Properties of Petroleum Fluids

(Also for LAB)

MD. ALIUR RAHMAN

Lecturer
Dept. of PME, JUST
 RESERVOIR ROCK
A substance body of rock having sufficient porosity
and permeability to store and transmit fluids.
 Fluids in a Reservoir
 A reservoir normally contains either water or hydrocarbon or a
mixture. The hydrocarbon may be in the form of oil or gas.
 The specific hydrocarbon produced depends on the reservoir
pressure and temperature.
 The formation water may be fresh or salty. Initially, pore space
filled 100% with water.

 The amount and type of fluid produced depends on the initial

reservoir pressure, rock properties and the drive mechanism.

 Connate water saturation remains in hydrocarbon zone.

Reservoir Fluids
Reservoir Fluid Types
Phase Behavior
 What is Phase?
• Phase defines any homogenous and distinct
part of a system which is separated from other
parts of the system by definite bounding surface.
• Three factors are important to the physical
behavior of molecules:
 Pressure: the number of times the molecules of
a gas strike the walls.
 Temperature: the average kinetic energy of the
molecule.
 Molecular attraction and repulsion:
intermolecular forces.
 Definitions
• Phase behavior: the conditions of temperature
and pressure for which different phases can
exist.
• Phase diagram: a graph of pressure plotted
against temperature showing the conditions
under which the various phases of a substance
will be present.
• Phase behavior is a key aspect in understanding
nature and behavior of fluids both in the
reservoir and also during the production and
transport process.
Phase diagram for a pure substance
 Phase diagram
• Vapor pressure line: separates press-temp
conditions from which substance is a liquid from
the conditions for which the substance is a gas.
On this line gas and liquid coexist.
• Critical point: the upper limit of vapor press line.
(point at which both the liquid and gas phases of a substance have the
same density, and are therefore indistinguishable)

• Critical temperature: above which the gas

cannot be liquefied, regardless of the press
applied.
• Critical pressure: above which gas and liquid
cannot coexist.
 Phase diagram
• Triple point: the pressure and temp at
which solid, liquid and gas coexist.
• Sublimation pressure line: at temp below
triple point T-point, sublimation pressure
line divides the condition for which the
substance is solid from the conditions for
which substance is gas.
• Melting point line: vertical line above the
triple point separates solid from liquids. On
this line this two phase coexist.
 Phase diagram of Two-component Mixture

• For two component mixture there is a

broad region in which two phases
coexist. This is called saturation
envelope.
• The two phase region is bounded by a
bubble point line and a dew point line.
• These two lines joint at the critical point.
Bubble Point and Dew Point
• The point at
which the first
bubble of gas is
formed this is
called as bubble
point.
• The point at
which the last
drop of liquid
remains is called
as dew point.
The critical point
• The critical point
where bubble point
line and dew point
line join.
• This is the point at
which all properties
of gas and liquid
become identical.
Cricondentherm & Cricondenbar
• The highest temp
on the saturation
envelope is
cricondentherm.
• The highest
pressure on the
saturation
envelope is
cricondenbar.
 What is retrograde condensation
reservoir?
A retrograde-condensate gas reservoir
initially contains a single-phase fluid, which
changes to two phases (condensate and
gas) in the reservoir when the reservoir
pressure decreases. Additional condensate
forms with changes in pressure and
temperature in the tubing and during
separation process.
Retrograde Condensation
 The formation of liquid
hydrocarbons in a
gas reservoir as the pressure
in the reservoir decreases
below dew point pressure
during production.

 It is called retrograde because

some of the gas condenses
into a liquid under isothermal
conditions instead of
expanding or vaporizing when
pressure is decreased.
 The Five Reservoir Fluids
• Five reservoir fluids: • Fluid type is the deciding
1. Black oil factor in many of the
decisions.
2. Volatile oil
• The method of fluid
3. Retrograde gas sampling, surface
4. Wet gas equipments specifications,
calculating oil and gas in
5. Dry gas
place, depletion curves,
and EOR method selection
are dependent on the
reservoir fluid type.
 Identification of fluid type
• Reservoir fluid type can be confirmed by
I. Observation in the Lab
II. Readily available from production info.

