a function of gas and oil composition but typically are:
Depth (Ft.)
13
8500
12
0.17 psi/ft
ρf = 0.39 gm/cc
11
10
Gas-Oil Contact 9
8
8600 7
6
Depth (Ft.)
0.29 psi/ft
ρf = 0.67 gm/cc
5 Oil-Water Contact
8700
4
0.47 psi/ft
ρf = 1.09 gm/cc
3
2
8800 1
Figure 4 Pressure distribution for an oil reservoir with a gas cap and an oil-water contact.
The nature of the pressure regime and the position and recognition of fluid contacts
are very important to the reservoir engineer in evaluating reserves, and determining
depletion policy.
EXERCISE 2
If the pressure in a reservoir at the OWC is 3625 psi, calculate the pressure at the top
if there is a 600ft continuous oil column. If a normal pressure gradient exists outwith
the reservoir, calculate the pressure differential at the top of the reservoir. Redo the
calculations for a similar field, but this time containing gas.
Reservoir Pressures and Temperatures
Water is always present in reservoir rocks and the pressure in the water phase Pw
and the pressure in the hyrocarbon phase Po are different . If P is the pressure at the
oil/water contact where the water saturation is 100%, then the pressure above this
contact for the hydrocarbon and water are :
Po = P - ρogh (8)
Pw = P - ρwgh (9)
The difference between these two pressures is the capillary pressure Pc: see Chapter
8. In a homogenous water-wet reservoir with an oil-water contact the variation of
saturation and phase pressure from the water zone through the capillary transition
zone into the oil is shown in Figure 5). In the transition zone the phase pressure
difference is given by the capillary pressure which is a function of the wetting phase
saturation. (Chapter 8).
Oil Zone
Vertical Oil Phase Pressure
Depth po = pFWL - ρogh
D
pc (Sw)
h=
∆ρg WOC Water Gradient
FWL
(pc = o)
0 Swc 1 pFWL
Water Saturation, Sw Pressure, P
Pc = Po - Pw (10)
at hydrostatic equilibrium
Pc(Sw) = ∆ρgh
∆ρ = ρw-ρo
h = height above free water level
The difference in depth between the oil-water contact and the free water level depends
on the capillary pressure which in turn is a function of permeability, grain size etc.
Providing the phase is continuous the pressures in the respective phases are:
On the depth-pressure diagram the intersection of the continuous phase pressure line
occurs at the free water level.
Earlier tests for vertical pressure logging have been replaced by open-hole testing
devices that measure the vertical pressure distribution in the well, and recover for-
mation samples.
One such device which was introduced in the mid seventies which has established
itself in reservoir evaluation is the repeat formation tester RFT (Schlumberger trade
name). It was initially developed as a device to take samples. Over the years however
its main application is to provide pressure -depth profiles over reservoir intervals. The
device places a probe through the well mud cake and allows small volumes of fluid
to be taken and pressure measurements to be made (Figure 6). It can only be operated
therefore in an open hole environment. The unit can be set at different locations in
the well and the pressure gradient thereby obtained. This device has been superseded
by different tools provided by a number of wireline service providers. The principle
is the same of measuring with a probe in open hole the pressure depth profile.
10
Reservoir Pressures and Temperatures
Packer
Filter
Flow Line
Piston Formation
Pressure Guage
Equalising Valve
(To Mud Column) Flow Line
Chamber 1
Probe Closed
Chamber 2
These open hole pressure measurements have proved valuable at both the appraisal
stage and can be used to establish fluid contacts. It has also proved particularly valu-
able during the development stage in accessing some of the dynamic characteristics
of the reservoir. The pressure changes in different reservoir layers resulting from
production reveal the amount of interlayer communication and these pressure meas-
urements can be a powerful tool in understanding the characteristics of the reservoir
formation.
In 1980 Amoco3 published a paper with respect to the Montrose Field in The North
Sea which illustrates the application of pressure-depth surveys. Figure 7 shows the
pressure depth survey in 1978 of a well after production since mid 1976. Only the
top 45ft of the 75ft oil column had been perforated. The initial pressure gradient in-
dicates the oil and water gradients at the condition of hydrostatic equilibrium. The
second survey shows a survey after a period of high production rate, and reveals the
reservoir behaviour under dynamic conditions. The various changes in slope in the
pressure profile reveal the partial restricted flow in certain layers. Similar surveys
in each new development wells (Figure 8) show the similar profiles and enable the
detailed layered structure of the reservoir to be characterised which is important for
reservoir simulation purposes.
Layer 3
8300
8500
2600
8600
2650 Layer 5
8700
8800
14 16 18 20 22 24 26
Reservoir pressure - MPa
2500 8200
True vertical subsea depth - feet
8300
2550
8400
8500
2600
8600
2650 8700
symbol ?Well number Date
22/17-A6 05/04/77
A8 27/01/78 8800
A11 20/12/77
2700 A15 15/08/78
A17 02/11/78 8900
A18 28/03/79
9000
18 20 22 24 26 28
Reservoir pressure - MPa
12
Reservoir Pressures and Temperatures
6. RESERVOIR TEMPERATURE
The temperature of the earth increases from the surface to centre. The heat flow out-
wards through the Earth’s crust generates a geothermal gradient, gc. This temperature
variation conforms to both a local and regional geothermal gradient, resulting from
the thermal characteristics of the lithology and more massive phenomenon associated
with the thickness of the earth’s crust along ridges, rifts and plate boundaries.
In most petroleum basins the geothermal gradient is of the order of 1.6˚F/100 ft.
(0.029 K/m) The thermal characteristics of the reservoir rock and overburden give
rise to large thermal capacity and with a large surface area in the porous reservoir
one can assume that flow processes in a reservoir occur at constant reservoir tem-
perature. The local geothermal gradient will be influenced by associated geological
features like volcanic intrusions etc. The local geothermal gradient can be deduced
from wellbore temperature surveys . However they have to be made under stabilised
conditions since they can be influenced by transient cooling effects of circulating
and injected fluids.
During drilling the local thermal gradient can be disturbed and by analysis of the
variation of temperature with time using a bottom hole temperature (BHT) gauge
the local undisturbed temperature can be obtained.
Solutions to Exercises
EXERCISE 1
If the average pressure gradient in a region is 0.47 psi/ft, calculate the pore pressure
in a normally pressurised formation at 7400ft. Convert the pressure from psi to KPa,
then express the pressure in MPa. What is the pressure gradient in KPa/m?
SOLUTION
Pressure in formation = 0.47 * 7400 = 3478 psi
SOLUTION
Typical pressure gradients are (psi/ft):
Water – 0.45
Oil – 0.35
Gas – 0.08
REFERENCES
14
Reservoir Fluids Composition
CONTENTS
1 INTRODUCTION
2 HYDROCARBONS
2.1 Chemistry of Hydrocarbons
2.2 Alkanes or Paraffinic Hydrocarbons
2.3 Isomerism
2.4 Unsaturated Hydrocarbons
2.5 Napthene Series
2.6 Aromatics
2.7 Asphalts
3 NON-HYDROCARBON COMPOUNDS
5 GENERAL ANALYSIS
5.1 Surface Condition Characterisation
5.2 Refractive Index
5.3 Fluorescence of Oil
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Having worked through this chapter the Student will be able to:
• List the non- hydrocarbon compounds which might be present in small qualities
in reservoir fluids.
• Define the black oil model description of the composition of a reservoir fluid.
• Be aware of general analysis descriptors for petroleum fluids e.g. oAPI, refractive
index and flourescence.
• Calculate given the prerequisite data proved, probable and possible reserves.
Reservoir Fluids Composition
1 INTRODUCTION
Petroleum deposits occurring as a gaseous state are termed natural gas, in the liquid
state as petroleum oil or crude oil and in the solid state as tars, asphalts and waxes.
For a mixture with small molecules it will be a gas at normal temperature and pressure
(NTP). Mixtures containing larger molecules will be a liquid at NTP and larger
molecules as a solid state, for example, tars and asphalts.
The exact origin of these deposits is not clear but is considered to be from plant,
animal and marine life through thermal and bacterial breakdown.
The appearance varies from gases, through very clear liquids, yellow liquids to a
dark, often black, highly viscous material, the variety obviously being a function of
composition. Although the principal elements are carbon (84-87%), and hydrogen
(11-14%), crude oil can vary from a very light brown liquid with a viscosity similar
to water to a very viscous tar like material .
Water is always present in the pore space of a reservoir, since the original depositional
environment for the rocks was water. This water has subsequently been displaced
by the influx of hydrocarbons but not totally since surface tension forces acting in
the rock pore space cause some of the water to be retained.
The two compositional characterisation approaches used are the compositional model
and the black oil model. The basis of the compositional model is a multicomponent
description in terms of hydrocarbons and the black oil model is a two component
description in terms of produced oil, stock tank oil and produced gas, solution gas.
The compositional model is the topic covered in this chapter and the black oil model
is covered in the liquid properties chapter.
Institute of Petroleum Engineering, Heriot-Watt University
2 HYDROCARBONS
Hydrocarbons
Aliphatic Aromatics
(Paraffins) (Napthenes)
The hydrocarbons divide into two groupings with respect to the arrangement of the
carbon molecules and the bonds between the carbon molecules. The arrangement of
the molecules are open chain or cyclic and the bonds between the carbon are saturated
(single) bonds or unsaturated or (multiple) bonds.
The paraffin series begins with methane (CH4), and its basic formula is CnH2n+2.
Pentane to pentadecane are liquids and the chief constituents of uncracked gasoline.
Its higher members are waxy solids. In a given bore hole the wax may clog the pore
space next to the hole as gas expands and cools.
The paraffins are the largest constituent of crude oil and are characterised by their
chemical inertness. Clearly they would not have remained as they are if this were not
so.
2.3 Isomerism
From methane to propane there is only one way to arrange the branched chains however
above propane there are alternative arrangements and these are called isomers.
Reservoir Fluids Composition
Structural formulae do not represent the actual structure of the molecules. Isomers
are substances of the same composition that have different molecular structure and
therefore different properties, for example, normal butane and isobutane.
Pentane has three structures (isomers). Clearly the number of isomers increase as the
number of carbon atoms increases. Hexane has 5 isomers and heptane 9.
Table 1 below gives some of the basic physical properties of the more common
hydrocarbons of the paraffin series and Table 2 lists the state of the various pure
components demonstrating that components which might be solid on their own
contribute to liquid states when part of a mixture. Figure 2 gives some structural
formula for three paraffin compounds.
Density
Name Chemical Molecular Boiling Point Critical Gas Liquid
Formula Weight (°C) at normal Temp °C (air = 1) (water = 1)
conditions
sp.gr.
PARAFFINS H
H H C H H H H H H H H H
H H
H C H H C C C C C C C C H
H C C C H
H H H H H H H H H
H H H
Methane Iso-butane n-octane
Reservoir Fluids Composition
NAPHTHENES
H H H
H C H C
H H
H C C C
H H H H
C C H H
H H C C
H H H H
C C C
H H H H
Methyl
Cyclopentane Cyclohexane
2.6 Aromatics
The aromatic series (CnH2n-6) is an unsaturated closed-ring series, based on the benzene
compound and the compounds are characterised by a strong aromatic odour. Various
aromatic compounds are found in crude oils. The closed ring structure gives them
a greater stability than open compounds where double or triple bonds occur. Figure
4 gives the structural formula for two aromatic compounds.
AROMATICS
H H H
C C C
H C C H H C C C H
H C C H H C C C H
C C C
H H H
Benzene Naphthalene
The aromatic-napthene based crudes are usually associated with limestone and dolomite
reservoirs such as those found in Iran, the Arabian Gulf and Borneo.
Some crude oils used to be described, more from a refining perspective, according
to the relative amount of these non paraffin compounds. Crude oils would be called
paraffinic, napthenic or aromatic. It is not a classification of value in reservoir
engineering.
2.7 Asphalts
Asphalt is not a series by itself. Asphalts are highly viscous to semi-solid, brown-
black hydrocarbons of high molecular weight usually containing a lot of sulphur
and nitrogen, which are undesirable components, and oxygen. Asphalts are closely
related to the napthene series and because of their high nitrogen and oxygen content
they may be considered juvenile oil, not fully developed.
3 NON-HYDROCARBON COMPOUNDS
Although small in volume, generally less than 1%, non-hydrocarbon compounds have
a significant influence on the nature of the produced fluids with respect to processing
and the quality of the products.
The more common non-hydrocarbon constituents which may occur are:
sulphur, oxygen, nitrogen compounds, carbon dioxide and water.
Reservoir Fluids Composition
Oxygen compounds, up to 0.5% wt., are present in some crudes and decompose to
form napthenic acids on distillation, which may be very corrosive.
Nitrogen content is generally less than 0.1% wt., but can be as much as 2%. Nitrogen
compounds are complex . Gaseous nitrogen reduces the thermal quality of natural
gas and needs to be blended with high quality natural gas if present at the higher
levels.
Other compounds. Metals may be found in crude oils at low concentration and are
of little significance. Metals such as copper, iron, nickel, vanadium and zinc may be
present. Produced natural gas may contain helium, hydrogen and mercury.
Inorganic compounds The non-oil produced fluids like water will clearly contain
compounds arising from the minerals present in the rock, their concentration will
therefore vary according to the reservoir. Their composition however can have a
very significant effect on the reservoir behaviour with respect to their compatibility
with injected fluids. The precipitation of salts, scale, is a serious issue in reservoir
management.
Many of these salts need to be removed on refining as some generate HC1 when
heated with water.
For the oil refiner or chemical manufacturer the composition of the fluid is the key to
determine what chemical products can be extracted or processed from the material.
The petroleum engineer is not concerned with the fact that the oil might contain, albeit
in small concentrations, hundreds of different components. The petroleum engineer
wants as simple a description as possible which still enables the determination of the
physical properties and behaviour under different temperature and pressure conditions.
Two models are used in this industry to describe the composition for physical property
prediction purposes, the black-oil model and the compositional model.
The black-oil model is a 2 component description of the fluid where the two components
are, the fluids produced at surface, stock tank oil and solution gas. Associated with
this model are black-oil parameters like solution gas-oil ratio and the oil formation
volume factor. These parameters are discussed in the chapter on liquid properties.
Isomers, normal and iso are usually identified up to pentane. Non paraffinic
compounds are assigned to the next higher paraffin according to its volatility. The
material representing all compounds above the limiting carbon number are called the
C+ fraction , so C7+ for a limiting value of C6 and C10+ for a limiting value of C9.
The physical properties of paraffins up to the limiting C number are well known
and documented. The C+ component is however unique to the fluid and therefore
two properties are used to characterise it, apparent molecular weight and specific
gravity.
The behaviour of some fluids are complex and the paraffin based description may
have difficulty in predicting properties under certain conditions. Consideration may
be required to also identify napthenic and aromatic compounds, (PNA analysis),
which could be contributing to complex behaviour. This is particularly the case for
gas condensates existing at high pressures and high temperatures.
Figure 4 illustrates the compositional model and its application as reservoir fluids are
produced to surface. Although the individual components contribute to a single liquid
reservoir phase for an oil, when the fluids are produced to surface they produce a gas
phase, solution gas, and a liquid phase, stock tank oil. The distribution characteristics
of the individual components is complex and not just a function of temperature and
pressure. For reservoir fluids the composition is also an influence on the distribution.
This makes it a difficult task to predict this distribution perspective since reservoir
fluid compositions are unique. This topic is further dealt with in the chapter on
vapour liquid equilibrium. Improved methods of chemical analysis make it possible
to describe the oil up to a C value of C29. Although such definitions provide a very
accurate description, the associated computer effort in using such a comprehensive
description does lead to the use of pseudo components. Pseudo components are
obtained by grouping the various C number compositions, thereby reducing the
description to 4 or 5 "pseudo components". A number of methods exist to group the
various C values and other components.
10
Reservoir Fluids Composition
C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7+
5. GENERAL ANALYSIS
The basis chosen is the fluids at surface conditions, the surface conditions being 14.7
psia or 101.3 kPa and 60oF or 298K. These conditions are called standard conditions.
For gas therefore this yields standard cubic feet SCF or standard cubic meters SCM.
It is useful to consider these expression not as volumes but as mass, the volume of
which will vary according to density. For liquids we express surface conditions as
stock tank volumes either stock tank barrels STB or stock tank cubic meters STM3.
The relative amount of gas to oil is expressed by the gas-oil ratio GOR SCF/STB.
Since there are so many types of oil, each with a wide range of specific gravity, an
arbitrary non-linear relationship was developed by the American Petroleum Institute
(API) to classify crude oils by weight on a linear-scaled hydrometer. The observed
readings are always corrected for temperature to 60oF, by using a prepared table of
standard values.
The API gravity of water is 10º. A light crude oil would have an API gravity of 40º,
while a heavy crude would have an API gravity of less than 20º. In the field, the API
gravity is readily measured using a calibrated hydrometer.
There are no definitions for categorising reservoir fluids, but the following table 5
indicates typical GOR, API and gas and oil gravities for the five main types. The
compositions show that the dry gases contain mostly paraffins, with the fraction
of longer chain components increasing as the GOR and API gravity of the fluids
decrease.
In chapter 4 we give a classification for the various reservoir fluid types in the context
of phase behaviour.
Type Dry Gas WetGas Gas Condensate Volatile Oil Black Oil
Composition (mol %)
C1 96.3 88.7 72.7 66.7 52.6
C2 3.0 6.0 10.0 9.0 5.0
C3 0.4 3.0 6.0 6.0 3.5
C4 0.17 1.3 2.5 3.3 1.8
C5 0.04 0.6 1.8 2.0 0.8
C6 0.02 0.2 2.0 2.0 0.9
C7+ 0.0 0.2 5.0 11.0 27.9
12
Reservoir Fluids Composition
When possible, pictures should be taken of the core showing the fluorescence. These
are very useful when accompanying reports to the head office which may be hundreds
if not a few thousand miles away.
The degree of fluorescence is indicated below for different compositions as reflected
in the API gravity.
It should be pointed out that most oils increase in API gravity with depth in a given
lithologic column with the reason being that younger juvenile oils, heavier with a
lower API gravity, have not yet been transformed from the initial formation conditions
to higher petroleum members. Two well-known exceptions to this pattern are found
in the Burgan sands of Kuwait and the shallow sands of the Bibi Eibat field in the
USSR where the high-gravity members are found higher up in the stratified column
than the low-gravity members.
Calculate the Specific Gravity (SG) of a 38o API oil. What is its density in lbs/cu.ft?
(62.32 lbs/cu.ft equals an SG of 1.0 and 43.28 API)
Now convert an oil with an SG of 0.744 to Degrees API.
EXERCISE 2
A reservoir oil is quoted as having a Gas Oil Ratio (GOR) of 604 scf/bbl. Convert
this to Standard Cubic Meters (SCM)gas per Stock Tank Cubic Meters (SM3)
1 Foot = 0.3048m
1 barrel = 5.615 cu ft.
1 barrel = 0.159 M3
EXERCISE 3
EXERCISE 4
14
Reservoir Fluids Composition
Solutions to Exercises
EXERCISE 1
Calculate the Specific Gravity (SG) of a 38o API oil. What is its density in lbs/
cu.ft?
(62.32 lbs/cu.ft equals an SG of 1.0 and 43.28 API)
Now convert an oil with an SG of 0.744 to Degrees API.
SOLUTION
SG = 0.835
EXERCISE 2
A reservoir oil is quoted as having a Gas Oil Ratio (GOR) of 604 scf/bbl. Convert
this to Standard Cubic Meters (SCM)gas per Stock Tank Cubic Meters (SM3)
1 Foot = 0.3048m
1 barrel = 5.615 cu ft.
1 barrel = 0.159 M3
SOLUTION
EXERCISE 3
SOLUTION
A reservoir with a GOR of 11,000 scf/bbl would be typically termed a ‘Gas Condensate
Reservoir’. The API gravity would probably be in the low 50’s.
SOLUTION
Compositional Model.
The compositional model is based on the paraffin series CnH2n+2. To keep the number
of components in the model manageable, long chain members are grouped together
and given an average property. These compounds are termed collectively as the ‘C+
fraction’. Typically this covers the hydrocarbons above Heptane and therefore is
called the C7+ fraction, which is characterised using the terms Apparent Molecular
Weight and Specific Gravity.
REFERENCES.
16
Phase Behaviour of Hydrocarbon Systems
CONTENTS
1 DEFINITIONS
4 MULTI-COMPONENT HYDROCARBON
4.1 Pressure Volume Diagram
4.2 Pressure Temperature Diagram
4.3 Critical Point
4.4 Retrograde Condensation
5 MULTI-COMPONENT HYDROCARBON
5.1 Oil Systems (Black Oils and Volatile Oils)
5.2 Retrograde Condensate Gas
5.3 Wet Gas
5.4 Dry Gas
Having worked through this chapter the Student will be able to:
General
• Define; system, components, phases, equilibrium, intensive and extensive
properties.
Pure Components
• Sketch a pressure-temperature (PT) diagram for a pure component and illustrate
on it; the vapour-pressure line, critical point, triple point, sublimation-pressure
line, the melting point line, the liquid, gas and solid phase zones.
• Define the critical pressure and critical temperature for a pure component.
• Describe briefly with the aid of a PT diagram the behavior of a pure component
system below( left|) and above ( right) of the critical point.
• Sketch the pressure- volume (PV) diagram for a pure component illustrating the
behavior above the bubble point, between the bubble and dewpoint and below
the dewpoint.
• Sketch a series of PV lines for a pure component with a temperature below, at
and above the critical temperature.
• Sketch the three dimensional phase diagram for pure component systems.
Two Components
• Plot a PV diagram for a 2 component system and identify key parameters.
• Plot a PV diagram for a 2 component system and identify key parameters and
the relationship to the vapour pressure lines for the two pure components.
• Sketch the critical point loci for a series of binary mixtures including methane
and indicate how a mixture a mixture of methane and another component can
exist as 2 phases at pressures much greater than the 2 phase limit for the two
contributing components.
• Draw a PT diagram for a two component system, to illustrate the cricondentherm,
cricondenbar and the region of retrograde condensation.
• Define the terms cricondentherm and cricindenbar.
• Explain briefly what retrograde condensation is.
Multicomponent Systems
• Sketch a PT and PV diagrams to illustrate the behaviour at constant temperature
for a fluid in a PVT cell. Identify key features.
