Appendix I

Course Content
PVT Production of reservoir fluids
Separators.
Well completion.

Artificial lift.
Coning.

Why Study PVT?

Gas
Sep.

Diff. Flow Regime

Oil

Stock
Tank
Transport

Objectives of PVT Analysis

Need to understand PVT analysis for:
Determination of reservoir fluid type
Knowledge of physical properties of reservoir fluids
Match an EOS to the measured data
Creation of PVT models
Ultimate recoveries of different components
Amounts and composition of liquids left behind
Determination of well stream composition

Objectives of PVT Analysis Cont.

Completion design
Separator/NGL plant specifications
Product values Vs. time
Prediction compositional gradient

The Five Reservoir Fluids

Black
Oil

Volatile
Oil

Retrograde
Gas

Wet
Gas

Dry
Gas

Reservoir Fluid Type Identification

Analyzing a representative sample in the lab
Production data
1. Initial GOR
2. API
3. Oil color

4. C7+

Black Oil
An initial GOR, 1750 SCF/STB or less
A 45 API initial stock tank oil gravity or less
A dark color of stock tank oil
C7+ > 20 mole %
Initial Bo of 2 res bbl/STB or less

Black Oil Phase Diagram

The initial reservoir
conditions (P&T) are
much lower than the

critical conditions
The heavy molecules
concentration is high

Volatile Oil
An initial GOR, 1750 SCF/STB or greater
A 51.2 API initial stock tank oil gravity
A medium orange stock tank oil color
C7+ concentration between 19 and 22 mole %
Bo 2.0 res bbl/STB or greater

Volatile Oil Phase Diagram

The initial reservoir

conditions (P&T) are close

to the critical conditions

Have fewer heavy

molecules than black oil

Retrograde Gas Condensate

An initial GOR > 3200 SCF/STB
API > 45 initial stock tank oil gravity
A light stock tank oil color
C7+ concentration <12.5 mole %

Retrograde Gas Phase Diagram

The initial reservoir
conditions (P&T) are higher
than the critical conditions
Have fewer heavy molecules
than volatile oils
The overall composition of
the reservoir fluid becomes
heavier as the lighter gas is
produced and the heavier
condensate remains behind

Wet Gas
An initial GOR > 15,000 SCF/STB
API up to 70 initial stock tank oil gravity
Water white of tank oil color
C7+ concentration <4 mole %

Wet Gas Phase Diagram

Reservoir Temperature
above Cricondentherm
(pressure path not enter
phase envelope)

The separator condition is

two phases
Gravity of stock tank liquid
same as retrograde gas constant during life of field

Wet gas

Pressure

The reservoir fluid is gas

throughout the life of the
reservoir

Pressure path
in reservoir

Critical
point

% Liquid

Separator

Temperature

Dry Gas
An initial GOR > 1000,000 SCF/STB
Almost no liquid
C7+ concentration < 0.7 mole %

Dry Gas Phase Diagram

Pressure path
in reservoir

Dry gas

Pressure

Primarily methane and some

intermediates
The reservoir fluid is gas
throughout the life of the
reservoir
No liquids formed either in
reservoir or at surface

% Liquid

Separator

Temperature

Reservoir Fluids Phase Diagram Window

OIL
Heavy Oil

Black Oil

GAS
Volatile
Oil

Critical
Oil

Cricondenbar

Critical
Gas

Gas
Condens.

Wet
Gas

Dry
Gas

Critical Point

Pressure

Bubble
Point
Loci

Dew Point
Loci

Retrograde
Region
Cricondenterm

Two Phase Region

C
Temperature

C7+ & GOR for Reservoir Fluids

Reservoir Fluid Types Classification

Composition of Reservoir Fluids

Comp
Name
C1
C2
C3
C4
C5
C6
C7+

Black Oil
43.83
2.75
1.93
1.6
1.15
1.59
42.15
100

Volatile
Oil
64.36
7.52
4.74
4.12
2.97
1.38
14.91
100

Gas
Conden.
87.07
4.39
2.29
1.74
0.83
0.6
3.8
100

Dry Gas.
95.85
2.67
0.34
0.52
0.08
0.12
0.42
100

Differences Between Black and

Volatile Oil
Black Oil
The evolved gas is a dry gas.
The solution gases remain gas phase in the reservoir, tubulars
and separator.
As reservoir pressure decreases, the gas leaving solution,

becomes richer in intermediate components.

API gradually decreases during the reservoir life.

Phase Diagram of Black Oil and Associated Gas

Production Processes for a Black Oil

Differences Between Black and

Volatile Oil
Volatile Oil
The evolved gas is a retrograde gas.
The evolved retrograde gases release a large amount of.
condensate at surface conditions.
Often over one half of the stock tank liquid produced during the

reservoirs life.
API steadily increases with time.