• Readily available properties are:

- Initial producing gas oil ratio (the most important indicator)
- Specific gravity of stock tank liquid and the color of the
stock tank liquid (both works together).
 Black oils
• Black oils consist of large, heavy, non
volatile molecules.
• The phase diagram covers a wide temp
range and the Critical Point is well up the
slope of the envelop.
• The color of the oil is not always black.
• It is also called as low shrinkage crude
oil or ordinary oil.
• Field Identifications of Black oils:
– Initial producing gas oil ratio 2000 scf/STB or
less.
– Gravity may be 45° API.
– The stock tank oil is very dark, indicating the
presence of heavy HCs, often black, sometimes
with a greenish cast or brown.
• Laboratory analysis will indicate
– Oil formation volume factor of 2.0 res bbl/STB.
– Composition of heptanes plus will be higher than
30 mole percent.
 Volatile oils
• Volatile oils contain fewer heavy
molecules and more intermediates than
black oils.
• The temp range covered by the phase
envelope is smaller.
• The critical temp is much lower, in fact is
close to reservoir temp.
• Also called as high shrinkage crude oils
and near critical oils.
• Field Identification of volatile oils:
– Having initial gas oil ratio between 2000 and
3300 scf/STB.
– Stock tank oil gravity is usually 40° API or
higher.
– The stock tank oil is colored usually brown,
orange or sometimes green.
• Laboratory analysis says
– this oil has initial oil formation volume factor
greater than 2.0 res bbl/STB.
– Will have 12.5 to 30 mole percent heptanes plus.
 Retrograde gas
• The phase diagram of retrograde gas is
smaller than that for oil.
• The critical point is further down the left side
of the envelop.
• This changes are because of this gas
containing fewer of the heavy HCs.
• The phase diagram has a critical temp less
than reservoir temp and a cricondentherm
greater than reservoir temp.
• Field identification of retrograde
gas:
– Initial producing gas oil ratio ranges
from 3300 to 1,50,000 scf/STB.
– Stock tank liquid gravities are between
40 and 60° API.
– The liquid can be light colored, brown,
orange, greenish or water white.
– The heptanes plus fraction is less than
12.5 mole percent.
 Wet gas
• The general rule of thumb is if the gas contains
less methane (typically less than 85% methane)
and more ethane, and other more complex
hydrocarbons, it is labelled as wet gas.
• The entire phase diagram lies below reservoir
temp.
• A wet gas exists solely as a gas in the reservoir
through out the reduction in reservoir pressure.
• However, separator conditions lie within the
phase envelop, causing some liquid to be
formed at the surface.
• Field identification of wet gas:
– Wet gas have very high producing gas oil
ratio approximately 50000 scf/STB.
• The word wet in wet gas does not mean that
the gas is wet with water but refers to the HC
liquid which condenses at surface conditions.
• The surface liquid is called condensate and
the reservoir gas sometimes is called as
condensate gas.
 Dry gas
• Dry gas is primarily methane with some
intermediates.
• The HC mixture is solely gas in the reservoir
and surface separator conditions fall outside
the phase envelop. Thus no liquid is formed
at the surface.
• This does not contain enough heavier
molecules to form HC liquid at the surface.
• A dry gas reservoir usually called as a gas
reservoir.
 Summary of Fluid type identification
Initial Specific Composition
FVF (res
Fluid Type GOR Gravity Color of heptane
bbl/ STB)
(scf/STB) (˚API) plus
black,
2000 or greenish
Black Oil 45 2.0 30
less cast or
brown
brown,
orange or
Volatile Oil 2000-3300 ≥40 > 2.0 12.5 - 30
sometimes
green
light colored,
brown,
Retrograde 3,300 –
40 - 60 orange, < 12.5
condensate 1,50,000
greenish or
water white
Wet Gas 50,000 < 40
Dry Gas
 Formation Volume Factor
Formation volume factor is a measure of the
ratio of the volume occupied by a fluid phase
at reservoir conditions divided by the volume
occupied by the fluid phase at surface
conditions.
Formation volume factor (FVF) is a useful
relationship for relating gas volumes in the
reservoir to the produced volume at standard
conditions.
 Formation Volume Factor

 Oil Formation volume

factor (Bo)
 Gas Formation volume
factor (Bg)
 Solution Gas oil Ratio
(Rs)