• Draw a PT diagram for a heavy oil, volatile oil, retrograde condensate gas,
wet gas and dry gas. Illustrate and explain the behaviour of depletion from the
undersaturated condition to the condition within the phase diagram.
• Describe briefly with the aid of a sketch, the reasons for and the process of gas
cycling, for retrograde gas condensate reservoirs.
• Plot a PT diagram for a reservoir with a gas cap to illustrate the gas at dew point
and oil at bubble point.
Miscellaneous
• With the aid of sketch explain the process of critical point drying.
Phase Behaviour of Hydrocarbon Systems
Oil and gas reservoir fluids are mixtures of a large number of components which when
subjected to different pressure and temperatures environments may exist in different
forms, which we call phases. Phase behaviour is a key aspect in understanding the
nature and behaviour of these fluids both in relation to their state in the reservoir and
the changes which they experience during various aspects of the production process.
In this chapter we will review the qualitative aspects of the behaviour of reservoir
fluids when subjected to changes in pressure and temperature.
1 DEFINITIONS
• Components - those pure substances which produce the system under all
conditions.
For example, in the context of reservoir engineering, methane, ethane, carbon dioxide
and water are examples of pure components.
• Phases - This term describes separate, physically homogenous parts which are
separated by definite boundaries.1 Examples in the context of water are the three
phases, ice, liquid water and water vapour.
Intramolecular forces are the attractive and repulsive forces between molecules. They
are affected by the distance between the molecules. The attractive forces increases
as the distance between the molecules decreases until however the electronic field of
the molecules overlap and then further decrease in distance causes a repulsive force,
which increases as the molecules are forced closer together.
The molecules in gases are widely spaced and attractive forces exist between the
molecules whereas for liquids where the molecules are closer together there is a
repelling force which causes the liquid to resist further compression.
The hydrocarbon fluids of interest in reservoir systems are composed of many compo-
nents however in understanding the phase behaviour of these systems it is convenient
to reflect on the behaviour of single and two component systems.
Phase diagrams are useful ways of presenting the behaviour of systems. They are
generally plots of pressure versus temperature and show the phases that exist under
these varying conditions.
Phase Behaviour of Hydrocarbon Systems
1 2
C
Critical Point
oint
Solid Liquid
Melting P
Pressure
e
s ur 3
es
Pr
ur
po
Va
Vapour Gas
a tion
blim
Su
Triple Point
Temperature
• Define the black oil model description of the composition of a reservoir fluid.
Critical Point
The critical point C. is the limit of the vapour pressure line and defines the critical
temperature, Tc and critical pressure, Pc of the pure substance. For a pure substance
the critical temperature and critical pressure represents the limiting state for liquid and
gas to coexist. A more general definition of the critical point which is both applicable
to multi component as well as single component systems is; the critical point is the
point at which all the intensive properties of the gas and liquid are equal.
Triple Point
The triple point represents the pressure and temperature at which solid, liquid and
vapour co-exist under equilibrium conditions. Petroleum engineers seldom deal
with hydrocarbons in the solid state, however, more recently solid state issues are a
concern with respect to wax, asphaltenes and hydrates.
Sublimitation-Pressure Line
The extension of the vapour-pressure line below the triple point represents the con-
ditions which divides the area where solid exists from the area where vapour exists
and is also called the sublimation - pressure line.
P1 Pb P Pd P2
Liquid
Gas
Phase Behaviour of Hydrocarbon Systems
E F
Pc c
1
A G
B
oint Line
Solid Liquid
Pressure
P
Melting -
ne 4
e li
ssur
pre
u r-
po Gas
Va 2
Tc
Temperature
As the pressure is reduced, the pressure falls rapidly until a pressure is reached lying
on the vapour pressure line. A gas phase will begin to form and molecules leave the
liquid. At further attempts to reduce the pressure the volume of gas phase increases,
while liquid phase volume decreases but the pressure remains constant. Once the
liquid phase disappears further attempts to reduce pressure will be successful as the
gas expands.
Above the critical temperature, following the path 3 - 4, a decrease in pressure will
cause a steady change in the physical properties, for example a decrease in density but
there will not be an abrupt density change as the vapour pressure line is not crossed.
No phase change takes place.
Consider the behaviour of the system around the critical point. If we go from point
A to point B, by increasing the temperature, we go though a distinctive phase change
on the vapour pressure line where two phases, liquid and gas co-exist. If we now go
a different route to B, starting with the liquid state at ‘A’ increase the pressure iso-
thermally (constant temperature ) to a value greater than Pc at E. Then keeping the
pressure constant increase the temperature to a value greater than Tc at point F. Now
decrease the pressure to its original value at G. Finally, decrease the temperature
keeping the pressure constant until B is reached. The system is now in the vapour
state and this state has been achieved without an abrupt phase change. The vapour
states are only meaningful in the two phase regions. In areas far removed from the
two phase region particularly where pressure and temperature are above the critical
values, definition of the liquid or gaseous state is impossible and the system is best
described as in the fluid state.
c
700
Pressure - PSIA
Liquid
600
Vapor
500
400
40 60 80 100 120
Temperature - º F
Phase Behaviour of Hydrocarbon Systems
All Liquid
T > Tc SINGLE PHASE
1
Liquid state-rapid change of
pressure with small volume change
First Gas Bubble T < Tc Pressure remains constant while
both gas and liquid are present
Pressure
Dew Point
Last Drop of Liquid T2 > Tc
Gas
Bubble Point
2
TWO PHASE REGION
All Gas
Volume
For a pure substance vapour pressures at bubble point and dew point are equal to the
vapour pressure of the substance at that temperature. Above the critical point, ie 3
- 4 , the PV behaviour line shows no abrupt change and simply shows an expansion
of the substance and no phase change. This fluid is called a super critical fluid.
Critical Point
4
Pressure
De
Curve
w
Po
in
t
Pressure remains constant while Cur
Point
ve 2
both gas and liquid are present
Bubble
Volume
The pressure volume curve for pure component ethane is given in figure 7
The locus of the bubble points and dew points form a three-dimensional diagram
when projected in to a P-T diagram give the vapour pressure line (Figure 8).
900
800
C
700
Pressure - PSIA
11
0
ºF
600 90
ºF
400
0 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 0.25
10
Phase Behaviour of Hydrocarbon Systems
uid
Liq
Critical Point
Dew Point Line
id
qu
Pressure
Li
d
s
an
G
as
Ga
Vo
lu u id Critical Point
me
tur
e Liq
ra
pe
Vapor Pressure Curve
Te m
Pressure
s
Ga ure
rat
m pe
Te
Liquid
and
Gas
Bubble Point
Ga
s
Dew Point
Volume
The pressure-volume diagram for a specific n-pentane and n-heptane mixture is given
in Figure 10. Clearly a different composition of the two components would result
in a different shape of the diagram.
600
500
Critical point
45 45
0º 4º
F
400
Pressure - PSIA
425
º
400
300 º
300
º
100
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5
If the vapour pressure lines for the pure components are drawn on the P-T diagram
then the two-phase region for the mixture lies between the vapour pressure lines.
In the figure 11 the critical temperature of the mixture TcAB lies between TcA and TcB
whereas the critical pressure PcAB lies above PcA and PcB. It is important to note that
the PcAB and TcAB of the mixture does not necessarily lie between the Pc & Tc of the
two pure components.
1
PCAB Critical Point
% Liq.
Liquid
PCA 100
CA
75
50
CB
PCB e
t Li n 25
P o in
- 0
b ble
Bu
2
Pressure
t Gas
Poin
Dew
A specific mixture composition will give a specific phase envelope lying between the
vapour pressure lines. A mixture with different proportions of the same components
will give a different phase diagram. The locus of the critical point of different mix-
ture compositions is shown in Figure 12 for the ethane and n-heptane system, and in
Figure 13 for a series of binary hydrocarbon mixtures. Figure 13 demonstrates that
for binary mixture e.g. Methane and n-decane two phases can coexist at conditions
of pressure considerably greater than the two phase limit, critical conditions for the
separate pure components. Methane is a significant component of reservoir fluids.
C2
Composition
No Wt % Ethane
1200 C 100.00
C1 90.22
C2 50.25
C3 9.78
C7 N-Heptane
1000
C1
Pressure, lbs./Sq. In. ABS
800
C
C3
A1
600
e
in
an e
L
i nt
Po
E th
A le
400 bb C7
Bu
e
li n
200 A2
i
an
nt
Po
e
pt
De
w He
N-
B2 B3
A3
B1 B
0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600
Temperature º F
14
Phase Behaviour of Hydrocarbon Systems
6000
Single Phase
5000
4000
2000
1000
ne
e e
ha
an ne ne an xane ptane
Eth pa uta ent
et
Temperature º F
These limits are of particular significance in relation to the shape of the diagram in
figure 14.
Consider a single isotherm on Figure 14. For a pure substance a decrease in pressure
causes a change of phase from liquid to gas. For a two-component system below Tc
a decrease in pressure causes a change from liquid to gas.
We now consider the constant temperature decrease in pressure, 1-2-3 , in figure 14 at
a temperature between the critical temperature and the cricondentherm. As pressure
is decreased from 1 the dew point is reached and liquid forms, i.e., at 2 the system is
such that 5% liquid and 95% vapour exists, i.e. a decrease in pressure has caused a
change from gas to liquid, opposite to the behaviour one would expect. The phenom-
ena is termed Retrograde Condensation. From 2 - 3, the amount of liquid decreases
Cricondenbar 1
Liquid % Liq.
100
Pressure
75
ne
Li
2
t
in
50
Po
Cricondentherm
e l
bb
25
Bu
10
5 3
e
Dew Point Lin Gas
0
Temperature
Using two component systems we have examined various aspects of phase behaviour.
Reservoir fluids contain hundreds of components and therefore are multicomponent
systems. The phase behaviour of multicomponent hydrocarbon systems in the liq-
uid-vapour region however is very similar to that of binary systems however the
mathematical and experimental analysis of the phase behaviour is more complex.
Figure 15 gives a schematic PT & PV diagram for a reservoir fluid system. Systems
which include crude oils also contain appreciable amounts of relatively non-volatile
constituents such that dew points are practically unattainable.
16
Phase Behaviour of Hydrocarbon Systems
All Liquid
Liqu
id "a"
Critical Point
First Gas Bubble
Bubble Point
Bubble Point
uid
Liq
i ne
tL
Gas / 40% Liquid
%
in
80
Po
%
60
le
bb
%
Bu
40
Pressure
Pressure
% Lin
e
Last Drop of Liquid 20 int
Po Dew Point
w
De
Dew Point
All Gas
Temperature Volume
We will consider the behaviour of several examples of typical crude oils and natural
gases:
Figure 16 is a useful diagram to illustrate the behaviour of the respective fluid types
above. However it should be emphasised that for each fluid type there will be different
scales. The vertical lines help to distinguish the different reservoir fluid types.
Isothermal behaviour below the critical point designates the behaviour of oil systems
and the fluid is liquid in the reservoir, whereas behaviour to the right of the critical
point illustrates the behaviour of systems which are gas in the reservoir.
% Liquid TM
100
2
Pressure
T = Maximum temperature at
m
25 which two phases can coexist
20 e
15 t Li n C = Critical conditions
Poin
10 Dew X = Cricondentherm
5 Gas 5
0 Single Phase Region X5
Temperature
The two-phase region covers a wide range of pressure and temperature. Tc is higher
than the reservoir temperature. In figure 17 the line 1-2-3 represents the constant
reservoir temperature pressure reduction that occurs in the reservoir as crude oil is
produced for a black oil. These oils are a common oil type. The dotted line shows
the conditions encountered as the fluid leaves the reservoir and flows through the
tubing to the separator.
If the initial reservoir pressure and temperature are at 2, the oil is at its reservoir
bubble point and is said to be saturated, that is, the oil contains as much dissolved
gas as it can and a further reduction in pressure will cause formation of gas. If the
initial reservoir pressure and temperature are at 1, the oil is said to be undersaturated,
i.e. The pressure in the reservoir can be reduced to Pb before gas is released into the
formation. For an oil system the saturation pressure is the bubble point pressure.
18
Phase Behaviour of Hydrocarbon Systems
1 Undersaturated
Mole % Liq.
100
Liquid Critical Point
2 Saturated
Pb
Pressure
e
3
Lin
int
Po
75
le
bb
line
Sep.
Bu
int
Po
w
50 Gas
De
25
0
Temperature
As the pressure is dropped from the initial condition as a result of production of flu-
ids, the fluids remain in single phase in the reservoir until the bubble point pressure
corresponding to the reservoir temperature is reached. At this point the first bubbles
of gas are released and their composition will be different from the oil being more
concentrated in the lighter ( more volatile) components. When the fluids are brought
to the surface they come into the separator and as shown on the diagram, the separa-
tor conditions lie well within the two phase region and therefore the fluid presents
itself as both liquid and gas. The pressure and temperature conditions existing in the
separator indicate that around 85% liquid is produced, that is a high percentage and as
a result the volume of liquid at the surface has not reduced a great amount compared
to its volume at reservoir conditions. Hence the term low-shrinkage oil.
As the pressure is further reduced as oil is removed from the reservoir, point 3 will
be reached and 75% liquid and 25% gas will be existing in the reservoir. Strictly
speaking once the reservoir pressure has dropped to the bubble point, beyond that the
phase diagram does not truly represent the behaviour of the reservoir fluid. As we will
see in the chapter on drive mechanisms, below the bubble point gas produced flows
more readily than the associated oil and therefore the composition of the reservoir
fluid does not remain constant. The system is continually changing in the reservoir
and therefore the related phase diagram changes.
The summary characteristics for a black oil sometimes termed a heavy oil or low
shrinkage oil are as follows.
Broad-phase envelope
High percentage of liquid
High proportion of heavier hydrocarbons
GOR < 500 SCF/STB
Volatile oil contains a much higher proportion of lighter and intermediate hydocar-
bons than heavier black oil and therefore they liberate relatively large volumes of gas
leaving smaller amounts of liquid compared to black oils. For this reason they used
to be called high shrinkage oils. The diagram in figure 18 shows similar behaviour to
the black oil except that the lines of constant liquid to gas are more closely spaced.
Points 1 and 2 have the same meaning as for the black oil. As the pressure is reduced
below 2 a large amount of gas is produced such that at 3 the reservoir contains 40%
liquid and 60% gas.
At separator conditions 65% of the fluid is liquid, i.e. less than previous mixture.
The summary characteristics for a volatile sometimes termed a heavy oil or high
shrinkage oil when compared to black oils are as follows.
Liquid 2
Critical Point
Mole % Liq.
100
75
Pressure
3
e
lin
int
Sep.
po
le
50 40
bb
Bu
e
in
Gas
tl
in
po
w
25
De
Temperature
Clearly, for these fluids, it is the composition of the fluid that determines the nature
of the phase behaviour and the relative position of the saturation lines, (bubble point
and dew point lines), the lines of constant proportion of gas/liquid and the critical
point.
20
Phase Behaviour of Hydrocarbon Systems
For both of these fluids types one can prevent the reservoir fluid going two phase
by maintaining the reservoir pressure above its saturation pressure by injecting flu-
ids into the reservoir. The most common practise is the use of water as a pressure
maintenance fluid.
5.2 Retrograde Condensate Gas
If the reservoir temperature lies between the critical point and the cricondentherm a
retrograde gas condensate field exists and Figure 19 gives the PT diagram for such
a fluid. Above the phase envelope a single phase fluid exists. As the pressure de-
clines to 2 a dew point occurs and liquid begins to form in the reservoir. The liquid
is richer in heavier components than the associated gas. As the pressure reduces to
3 the amount of liquid increases. Further pressure reduction causes the reduction of
liquid in the reservoir by re-vaporisation. It is important to recognise that the phase
diagram below for a retrograde condensate fluid represents the diagram for a constant
composition system.
Before production the fluid in the reservoir exists as a single phase and is generally
called a gas. It is probably more accurate to call it a dense phase fluid. If the reservoir
drops below the saturation pressure the dew point, then retrograde condensation oc-
curs within the formation. The nature of this condensing fluid is only in recent years
being understood. It was previously considered that the condensing fluid would be
immobile since its maximum proportion was below the value for it to have mobil-
ity. It was considered therefore that such valuable condensed fluids would be lost to
production and the viability of the project would be that from the ‘wet’ gas.
Liquid
Critical Point
ine 2
tL
P oin
e
bl
ub
Pressure
3
B
Mole % Liq.
100
75
Sep.
50
25 e
t Lin Gas
oin
10
De wP
5
0
Temperature
One of the development options for such a field therefore is to set in place a pressure
maintenance procedure whereby the reservoir pressure does not fall below the
saturation pressure. Water could be used as for oils but gas might be trapped behind
the water as the water advances through the reservoir. Gas injection, called gas
Surface Separation
Condensate Sales
Injection Well
Production Well
Recent research has shown that the nature of oil forming in porous media by this ret-
rograde process may not be as first considered. The isolation of condensing liquids in
porous rock is dependant on the relative strength of the interfacial tension and viscous
forces working in the rock. If the relative magnitude of these is high then the fluid
will be trapped however if they are low as a result of low interfacial tension, which
is the case nearer the critical point, then the condensing liquids may be mobile and
move as a result of viscous and gravity forces. Condensate liquids have been able
to flow at saturations well below the previously considered irreducible saturation
proportion. Established relative permeability thinking is having to be reconsidered in
the context of gas condensates. The phenomena just described may give explanation
to the observation sometimes made of an oil rim below a gas condensate field.
Looking at the PT phase diagram one might consider that "blowing the reservoir down"
22
Phase Behaviour of Hydrocarbon Systems
quickly might be an option and as a result vaporise the condensed liquids in the for-
mation. This is not a serious option since once the reservoir pressure falls below the
dew point the impact of the increasing liquid proportion remaining in the reservoir
causes the phase diagram to move to the right relative to reservoir conditions, and any
vaporising will be of the lightest components which are likely to be in good supply
and therefore not of significant value.
The summary characteristics for a retrograde gas condensate fluid are as follows.
Contains more lighter HC’s and fewer heavier HC’s than high-shrinkage oil
API up to 60˚ API
GOR up to 70,000 SCF/STB
Stock tank oil is water-white or slightly coloured
5.3 Wet Gas
The phase diagram for a mixture containing smaller hydrocarbon molecules lies
well below the reservoir temperature. Figure 21. The reservoir conditions always
remain outside the two-phase envelope going from 1 to 2 and therefore the fluid ex-
ists as a gas throughout the reduction in reservoir pressure. For a wet gas system,
the separator conditions lie within the two-phase region, therefore at surface heavy
components present in the reservoir fluid condense under separator conditions and this
liquid is normally called condensate. These liquid condensates have a high propor-
tion of light ends and sell at a premium. The proportion of condensates depend on
the compositional mix of the reservoir fluid as represented by the iso-volume lines
on the PT diagram.
Liquid
1
Critical Point
Pressure
Mole % Liq.
100
2
75 Sep.
50
25
5 Gas
0
Temperature
The reference wet gas, clearly does not refer to the system being wet due to the pres-
ence of water but due to the production condensate liquids.
1
Pressure
Critical Point
2
75
Liquid
50 Sep.
25
Gas
Temperature
Figure 16 gave a rather simplistic representation of the various types of fluids with
respect to the relative position of reservoir temperature with respect to the phase
diagram. In reality it is the phase diagram which changes according to composition
and the relative position of the reservoir temperature and separator conditions, and
these determine the character of the fluid behaviour. Figure 23 gives a better indica-
tion of the various reservoir types with respect to a specific pressure and temperature
24
Phase Behaviour of Hydrocarbon Systems
Pressure
Separator
Gas
Wet Gas Condensate Volatile Black
Dry Gas Oil Oil
Temperature (ºC)
Critical Point
CG
C
Reservoir
Liquid
Pd=Pb CL
Initial
Pressure
Reservoir
Pressure
Separator
Temperature
The diagram illustrates that at the gas-oil contact the gas is at its dew pressure, the oil
is at its bubble point pressure and the combination fluid lies on the constant propor-
tion quality line representing the ratio of the gas and oil as they exist in the reservoir
system. The gas cap may be dry, wet or condensate depending on the composition
and phase diagram of the gas.
8 CRITICAL POINT DRYING
Although not part of the topic of phase behaviour in the context of reservoir fluids it
is useful to illustrate the application in a very practical application in the context of
the evaluation of rock properties. Critical point drying has been used by a number
of sciences to prepare specimens of delicate materials for subsequent micro visual
analysis where conventional preparation techniques will destroy delicate fabric.
Critical point drying takes advantage of the behaviour of fluids around the critical
point where one can go from one phase type, like liquid to gas without a visually
observed phase change.
In the 1980’s it was observed in a UK offshore field that the interpreted permeability
for a well sand in the zone where water injection was proposed was different from
well injectivity tests when compared to the core analysis value where the value was
many times more. The extent of this difference was such that permeabilities from
the well test gave values which would prevent injection to take place whereas those
from the core tests would result in practical injectivities. Clearly the difference was
important.
26
Phase Behaviour of Hydrocarbon Systems
The company concerned embarked on a more sophisticated core recovery and analy-
sis process suspicious that perhaps the fabric of the rock was being affected by core
preparation methods. They resorted to critical point drying.
The core recovered from the water zone of the reservoir from a subsequent new well
was immersed and transferred to the test laboratory submerged in ‘formation water’.
At the laboratory a core plug sample was extracted, cut to size and loaded into a
core holder still submerged in the water. The core was then mounted in a flow rig
(figure 25) and an alcohol which is miscible with water displaced the water in the
core. Carbon dioxide at a pressure and temperature where it is in the liquid state was
then introduced which miscible displaced the alcohol. The temperature and pressure
was then adjusted taking them around the critical point rather than across the vapour
pressure line of the PT phase diagram (figure 26) ending up with a temperature and
pressure below the vapour pressure line with the fluid now in a gaseous state. After
this process the permeability was measured to be of the same order as that interpreted
from the well injectivity test.
The reason for this difference was subsequently demonstrated to be a very fragile
clay which during conventional core recovery and cleaning was damaged to an extent
that its pore blocking structure was destroyed.