Phase Diagram of Volatile Oil and Associated Gas

Production Processes for a Volatile Oil

Differentiation between Volatile and Retrograde

A GOR of 3200 SCF/STB
is a good cut-off

A value of 12.5 mole %

of C7+ is a useful
dividing line

Differences between Retrograde and Wet Gas

An initial GOR of 15,000
SCF/STB can be a cutoff

A value of 4 mole% or
less can be useful
dividing line

Field and Laboratory Identification of

Reservoir Fluids

Reservoir Fluid Sampling

Open Hole Sampling:
RFT, small sample volume and often contaminated
MDT, allows controlled drawdown and multiple sample chambers
Optical MDT, allows to identify the type of fluid being sampled

Cased Hole Sampling:

Surface Sampling
Subsurface Sampling

Surface & Subsurface Sampling

Well Conditioning during Sampling

Small perforation is preferable
Limiting drawdown
Large tubing diameter in case of high rates

Better well cleaning

Stable production
No liquid slugging
Small amount of produced fluid prior to sampling

Laboratory Tests
Primary tests
Routine laboratory tests

Special laboratory PVT tests

Primary Tests
API
Gas specific gravity

Separator gas composition

GOR

Routine Laboratory Tests

Constant-Composition Expansion - CCE
Differential Liberation

Constant-Volume Depletion CVD

Separator Test

Constant Composition Expansion - CCE Test

The test is conducted for the purposes of determining:
Saturation pressure (bubble-point or dew-point pressure)
Isothermal compressibility coefficients of the single-phase fluid

in excess of saturation pressure

Compressibility factors of the gas phase

Total hydrocarbon volume as a function of pressure

CCE Test Procedures

pb

Vt

Liquid

Vt

Liquid
Liquid

Vt

Liquid
Liquid
Liquid

Gas
Vt
Liquid

Hg

Hg

Vt

Gas

Hg
Liquid
Hg
Hg

First
Step

Second
Step

Third
Step

Fourth
Step

CCE Test Data

Differential Liberation Test

The experimental data obtained from the test include:
Amount of gas in solution as a function of pressure
The shrinkage in the oil volume as a function of pressure

Properties of the evolved gas including the composition of the

liberated gas, the gas compressibility factor, and the gas specific
gravity
Density of the remaining oil as a function of pressure

Differential Liberation Expansion Test Procedures

Gas

pb

Vo

Liquid

Gas

Vo

Liquid

Liquid

Gas

Gas

Liquid

Liquid
Hg

Hg

Hg

Vo

Hg

Hg

First step

Differential Liberation Test Data

Separator Test Procedures

pb

Rsb =
Gas

scf
STB

Gas

scf
Liquid

scf

resbbl
Stock
tank
Hg

Liquid

Hg

STB
Liquid

Bob =

resbbl
STB

Separator Test Data

CVD Test Procedures

Constant Volume Depletion CVD Test

GOR Behavior in a Reservoir above Bubble Point

Pressure

Pressure Behavior When Taking Bottom Hole Fluid

Sample

Example 1
A reservoir is producing with the following data.
Rs = 352 scf/stb
Rp = 850 scf/stb
qo = 2500 stb/d
Bo = 1.1822 rb/stb
Bg = 0.0012 rb/scf
Estimate the total underground withdrawal rate.
To maintain the pressure without dropping, estimate the amount of water to be
injected for every one surface barrel of oil produced.

Total underground withdrawal is:

Qr Qs Bo Bg R p Rs

Qr 2500 1.1822 0.0012 850 352

4465 rb

Example
Total underground withdrawal for one surface barrel of oil produced is:

Bt Bo Bg R p Rs
Bt 1.1822 0.0012 850 352
1.7858 rb / stb

Example 2

Separator Test Data

Example 2
Differential Liberation Test Data

Example 2
Rs Rsif Rsid Rsd

Bobf
Bobd

Bobf
Bo Bod

Bobd
Using the Bo and Rs directly from differential liberation without adjusting for the
separator could create error, and the error could be significant with volatile oil.
Rsid is the differential liberation solution gas ratio at or above bubble point
pressure.
Rsif is the total solution gas ratio at optimum separator pressure. It is obtained
from the separator test.

Example 2
Bod is the formation volume factor from the differential liberation experiment.
Bobd is the formation volume factor at the bubble point pressure from the
differential liberation experiment.
Bobf is the formation volume factor at optimum separator of the bubble point oil
from the separator test.

Example 2

600
500
400
300
200
100
0
0

1000

2000
3000
Pressure - Psia
Rs

Bo

4000

1.4000
1.2000
1.0000
0.8000
0.6000
0.4000
0.2000
0.0000
5000

Bo - rb/stb

Rs - scf/stb

Adujested Rs and Bo