T
P
Core In Holder
Critical Point
Pressure
LIQUID
Vapour
Pressure Line
GAS
Temperature
28
Behaviour of Gases
CONTENTS
1 IDEAL GASES
1.1 Boyle's Law
1.2 Charles' Law
1.3 Avogadro's Law
1.4 The Equation of State For an Ideal Gas
1.5 The Density of an Ideal Gas
1.6 Standard Conditions
1.7 Mixtures of Ideal Gases
1.7.1 Dalton's Law of Partial Pressures
1.7.2 Amagat's Law
1.8 Apparent Molecular Weight
1.9 Specific Gravity of a Gas
4 COEFFICIENT OF ISOTHERMAL
COMPRESSIBILITY OF GASES
5 VISCOSITY OF GASES
5.1 Viscosity
5.2 Viscosity of Mixtures
6 EQUATIONS OF STATE
6.1 Other Equations-of-State
6.2 Van de Waals Equation
6.3 Benedict - Webb - Rubin Equation (BWR)
6.4 Redlich - Kwong Equation
6.5 Soave, Redlich Kwong Equation
6.6 Peng Robinson Equation of State
6.7 Application to Mixtures
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Having worked through this chapter the Student will be able to:
• Present the equation of state, EOS, for a ‘real gas’ and explain what ‘Z’ is,
PV=ZnRT.
• Define the gas formation volume factor and derive an equation fore it using the
EOS.
Behaviour of Gases
INTRODUCTION
A gas is a homogenous fluid that has no definite volume but fills completely the vessel
in which it is placed. The system behaviour of gases is vital to petroleum engineers
and the laws governing their behaviour should be understood. For simple gases these
laws are straightforward but the behaviour of actual hydrocarbon gases particularly
at the conditions occurring in the reservoir are more complicated.
We will review the laws that relate to the pressure, volume and temperatures of gases
and the associated equations. These relationships were previously termed gas laws;
it is now more common to describe them as equations of state.
1 IDEAL GASES
The laws relating to gases are straightforward in that the relationships of pressure,
temperature and pressure are covered by one equation. First consider an ideal gas.
An ideal gas is one where the following assumptions hold:
• Volume of the molecules i.e. insignificant with respect to the total volume of
the gas.
• There are no attractive or repulsive forces between molecules or between
molecules and container walls.
• There is no internal energy loss when molecules collide.
i.e.
1
V α or PV = constant, T is constant
P (1)
i.e.
V
V α T or = constant, P is constant
T (2)
One mole of a material is a quantity of that material whose mass in the unit system
selected is numerically equal to the molecular weight.
PV
= constant
T (3)
It is termed the Universal Gas Constant and has different values depending on the
unit system used, so that;
cu ft psia
10.732
R in oilfield units = lb mole R
Table 1 gives the values for different unit systems.
p V T n R
Behaviour of Gases
PV = nRT (4)
To find the volume occupied by a quantity of gas when the conditions of temperature
and pressure are changed from state 1 to state 2 we note that:
PV PV PV
n = is a constant so that 1 1 = 2 2
RT T1 T2
EXERCISE 1.
A gas cylinder contains methane at 1000 psia and 70°F. If the cylinder has a vol-
ume of 3 cu.ft assuming methane is an ideal gas calculate the mass of methane in
the cylinder.
m
ρg = weight / volume =
V
where ρg is the gas density
For 1 mole m = MW MW = Molecular weight
RT
V =
P
MW.P
∴ ρg =
RT (5)
EXERCISE 2.
ie
Pres Vres P V
= sc sc
Tres Tsc (6)
This relationship assumes that reservoir properties behave as ideal. This is NOT the
case as will be discussed later.
EXERCISE 3.
Assuming methane is at the conditions of exercise 1, calculate the volume the gas
would occupy at standard conditions.
Laws established over early years governing ideal gas mixtures include Dalton’s
Law and Amagat’s Law.
ie
P = PA + PB + PC + ..... (7)
therefore
Behaviour of Gases
RT RT RT
P = n A + n B + nC
V V V
RT
i.e. P = Σn j
V
Pj n
∴ = j = y j
P n
(8)
where yj = mole fraction of j component.
th
The pressure contribution of a component, its partial pressure, is the total pressure
times the mole fraction.
i.e.
V = VA + VB + VC (9)
RT RT RT
V = n A + n B + n C
P P P
RT
V = Σn j
P
Vj n
i.e. = j = y j
V n (10)
i.e, for an ideal gas the volume fraction is equal to the mole fraction.
EXERCISE 4.
(
AMW = Σ y j × MWj )
AMW for air = 28.97, a value of 29.0 is usually sufficiently accurate.
EXERCISE 5.
1.9 Specific Gravity of a Gas
The specific gravity of a gas, γg is the ratio of the density of the gas relative to that of
dry air at the same conditions.
ρg
γ g =
ρair (11)
MgP
M M
γ g = RT = g = g
M air P M air 29
RT
EXERCISE 6.
The equations so far listed apply basically to ideal systems. In reality, however,
particularly at high pressures and low temperatures the volume of the molecules are
no longer negligible and attractive forces on the molecules are significant.
Behaviour of Gases
The ideal gas law, therefore, is not too applicable to light hydrocarbons and their
associated fluids and it is necessary to use a more refined equation.
There are two general methods of correcting the ideal gas law equation:
PV = znRT (12)
where the factor ‘z’ is known as the compressibility factor and the equation is known
as the compressibility equation-of-state or the compressibility equation.
The compressibility factor is not a constant but varies with changes in gas composition,
temperature and pressure and must be determined experimentally (Figure 1).
P1V1 PV
= 2 2
z1T1 z 2 T2 (13)
z is an expression of the actual volume to what the ideal volume would be.
i.e.
Vactual
z =
Videal (14)
nt
ta
Compressibility factor, Z
ns
1.0
co
=
e
ur
r at
pe
m
Te
0.5
0
0 PRESSURE, P
T P
Tr = and Pr =
Tc Pc (15)
Where, Tc and Pc are the pure component critical temperature and pressure.
The compressibility factor ‘z’ follows this law. It is usually presented vs Tr and Pr.
Although in many cases pure gases follow the Law of Corresponding States, the gases
associated with hydrocarbon reservoirs do not. The Law has however been used to
apply to mixtures by defining parameters called pseudo critical temperature and
pseudocritical pressure .
For mixtures a pseudocritical temperature and pressure, Tpc and Ppc is used such
that:
where y is the mole fraction of component j and Tcj and Pcj are the critical temperature
and pressure of component j.
EXERCISE 7.
Calculate the pseudo critical temperature and pseudocritical pressure of the mixture
in exercise 4 .
For mixtures the compressibility factor (z) has been generated with respect to natural
gases 1, where ‘z’ is plotted as a function of pseudo reduced temperature, Tpr and
pseudo reduced pressure Ppr where
10
Behaviour of Gases
05
0.8
1.
1.7
1.5
1
1.
1.45
Compressibility Factor, z
2
1.
1.35
3
1.3
1.
0.6 4 1.5
1.25 1.
1.5
1.2
1.7
0.5 1.6
1.9 1.4
1.8
1.15
2.0 2.2
0.4 1.3
1.1 2.4
2.6
3.0
0.3 1.2
1.05
0.25 3.0
2.8
1.1 1.1
2.6 2.4
Compressibility of
Natural Gases
2.2
2.0 1.9 1.2 (Jan. 1, 1941)
1.0 1.0
1.8 1.1
1.7 1.05
1.6 1.4
1.3
0.9 0.9
7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Pseudo Reduced Pressure, Pr
Figure 2 Compressibility factors for natural gas1 (Standing & Katz, Trans AIME, 1942)
The use of this chart , figure 2 ,has become common practise to generate z values for
natural gases. Poettmann and Carpenter 2 have also converted the chart to a table.
Various equations have also been generated based on the tables.
EXERCISE 8.
Miscellaneous
G ases
Condens
650 ate Wel
l Fluid
s
600
550
500
s
Pseudocritical Temperature, R
se
s Ga
450 e ou
an
ell
sc
Mi
ids
400 Flu
W ell
e
sat
n den
Co
350
300
0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 1.1 1.2
Gas Gravity (air = 1)
and
p pc Tpc′
p′pc =
Tpc + yH 2 S 1 − yH 2 S e ( ) (19)
T'pc and p'pc are used to calculate Tpr and ppr. The value for ε is obtained from
the figure 4 from the Wichert and Aziz paper
80
15
70
60
PER CENT C02
50
E
20
40
25
30
30
20
30
25
10
20
15
10
5 34.5
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
PER CENT H2S
Calculate the pseudo critical properties of the gas in exercise 4 if it also contained 3
lb of hydrogen sulphide, 10lb of carbon dioxide and 2.5lb of nitrogen
From Wichert & Azis chart for compositions of H2S and CO2 ε = 19
Tpc′ = Tpc - e = 371o R
p pc Tpc′
p′pc =
(
Tpc + yH 2 S 1 − yH 2 S e )
Ppc′ = 694.3
EXERCISE 10.
14
Behaviour of Gases
EXERCISE 11.
The petroleum industry expresses its reservoir quantities at a common basis of surface
conditions which for gases is standard cubic volumes. To convert reservoir volumes
to surface volumes the industry uses formation volume factors. For gases we have
Bg, the gas formation volume factor, which is the ratio of the volume occupied at
reservoir temperature and pressure by a certain weight of gas to the volume occupied
by the same weight of gas at standard conditions. The shape of Bg as a function of
pressure is shown in figure 5.
The gas formation volume factor can be obtained from PVT measurements on a gas
sample or it may be calculated from the equations-of-state discussed previously.
One definition of the gas formation volume factor is: it is the volume in barrels
that one standard cubic foot of gas will occupy as free gas in the reservoir at the
prevailing reservoir pressure and temperature.
Depending on the definition the units will change and the units will be; rb free
gas/scf gas or rm3 free gas/scm gas
.008
.006
Bg
rb/scf
.004
.002
V2 P Tz
Bg = = sc 2 2
Vsc P2 Tsc zsc (20)
volume at surface 1
= =E
volume in formation Bg
Usually the units of Bg are barrels of gas at reservoir conditions per standard cubic
foot of gas, ie bbl/SCF or cubic metres per standard cubic metre.
VR
Bg =
Vsc (21)
znRT
VR =
P (22)
zsc nRTsc
Vsc =
Psc (23)
T Psc cu. ft
∴ Bg = z . .
Tsc P SCF (24)
zT cu. ft
Bg = 0.0283
P SCF
zT cu. ft bbl
Bg = 0.0283 ×
P SCF 5.615 cu ft
or
zT res bbl
Bg = 0.00504
P SCF
16
Behaviour of Gases
zT cu. ft bbl
Bg = 0.0283 ×
P SCF 5.615 cu ft
or
zT res bbl
Bg = 0.00504
P SCF (25)
EXERCISE 12.
Calculate the gas formation factor for a gas with the composition of exercise 4
existing at the reservoir conditions given in exercise 8.
EXERCISE 13.
A reservoir exists at a temperature of 150°F (as for exercise 8) suitable for storing
gas. It has an areal size of 5 miles by 2 miles and is 200ft thick. The average porosity
is 20% and there is no water present. How much gas of the composition of exercise
4 can be stored at a pressure the same as in exercise 8 i.e. 3500 psia ? (1 mile=
5280 ft.)
4 Coefficient of Isothermal Compressibility of Gas-
es
The compressibility factor, z, must not be confused with the compressibility which is
defined as the change in volume per unit volume for a unit change in pressure, or
1 ∂V 1 ∂Vm
cg = − or = −
V ∂P Vm ∂P (26)
Vm is the specific volume or volume per mole.
cg is not the same as z, the compressibility factor.
PV = nRT or:
dV = − nRT
dP P2
1 − nRT 1
cg = =
V P 2 P (27)
znRT
V =
P
P nRT ∂z
cg = − 2
P − z
nRTz P ∂P
1 1 ∂z
cg = − .
P z ∂P (28)
P = Ppc Ppr
∂z ∂Ppr ∂z
=
∂P ∂P ∂Ppr
∂Ppr 1
=
∂P Ppc
∂z 1 ∂z
=
∂P Ppc ∂Ppr
1 1 ∂z
cg = −
Ppc Ppr zPpc ∂Ppr
Tpr
1 1 ∂z
c g Ppc = −
Ppr z ∂Ppr
Tpr
(29)
18
Behaviour of Gases
Since the pseudo reduced compressibility is a function of ‘z’ and pseudo reduced
pressure, the graph of Figure 2 can be used with Equation 29 to calculate values of
cpr.
5 VISCOSITY OF GASES
5.1 Viscosity
Viscosity is a measure of the resistance to flow. It is given in units of centipoise.
A centipoise is a gm/100 sec.cm. The viscosity term is called dynamic viscosity
whereas kinematic viscosity is the dynamic viscosity divided by the density.
dynamic viscosity
kinematic vis cos ity =
density
Kinematic viscosity has units of cm2/100 sec and the term is called centistoke.
1000
900
800 Viscosity of ethane
700
600
500 Pressure, psia
Viscosoty, micropoises
400 5000
4000
3000
300 2000
15000
200
750 1000
600
100 14.7
90
80
70
50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400
Temperature, deg F
The viscosity of gases at low pressures can be obtained from correlations presented
by different workers.
m
0.022 liu
He
n
ro ge
Nit
Air
0.020
e
x id
n Dio
0.018
rbo
Ca
id e
0.016 ulf
nS
ge
dro
Viscosity, cp
Hy
0.014 e
han
M et
e
ylen
Eth
0.012
ane
Eth
e
pan
0.010 pr o
ta e
n
ntan
e
i-Bu n-pe
t ane x ne
a
n-Bu n-He
tane ane
n-H ep n-Oct
0.008 N on ane
n-
ne
n-Deca
0.006
0.004
50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400
Temperature, ?ºF
Figure 7 and Figure 8 give the viscosities of individual components and paraffin
hydrocarbons at one atmosphere. For systems greater than 1 atmos the viscosities
can be obtained from the literature. Another way is by calculating the reduced
temperature and reduced pressure and use the chart developed by Carr6 which gives
a ratio of µ at reservoir conditions. This is given in Figure 9 in terms of pseudo
reduced conditions.
20
Behaviour of Gases
Correction added to
Correction added to
0.0015 1.0 0.0015
G = 20
Viscosity, c.p.
Viscosity, c.p.
1.5
0.014 0.0010 0.0010 G = 20 1.0
G = 06
Viscosity, at 1 atm, µ1, centipoise 0.013 0.0005 0.0005
G = 06
0.012 0
0 5 10 15
0
0 5 10 15
400
ºF Mole per cent N2 Mole per cent CO2
0.011
300
º F
0.010
0.009 200
º F
H2S
0.008
Correction added to
0.0015
100
Viscosity, c.p.
º F
0.007 0.0010
G = 20 1.5
1.0
0.006 0.0005
G = 06
0.005 0
0 5 10 15
Mole per cent H2S
0.004
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Molecular Weight
6.0
3.5
3.0
Viscosity, µ / µA
20
ps
15 eu
do
2.5 red
uc
ed
10 pre
s su
8 re ,p
2.0 R
6
4
3
1.5
2
1.0
0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2.0 2.2 2.4 2.6 2.8 3.0 3.2 3.4
Pseudoreduced Temperature, TR
j = 1, n
where:
n = number of components
The presence of other gases can also make a significant difference on the viscosity
(Figure 7).
EXERCISE 14.
Calculate the viscosity of the gas mixture in exercise 4 at 200°F and a pressure of
one atmosphere.
EXERCISE 15.
Use the gas gravity method to calculate the viscosity of the gas in exercise 4
EXERCISE 16.
Determine the viscosity of the gas in exercise 4 at 150°F and 3500 psia (ref ex 4, 7,
&8)
22
Behaviour of Gases
6 EQUATIONS OF STATE
PV = ZnRT
to describe the behaviour of gases is that the compressibility factor is not constant and
therefore mathematical manipulations cannot be made directly but must be carried out
through graphical or numerical techniques. Rather than use this modified equation
of state many have developed equations specifically to represent the behaviour of
real gases. It is an irony however that because of the long use of the equation above
incorporating z many of the real gas equation of states have been worked to calculate
z for use in the above equation.
The two corrective terms to overcome the limiting assumptions of the ideal gas
equation are:
(i) The internal pressure or cohesion term , which accounts for the cohesion forces,
is a/V2.
(ii) The co-volume b, which represents the volume occupied by one mole at infinite
pressure and results from the repulsion forces which occur when the molecules
move close together.
V3 - (+ b) V2 + (a/P)V - ab/P = 0
Z3 - Z2 (1 + B) + Z A - AB = 0 (32)
where
aP bP
A= 2
and B =
( RT ) RT (33)
Isotherm T1 is the single phase isotherm, Tc is the critical isotherm and T2 gives the
isotherm below the critical temperature.
T1>Tc
P
Tc
Psat
T2<Tc
At the critical point , for a pure substance , the equation of state should be such
that:
∂P ∂ 2P
= 2 =0
∂V T = Tc ∂V T = T
c
That is the critical isotherm exhibits a horizontal inflection point at the critical
point.
24
Behaviour of Gases
27 R2 Tc2 RT
a= and b =
64 Pc 8 Pc (34)
EXERCISE 17.
For the curve, T2<Tc, the pressure decreases rapidly in the liquid region with increasing
V; after crossing the liquid saturated line a minimum occurs, rises to a maximum
and then decreases at the saturated vapour line. Real behaviour does not follow this
behaviour. They contain a horizontal segment where saturated liquid and saturated
vapour coexist in varying proportions.
This equation is not able to represent gas properties over a wide rage of temperatures
and pressures and over subsequent years many equations have been developed. A
number are given including those which are finding favour in their application in
this industry.
PT Bo RT − Ao − Co / T 2 bRT − a
P= + + +
V V2 V3
aα C γ −γ
+ 3 o 2 1 + 2 exp 2
V
6
V T V V (35)
where a, b, c, Ao, Bo and Co are constants for a given gas.
These equations are derived for pure components for which the empirical parameters
need to be obtained. For mixtures mixing rules are required to obtain these
constants.
This modern development of cubic equations of state started in 1949 with the Redlich
and Kwong equation which involves only two empirical constants.
The term a(T) depends on the temperature and Redlich Kwong expressed this as a
function of the reduced temperature Tr using
ac
a(T ) =
TR
By applying the limiting condition at the critical points yields values of ac and b
related to critical constants. Such that ;
R2 Tc2 RT
ac = 0.42748 and b = 0.08664 c
Pc Pc (37)
RT acα
P= −
(V − b) [V (V + b)] (38)
where
α is a non dimensionless temperature dependent term which has a value of 1.0 at the
critical temperature.
α is obtained from
[ ( )]
2
α = 1 + m 1 − Tr
26
Behaviour of Gases
RT acα
P= −
V − b [V (V + b) + b(V − b)] (39)
R2 Tc2 RT
ac = 0.457235 and b = 0.0778 c
Pc Pc (40)
and
α is the same function as for the Soave equation except the ω function is
different;
These equations, in particular the SRK and PR equation are widely used in simulation
software used to predict behaviour in reservoirs, wells and processing. There are
other equations of state which are as competent at predicting physical properties
which have been developed mainly focusing on the need to improve the accuracy of
liquid volumes predictions. There is, however, great reluctance to change from those
presently used because of the investment in their associated parameters. An excellent
review of these equations and application is given by Danesh 9.
b = ∑ y j b j and a = ∑ ∑ yi y j ai aj 1 − kij ( )
j i j (41)
where the term kij is termed the binary interaction coefficients which are independent
of pressure and temperature. Values of binary interaction coefficients are obtained
by fitting equation of state (EOS) predictions to gas-liquid data for binary mixtures.
They have NO physical property significance. Each equation has its own binary
interaction coefficient.
Effort is underway and methods exist to not use binary interaction parameters but to
use physical property related parameters to enable good quality predictions.
A PVT cell contains 0.01 cu ft ( 300cc) of gas with at composition of ; methane 0.67
mol.frac, ethane 0.235 and n-butane 0.05. The temperature is increased to 300°C.
Use the SRK equation to calculate the pressure at this increased temperature. Use
binary interaction coefficients of C1-nC4 0.02, C2-nC4 0.01 and C1-C2 0.0
Solutions to Exercises
EXERCISE 1.
A gas cylinder contains methane at 1000 psia and 70 oF. If the cylinder has a volume
of 3 cu.ft assuming methane is an ideal gas calculate the mass of methane in the
cylinder.
SOLUTION
PV = nRT
n = m/M
where n = number of moles
m = mass
M = molecular weight
m = PMV/RT
lb
(1000 psia)16.04 (3cuft )
m= lbmole
10.73 psia.cuft 530 o R
lbmole.o R
( )
28
Behaviour of Gases
EXERCISE 2.
SOLUTION
MW.P
ρg =
RT
lb
(1000 psia)16.04
ρg = lbmole
10.73 psia.cuft 530 0 R
lbmole.oR
( )
lb
Density of gas, ρg = 2.82
cu. ft.
EXERCISE 3.
Assuming methane is at the conditions of exercise 1, calculate the volume the gas
would occupy at standard conditions.
SOLUTION
P1V1 PV P V
= 2 2 = sc sc
T1 T2 Tsc
P1 Tsc V
Vsc =
Psc T1
EXERCISE 4.
A gas is made up of the following components; 25lb of methane, 3 lb of ethane and 1.5
lb of propane. Express the composition of the gas in weight and mole fractions.
Gas A B C D
Components Weight Mol weight lb moles Mole fraction
1 Methane 25 16.04 1.559 0.921
2 Ethane 3 30.07 0.100 0.059
3 Propane 1.5 44.09 0.034 0.020
Totals 29.05 1
EXERCISE 5.
SOLUTION
Gas A B C
Components Mol weight Mol fraction
mw yi A*B
1 Methane 16.04 0.921 14.77
2 Ethane 30.07 0.059 1.77
3 Propane 44.09 0.020 0.89
1.000 17.43
Apparent Molecular weight= 17.43
EXERCISE 6.
SOLUTION
Mg M
γg = = g
Mair 29
Μg = AMW = 17.43
Gas gravity = 0.6
EXERCISE 7.
Calculate the pseudo critical temperature and pseudocritical pressure of the mixture
in exercise 4 .
30
Behaviour of Gases
SOLUTION
Gas A B C D.
Components Mol weight Mole fraction pc-psi Tc °R ppc Tpc
mw yi
EXERCISE 8.
For the gas of exercise 4 determine the compressibility factor at a temperature of 150
o
F and a pressure of 3500psia.
SOLUTION
EXERCISE 9.
Calculate the pseudo critical properties of the gas in exercise 4 if it also contained 3
lb of hydrogen sulphide, 10lb of carbon dioxide and 2.5lb of nitrogen
From Wichert & Azis chart for compositions of H2S and CO2 ε = 19
p pc Tpc′
p′pc =
( )
Tpc + yH 2 S 1 − yH 2 S e
Ppc′ = 694.3
EXERCISE 10.
SOLUTION
EXERCISE 11.
SOLUTION
Total mass of gas = 29.5 lb.
Apparent mol.wgt of gas exercise 5 = 17.43 lb./lb.mole
lb.moles of gas = 1.6924
Standard cubic feet of gas = 380.9 x 1.6924
= 644.68 scf
EXERCISE 12.
Calculate the gas formation factor for a gas with the composition of exercise 4 existing
at the reservoir conditions given in exercise 8.
SOLUTION
32
Behaviour of Gases
EXERCISE 13.
A reservoir exists at a temperature of 150oF (as for exercise 8) suitable for storing
gas. It has an areal size of 5 miles by 2 miles and is 200ft thick. The average porosity
is 20% and there is no water present. How much gas of the composition of exercise
4 can be stored at a pressure the same as in exercise 8 i.e. 3500 psia. ? (1 mile=
5280 ft.)
SOLUTION
EXERCISE 14.
Calculate the viscosity of the gas mixture in exercise 4 at 200°F and a pressure of
one atmosphere.
SOLUTION
Σµ j y j M j
µ mix =
Σy j M j
µmix = 0.0529/4.1451
µmix =0.01275 cp
EXERCISE 15.
Use the gas gravity method to calculate the viscosity of the gas in exercise 4
SOLUTION
EXERCISE 16.
Determine the viscosity of the gas in exercise 4 at 150oF and 3500 psia (ref ex 4, 7,
&8)
SOLUTION
From exercise 7
Ppc = 668.4
Tpc = 362.6
3500
Pr = P P = = 5.24
c 668.4
610
Tr = T T = = 1.68
c 362.6
EXERCISE 17.
SOLUTION
34
Behaviour of Gases
EXERCISE 18.
A PVT cell of volume 0.01 cu ft ( 300cc) contains 0.008 lb mole. of gas with
a composition of; methane 0.67 mol.frac, ethane 0.235 and n-butane 0.05. The
temperature is increased to 300°C. Use the SRK equation to calculate the pressure
at this increased temperature. Use binary interaction coefficients of C1-nC4 0.02,
C2-nC4 0.01 and C1-C2 0.0
SOLUTION
R2 Tc2 RT
ac = 0.42748 and b = 0.08664 c
Pc Pc
[ ( )]
2
α = 1 + m 1 − Tr
Methane 0.67 344 667 0.4759 8735 0.0104 0.49635 0.57546 5027
ethane 0.235 550 708 0.7223 21036 0.0979 0.63241 0.79033 16625
n-butane 0.05 766 551 1.2926 52429 0.1995 0.78701 1.00619 52753
b = ∑ y j b j and a = ∑ ∑ yi y j ai aj 1 − kij ( )
j i j
where a ij = (1- k ij )(a i a j )0.5
Methane 0.67 0.312 0.00 0.00 0.02 2123.7 1485.5 1037.29 4646.52
ethane 0.235 0.181 0.00 0.01 1485.5 1039.1 732.969 3257.56
n-butane 0.05 0.129 0.00 1037.3 732.97 527.535 2297.8
1 0.622 sum 10201.9
Vm = 1.25 cu ft / lb mole
b = 0.622 a cα = 10201.9
P = 8617.6 psia
REFERENCES
2. Poettmann FH and Carpenter PG The Multiphase Flow of Gas and Water through
Vertical Flow Strings with Application to the Design of Gas Lift Installations.
API Drilling and Production Practise. 1952, pp 279-91
4. Wichert, E and Aziz,K “ Calculate Z’s for sour gases” Hyd Proc.(May 1972)
51, 119-122
5. Katz, D.L., Handbook of Natural Gas Engineering, McGraw Hill, NY, 1959
6. Carr N et al. Viscosity of natural gases under pressure. Trans AIME 201, 264,
(1954)
7. Lee et al “The viscosity of natural gases.” Trans AIME 1966 237, 997-1000
36
Properties of Reservoir Liquids
CONTENTS
2 GAS SOLUBILITY, Rs
6 OIL COMPRESSIBILITY
8 FLUID DENSITY
8.1 Specific Gravity of a Liquid
8.2 Density Based on Ideal Solution Principles
10 VISCOSITY OF OIL
11 INTERFACIAL TENSION
Having worked through this chapter the Student will be able to:
• Define the oil formation volume factor Bo, and plot Bo vs. P for a reservoir
fluid.
• Define the Total Formation Volume factor Bt, and plot Bt vs. P alongside a Bo
vs. P plot.
• Use black oil correlations and their graphical form to calculate fluid
properties.
• Calculate the density of a reservoir fluid mixture, using ideal solution principles,
at reservoir pressure and temperature, using density correction chart for C1 &
C2 and other prerequisite data.
• Calculate the reserves and production of gas and condensate operating above
the dewpoint, given prerequisite data.
• List the comparisons of the black oil and compositional model in predicting
liquid properties
Properties of Reservoir Liquids
The black oil model considers the fluid being made up of two components - gas dissolved
in oil and stock tank oil. The compositional changes in the gas when changing pressure
and temperature are ignored. To those appreciating thermodynamics this simplistic
two component model is difficult to cope with. The Black Oil Model, illustrated in
Figure 1, is at the core of many petroleum engineering calculations, and associated
procedures and reports.
Associated with the black oil model are Black Oil model definitions in relation to
Gas Solubility and Formation Volume Factors.
Reservoir Fluid
Solution Gas
/ = Rs
/ = Bo
Although the gas associated with oil and the oil itself are multicomponent mixtures
it is convenient to refer to the solubility of gas in crude oil as if we were dealing with
a two-component system.
The amount of gas forming molecules in the liquid phase is limited only by the
reservoir conditions of temperature and pressure and the quantity of light components
present.
The solubility is referred to some basis and it is customary to use the stock tank
barrel.
For a fixed gas and crude, at constant T, the quantity of solution gas increases with
p, and at constant p, the quantity of solution gas decreases with T
Rather than determine the amount of gas which will dissolve in a certain amount of
oil it is customary to measure the amount of gas which will come out of solution as
the pressure decreases. Figure 2 illustrates the behaviour of an oil operating outside
the PT phase diagram in its single phase state when the reservoir pressure is above
its reservoir bubble point at 1. Fluid behaviour in the reservoir is single phase and
the oil is said to be undersaturated . In this case a slight reduction of pressure causes
the fluid to remain single phase. If the oil was on the boundary bubble point pressure
line at 2 then a further reduction in pressure would cause two phases to be produced,
gas and liquid. This saturated fluid is one that upon a slight reduction of pressure
some gas is released. The concept of gas being produced or coming out of solution
gives rise to this gas solubility perspective. Clearly when the fluids are produced to
the surface as shown by the undersaturated oil in figure 2 the surface conditions lie
within the two phase area and gas and oil are produced. The gas produced is termed
solution gas and the oil at surface conditions stock tank oil. These are the two com-
ponents making up the reservoir fluid, clearly a very simplistic concept.
The gas solubility Rs is defined as the number of cubic feet (cubic metre) of gas
measured at standard conditions, which will dissolve in one barrel (cubic metre)
of stock tank oil when subjected to reservoir pressure and temperature.
In metric units the volumes are expressed as cubic metre of gas at standard conditions
which will dissolve in one cubic metre of stock tank oil.
Properties of Reservoir Liquids
Solution Gas
Rsi scf/stb
Surface
Pi 1
2
+
Pressure
P
Stock Oil Tank
1 st b. oil
Temperature
Phase Diagram
Oil Reservoir
Figure 3 gives a typical shape of gas solubility as a function of pressure for a reser-
voir fluid at reservoir temperature. When the reservoir pressure is above the bubble
point pressure then the oil is undersaturated, i.e. capable of containing more gas. As
the reservoir pressure drops gas does not come out of solution until the bubble point
is reached, over this pressure range therefore the gas in solution is constant. At the
bubble point pressure, corresponding to the reservoir temperature, two phases are
produced, gas and oil. The gas remaining in solution therefore decreases.
The nature of the liberation of the gas is not straight forward. Within the reservoir
when gas is released then its transport and that of the liquid is influenced by the relative
permeability of the rock ( discussed in Chapter 10). The gas does not remain with its
associated oil i.e. the system changes. In the production tubing and in the separator
it is considered that the gas and associated liquid remain together i.e. the system is
constant. The amount of gas liberated from a sample of reservoir oil depends on the
conditions of the liberation. There are two basic liberation mechanisms:
400
200
Pb
The two methods of liberation give different results for Rs. This topic is covered in
more detail in the PVT analysis chapter.
Production of a crude oil at reservoir pressures below the bubble point pressure occurs
by a process which is neither flash or differential vaporisation. Once enough gas is
present for the gas to move toward the wellbore the gas tends to move faster than the
oil. The gas formed in a particular pore tends to leave the liquid from which it was
formed thus approximating differential vaporisation, however, the gas is in contact with
liquid throughout the path through the reservoir. The gas will also migrate vertically
as a result of its lower density than the oil and could form a secondary gas cap.
Fluid produced from reservoir to the surface is considered to undergo a flash process
where the system remains constant.
The volume occupied by the oil between surface conditions and reservoir or other
operating changes is that of the total system; the ‘stock tank oil’ plus its associated
or dissolved ‘solution gas’. The effect of pressure on the complex stock tank liquid
and the solution gas is to induce solution of the gas in the liquid until equilibrium is
reached. A unit volume of stock tank oil brought to equilibrium with its associated
Properties of Reservoir Liquids
gas at reservoir pressure and temperature will occupy a volume greater than unity
(unless the oil has very little dissolved gas at very high pressure).
The relationship between the volume of the oil and its dissolved gas at reservoir
condition to the volume at stock tank conditions is called the Oil Formation Volume
Factor Bo. The shape of the Bo vs. pressure curve is shown in Figure 4. It shows
that above the bubble point pressure the reduction in pressure from the initial pres-
sure causes the fluid to expand as a result of its compressibility. This relates to the
chapter on Phase Behaviour where for an oil the PV diagram shows a large decline
in pressure for a small increase in volume, being again an indication of the com-
pressibility of the liquid. Below the bubble point pressure this expansion due to
compressibility of the liquid is small compared to the ‘shrinkage’ of the oil as gas is
released from solution.
The oil formation volume factor, is the volume in barrels (cubic metres) occupied in
the reservoir, at the prevailing pressure and temperature, by one stock tank barrel
(one stock tank cubic metre) of oil plus its dissolved gas.
1.2
Bo rb./stb
1.1
Pb
1.0
1000 2000 3000
Pressure (psig)
These black oil parameters, Bo and Rs are illustrated in Figure 5 a,b,&c from Craft
and Hawkins 1 reservoir engineering text., where they present the Rs and Bo curve for
the Big Sandy field in the USA. The visual concept of the changes during pressure
and temperature decrease is also presented.
PB
P01 Free Gas Free Gas
(a) Free Gas 676 Cu. Ft. 567 Cu. Ft.
2.990 Cu. Ft.
1,310 BBL 1,333 BBL 1,210 BBL 1,040 BBL 1,000 BBL
P01 = 3500 PSIA PB = 2500 PSIA P = 1200 PSIA PA = 14.7 PSIA PA = 14.7 PSIA
T01 = 160º F T01 = 160º F T01 = 160º F T01 = 160º F T01 = 60º F
A B C D E
600
567SCF/STB
500
BUBBLE POINT PRESSURE
Solution Gas, SCF/STB
AT 1200 PSIA
INITIAL PRESSURE
400 RS = 337
300
(b)
200
100
0
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500
Pressure, PSIA
Figure 5 Gas to oil ratio and oil formation volume factor for Big Sandy Field reservoir
oil 1.
1.40
2500 PSIA 3500 PSIA
Formation Volume Factor, BBL/STB
1.30
BUBBLE POINT PRESSURE
1200 PSIA
INITIAL PRESSURE
BO = 1.210
1.20
(b)
1.10 14.7 PSIA & 160º F
BO = 1.040
Figure 5b
Properties of Reservoir Liquids
The reciprocal of the oil formation volume factor is called the ‘shrinkage factor bo
1
bo =
Bo
The formation factor Bo may be multiplied by the volume of stock tank oil to find
the volume of reservoir required to produce that volume of stock tank oil. The
shrinkage factor can be multiplied by the volume of reservoir oil to find the stock
tank volume.
It is important to note that the method of processing the fluids will have an effect
on the amount of gas released and therefore both the values of the solution gas-oil
ratio and the formation volume factor. A reservoir fluid does not have single Bo or Rs
values. Bo & Rs are dependant on the surface processing conditions. This simplistic
reservoir model (Figure 6) demonstrates that the black oil model description of the
reservoir fluids is an after the event, processing, description in terms of the produced
fluids. This simplistic approach to modelling reservoir fluids becomes more difficult
to consider when one is involved in reservoirs which become part of a total reservoir
system (Figure 7).
Rs
BO
Rs 1
Rs 2
Bo 1
Bo 2
Rs 3
Rs 4
Bo 3
Bo 4
Figure 7 Integrated system of reservoir common pipeline and final collection system.
Bg (Rsb - Rs)
10
Properties of Reservoir Liquids
Gas
Bg(Rsb-Rs)
B0b Oil
Bt
Oil B0
Hg
Its application comes from the Material Balance equation (Chapter 15) where it is
sometimes used to express the volume of oil and associated gas as a function of pres-
sure. It is important to note that Bt does not have volume significance in reservoir
terms since the assumption in Bt is that the system remains constant. As mentioned
earlier if the pressure drops below the bubble point in the reservoir then the gas
coming out of solution moves away from its associated oil because of its favourable
relative permeability characteristics.
Figure 8b gives a comparison of the total formation-volume factor with the oil for-
mation-volume factor. Clearly above Pb the two values are identical since no free
gas is released. Below Pb the difference between the values represents the volume
occupied by free gas.
Bt Bo
Pressure Pb
The value of BT can be estimated by combining estimates of BO and calculation of
Bg and known solubility values for the pressures concerned.
Figure 9 depicts the behaviour below the bubble point when produced gas at the
surface comes from two sources, the solution gas associated with the oil entering the
wellbore plus free gas which has come out of solution in the reservoir and migrated to
the wellbore. The total producing gas to oil ratio is made up of the two components
solution gas Rs and the free gas which is the difference. The diagram illustrates the
volumes occupied by these two in the reservoir, the solution gas being part of Bo and
the free gas volume through Bg.
Free Gas
R= Rs + (R - Rs)
& Solution Gas
Pi
Surface +
Pressure
Temperature
Oil Reservoir
Reservoir
Gas Oil
Bo rb (oil and dissolved gas) /stb
6 OIL COMPRESSIBILITY
The volume changes of oil above the bubble point are very significant in the context
of recovery of undersaturated oil. The oil formation volume factor variations above
the bubble point reflect these changes but they are more fundamentally embodied
in the coefficient of compressibility of the oil, or oil compressibility.
1 ∂V
co = −
V ∂P T
in terms of formation volume factors this equation yields
12
Properties of Reservoir Liquids
1 ∂Bo
co = −
Bo ∂P T
Assuming that the compressibility does not change with pressure the above equation
can be integrated to yield ;
V2
co ( P2 − P1 ) = − ln
V1
where P1 & P2, and V1 & V2 represent the pressure and volume at conditions 1 & 2.
Over the years there have been many correlations generated based on the two com-
ponent based black oil model characterisation of oil. The correlations are based
on data measured on the oils of interest. These empirical correlations relate black
oil parameters, the variables of Bo and Rs to; reservoir temperature, and oil and gas
surface density. It is important to appreciate that these correlations are empirical and
are obtained by taking a group of data for a particular set of oils and finding a best fit
correlation. Using the correlation for fluids whose properties do not fall within those
for the correlation can result in significant errors. Danesh 2 has given an excellent
review of many of these correlations
A number of empirical correlations, based on largely US crude oils, and other loca-
tions across the world have been presented to estimate black oil parameters of gas
solubility and oil formation volume factor. The most commonly used is Standing’s
3
correlation. Other correlations include, Lasater 4, and recently Glaso 6
Pb = f (Rs, γg, po, T)
R 0.83
Pb = 18.2 10 (0.00091T − 0.0125( API )) − 1.4
s
γ g
(2)
His correlation for the oil formation volume factor is;
1.2
γ g 0.5
Bo = 0.9759 + 0.000120 Rs + 1.25T
ρo
(3)
Other correlations have been presented by Lasater 4 based on 137 Canadian ,USA
and South American crudes, Vasquez and Beggs5 using 6000 data points, Glaso 6 us-
ing 45 North Sea crude samples, and Mahoun 7 who used 69 Middle Eastern crudes.
Danesh2 gives a very useful table showing the ranges covered by the respective black
oil correlations
14
Properties of Reservoir Liquids
2000
Tank oil gravity, ºAPI
1500 50 30 10
1000
900
800
700
600
10
1.
500
bl
r b 400
pe
20
ft 1.90
1.
300
, cu
tio 1.80
ra
il
-o 200
30
1.70
as
1.
G
150 1.60
40
1.
50
100 1.50
1.
90
80
70
1.40
60
50
Temperature, ºF
40
100 1.30
120
30 140
160
180
200 il
20 220
ko
240
1.20
Gas gravity Air=1
260
1.00
an
0.90
ft
0.80
lo
0.70
bb
0.60
0.50
er
lp
bb
16
1.10 1.40 20
1.00 1.50
0.90
0.80
0.70 30
0.60
0.50 40
G 50
10
12 as 60
14
16 70
18
gr
20 av 80
22 90
24 ity
26 100
28
G
Ai
30
32
r=
as
-
34 1
36
oi
l
38 150
40 Ta
ra
42
ti
44 nk
200
o,
46
48
c
oi
50
u
52
lg
ft
54 ra
56 300
58
pe
vi
r
60 ty,
bb
ºA
l
PI 400
500
600
700
800
gravity
900
1000
200
1500
2000
300
Te
m
pe
400
ra
t
ur
Bubble-point
e
500
,º
F
600
Pr
e
700
ss
u
800
re
,
900
ps
1000
ia
Figure 11 Gas solubility as a function of pressure. Temperature, gas gravity and oil
1500
2000
3000
(STANDING)
4000
5000
6000
240 60
220 80
260 100
200 120
180 140
160
Properties of Reservoir Liquids
8 FLUID DENSITY
Liquids have a much greater density and viscosity than gases, and the density is affected
much less by changes in temperature and pressure. For petroleum engineers it is
important that they are able to estimate the density of a reservoir liquid at reservoir
conditions.
ρo
γo =
ρw (4)
The specific gravity of a liquid is the ratio of its density to that of water both at the
same T & P. It is sometimes given as 60˚/60˚, i.e. both liquid and water are measured
at 60˚ and 1 atmos.
The petroleum industry uses another term called ˚API gravity where
141.5
° API = − 131.5
γo (5)
There are several methods of estimating the density of a petroleum liquid at reservoir
conditions. The methods used depend on the availability and nature of the data of
data. When there is compositional information on the reservoir fluid then the density
can be determined using the ideal solution principle. When the information we have
is that of the produced oil and gas then empirical methods can be used to calculate
the density of the reservoir fluid.
Exercise 1.
Calculate the density at 14.7psia and 60 ºF of the hydrocarbon liquid mixture with
the composition given below:
Component Mol.
fract.
1b mol.
nC4 0.25
nC5 0.32
nC6 0.43
1.00
Solution Exercise 1
Solution
Component Mol. Mol. Weight Liquid Liquid
density
Liquids at their bubble point or saturation pressure contain large quantities of dis-
solved gas which at surface conditions are gases and therefore some consideration
for these must be given in the additive volume technique. This physical limitation
does not impair the mathematical use of a “pseudo liquid density “ for methane and
ethane since it is only a step in its application to determine a reservoir condition
density. This is achieved by obtaining apparent liquid densities for these gases and
determining a pseudoliquid density for the mixture at standard conditions which can
then be adjusted to reservoir conditions.
Standing & Katz 8 carried out experiments on mixtures containing methane plus other
compounds and ethane plus other compounds and from this were able to determine
a pseudo-liquid (fictitious) density for methane and ethane
18
Properties of Reservoir Liquids
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.4
Apparrent density of Methane, g/cc
0.3
0.2
Ethane - N - Butane
Ethane - Heptane
Ethane - Crystal oil
0.1 Methane - Cyclo Hexane
Methane - Benzene
Methane - Pentane
Methane - Hexane
Methane - Heptane
Methane - Propane
Methane - Crystal oil
Methane - Crude oil
Figure 12 Variation of apparent density of methane and ethane with density of the system 8.
To use the correlations a trial and error technique is required whereby the density of
the system is assumed and the apparent liquid densities can be determined. These
liquid densities are then used to compute the density of the mixture by additive vol-
umes and the value checked against the initial assumption. The procedure continues
until the two values are the same.
When non hydrocarbons are present, the procedure is to add the mole fractions of
the nitrogen to methane, the mole fraction of carbon dioxide to ethane and the mole
fraction of hydrogen sulphide to propane.
Methane 44.04
Ethane 4.32 Properties of
Propane 4.05 heptane +
Butane 2.84 API gravities = 34.2
Pentane 1.74 SG = 0.854
Hexane 2.9 Mol wt = 164
Heptane + 40.11
Solution Exercise 2
This trial and error method is very tedious so Standing and Katz devised a chart which
removes the trail and error required in the calculation. The densities have been con-
verted into the density of the heavier components, C3+, and the weight percent of the
two light components, methane and ethane in the C1+ and C2+ mixtures. Figure 13.
20
Properties of Reservoir Liquids
70
50 40 30 20 10 0
terial
60
a
lus m
ne p
50 70
etha
than
40 %e
Wt 60
10
em
st
sy
30 e 50
tir
en
in
ne 20
ha
et
m 40
t%
W
30
30
20
10
2. The gas solubility , the gas composition and the surface oil gravity is known
3. The gas solubility, and gas and liquid gravities are known.
Calculate the surface density of the mixture in exercise 2 using the chart of figure 13
The compressibility and thermal expansion effects have been expressed graphically
in Figures 14 and 15.
10
9
Density of pressure minus density at 60ºF β 14.7 psia lb/cu ft
15
8
,0
00
7
10
,00 8,000
0
6
6,0 5,0 4,0
5
00
Pr
es
su
00 00
4
re
, ps
ia
3,
3
000
2,
00
2 0
1,0
00
1
0
25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65
22
Properties of Reservoir Liquids
10
8
Density at 60ºF minus density at temperature, lb/cu ft
7
24
0
5
22
0
Te
mp
0 e ra
20
4 ture
18 ºF
0
3 16
0
140
2 120
100
1
80
60
0
25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65
Density at 60ºF and pressure P, lb/cu ft
Exercise 4.
Full compositional data may not always be available and the characterisation of the
produced fluids will vary from full compositional analysis to a description of the
fluids in terms of gas and oil gravity. The procedure just described is for the situa-
tion where the composition of the reservoir fluid is known. The procedures which
follow cover the situation where a less comprehensive analysis is available. These
methods make use of empirical correlations.
Exercise 5.
3. The Gas Solubility, and Gas and Liquid gravities are known.
Katz has produced a correlation (figure 16) to enable densities to be determined when
the only information on the gas is its solubility and its gravity. The figure gives ap-
parent liquid densities of gases against gravity for different API crudes
45
Apparent Liquid density of Dissolved Gas at
40
60 F and 14.7 psia, lb/cu. ft.
35 20 API Crude
30
30
40
50
25 60
20
15
0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4
Gas Gravity
24
Properties of Reservoir Liquids
Exercise 6.
Use the correlation of Katz to calculate the reservoir fluid density of a field with
a GOR of 500scf/STB with a gas gravity of 0.8 and a 35oAPI oil for reservoir
conditions of 4,000psia and a temperature of 180oF.
Katz method
The situation for a wet gas or gas condensate is different for a conventional oil when
one is considering the volume changes taking place upon release to surface condi-
tions. For a wet gas or condensate system liquid at surface is gas in the formation.
The comparison therefore with respect to conditions in the reservoir to those at the
surface is distinctly different from an oil system, where an oil in the reservoir produces
gas and liquids at the surface. For a wet gas or condensate, a gas in the reservoir
produces gas and liquids at the surface.
To calculate the properties of the reservoir fluid from the information on the produced
fluids requires a combination of the quantities and characteristics of these fluids. The
methods used depends on the level of detail of the characteristics of the produced
fluids. A number of methods are presented using examples which vary according
to the level of detail.
Exercise 7.
A gas condensate produces gas and liquids with the compositions detailed below,
with a producing GOR of 30,000 SCF/STB. Determine the composition of the
reservoir gas.
Component Composition
Gas Liquid
Methane 0.84
Ethane 0.08
Propane 0.04 0.15
Butane 0.03 0.36
Pentane 0.01 0.28
Hexane 0.12
Heptane + 0.09
1.00 1.00
Exercise 9.
Calculate the gas condensate formation factor for the example in exercise 8.
10 VISCOSITY OF OIL
The viscosity of oil at reservoir temperature and pressure is less than the viscosity
of the dead oil because of the dissolved gases and the higher temperature. Correla-
tions are available which enable the dissolved gas and pressure effect on the dead
oil viscosity to be determined. Danesh 2 has given a good review of many of the
empirical approaches. The favoured correlations are those of Beggs and Robinson
11
,
Egbogah and Ng 12 ,Vazquez and Beggs13 , and Labedi14 . Figure 17 gives plots,
presented by McCain 17 , of the correlation of dead oil viscosity from Egbogah and
Ng 12 , and figure 18s the impact of dissolved gas from the Beggs and Robinson 11
correlation.
1000
800
700
600
500
400
300
200 100º
100
80
70 150º
Viscosity of Gas-Free Oil, µoD, cp
60
50
40 200º
30 R
250º es
20 er
300º vo
irT
10
8
em
7 pe
6 ra
5 tur
e,
4
ºF
3
1
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
10 20 30 40 50
Stock - Tank Oil Gravity, ºAPI
200
0
100
80
70
60 0
50 10
40
io
0
at
10
50
il R
8
7
-O
6
as
5
00
G
4
10
n
io
3
0
t
150
lu
So
2 0
20 0
1
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0.4 0.6 0.81 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 20 30 40 60 80100 200 300
Beggs and Robinson 11 examined 600 oil samples over a wide range of pressure and
temperature and came up with the following correlation.
µod = 10A - 1 (6)
Examination of these correlations has shown that they are not very reliable with
errors of the order of 25% (DeGetto15)
Beggs and Robinson 11 gave a correlation to give the impact of dissolved gas.
µob = CµodB
(7)
Vazquez and Beggs13 presented an equation to take into account pressure on viscosity
above the saturation pressure.
10,000
9,000
8,000
7,000
6,000
5,000
Bubble Point pressure, Pb, psia
4,000
3,000
Pre
2.000 ssu
50 re
00 60
00
40 psi
00 a
1.000
900 30
800 00
700
600
20
500
00
400
100
300
500
0
200 200
100
60 100
90
80
40 70
60
50
40
20
Viscosity of Oil Above Bubble Point, µo, cp
30
20
10
6 p
Point, c
10
Bubble
9
f Oil At
8
4 yo
Viscosit
7
6
5
4
2
3
2
1
0.6 1.0
0.9
0.8
0.4 0.7
0.6
0.5
0.2 0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0.1
Labedi (ref 14) also produced an empirical correlation to determine viscosity at pres-
sures above the bubble point
µo= µob + (P/Pb-1)(10-2.488µob0.9036 Pb0.6151 /100.0197oAPI ) (9)
Danesh 2 in his text compared the various correlations from a published experimental
viscosity value in a well known PVT report, using the following exercise.
28
Properties of Reservoir Liquids
Exercise. 10
µod = 10A -1
Log A = 3.0324 - 0.0202°API - 1.163 log Tx
µod = dead oil viscosity cp.
(Beggs 3.0324 0.0202 1.163)
(Egbogah 1.8653 0.025086 0.56441)
Beggs Egbolgah
API = 40.1
T = 220
Rs = 795
P = 5,000 psig
Pb = 2,635 psig
log A = -0.5031 -0.46
A = 0.3140 0.34
Viscosity
dead oil = 1.06 cp 1.21 cp
Measured value = 1.29 cp
11 INTERFACIAL TENSION
Interfacial tension decreases as temperature and pressure increases as shown for the
effect of temperature for pure components in figure 20 from McCain’s text 17 adapted
from Katz19 data.
35
30
Surface Tension, dynes per cm
25
20
Mol wt.
240
220
15 200
180
160
10 140
0
-200 -200 0 100 200 300 400 500 600
Temperature, ºF
Methane Ethane Propane n - Pentane n - Heptane
l - Butane n - Hexane
n - Octane
n - Butane
Figure 20 Interfacial tensions of hydrocarbons. (Adapted from Katz, et al., J. Pet. Tech.,
Sept. 1943.)
30
Properties of Reservoir Liquids
There are several methods for predicting IFT, and they require experimentally determined
parameters. Work on pure compounds have shown that IFT can be related to density,
compressibility and latent heat of vaporisation. The multicomponent perspective of
reservoir fluid properties has made use of the IFT/density relationships.
The Parachor method of McLeod 18 has gained acceptance where the IFT between
vapour and liquid is related to the density difference of the respective phases.
4
ρ − ρg
σ = Pσ L
M
(10)
where ρL and ρg are the density of the liquid and gas phases, and M is the molecular
weight. σ is the IFT . Pσ is called the parachor.
Katz19 has provided the parachors for pure components as shown in the table below and
they are also presented in the figure 21 prepared by MaCain using Katz’s19 data.
Component Parachor
Methane 77
Ethane 108
Propane 150.3
i-Butane 181.5
n-Butane 189.9
i-Pentane 225
n-Pentane 231.5
n-Hexane 271
n-Heptane 312.5
n-Octane 351.5
Hydrogen 34
Nitrogen 41
Carbon dioxide 78
Parachors have been shown to have a linear relationship with molecular weight ac-
cording to the relationship;
500
400
Parachor, P
300
i - C5
200
i - C4
100
Molecular Weight
Figure 21 Parachors for computing interfacial tension of normal paraffin hydrocarbons 19.
Pσ = 0.324Tc1/4vc7/8
To apply the parachor approach to mixtures the molar averaging approach of Weinaug
and Katz20 can be used.
4
ρ ρ
σ = ∑ Pσ x j L − yj g
j ML Mg
(12)
xj and yj are the mole fractions of the components in the liquid and gas phases.
32
Properties of Reservoir Liquids
1400
1200
1000
Parachor. P
800
600
400
200
Exercise 11.
Calculate the IFT of the following volatile oil mixture at 2315 psia and 190°F for
the oil with the following composition.
It is useful to summarise the differences between the Black Oil Model approach
compared to the Compositional Model in predicted fluid properties.
The suitability of the two approaches is largely related to the nature of the fluid. For
heavier oils where there are low GOR’s as compared to volatile oils with high GOR’s,
black oil models are likely to be suitable. For the more volatile systems where there
are more significant compositional variations in a reservoir as pressure is depleted,
compositional models are considered more capable of predicting fluid behaviour.
Compositional Models
• N components based on paraffin series
• Equation of state based calculations
• Feed forward calculation of fluid properties
In a subsequent chapter on vapour liquid equilibria we will describe how the volumes
and compositions of vapour and liquid equilibrium mixtures can be calculated when
a mixture is processed at a particular pressure and temperature. These calculations
although calculation intensive can be considered feed forward calculations and en-
able the effects of temperature and pressure changes to be determined on a particular
feed mixture.
The black oil approach which has been a major theme of this chapter uses the char-
acteristics of the produced fluids to determine the composition and properties of the
feed reservoir mixture, i.e. a back calculation. As will be seen in the section on PVT
reports, the quantities and characteristics of the produced fluids are dependant on the
pressure and temperature conditions used to separate the fluid.
At the back of this chapter are tables of physical properties which are useful in many
of the procedures described.
34
Properties of Reservoir Liquids
36
Properties of Reservoir Liquids
Solutions to Exercises
Exercise 1.
Calculate the density at 14.7psia and 60 ºF of the hydrocarbon liquid mixture with
the composition given below:
Component Mol.
fract.
1b mol.
nC4 0.25
nC5 0.32
nC6 0.43
1.00
Solution Exercise 1
Solution
Component Mol. Mol. Weight Liquid Liquid
density
Exercise 2:
Calculate the “surface pseudo liquid density” of the following reservoir
composition.
Methane 44.04
Ethane 4.32 Properties of
Propane 4.05 heptane +
Butane 2.84 API gravities = 34.2
Pentane 1.74 SG = 0.854
Hexane 2.9 Mol wt = 164
Heptane + 40.11
Exercise 3.
Calculate the surface density of the mixture in exercise 2 using the chart of figure
13
Solution Exercise 3
40
Properties of Reservoir Liquids
Exercise 4.
Solution Exercise 4
Density of following reservoir liquid at 6,000 psia and 180˚F.
Step 1
Pseudoliquid density at standard conditions
from exercise 3 ρo = 45 lb/cu ft
Step 2
Adjust to 60˚F and 5,500 psia
i.e. correction = +1.9 lb/cu ft (Figure 14)
i.e. ρo = 45 + 1.9 = 46.9 lb/cu ft at 60˚F 6,000 psi
Step 3
Adjust to 180˚F. (Figure 15)
i.e. thermal correction = -3.18 lb/cu ft
ρo = 46.9 - 3.18 = 42.32 lb/cu ft at 180˚ and 6,000 psia
ρo = 42.32 lb/cu ft @ 180˚F and 6,000 psia
Exercise 5.
A reservoir at a pressure of 4,000 psia and a temperature of 200oF has a producing gas
to oil ratio of 600 scf/STB. The oil produced has a gravity of 42 oAPI. Calculate the
density of the reservoir liquid. The produced gas has the following composition
Exercise 6.
Use the correlation of Katz to calculate the reservoir fluid density of a field with a
GOR of 500scf/STB with a gas gravity of 0.8 and a 35oAPI oil for reservoir condi-
tions of 4,000psia and a temperature of 180oF.
Katz method
Solution Exercise 6.
42
Properties of Reservoir Liquids
Pseudodensity
of reservoir fluid= 328.23 / 6.779 = 48.42
Exercise 7.
A gas condensate produces gas and liquids with the compositions detailed below,
with a producing GOR of 30,000 SCF/STB. Determine the composition of the
reservoir gas.
Component Composition
Gas Liquid
Methane 0.84
Ethane 0.08
Propane 0.04 0.15
Butane 0.03 0.36
Pentane 0.01 0.28
Hexane 0.12
Heptane + 0.09
1.00 1.00
Liquid
Component Mol. Fractn Mol.Wgt. Wgt. Liquid Liquid
lb mole lb/lb mol lb/lb mole density volume
lb/cu ft cu ft
C3 0.15 44.1 6.615 31.66 0.223
C4 0.36 58.1 20.916 35.78 0.585
C5 0.28 72.2 20.216 38.51 0.506
C6 0.12 86.2 10.344 41.3 0.25
C7+* 0.09 114.2 10.278 43.68 0.235
* C8 used for C7+ 68.369 1.799
Mol.Wgt. 68.369
liq.
Density of liquid= 38.00 lb/cu ft
GOR= 30000 scf/STB 213.39 lb/STB
= 79.16 lb mole gas/STB 3.12 lb mole /STB
Note: 1 lb mole = 379 SCF
GOR = 25.36 lb mole gas/lb mole liquid
Exercise 8.
The gas condensate reservoir above is contained in reservoir sands with an average
pay thickness of 100ft, with a porosity of 0.18 and a connate water saturation of 0.16.
The aerial extent of the field is 5 sq. miles. The initial reservoir pressure is 5,000 psia
and the reservoir temperature is 180 oF. Determine the initial reserves of the field in
terms of condensate and gas.
44
Properties of Reservoir Liquids
Solution Exercise 8
Exercise 9.
Calculate the gas condensate formation factor for the example in exercise 8.
Solution Exercise 9.
Bgc = bbls of gas in reservoir/STB condensate
Volume of gas in reservoir = 6.9696 x 1010 cu ft = 1.2412 x 1010 bbls
Condensate = 6.2935 x 106 STB
Bgc = 1972.2 bbls res gas/STB condensate
In some cases full compositional information may not be available but only black
oil descriptions of the oil and gas gravity for the gas. In this case correlations can be
used to provide the necessary data to calculate the same data as for exercise 8 & 9.
Calculate the viscosity of oil in the PVT report of chapter 12 at a pressure of 5,000psig
and 220°F. The °API of the oil is 40.1 and the GOR, Rs is 795 scf/ST
µod = 10A -1
Log A = 3.0324 - 0.0202°API - 1.163 log Tx
µod = dead oil viscosity cp.
(Beggs 3.0324 0.0202 1.163)
(Egbogah 1.8653 0.025086 0.56441)
Beggs Egbolgah
API = 40.1
T = 220
Rs = 795
P = 5,000 psig
Pb = 2,635 psig
log A = -0.5031 -0.46
A = 0.3140 0.34
Viscosity
dead oil = 1.06 cp 1.21 cp
Measured value = 1.29 cp
46
Properties of Reservoir Liquids
Exercise 11
Calculate the IFT of the following volatile oil mixture at 2315 psia and 190°F for
the oil with the following composition.
Solution Exercise 11
Component xj yi Pσ Equation 12
Co2 0.0159 0.0259 78.0 -0.0050
N2 0.0000 0.0022 41.0 -0.0006
C1 0.3428 0.8050 77.0 -0.2301
C2 0.0752 0.0910 108.0 -0.0108
C3 0.0564 0.0402 150.3 0.0161
i-C4 0.0097 0.0059 181.5 0.0046
n-C4 0.0249 0.0126 189.9 0.0154
i-C5 0.0110 0.0039 225.0 0.0105
i-C5 0.0141 0.0044 231.5 0.0147
C6 0.0197 0.0040 271.0 0.0278
C7+* 0.4303 0.0049 *586.6 1.6297
1.000 1.000 1.4723
from figure 23
1. Craft,BC & Hawkins, MF. Applied Reservoir Engineering” 1959 Prentice Hall,
NY
2. Danesh, A, PVT and Phase Behaviour of Petroleum Reservoir Fluids. 1998
Elsevier. pp 66-77
3. Standing MB “A pressure-Volume-Temperature Correlation for Mixtures of
Californian Oils and Gases”, Drill & Prod, Proc.275-287 (1947)
4. Lasater, J.A. “ Bubble Point Correlation “, Trans AIME, 213,379-381 (1958).
5. Vasquez,M and Beggs,HD “Correlations for Fluid Physical Property Prediction
“ JPT,968-970, (June 1980)
6. Glaso, O “Generalised Pressure Volume Temperature Correlations” JPT,785
795 (May 1980)
7. Marhoun,MA, “PVT Correlations for Middle East Crude Oils” JPT, 650-665
(May 1988)
8. Standing, M.B. and Katz,D.L. “ Density of Crude Oils Saturated with Natural
Gas” Trans AIME 146, 159 (1942)
9. Kessler, MG and Lee,BI,: “Improved Prediction of Enthalpy of Fractions,” Hyd
Proc.(Mar.1976) 55,153-158.
10. Standing,M “Volumetric and Phase Behaviour of Oil Field Hydrocarbon Systems”
SPE Dallas 1951
11. Beggs,HD. and Robinson,JR: Estimating the Viscosity of Crude Oil Systems”
JPT,27,1140-1141 (1975)
12. Egboghah,EO and Ng,JT: ‘An improved Temperature Viscosity Correlations
for Crude Oil Systems”, J.Pet Sci and Eng.,5,197-200 (1990)
13. Vasquez,M. and Beggs,HD :” Correlations for Fluid Physical Property Predictions”.
JPT,968 (June 1980)
14. Labedi,R: “Use of Production Data to Estimate Volume Factor, Density and
Compressibility of Reservoir Fluids”, J.of Pet.Sci and Eng. 4.375-90,(1990)
15. DeGhetto,G.,Paone,F. and Villa,M.: “Reliability Analysis of PVT Correlations
“,SPE 28904, Proc of Euro.Pet Conf. Lndn, 375-393 (Oct.,1994)
16. Danesh,A.,Krinis,D.,Henderson G.D., and Peden,J>M> “Visual Investigation
of Retrograde Phenomena and Gas Condensate Flow in Porous Media” 5th
European Symposium on Improved Oil Recovery ,Budapest (1988)
17. McCain,WD., “The Properties of Petroleum Fluids” Pennwell Books ,Tulsa,
Ok 1990. ISBN 0-87814-335-1
18. Macleod, DB., “On a Relation Between Surface Tension and Density,” Trans.,
Faraday Soc. (1923) 19,38-42.
19. Katz,DL.,”Handbook of Natural Gas Engineering”, McGraw Hill Book Co
Inc., New Yk,(1959)
20. Weinaug,KG and Katz,DL,: “Surface Tension of Methane-Propane Mixtures”.
I&EC,239-246 (1943)
21. Firoozabadi,A , Katz,D.L., Soroosh,H.M and Sajjadian,V.A.: “Surface Tension
of Reservoir Crude-Oil/Gas Systems Recognising the Asphalt in the Heavy
Fraction,” SPE Res Eng.(Feb) 1988,3,No 1, 265-272.
48
fundamental Properties of Reservoir Rocks
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
4. PERMEABILITY
4.1 Darcy's Law
4.2 Factors Affecting Permeability
4.3 Generalised Form of Darcy's Law
4.4 Dimensions of Permeability
4.5 Assumptions For Use of Darcy's Law
4.6 Applications of Darcy's Law
4.7 Field Units
4.8 Klinkenberg Effect
4.9 Reactive Fluids
4.10 Average Reservoir Permeability
6. POROSITY - PERMEABILITY
RELATIONSHIPS
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Having worked through this chapter the Student will be able to:
• Define porosity and express it as an equation in terms of pore, bulk and grain
volume.
• Explain the difference between total and effective porosity.
• Define permeability and present an equation, Darcy’s Law, relating flow rate to
permeability in porous media.
• List the assumptions for the applicability of Darcy’s Law.
• Derive an equation based on Darcy’s Law relating flow of gas in a core plug
and the upstream and downstream pressures.
• Derive an equation relating flow rate to permeability for a radial incompressible
system.
• Comment on the difference between gas and liquid permeability (Klinkenberg
effect ).
• Sketch a figure relating liquid permeability to gas permeabilities plotted as a
function of reciprocal mean pressure.
• Briefly describe the impact of reservoir stresses on permeability and porosity
• Draw a sketch demonstrating the result of interfacial tension between oil, water
and a solid, and locate the contact angle and define its values for wetting and
non-wetting phases.
• Express the capillary pressure Pc as two equations, one in terms of interfacial
tension, contact angle and pore radius, and the other in terms of height and
density of fluids.
• Define the free water level.
• Draw the Pc or height vs. saturation capillary pressure curve and identify
significant features.
• Sketch and explain the impact of saturation, history, density difference and
interfacial tension in capillary pressure curves.
• Sketch the impact of capillary pressure effects on the saturation distribution of
stratified formations
• Define effective and relative permeability and plot typical shapes.
• Define imbibition and drainage in the context of capillary pressure and relative
permeability curves.
• Sketch the pore doublet model and use it to explain the retention of trapped oil
in large pores and briefly relate it to the principle behind some enhanced oil
recovery methods.
• Define mobility ratio.
• Sketch a shape for gas- oil relative permeability curves.
fundamental Properties of Reservoir Rocks
Introduction
The properties of reservoir rocks with respect to the fluids they contain and with respect
to the fluids which will be injected into them are important when characterising a
reservoir in terms of its reserves and the mobility of the fluids. This next section gives
a brief over view of these properties, and is followed by chapters on their measurement
and variation. In relation to the detailed description of rock characteristics the reader
is referred to the Geology module of this Petroleum Engineering course.
The reservoir engineer is concerned with the quantities of fluids contained within the
rocks, the transmissivity of fluids through the rock and other related properties.
The specifications of a reservoir rock are such that there must be a large enough
capacity to store economically viable amounts of hydrocarbon and the hydrocarbon
must flow at economical rates when penetrated by a well. The factors which may
affect the capacity and the flow properties are the porosity, permeability, capillary
pressure, compressibility and fluid saturation. In the case of a reservoir rock, these are
not standard characteristics determined before formation of the rock, but are closely
linked to the geological processes that brought the sediments together and deposited
them in the sequences and under the chemical and physical changes inherent in the
system.
In order to extract the fluids the rock must be permeable which requires that there be
sufficiently large, interconnecting pores.
Although a permeable rock must also be porous, a porous rock is not necessarily
permeable. Certain volcanic rocks are porous but not permeable because the voids are
not interconnecting; shale may be quite porous but impermeable because the pores are
extremely small, thereby preventing free movement of the fluids contained within.
Considering a common reservoir rock, sandstone, the grains making up this rock
are all irregular in shape. The degree of irregularity, or lack of roundness reflects
the source sediments and the physical and chemical processes to which they were
subsequently exposed. Violent crushing or grinding action between rocks causes
grains to be very irregular and sharp-edged. The tumbling action of grains along the
bottom of streams or seabeds smoothes sand grains. Wind-blown sand, as occurs in
moving dunes in deserts, results in sand grains that are even more rounded. Sand
grains that make up sandstone beds and fragments of carbonate materials that make
up limestone beds do not fit together congruently: the void space between the grains
forms the porosity.
For the reservoir engineer, porosity is one of the most important rock properties as
a measure of the space available for accumulation of hydrocarbon fluids.
3. Porosity
The first step in forming a sandstone, for example, is to have a source of material
which is eroded and transported to low lying depressions and basins such as would
be found off the coasts of a landmass. The material would consist of a mixture of
minerals, but for a sandstone, the majority would be made of quartz in the form of
grains. When these were deposited, they would be surrounded by sea water or brine,
and as the sediment thickness increased, the weight or the pressure produced by the
overlying sediments would force the grains together. Where they contacted each other
large stresses would be produced and a phenomenon called pressure solution would
occur which dissolved the quartz at the points of contact between the grains until the
stresses reduced to a level which was sustainable by the grains. The dissolved material
would be free to precipitate in other regions of the sediment. In this way the initially
loose material would be solidified with discrete connections between the grains.
Initially, if subsea, the pore spaces would be filled with brine, and as the lithification
process occurred, some pore spaces would be isolated with the brine trapped inside.
If the vast majority were interconnected then the initial pore fluid would be free to be
swept through the rock by other fluids such as hydrocarbons. In this way the geometry
of the grains produces an assembly of solids with voids in between them. The grains
vary in diameter but may be from a few microns to several hundred microns. The
geometry of the pore spaces is such that they have narrow entrances (pore throats)
where the edges of the grains touch each other and larger internal dimensions (between
the grains). The complicated nature of these interconnected pores is illustrated in
figure 1 which is a metal cast of the pores in a sandstone rock.
fundamental Properties of Reservoir Rocks
One method of classifying reservoir rocks, therefore, is based on whether pore spaces
( in which the oil and gas is found) originated when the formation was laid down
or whether they were formed through subsequent earth stresses or ground water
action.
The first type of porosity is termed original porosity and the latter, secondary or
induced porosity. This is illustrated in figure 2.
Cementing material
Sand grain
Isolated porosity 5%
The impact of isolated pore space clearly cannot contribute to recoverable reserves
of fluid nor contribute to permeable pore space as illustrated in figure 3.
dead End
Permeable Pore Space
Pore
Figure 3 Total, effective, isolated permeable and dead end pore space
Porosity is defined as the ratio of the void space or pore space (Vp) in a rock to the
bulk volume (Vb) of that rock and it is normally expressed as a percentage of total
rock volume. The porosity is usually given the symbol φ. The matrix volume is the
volume of the solid grains, Vm.
Void volume
Porosity = x 100
Bulk volume
pore volume
Porosity = × 100
void volume + grain volume
fundamental Properties of Reservoir Rocks
Total porosity is defined as the ratio of the volumes of all the pores to the bulk of a
material, regardless of whether or not all of the pores are interconnected. Effective
porosity is defined as the ratio of the interconnected pore volume of a material.
If the grains are represented by spheres stacked together as in figure 4, then the pore
space can be seen between the solid grains.
Induced or Secondary Porosity = porosity from fractures or vugs (large chambers formed
in certain carbonates and limestones caused by groundwater flow and dissolution).
The length of each side would be 2x radius, giving the bulk volume as:
Vb = (2r)3 = 8r3
The grain volume would be the equivalent of the volume of one sphere
4πr 3
Vm =
3
4πr 3
8r 3 −
φ=
Vb − Vm
= 3 = 1 - π = 0.476
3
Vb 8r 6
If the spheres fit in the cusps generated by the lower layer then a porosity of 26%
occurs. For a size distribution of spheres the ultimate minimum porosity would be
zero which would be the case if sufficient grains were available to completely fill the
pore spaces as shown in figure 6 for part filling of the void.
fundamental Properties of Reservoir Rocks
Several factors may combine to affect the porosity of a rock, but the main distinction
to be made is as follows based on the amount of connected pore volume, and whether
the pore space has been altered by dissolution or by fracturing after deposition and
lithification.
Pore Space
Limestone formations may have intergranular porosity. However, the pore openings
are more often inter-crystalline, that is spaces between microscopic crystals. They also
may take the form of pits or vugs caused by solution and weathering, or by shrinkage
of the matrix. These forms of porosity are called secondary porosity. Another type of
secondary porosity is that caused by fracturing and is very important in that it permits
many limestone rocks of otherwise low porosity to become excellent reservoirs.
Porosity may range from 50% to 1.5% and actual average values are listed below:
A point that needs to be emphasised is that the concept of ‘porosity’ is complex and
therefore difficult to define and determine. It may refer to spaces between sand grains
or it may refer to limestone caves: it may even exclude a fraction of the free water
(water not bound chemically) present in the rock. Sometimes good estimates, (i.e.
relevant to reservoir development problems) may be obtained from laboratory studies,
or core samples, and sometimes such measurements are irrelevant.
In general the downhole porosity may be related to the acoustic and radioactive
properties of the rock.
10
fundamental Properties of Reservoir Rocks
energy density is related to the number of atoms and therefore to the density of the
rock being bombarded. If the formation under test is known, for instance a sandstone,
then changes in the density measured within the sandstone result from a change in
the porosity of the formation rather than a change in the mineralogical nature of the
sandstone. This obviously relies on a good description of the geology of the formation.
In a porous formation, the pore fluid will also affect the response of the tool in that
the atoms of the fluid will also react to the bombardment and affect the energy
detected. With reference to calibration samples of different rock types, the effect of
both mineralogy and pore fluid content can be accounted for. Empirical relationships
have been developed to relate the porosity to the values of density which have been
logged. In the following relationship, the logged density, ρL, matrix density, ρm , and
the fluid density, ρf , are related to the porosity, φ
ρL = ρm (1- φ ) + ρf φ
ρ L − ρm
φ =
ρ f − ρm
The contribution of the matrix and the pore fluid are in relation to the relative amounts
of each, and these are related to the porosity. Typically, matrix densities and fresh
water density are as follows
∆TL − ∆Tm
φ =
∆Tf − ∆Tm
The contribution of the matrix and the pore fluid are in relation to the relative amounts
of each, and these are related to the porosity. Typically, matrix travel times and fresh
∑φ i
φa = i =1
n (1)
where φa is the mean porosity, φi is the porosity of the ith core measurement and n is
the number of measurements.
4 PERMEABILITY
The permeability is a term used to link the flowrate through and pressure difference
across a section of porous rock. The problem is complicated in that the number of
pore spaces, their size and the interconnections is not standard. Thus the application
of the general energy equation, for example as in the case of flow through pipes,
becomes very difficult for flow through porous media.
In petroleum engineering the unit of permeability is the Darcy, derived from the
empirical equation known as Darcy’s Law named after a French scientist who
investigated the flow of water through filter beds in 1856. His work provided the
basis of the study of fluid flow through porous rock.
12
fundamental Properties of Reservoir Rocks
k∆P. A
Q=
µL (2)
where:
Darcy’s law of fluid flow states that rate of flow through a given rock varies directly
with the pressure applied, the area open to flow and varies inversely with the viscosity
of the fluid flowing and the length of the porous rock. In terms of equating the
parameters, the constant of proportionality in the equation is termed the permeability.
The unit of permeability is the Darcy which is defined as the permeability which
will permit a fluid of one centipoise viscosity (= viscosity of water at 68°F) to flow
at a linear velocity of one centimetre per second under a pressure gradient of one
atmosphere per centimetre. Permeability has the units Darcys. Figure 8 illustrates
the concept and the units of permeability
∆p = 1 atmos
Q = 1 cm 3
sec 1cm 2
µ = 1 cp
L = 1 cm
k = 1 darcy
Sand
Length, L h1 h2
Flowrate, Q
His results showed that the flowrate was directly proportional to the area open to flow,
the difference in pressure and inversely proportionate to the length of the sandpack,
i.e.
1
Q ∝ A, ∆h,
L
or
A(h1 − h2 )
Q=k
L
where Q is the flow rate, A is the area of the end of the core, h1 and h2 are the static
heads of water at the inlet and outlet of the core (the equivalent of the static pressure),
L is the length of the core. K is the constant of proportionality. It is constant for a
particular sand pack. When other workers replicated the experiment, the results were
different to those of Darcy. This was accounted for by inclusion of the viscosity of
the flowing fluid and the equation becomes:
kA(h1 − h2 )
Q=
µL
where the original terms have the same meaning and µ is the viscosity of the fluid
in centipoise.
On a more theoretical basis, Poiseuille formulated the relationship between flow rate
and pressure drop for fluid flowing in a pipe. The form of the relationship is
πr 4 ∆P
Q= (3)
8µL
where Q is the flowrate, r is the radius of the tube, µ is the viscosity of the fluid and
L is the length of the tube. In this case the dependence of the flowrate / pressure drop
relationship can be seen to be dependent on the radius of the tube. In a similar manner,
the radius of the pores in a rock dictate the nature of the relationship, specifically, the
14
fundamental Properties of Reservoir Rocks
radius of the pore throats is of most significance, since these are the smallest radii
and therefore affect the flowrate/ pressure drop relationship most.
The practical unit is the millidarcy (mD) which is 10-3 Darcy. Formation permeabilities
vary from a fraction to more than 10000 milli-Darcies. At the low end of the range,
clays and shales have permeabilities of 10-2 to 10-6 mD. These very low permeabilities
make them act as seals between more permeable layers.
If sand grains of generally flat proportions are laid down with the flat sides non-
uniformly positioned and located in indiscriminate directions, both porosity and
permeability may be very high. To illustrate, if bricks are stacked properly, the space
between the bricks is very small; if the same bricks are simply dumped in a pile, the
space between the bricks might be quite large.
The shape and size of sand grains are important features that determine the size of the
openings between the sand grains. If the grains are elongated, large and uniformly
arranged with the longest dimension horizontal, permeability to fluid flow through the
pore channels will be quite large horizontally and medium-to-large vertically. If the
grains are more uniformly rounded, permeability will be quite large in both directions
and more nearly the same. Permeability is found generally to be lower with smaller
grain size if other factors (such as surface tension effects) are not influential. This
occurs because the pore channels become smaller as the size of the grains is reduced,
and it is more difficult for fluid to flow through the smaller channels.
-Z
s Vs
+x
0
+y
+Z
The x and y co-ordinates increase from zero to the left and out from the page; the
z co-ordinate increases downwards. The flow velocity in a particular direction can
be defined as the flowrate in that direction divided by the area open to flow. In any
direction, s, the flow velocity is termed Vs and is equated to the static pressure gradient
in that direction (i.e. the change in pressure, dP, over a small element of length, ds in
that particular direction) minus a contribution from the difference in head (because
of the difference in elevation) of the fluid across the section ds. Therefore,
k dp ρg dz
Vs = - ( − )
µ ds 1.0133 x10 ds
6
(4)
16
Q=k
L
kA(h1 − h 2 )
Q=
µL fundamental Properties of Reservoir Rocks
πr 4 ∆P
Q=
8µL
1 − h2 )
A(hand the change in elevation head is equal to the sine of the angle to the horizontal
k dp Q
ρg= k dzL
Vs = - ( − )
µ ds 1.0133x10 ds
6
= sine θ, where θ is in degrees.
kA(h1 − h 2 )
Q= The Darcy units are:
dz µL
= sin θ , where θ is in degrees.
ds
Vs = velocity along path s - cms-1
πr ∆P k 4
= permeability - Darcys
K dP Qρg= dz
µ = viscosity - centipoise
Vs = - ( − 8µL )
6
µ ds 1.0133x10 ds ρ = density of fluid - gcm-3
g = acceleration due to gravity - 980 cms-2
k dp ρg dz
L MVs = - µ ( M − 6
)
Vs = µ = ρ = ds3 1.0133x10 ds
L = 6pressure gradient along s−2- atm cm
-1
T LT
1.0133 x 10 converts from dynes cm to atmospheres
dz
M L dP = sinMθ , where θ is in degrees.
P = 2 g = ds = 2 4.4 Dimensions Of Permeability
LT
2
T ds LT
2
k dp ρg dz
Vs = - ( − )
From Darcy’s equation, µ ds 1.0133 x10 ds the dimensions of each
6
K dP ρg dz
L kLT M ML ( −can be deduced
Vs = - term 6 )in terms of length, L, mass, M and time, T
= ( 2 2 − 3 2 ) µ ds 1.0133x10 ds
T M LT LT
L M M
L K Vs = µ = ρ = 3
= L MT M LT L
T LT Vs = µ = ρ = 3
K = L2 T LT L
M L dP M
P = 2
g = 2 = 2 2
M LT
L dP M T ds LT
K dP P ρg
= 2 dz
g = 2 ρg
= 2 2 dz
Vs = - ( − LT ), T ds L T6 = zero
µ ds 1.0113x106 Therefore,
ds 1.0113x10
the equationds in terms of the dimensions (and keeping permeability as k)
is
L kLT M ML
Q = ( 2 2 − 3 2)
Vs = Vx = T M L LT L kLT
T M ML
A = ( 2 2 − 3 2)
L K T M LT LT
kA dP =
Q = - T LT
µ dx
K = L2 L K
=
T LT
L
kA P2 ρg ρg
Q∫ dx = - ∫ dP V = - K ( dP − dz
),
dz
= zero
µ P1 s
µ ds 6 6
0 K =1.0113x10
L2 ds 1.0113x10
ds (5)
kA
Q(L - 0) = - (P − P )
µ 2 1 It can Q be seen that the dimensions reflect the nature of the constant of proportionality
Vs = Vx and = it should not be confused with, for example, the area open to flow, A, of the end
kA(P1 − P2 )
Q = of aAcore or a sand pack. In terms of metric units, since 1 atm = 14.73 psi = 1.013
(6)
µL kA dP
Q = - bar and 1 cp = 10 Pas it follows that
-3
µ dx
ρg 1Ddz = 9.87 xdz10 m2 ~ 1 x 10 m
-13 -12 2
dP ρg
Vs = Vx = - k( − 1mD
6 ), = 9.876 x 10=-16m
zero
2
~ 1 x 10-15m2
ds L1.0113x10kA
P2ds 1.0113x10 ds
Q∫ dx = -
µ P∫1
Q dP
Vs = 0
A
kAof Petroleum Engineering, Heriot-Watt University
Institute 17
kA dP Q(L - 0) = - (P2 − P1 )
Q = - µ
µ dx
Other units of inches2 or cm2 could be used but they are all too large for porous media
and they would also require conversion to relate to permeabilities quoted in other
units. Darcys and milliDarcys are most commonly used.
2. Laminar flow, i.e. no turbulent flow. For most reservoir applications this is valid
however near to the well bore when velocities are high for example in gas production
turbulent flow occurs. Sometimes it is termed non- darcy flow. Figure 13
Laminar Flow
Turbulent Flow
Q
A
Q k . ∆P
=
A µ L
Q . L .
∴ K = µ
A ∆P
∆P
L
18
fundamental Properties of Reservoir Rocks
3. Rock 100% saturated with one fluid, i.e. only one fluid flowing.
In the laboratory this can be achieved by cleaning cores, however, there will be a
certain connate water saturation in the reservoir, and there may be gas, oil and mobile
water flowing through the same pore space. The concept of relative permeability can
be used to describe this more complex reservoir flow regime. Relative permeability
is discussed later.
4. Fluid does not react with the rock, i.e. it is inert and there is no change to the pore
structure through time.
There are cases when this may not happen, for example when a well is stimulated
during an hydraulic fracturing workover. The fluids used may react with the minerals
of the rock and reduce the permeability. In such cases, tests on the rock to determine
the compatibility of the treating fluids must be conducted before the workover.
5. Rock is homogeneous and isotropic, i.e. the pore structure and the material
properties should be the same in all directions and not vary. In reality, the layered
nature and large areal extent of a reservoir rock will produce variations in the vertical
and horizontal permeability.
Q
P2
L
P1
K dP ρg dz ρg dz
Vs = - ( − ), = zero
µ ds 1.0113 x10 ds
6 6
1.0113 x10 ds
Q
Vs = Vx =
A
kA dP
Q = -
µ dx
L P
kA 2
Q ∫ dx = -
µ P∫1
dP
0
kA
Q(L - 0) = - ( P2 − P1 )
µ
kA( P1 − P2 )
Q =
µL (6)
The final form is as formulated by Darcy and the permeability will have the units of
Darcys if the other units are:
The flow regime is the same as for the linear liquid system and from the basic Darcy
equation:
dP ρg dz ρg dz
Vs = Vx = - k ( − 6
), 6
= zero
ds 1.0113 x10 ds 1.0113 x10 ds
Q
Vs =
A
kA dP
Q = -
µ dx
In this case, the laboratory measurement of the gas flow would usually be conducted
downstream from the core at almost atmospheric conditions (i.e. there would not
be a large pressure drop across the flow meter). It is assumed that the gas used is
ideal, however, there needs to be a correction to the volumetric flow rate measured
to account for the higher pressure in the core. Figure 15.
20
fundamental Properties of Reservoir Rocks
P1 P2 Pb
P
L
A
Qb
Valve
Core Flow
measurement
QP = Q b Pb
Q b Pb
Q =
P
and substituting into the equation, separating the variables and integrating
produces
Q b Pb kA dP
=-
P µ dx
L P
kA 2
Q b Pb ∫ dx = -
µ P∫1
PdP
0
kA ( P22 − P12 )
Q b Pb (L - 0 = -
µ 2
2 µQb Pb L
k=
A( P12 − P2 2 ) (8)
Comparing the two expressions equations 6 and 7, it is seen that the gas flow rate is
proportional to the difference in the pressure squared, whereas the liquid flowrate
is proportional to the difference in the pressure. In well testing, the flow rates are
measured at the surface and for gas wells one of the diagnostic plots is the flowrate
versus difference in pressure squared plot. Neglecting the fact that the gas is real, it
gives an indication of the ability of the reservoir to produce gas.
P1 + P2
P=
2
and
Q = Volume flow rate at P
P Q = PbQb
and since
1 1 kA
(P1 + P2 )Q = (P1 − P2 )(P1 + P2 )
2 2 µL
kA( P1 − P2 )
Q=
µL (9)
The ideal gas permeability can be calculated from the liquid equation using mean
flowrate, Q measured at mean pressure.
Radial flow
re
Pe
rw
re
Pw h
rw
Well
Plan Elevation
Figure 16 Radial geometry with radial flow from the outer boundary to the wellbore
22
fundamental Properties of Reservoir Rocks
k dP ρg dz ρg dz
Vs = - ( − ), = zero
µ ds 1.0113 x10 ds 1.0113 x10 ds
6 6
Q
Substituting for flow velocity, Vs = Vr =
A
In this case the direction of flow is in the opposite sense to the co-ordinate system,
therefore
ds = -dr
A = 2πrh
Q k dP
= -
2πrh µ − dr (10)
Q k
(ln re − ln rw ) = ( Pe − Pw )
2πh µ
2πkh( Pe − Pw )
Q =
r
µ ln e
rw (11)
In this case the geometry is identical to that of the radial flow of incompressible
fluid with the modifications for the compressibility of a gas as per the linear gas
flow system.
Q k dP
= -
2πrh µ − dr
QP = Q b Pb
Qb Pb
Q =
P
Q b Pb k dP
= 2πrh
P µ dr
r 2πkh Pe 2 − Pw 2
Q bPb ln e =
rw µ 2
πkh
Qb =
r
(Pe 2 − Pw 2 )
µPb ln e
rw (10)
24
fundamental Properties of Reservoir Rocks
KA( P1 − P2 )
In order to convert the Darcy equation for liquid flow, Q =
µL
929cm 2 atm
( K )( Aft 2 )( 2
)( ∆Ppsia)( )
ft 14.696 psia
=
30.48cm
( µ )( Lft )( )
ft
bbl KA( P1 − P2 )
Q = 1.1271
day µL
and these produce the following version of Darcy’s equation in field units:
bbl KA( P1 − P2 )
Q = 1.1271
day µL (11)
Since the mean free path is a function of the size of the molecule, the permeability
is a function of the type of gas used in the permeability measurement. This gas
permeability is corrected for the Klinkenberg effect by plotting the gas permeability
at each reciprocal mean pressure. This is illustrated for hydrogen, nitrogen and carbon
dioxide in figure 17:
80
Gas Permeability: Millidarcies
60
40
Hydrogen
Liquid permeability
Nitrogen
20
Carbon Dioxide
0
0 1 2 3 4 5
Reciprocal Mean Pressure: (Atm.)
Pm is the mean pressure of the gas (the mean of the upstream and downstream pressures
either end of the core orp in figure 15). In effect, if the gas pressure is raised infinitely
high, the gas will perform as an incompressible liquid would, therefore if several
measurements of permeability are made at different mean pressures, the relationship
between mean pressure and permeability can be extrapolated to the equivalent
pressure conditions of a liquid. In reality, extrapolation to infinity is impossible, so
the reciprocal mean pressure is used and the results are extrapolated to zero reciprocal
mean pressure (i.e. 1/infinitely high mean pressure). This point corresponds to the
liquid permeability. The different gasses have different slopes, but they all extrapolate
to the same equivalent liquid permeability.
kG
kL =
b
l+
Pm (12)
where
kL = equivalent liquid permeability
kG = permeability to gas
Pm = mean flowing pressure
26
fundamental Properties of Reservoir Rocks
b = Klinkenberg constant for a particular gas and rock (slope of the gas permeability,
inverse mean pressure relationship).
The Klinkenberg effect is greatest for low permeability rocks and low mean
pressures.
It is worth considering the stresses associated with reservoir rock parameters. Figure
18 illustrates the likely configuration of a core extracted from a vertical well, and the
orientation of the core plug extracted for permeability and porosity measurements.
4 Inch
Formation
Within a reservoir the stresses in the formation can be expressed in three directions,
the major and two minor principal stresses. Figure 19a. The major principal stress
acting mainly in the vertical direction. Clearly the depositional environment and
formation structure will result in slight changes to these orientations.
28
fundamental Properties of Reservoir Rocks
Equal Stresses
Kh
(b)
(c)
Equal Stresses
In core analysis, service companies have been asked to measure porosity and
permeability under reservoir stress conditions. They have done this by applying
different stresses for the axial and radial stresses. As can be seen in Figure 19b for a
conventional plug the radial stress would be a combination of the major and a minor
principal stress. To enable the true stress field to be represented, a varying radial
stress distribution would be required. If a vertical plug was used, Figure 19c, then a
constant radial stress could be an acceptable value for the average minor stresses. In
this case, however, the permeability value would be Kv, the vertical permeability.
The effect of the overburden and the pore pressure on the matrix is to produce a net
force between the grains of the matrix (which, when the area over which the force
acts is accounted for produces a net stress). If the matrix is considered to be elastic,
that is, there is a unique relationship between the stress and the strain within the
matrix, then the matrix will strain as the stress is altered. If the stress increases, the
1.0
?Well Cemented
.8
Permeability: Fraction of Original
.6 ?Friable
?Unconsolidated
.4
.2
0
0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000
Net Overburden Pressure: PSI
In general, the stress regime subsurface is considered to be hydrostatic (as in the case
of the pore fluid) and that the stresses can be resolved into one vertical stress, and
two horizontal stresses. For hydrostatic conditions, all of these are the same. In core
analysis, therefore, the porosity at equivalent subsurface conditions may be determined
by applying an external pressure to the core. This is usually done by inserting the core
into a cell rated for pressures up to 10000 psi (68.9MPa) and applying a stress to the
ends of the core and to the sides. The nature of these tests are such that usually the
stress applied to the sides of the core represents the horizontal stress and the stress
applied to the ends represents the vertical stress. Once trapped inside the cell, the
pore pressure may be increased to a representative level and measurements of pore
volume and permeability made under these stress conditions.
30
fundamental Properties of Reservoir Rocks
More recently, the effect of non-hydrostatic stress conditions has been shown to
be important in certain reservoir conditions, such as in tectonically active areas
(Columbia, South America where the formation of the Andes mountains is associated
with large horizontal stresses) or in areas associated with faults or very compressible
reservoir rocks such as some chalks. In this case the conventional test cells are not
appropriate and special true triaxial cells are required. In these cells the ends of the
core are subjected to the vertical stress as per the conventional cells, but the sides of
the core are wrapped in a cage of individual tubes which can be pressurised in banks
around the core to represent the different horizontal stresses.
In summary, when the properties of the cores are measured in the laboratory, they
can be subjected to
Hydrostatic stresses The effect of the magnitude of the stresses are measured
Real stress behaviour The effect of the magnitude and direction of the stresses
are measured
where Pcompacting is the grain-to-grain stress, Poverburden is the stress produced by the
weight of the overburden at a particular depth and Ppore pressure is the pressure of the
fluids in the pores. The expression shows the balance between the overburden and
the pore pressure in compacting the rock matrix: if the pore pressure declines, the
compacting stress increases and the pore volume declines. This assumes that the
overburden remains constant which is logical over the time period of a producing
reservoir. The balance can be represented by figure 21:
Po
Cap Rock Depth
Pf and Pc
Reservoir
Pc Pf
Pc
Grains
Pc
Pc
Pore space filled with fluid
Figure 21 The balance between overburden & rock stress and fluid pressure
Po = Pf + Pc Po = overburden pressure
Pf = fluid pressure
Pc = compacting stress
The effect of the change in the balance between the overburden stress and the pore
pressure is to change the compacting stress. If there is an increase in pore pressure,
then the pore volume will increase, however, this is rare and in the main, pore
pressure declines during production and the pore spaces compact under the increasing
compact stress. Two issues are significant: the initial porosity in the reservoir (i.e.
to correctly define the volume of oil in place) and the reduction in that porosity (or
pore volume) as the pressure declines (for material balance and simulation studies).
Figure 22 shows the relationship between porosity and depth (or stress). As the depth
(and stress) increases, the porosity declines. Care needs to be taken when assessing
porosity values: were they measured under overburden or at ambient conditions?
The shale sample shows a large change in porosity as the plate-like clay minerals
are compacted and fit together in a more congruent manner.
32
fundamental Properties of Reservoir Rocks
50
40
Sandstone
Porosity, φ
30
20
10 Shale
0
0 3000 6000
Depth of burial (ft) or stress (psi)
The rate of change of pore volume with pressure change can be represented by an
isothermal compressibility (assuming temperature is constant):
1 dv
Cf = -
v dP (15)
(i) Matrix volume compressibility - the change in volume of the rock grains. This is
very small and usually not of interest in sandstones since it is a purely mechanical
change in volume of the very stiff grains.
(ii) Bulk volume compressibility - the change in the unit volume of the rock. This
is of interest in reservoirs near the surface because of the problem of subsidence;
Changes in volume of the reservoir around faults which may cause the fault to slip
and alter the conductivity both through the fault and across it;
(iii) Pore volume compressibility - change in pore volume. This is of greatest interest
since the pore volume affects the porosity which affects reservoir performance.
Pipette
Sealed core
Pump
Pressure vessel
Figure 23 Measurement of the reduction inpore volume as the external stress (or compact-
ing pressure) is increased
The results show the change in pore volume relative to the original pore volume,
for a given change in the compacting pressure (this assumes that changes in the
compacting pressure have the same effects as changes in the pore pressure) which
can be substituted in to the isothermal compressibility as
1 dv p
Cp = -
v p dPc
where:
Cp = pore volume compressibility
vp = initial pore volume
dvp = change in pore volume (amount of fluid expelled)
dPc = change in compacting pressure
34
fundamental Properties of Reservoir Rocks
Typical values of pore compressibility are in the range 3 x10-6 psi-1 to 10 \x10-6 psi-1,
however, soft sediments can have compressibilities in the range 10 \x10-6 psi-1 to 20x10-6
psi-1 or 30 *10-6 psi-1. Figure 24 illustrates the values determined for some limestones
and sandstones.
10
3
0 10 20
Porosity %
100
Permeability (mD)
10
1
0 20 40 60 80
Hydrostatic stress (MPa)
Figure 25 The reduction in permeability for a range of sandstone samples (the porosity is
in the range 15% to 22%)
In true triaxial stress regimes, the stresses are not identical and the strain (and therefore
pore throat radii) may cause the sample to dilate in one direction and increase the
pore throat radii therefore enhancing the permeability. This can be illustrated better
by considering a fractured core (figure 26).
36
fundamental Properties of Reservoir Rocks
σv
Fracture
Permeability
σh maximum
σh maximum σh minimum
σv
Fracture
Permeability
σ
h maximum
Core Fracture opening under stress
σh minimum σ
h maximum
If the largest horizontal stress acts across the fracture (i.e. perpendicular to the faces of
the fracture) then it will be clamped shut; if the largest horizontal stress acts parallel
to the fracture, then it may split open. In this way the anisotropy (or difference in the
properties) may lead to different permeabilities and porosities from the same sample
if the stresses are applied in different ways around the core.
6. Porosity-Permeability Relationships
Whereas for porosity there are a number of downhole indirect measurement methods,
the same is not the case for permeability. The downhole determination of permeability
is more illusive. Down hole permeability is mainly obtained by flow and pressure
determination and requires other characteristics for example the flowing interval.
There has been a continued interest in porosity-permeability correlations, on the
basis if one has a good correlation of laboratory measured porosity and permeability
then down hole measurements of porosity could unlock permeability values for
those formations where recovered core has not been practical. Although porosity is
an absolute property and dimensionless, permeability is not and is an expression of
flow which is influenced by a range of properties of the porous media, including the
shape and dimensions of the grains and the porosity. Since porosity is an important
parameter in permeability it is not surprising for those rocks which have similar particle
characteristics that a relationship exists between porosity and permeability. Figure
27 below gives examples of permeability correlations for different rock types.
?Oolitic Limestone
Sucrosic Dolomite
Reef Limestone
Well Cemented
Hard Sand
100
Permeability: Millidarcies
Chalky
Limestone
10
Intercrystalline
Limestone and
Dolomite
Fine Grained
Friable Sand
1.0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Porosity: Percent
7 Surface Kinetics
If core for a particular section cannot be recovered, or for example is formed as a pile
of sand on the rig floor, then correlations like these in figure 27 are used. Porosity
measurements obtained indirectly from wireline methods can be used to obtain the
laboratory porosity vs down hole porosity cross plot. Using this laboration porosity
value the associated permeability value can be determined from an appropriate
correlation as in figure 27.
The simultaneous existence of two or more phases in a porous medium needs terms
such as the capillary pressure, relative permeability and wettability to be defined.
With one fluid only one set of forces needs to be considered: the attraction between
the fluid and the rock. When more than one fluid is present there are three sets of
active forces affecting capillary pressure and wettability.
Surface free energy exists on all surfaces between states of matter and between
immiscible liquids. This energy is the result of electrical forces. These forces cause
molecular attraction between molecules of the same substance (cohesion) and between
molecules of unlike substances (adhesion).
38
fundamental Properties of Reservoir Rocks
Surface tension (or interfacial tension) results from molecular forces that cause the
surface of a liquid to assume the smallest possible size and to act like a membrane
under tension.
W W W Different mass.
Different space
between molecules.
O O O
W: water molecule
O O: oil molecule
distance between molecules
Interfacial tension deforms the outer surface of immiscible liquids to produce droplets.
If the two liquids are present on a surface, the interfacial tension deforms the liquids
to produce a characteristic contact angle as shown in Figure 29.
A wetting phase is one which spreads over the solid surface and preferentially wets
the solid. The contact angle approaches zero (and will always be less than 90˚).
A non-wetting phase has little or no affinity for a solid and the contact angle will
be greater than 90˚
σwo
Contact angle, θ
Oil θ
σso
Water σsw
Solid
σ
sw Interfacial tension between the solid and water
σ Interfacial tension between the solid and oil
so
The contact angle describes the nature of the interaction of the fluids on the surface:
for the oil-water system shown above: an angle less than 90˚ indicates that the surface
is water wet. If the angle were greater than 90˚ then the surface would be oil wet.
The composition of the surface also affects the interfacial tension. Figure 30 shows the
effect of octane and napthenic acid on a water droplet on silica and calcite surfaces.
The water is not affected by the change in surface in the water/octane system, however,
the napthenic acid causes the water to wet the silica surface, but to be non-wetting
on the calcite surface.
30° 35°
Silica
Calcite
The Adhesion tension, At is defined as the difference between the solid water and
solid oil interfacial tension. This is equal to the interfacial tension between the water
and oil multiplied by the cosine of the contact angle,
40
fundamental Properties of Reservoir Rocks
If a container of oil and water is considered as in figure 31, the denser water lies
below the oil.
σcosθ σ
θ
OIL
h
radius, r
.c
Water
If a glass capillary tube of radius, r is inserted such that it pierces the interface between
the oil and water, the geometry of the tube and the imbalance in forces produced
between the glass, oil and water cause the interface to be pulled upwards into the tube.
If non wetting fluids were used, the interface in the tube may be pushed downwards.
Under equilibrium conditions, i.e. after the tube has pierced the original interface,
the adhesion tension around the periphery (2πr) of the tube can be summed to give
the total force upwards. Since the interface is static, this force must be balanced by
the forces in the column of water drawn up the tube and the equivalent column of oil
outside the tube, i.e. at point C, the force (or pressure) must be the same in the tube
as outside, therefore the excess force produced by the column of water is balanced
by the adhesion tension.
2σ wo Cosθ
gh( ρw − ρo ) =
r
It can be seen from the equations, capillary pressure can be defined both in terms of
curvature and in terms of interfacial tension, as expressed by the hydrostatic head.
2σCosθ
Pc = = gh( pw po )
rc (19)
where
Pc = capillary pressure
σ = surface tension
θ = contact angle
rc = radius of the tube
h = height of interface
ρw = the density of water
ρo = the density of oil.
For a distribution of capillaries, therefore, the capillary pressure will give rise to a
distribution of ingress of wetting fluid into the capillaries. The relative position of the
capillary rise is given with respect to the free water level, FWL, i.e. the point of zero
capillary pressure. Figure 32 illustrates the effect of three different capillary radii on
the rise of water. Figure 33 shows the behaviour for a full assembly of capillaries
and alongside the associated capillary pressure curve. In this figure it is important
to note five aspects.
The zone of varying water saturation with height above the 100% free water oil
contact is called the transition zone.
The formation containing irreducible water will produce only hydrocarbons whereas the
transition zone of varying water saturation will produce water and hydrocarbons.
The shape of the capillary pressure curves in the transition zone will depend on the
nature of the rock.
42
fundamental Properties of Reservoir Rocks
oil
oil
oil
θ oil
θ
h
FREE WATER
LEVEL
WATER WATER
Oil
Irreducible Water
Transition Zone
Pc
Oil water contact
Water
OWC
0
FWL 0% Sw 100%
Water 100% So 0%
Free water level
The height at which a wetting liquid will stand above a free level is directly proportional
to capillary pressure which is related to the size and size distribution of the pores.
It is also proportional to interfacial tension and the cosine of the contact angle and
Sw _ 2σCosθ
~ Pc =
re
Rock Property
(Permeability and Porosity)
Water wet, coarse grained sand and oolitic and vuggy carbonates with large pores
have low capillary pressure and low interstitial water contents. Silty, fine grained
sands have high capillary pressures and high water contents.
Figure 34 shows the capillary pressure curve for a reservoir where the water saturation
reduces above the aquifer. The 100% water saturation continues some distance above
the free water level corresponding to the largest pores of the rock, hD. Above this level
both the oil and water are present and the reservoir water saturation decreases with
increased height above the hydrocarbon water contact, since the larger pores can no
longer support the water by capillary action and the water saturation falls. Between
the 100% WOC and the irreducible saturation level is termed the transition zone.
44
fundamental Properties of Reservoir Rocks
Oil
Sand
Grain
Pc
h
Transition Zone
WOC
hp
FWL
0% Water Saturation 100%
Water
Consider the capillary pressure curves for the two rocks in figure 35. The first sample
(case 1) has a small range of connecting pore sizes. The second sample (case 2) has a
much larger range of connecting pore sizes, although the largest pores are of similar
size in both cases. Also, in case 2, the irreducible water saturation is reached at low
capillary pressure, but with the graded system, a much larger capillary pressure is
needed.
I
h
Largest connecting pores
h about the same size.
Therefore simular h
D
X
h
D
In addition to water transition zones, there can also be an oil/gas transition zone, but
this is usually less well defined.
Rock wettability influences the capillary pressure and hence the retentive properties
of the formation. Oil wet rocks have a reduced or negligible transition zone, and may
contain lower irreducible saturations. Low fluid interfacial tension reduces the transition
zone, while high interfacial tension extends it. Figure 36 illustrates this effect.
Height Above Water Level
A
Low Interfacial Tension
46
fundamental Properties of Reservoir Rocks
saturation results from the increase in the wetting phase (water) and the expulsion of
the hydrocarbons. In this case the saturation is determined by the large pore reducing
the capillary pressure effect and preventing water entering the larger pore. This is
the situation which occurs both when natural water drive imbibes into the formation
raising the water table level and in water injection processes. Clearly the two saturation
histories generate different saturation height profiles. Figure 37 shows the drainage
and imbibition effects on capillary rise.
Imbibition
0 100
Drainage Water Saturation: Percent Pore Space Imbibition
0 100
Fluid Density Difference Effect Water Saturation: Percent Pore Space
Water saturation
SHALE
Water saturation profile well C only
Height
profile
ES.
Well B only
NE R
m d
40
Transition K=
d
STO
m
19 0
zone 5
=1
0
K= d
D
5m
K=
SAN
25
0= 10 md
0= K=
200
30 SHALE
0=
1
2
3
4 100% Water Level
8 EFFECTIVE PERMEABILITY
8.1Definition
The idea of relative permeability provides an extension to Darcy’s Law to the
presence and flow of more than a single fluid within the pore space. When two or
more immiscible fluids are present in the pore space their flows interfere. Specific
or absolute permeability refers to permeability when one fluid is present at 100%
saturation. Effective permeability reflects the ability of a porous medium to permit
the passage of a fluid under a potential gradient when two or three fluids are present
in the pore space. The effective permeability for each fluid is less than the absolute
permeability. For a given rock the effective permeability is the conductivity of each
phase at a specific saturation. As well as the individual effective permeabilities being
less than the specific permeability, their sum is also lower.
48
fundamental Properties of Reservoir Rocks
Relative Permeability =
A typical set of effective permeability curves for an oil water system is shown in
figure 40 and for a gas oil system in figure 41.
1.0
0.9
0.8
Relative Permeability
0.7
k ro
0.6
k rw
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0
S , Water Saturation, Fraction
W
0.7
k ro
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0
Liquid Saturation = SO + SWO, %
The introduction of a second phase decreases the relative permeability of the first
phase: for example, kor drops as Sw increases from zero. Secondly, at the point where
the relative permeability of a phase becomes zero there is still a considerable saturation
of the phase remaining in the rock. The value of So at kro = 0 is called the residual oil
saturation and the value of Sw at krw = 0 is called the irreducible water saturation.
The shapes of the relative permeability curves are also characteristic of the wetting
qualities of the two fluids (figure 42). When a water and oil are considered together,
water is almost always the wetting phase. This means that the water, or wetting phase,
would occupy the smallest pores while the non-wetting phase, or oil phase, would
occupy the largest pores. This causes the shape of the relative permeability curves
for the wetting and non-wetting phase to be different.
50
fundamental Properties of Reservoir Rocks
100
90 Water-Wet Drainage
(Decreasing S w )
80 Water-Wet Imbibition
(Increasing S w )
Oil-Wet Drainage
Relative Permeability, %
70 (Increasing S w )
K ro
60
50
40 Krw
30
20
10
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Water Saturation, S W
Figure 42 Oil and Water Relative Permeability Curves for Water-Wet and Oil-Wet
Systems (Core Laboratories Inc)
This is illustrated by looking at the relative permeability to one phase at the irreducible
saturation of the other phase. The relative permeability to water at an irreducible oil
saturation of 10% (90% water) is about 0.6, figure 40, whereas the relative permeability
to the non-wetting phase, oil, at the irreducible water saturation of 0.3 approaches 1.0.
In this case it is 0.95. One practical effect of this observation is that it is normally
assumed that the effective permeability of the non-wetting phase in the presence of
an irreducible saturation of the wetting phase is equal to the absolute permeability.
Consequently, oil flowing in the presence of connate water or an irreducible water
saturation is assumed to have a permeability equal to the absolute permeability.
Similarly, gas flowing in a reservoir in the presence of irreducible water saturation
is assumed to have a permeability equal to the absolute permeability.
Relative permeability data when presented in graphical form are often referred to as
drainage or imbibition curves. (figure 42)
Water displacement of oil differs from gas displacement of oil since water normally
wets the rock and gas does not. The wetting difference results in different relative
permeability curves for the two displacements.
Water invasion results in water flow through both large and small pores as the water
saturation increases. Imbibition relative permeability characteristics influence the
displacement. Oil saturation decreases with a corresponding decrease in oil relative
permeability. Water relative permeability increases as water saturation increases.
Oil remaining after flood-out exists as trapped globules and is referred to as residual
oil. This residual oil is immobile and the relative permeability to oil is zero. Relative
permeability to water reaches a maximum value, but is less than the specific permeability
because the residual oil is in the centre of the pores and impedes water flow.
52
fundamental Properties of Reservoir Rocks
Water In Oil
Advancing water
Water In Oil
Water penetrating
smaller pores due to
capillary forces
Trapped oil
Water In Water
krw ©/µ w
M = mobility ratio =
kro ©/µ o (20)
Gas saturation less than the critical value is not mobile but it impedes the flow of
oil and reduces oil relative permeability. Successively smaller pore channels are
invaded by gas and joined to form other continuous channels. The preference of gas
for larger pores causes a more rapid decrease of oil relative permeability than when
water displaces oil from a water wet system. Figure 44 shows the alteration of relative
permeability as gas comes out of solution and flows at increasing saturation through
the oil reservoir. These gas/oil relative permeability curves are very significant in
relation to the drive mechanism of solution gas drive, which we will discuss in a
subsequent chapter.
54
Oil Water Gas
80 80 80
60 60 60
Krg
0 0 0
0 20 40 60 80 100 0 20 40 60 80 100 0 20 40 60 80 100
Gas Saturation: Percent Pore Space Gas Saturation: Percent Pore Space Gas Saturation: Percent Pore Space
Gas Saturation: 5% of Pore Space Gas Saturation: 20% of Pore Space Gas Saturation: 45% of Pore Space
Characteristic Sand During Oil Displacement Characteristic Sand During Oil Displacement Characteristic Sand During Oil Displacement
by Gas @ 5% Gas saturation by Gas @ 20% Gas saturation by Gas @ 45% Gas saturation
55
Rock Properties Measurement
CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Core Analysis
1.2 Core Definitions
2. SAMPLE PREPARATION
2.1 Whole Core Scanning
2.2 Core Cleaning
3. POROSITY MEASUREMENTS
3.1 Methods
3.2 Whole core versus conventional versus
sidewall samples
4. PERMEABILITY
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Impact of Stress
4.3 Steady State Permeability Methods
4.4 Unsteady State Permeability Measurements
5. FLUID SATURATION
5.1 Gas saturation
5.2 Oil saturation by retort
5.3 Water saturation
6. CAPILLARY PRESSURE
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Capillary Pressure Measurement Techniques
6.2.1 Porous Diaphragm (figure 22)
6.2.2 Centrifuge method ( Figure 23)
6.2.3 Dynamic method ( Figure 24)
6.2.4 Mercury Injection ( Figure 25)
6.3 Use of Laboratory Capillary Pressure Data
for Reservoir
6.4 Averaging capillary pressure data
7. EFFECTIVE PERMEABILITY
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Having worked through this chapter the Student will be able to:
• Briefly describe the various stress conditions that can be imposed on a rock
sample.
Derive the Leverett J function and be aware of the major tortuosity related assumption
in its derivation.
Rock Properties Measurement
1. INTRODUCTION
Cores are recovered from the formation of interest using an annular shaped coring
bit. The integrity of the recovered core depends on the nature of the rock and can
vary from rock which is well formed to that which is friable in character or even is
so unconsolidated that it would form a pile of sand on the rig floor when recovered
from the core barrel. The core from the core barrel provides a record, over the well
section recovered, of the properties of the formation. Figure 1 illustrates the wide
range of measurements and procedures carried out on core samples 1.
Small Samples
• Grain Size Distribution Calbration of Wireline Logs
• Mineral Analysis
• X-Ray and SEM
Analysis
• Bio-Dating and
Association
Rock Properties Measurement
2. SAMPLE PREPARATION
The following analysis might be carried out on whole core. A core gamma log, an x-
ray analysis, a computer tomography CT scan and or an Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
NMR Scan.
Within a rock are naturally occurring gamma-ray emitters which can give a measurable
gamma-ray response that can be recorded with depth. If such a measurement can be
made on the whole core in the laboratory this whole core laboratory based measurement
can be used as depth check to relate to open hole measurements. Figure 3.
Recorder
Lead Shield
Conveyor Belt
Core
Sample for h
measurement
Io I
Rock Properties Measurement
Rotating energy
source and detector
Intensity profiles
Reconstruction algorithm
in computer.
The main benefit of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, (NMR) imaging is that it is used
to provide a reconstruction of the fluids within a core, based on the frequency of the
excitation energy associated with a nudei. This excitation energy is supplied by an
oscillating magnetic field. The high energy attenuation associated with CT scanning
does not enable the distinctive density variations as possible with those from NMR
scanning.
These scans are able to identify localised variations in a core which if captured in
subsequent core analysis measurements could give rise to anomalous results.
Solvent extraction using centrifuge, Soxlet and Dean Stark refluxing solvent extractors
are commonly used to remove both oil and brine. No standard solvents are used and
organisations use their own preferences (figure 5).
Care needs to be taken to dry the samples particularly when hydrateable minerals are
present in the sample that break down at high temperatures. The drying procedure
is critical in that the interstitial water must be removed with no mineral alteration.
Humidity -controlled ovens are used when drying clay bearing samples to maintain
the proper state of hydration. Critical point can drying be used to clear core continuing
delicate clays like illite (see Phase Behaviour chapter - section 8.1).
3. POROSITY MEASUREMENTS
3.1 Methods
Figure 6 illustrates the methods used for routine determination of porosity.
Rock Properties Measurement
Valve
Vacuum Gauge
Displacement Pump
Pressure Gauge
Sight Glass
Core Sample
Sample in Place,
Mercury Micrometer Scale
Stopcock Open
Plunger
Sample Reference
Chamber Volume Pressure
Gauge
Valve Valve
Resaturation
In all porosity methods a bulk core sample volume has to be determined and this may
be carried out either by displacement of liquid or by callipering a shaped sample and
computation by the appropriate formula. Figure 7 shows the displacement method,
and figure 8 shows a mercury displacement pump.
Reference mark
Core plug
Mercury vessel
Single pan
Weighted
balance
base
_
+ 0.01 gm
Volume
Pressure read-out
read-out
Sample
chamber
Displacement
plunger
This method involves the independent determination of oil, gas and pure water
volumes of a fresh core sample. The oil and water can be obtained by retort ( Figure
9) and the gas by mercury injection. The pore volume is determined by summing the
three independent volumes.
10
Rock Properties Measurement
Thermocouple
Insulated Oven
Heating Elements
Sample Cup
Screen
Condensing Tube
Water Bath
(i) The Boyles Law based porosity determination method involves the compression
of a gas into the pore space or the expansion of gas from the pores of a prepared
sample. Depending on the instrumentation and the procedure, either pore volume
or grain volume can be determined. Figure 10 shows a typical set up for this and
is the most common method for measuring the grain volume. It involves setting up
a pressure in a known reference volume and then expanding the pressure into the
space containing the sample. With suitable calibration the grain volume is determined
using the ideal gas relation that PV=constant.
P Reference P1
Sample
chamber volume
Gas in
Pressure
regulator
The pores of a prepared sample are filled with a liquid of a known density. The
increase in weight of the sample divided by the fluid density is a measure of the
pore volume.
Total porosity is determined by this method as compared with effective porosity. The
sample is reduced to grain size after the dry weight and bulk volume are determined.
Grain volume is determined and subtracted from the bulk volume to yield the total
pore volume.
Whole core porosities tend to be slightly lower than small plug samples in certain
rock types. The whole core is likely to include tighter material than would be included
in a more carefully sampled plug.
For samples with medium to high porosity, sidewall and conventional samples agree
within one or two percent. During sidewall sampling low porosity highly cemented
materials tend to shatter and yield values greater than the true porosity.
4. PERMEABILITY
4.1 Introduction
The API recommended practice for the determination of permeability is also detailed
in API RP 40 which is a considerable improvement on API RP27.
There are essentially two approaches to measuring the permeability, the steady state
method where the pressure drop for a fixed flow rate is measured, generally a gas, or
the unsteady state method where the flow in the transient regeme is measured.
In the latter there are two types of test , the ‘pulse-decay’ method where two pressures
are set up and downstream of the contained sample. A slight increase in the upstream
pressure is imposed and the decay of this pressure through the sample is monitored.
The advent of very high speed data acquisition systems and accurate pressure
12
Rock Properties Measurement
transducers has made it possible to monitor these transient flow conditions. The other
approach is the pressure fall off method where a relatively low upstream pressure is
set and the decay of this pressure is monitored as it is released through the core to
the downstream open to atmosphere.
Core plug
Major for horizontal
principal stress k measurement
Formation
Figure 11 (a) Core recovered from vertical well and stress orientation in the reservoir.
If a core plug is recovered from a whole core recovered from a vertical well then the
stress orientations in a permeability test would be as shown in the sketch below. Figure
11b and 11c. These figures demonstrate that for a cylindrical horizontal core plug
it is difficult to impose a distinctive major principal stress on the core plug different
from one of the minor principal stresses whereas for a vertical orientated core plug
such distinctive stresses can be applied.
Isostatic Stress. Figure 12a. Under isostatic stress loading, equal stress is applied
to the sample in all directions, and sample strain can occur on all axes. Excessive
porosity reduction typically occurs when the imposed isostatic stress is equal to the
vertical reservoir stress ( i.e., the overburden stress).
14
Rock Properties Measurement
A
σ1 ∆D
∆L
Sample
σ1 σ1
Isostatic stress L
σ1
D
Triaxial Stress. Figure 12b. Under the true triaxial stress conditions, unequal stress
is applied to the three major axes of the sample. In the general case, strains will be
different on each axis. Typically a cube or rectangular prism -shaped sample will
be used.
σ1
∆L1
Triaxial stress
σ2 σ3
∆L ∆L
Biaxial Stress. Figure 12c. Biaxial stress loading conditions are a special case of triaxial
stress loading. In the biaxial stress loading of a cylinder , the stress parallel to the
cylinder’s axis is different from the stress applied around the cylinder’s circumference.
Strains can occur parallel to both the axis and diameter of the cylinder.
C
σ1 ∆D
∆L
Sample
σ σ
Biaxial stress L
σ1
D
σ1
∆L
Sample
Uniaxial stress σ σ L
σ1
D
Pressure
∆p
transducer Differential
Pressure. _ P D
P1 +
qr @ Pr, Tr Pa
L
Pressure Flow meter
regulator
Sample holder
The confining of the core in this case shows a Hassler type core holder where the radial
stress is low and is applied to ensure that flow of gas does not by-pass the core.
16
Rock Properties Measurement
Figure 14 shows a high pressure core holder designed to impose reservoir stresses.
The slideable inlet tube enables the strain of the stress core to be taken up. The stress
loading for this arrangement is isostatic.
Figure 15 shows a sophisticated core holder where a different axial stress can be
applied compared to the radial stress. In this arrangement the end faces of the core
plug need to be machined accurately to ensure that the loading of the axial stress
is distributed over the whole face. If not the core is liable to fragment. The stress
loading for this core plug is biaxial.
Reach Rod, X
Outlet
Ports
Cavity for
High Pressure
Nitrogen for
Axial Stress
N
Using a core plug removed from a horizontal well core it is possible using biaxial
stress loading to somewhat simulate the stress conditions, by considering the two minor
principal stresses as equal. However using biaxial stress conditions for a conventional
plug from a vertical well recovered core, then the stress conditions imposed do not
reflect those in the formation. The radial stress is a combination of the major principal
stress and one of the minor principal stresses and in the equipment these are equal.
If however, one is interested in measuring the vertical permeability from a sample
extracted from the whole core then biaxial stress conditions will reflect more readily
the reservoir stress condition.
A recent innovation has been the true triaxial cell 2 (Figure 16). In this arrangement
a series of axial tubes are hydraulically pressured between the confining rubber sleeve
of the core and the core holder body. This enables a stress pattern to be established
to represent a more realistic stress condition reservoir stress conditions.
18
Rock Properties Measurement
Platen
Threaded
end cap
Trapped tube
A A
Core
Rubber
sleeve Aluminium
cell body
Hydraulically
Maximum principal stress pressured tubes
σ
σ
1
1
Face of
core plus
1
1
σ σ
Section AA
The samples for analysis may be either the consolidated piece used for the porosity
determination or another sample but clearly it must be extracted and cleaned to
ensure that no water or oil are present. If interstitial water is very saline then it may
be necessary to remove salt.
Another recent innovation has been the probe permeameter. These devices were
initially invented to meet the need for a device to give indications of permeability of
an outcrop. The application of rock outcrops as analogues of subsurface formations
has been very valuable in developing geological/ reservoir modelling procedures. The
Flow
meter
Pressure
Pressure transducer
regulators
ri
Rock being ro
examined
The API RP40 document also describes a radial steady-state apparatus, figure 18,
where flow is from the outer to the inner radius. In this set up the preparation is not
easy and axial stresses are not balanced by radial stresses.
20
Rock Properties Measurement
Rubber Gaskets
Calibrated
Gas Burette
Springs
Mercury Manometer
rw re
P1 P
L
Pivot Ball
Piston
Regulators
Air Supply
Fill Vent
P1
Pc
VP Hydrostatic
confining
pressure
Fill/vac. Valve
∆p
+_
P
V1 VP V
Valve 1
Pc
5. FLUID SATURATION
Core analysis is sometimes used to measure the fluid saturations associated with
the core. Because of the large pressure variations between the reservoir and the
surface these saturations are not too representative of the values that would exist
in the formation, unless precautions have been taken to prevent evaporation during
pressure decline. Such precautions could be the application of pressure coring where
the down hole pressure is held in the core barrel as it is recovered to surface. At the
22
Rock Properties Measurement
surface prior to releasing the pressure the core in its container is frozen. It is then
slipped and stored in a frozen state. During controlled thawing of the core the fluids
produced and retained enable downhole saturation to be obtained.
Measurement of
collected water
Core plug
6.1 Introduction
The general laboratory procedure for capillary pressures to saturate a core sample
with a wetting phase and measure how much wetting measurement phase is displaced
from the sample when it is subjected to some given pressure of non-wetting phase.
Displacement takes place when the oil or non-wetting phase just exceeds the capillary
pressure corresponding to the largest pore. In other words the capillary force will
hold the water in the largest pore until the oil pressure is larger than the capillary
pressure of the largest pore.
The volume of the fluid displaced at a particular pressure also represents the pore
volume of all pores of that particular size. Once this pore volume has been displaced at
a particular pressure the pressure is increased and the new pore volume measured.
A plot of water volume displaced versus the displacement pressure will represent
a plot of the capillary pressure versus the percentage of the pores with a capillary
pressure greater than the subject capillary pressure.
Clearly a rock which contains a variety of pore sizes will have a capillary pressure
curve which is not discontinuous but is a smooth curve.
Since capillary pressure,
2σCosθ
Pc =
r
the curve can be calibrated to represent pore size versus percentage of pores less than
the subject pore size.
This procedure is closest to the actual saturation in the reservoir but the method is
time consuming varying from 10 to 40 days for a single sample.
24
Rock Properties Measurement
Nitrogen Pressure
Saran Tube
Crude Oil
Neoprene Stopper
Scale of
Squared Paper
Nickel-Plated
Spring Seal of
Core Red Oil
Kleenex Paper
Ultra-Fine
Fritted Glass
Disk
Brine
When the sample is rotated at various constant speeds a complete capillary pressure
curve can be obtained. The advantage of the method is the increased speed of obtaining
the data in that the complete curve can be established in a few hours.
Core
Oil inlet
To atmosphere
Porcelain
plate
Oil burette
The main advantages are that the test takes considerably less than the diaphragm
method, a matter of one or two hours. The disadvantages are the difference in wetting
properties and permanent loss of the core sample. Also there is concern on the
pore size to pressure relationship since the desaturation of some large pores may be
determined by access via smaller pores.
26
Rock Properties Measurement
Regulating Valve
Lucite Window To
Atmosphere
Cylinder
U-Tube
Manometer
Lucite Window
Pc
h=
( ρw − ρo )g (1)
The interfacial tension and contact angle values will depend on the characteristics of
the fluids. The relationship between Pc mercury/air and Pc oil/water is often taken
as 10:1 but these interfacial tension and contact angle values should be checked
before converting data.
The equations below give the procedure for generating a height saturation profile for
the reservoir from a laboratory based Pc vs saturation capillary pressure data.
Pc L (σCosθ ) R
(σCosθ ) L Pc R
h= =
( ρw − ρh )g ( ρw − ρh )g (5)
where:
h = height in feet above the free water level corresponding to zero capillary
pressure
PcR = capillary pressure at initial reservoir conditions (psi)
PcL = capillary pressure in the laboratory (psi)
(σCosθ)R = interfacial tension cosine of the contact angle (initial reservoir
conditions)
(σCosθ)L = interfacial tension cosine of the contact angle (laboratory conditions)
ρw = density of water at initial reservoir conditions
ρh = density of hydrocarbon at initial reservoir conditions
28
Rock Properties Measurement
The purpose of this exercise is to show that in a well, the water saturation not only
varies with the height above the free water level, but also due to variations in rock
properties.
A well penetrates a reservoir which from cuttings is known to consist of rock types
A and B from which a set of air-mercury measured capillary pressure curves are
available, taken in a nearby well. Figure E1. During logging the lowest 100% Sw
was found at the bottom of the well in rock type B as indicated in the figure E2.
The porosity at this level is 15%.
Specific gravities of the water and oil are 1.03 and 0.80 respectively at reservoir
conditions. The density of water is 62.4 lbm/ft3.
Questions
3. Estimate permeabilities
4. Which intervals would you recommend for completion based on the criteria
Sw<50% and k<0.1mD.
type B rock
00
10
100
0
0
0 0 100%
Pore space unoccupied by mercury
30
Rock Properties Measurement
Saturations
h Porosity 0 Oil 100%
Rock (ft) 1% 10
type (1 cm for 100 Water 0 k
10 ft) Unit No. (mD)
%
B 1%
10%
A
1%
B
%
%
A
%
%
B 1%
10%
A
1%
B
10%
100 Sw 1%
in B
type rock
found at
this level
Figure E2 Opposite
Institute of Petroleum Engineering, Heriot-Watt University 31
6.4 Averaging capillary pressure data
Capillary pressure measurements are not part of routine core analysis and a
comprehensive set of capillary pressure data is not always available. Leverett4 in 1941
generated a function which related capillary pressure to porosity and permeability,
which is commonly termed the Leverett J Function. The application of this function
was to be able to generate capillary pressure information when laboratory data was
not available. Capillary pressure data are obtained from core samples which represent
an extremely small part of the reservoir. The ‘J’ function is used to combine all the
capillary data to classify a particular reservoir.
The theory behind the J Function is outlined below and is based on figure 26 considering
flow through a core, which is assumed to be a bundle of capillary tubes.
Lcap
Lcore
πr 4 ∆P
q=
8µL cap (6)
For n tubes
nπr 4 ∆P
qn =
8µL cap (7)
nπr 2
φ=
A (8)
qµL core
k=
A∆P (9)
32
Rock Properties Measurement
8K L cap
r2 =
φ L core (10)
L cap
L core is the tortuosity of the bundle of tubes.
On the assumption that the reservoir rock has the same tortuosity at all points,
then
1
K 2
r = constant
φ (11)
2σCosθ
Pc = 1
K 2
constant
φ (12)
or
1
K 2
Pc
1 φ
= =J
constant σCosθ (13)
A set of capillary pressure data from a set of 9 core plugs taken from different depths
in a well is shown in figure 27 and shows the wide variation in shape of these curves
reflecting the different pore characteristics as given in the table below.
1
1
1
1
1
11
1
10
Pc (PSIG)
0
10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100
Sw %
A plot of the J function for a set of capillary pressure curves is given in figure 28 and
shows the impact of bringing together different rocks under one curve
34
Rock Properties Measurement
100
1100
1000
00
00
00
_
1
k )
_
Pc( ϕ
00
00
00
00
00
100
10
10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100
Sw %
The data for figure 27 however would not generate such a good function. The big
assumption in Leverett's model is that of constant tortuosity. Clearly different
rock types will have different tortuosities as a result of the pore characteristics and
composition of the rock. However within a rock type the J function could be a useful
route to obtain capillary pressure data if porosity, permeability and saturation data
is available.
Examination of field data has shown that by plotting J versus a better correlation
(Sw − Swc )
(1 − Swc ) is obtained suggesting that the S reflects the tortuosity variations within
wc
the various rocks. Figure 29
K
φ
Dimensionless Capillary Pressure Pc
σ
0
1
1
1
1
10
0
0 0.1 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 1.0
(
Normalised Wetting Phase Saturation Sw* = Sw-Swc
1-Swc (
7. EFFECTIVE PERMEABILITY
It is not the intention of these notes to review in detail the various approaches
to measuring effective permeabilities to multiphase systems. There has been
considerable activity in this area for gas - oil, oil - water, and three phase gas - oil
- water systems.
There are two approaches to measuring relative permeability, using an unsteady state
method or a steady state method.
36
Rock Properties Measurement
In the unsteady state method, a displacement process is set up where one fluid displaces
another and the flow rates and pressure drops are monitored as a function of time
for a fixed rate process. The saturations are obtained by calculation the remaining
volumes of the respective fluids. It is more difficult to generate relative permeabilities
as a function of saturation in this way and some would consider the method is more
suited to generate end-point effective permeability values.
In the steady state method a range of constant rate tests are set up and the pressure
drop noted when equilibrium has been achieved. Figure 30 gives a sketch of a typical
steady state set up.
Differential
pressure
transducer
∆P
Differential
pressure
transducer
∆P
Oil
Oil - water
separator and
production monitor
Brine recycle
system
Pressure
control
system
The focus is again on three phase relative permeability which has been the subject
of many papers and correlations. It is however of great interest now that large WAG,
water - alternating gas injection processes are being used to improve recovery.
The purpose of this exercise is to show that in a well, the water saturation not only
varies with the height above the free water level, but also due to variations in rod
properties.
A well penetrates a reservoir which from cuttings is known to consist of rock types
A and B from which a set of air-mercury measured capillary pressure curves are
available, taken in a nearby well. Figure E1. During logging the lowest 100% Sw
was found at the bottom of the well in rock type B as indicated in the figure E2. The
porosity at this level is 15%.
Specific gravities of the water and oil are 1.03 and 0.80 respectively at reservoir
conditions. The density of water is 62.4 lbm/ft3.
QUESTIONS
3. Estimate permeabilities
4. Which intervals would you recommend for completion based on the criteria Sw<50%
and k<0.1mD.
SOLUTION
1. The first step is to convert the air-mercury capillary pressure data to oil-water.
Conversion values:
lb f
Pcair/hg = 10 Pc water oil -
in 2
lb f 144in 2 lbm
Pc 2 2
= h ftx (1.03 − 0.8) x 62.4 3 xg
in ft ft
lb f 144in 2 lbm
Pc oil / water 2 = h( ft ) x (1.03 − 0.8) 62.4 3 xg
n ft
2
ft
38
Rock Properties Measurement
1 lbf = 1 lbm xg
This occurs in rock type B. φ = 15%. From capillary pressure curve 100% water
saturation at 15 psi i.e. 15 ft.
The free water level now provides the basis for the water saturation profile
determination.
The water saturation value is determined at each level where the rock properties
change but noting where the 100% water saturation value occurs for each rock type.
At the first change, the height is 20ft from rock type B, 15% φ to type B 10% φ
From the capillary pressure curves the respective saturations are 75% and 100%
Figure E4. For rock type B 10%, the 100% water saturation level is at 27ft when the
saturation decreases. The next rock change is at 41ft above the Free Water Level,
from rock type B 10% to type B 14% with a water saturation value of 73% and
44%. The 44% is based on an estimate of the capillary pressure curve for a value
of porosity of 14% between the 15% and 10% curves. This process is continued
through all the depths of the rock property changes and the total saturation profile
generated.
4. The estimates of permeability are based on porosity permeability trends from the
limited data given for the various rock types of the capillary pressure curves. In
unit 1 rock type B 15% the permeability is 35mD Unit 2, B 10% the permeability
is 15mD Unit 3 B 14%, interpolation suggests a value around 32mD and so on
through the units.
type B rock
00' 00
10' 10
100' 100
0' 0
0'
0' 0'
1 psi
0' 0
0 0 100%
Water saturation
40
Rock Properties Measurement
Saturations
Porosity
0 Oil 100%
Rock 1% 10
h
type 100 Water 0 k
(ft) Unit No. (mD)
0
1 0.0
A
1 0.0
B 00 1
1
1 1
A 1 0.
1
B 10
11 1
10 0.1
A 0.0
0.0
100
10
B
1
A 0.
0
B
10 mm
1
100% WL
1' 1
FWL
Figure E4
1. Archer. S., Wall. C., Petroleum Engineering Principles and Practice, Graham
and Trotman 1986
2. Recommended Practices for Core Analysis. American Petroleum Institute.
Recommended Practise 40. Second Edition , Feb 1998.
3. Smart. B,
4. Leverett. M,C., Capillary Behaviour in Porous Solids. Trans AIME 1941
5. Amyx et al Petroleum Reservoir Engineering McCranhill 1960
42