SPE 68234

Adjustment of Differential Liberation Data to Separator Conditions

Muhammad A. Al-Marhoun, SPE, King Fahd U. of Petroleum and Minerals

Copyright 2001, Society of Petroleum Engineers Inc.

This paper was prepared for presentation at the 2001 SPE Middle East Oil Show held in
Bahrain, 1720 March 2001.
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The oil that leaves the reservoir is flashed to the separator,

necessitating that the solution gas oil ratio and the formation
volume factor should be determined by a flash process.
In order to calculate the combination fluid properties from
standard data analysis, several assumptions were stipulated,
but these assumptions limit the range of application.
This paper describes a new method to adjust the
differential liberation data to separator conditions. This
method overcomes the disadvantages and limitations of the
current method and come up with a correction procedure that
results in a consistent physical trend.

Abstract
The actual reservoir process is neither flash nor differential.
Thus, regardless of the testing procedure, some adjustment
needs to be made to the resultant data to approximate the fluid
behavior in the oil production process. The conventional
method of adjustment extrapolates to negative values of
solution gas-oil ratio and formation volume factor leads to
values less than one at low pressure. Both extrapolations do
not conform to the physical behavior. This is due to the fact
that the conventional approach does not observe that the oil
relative density at reservoir conditions is the same regardless
of the process.
This paper presents a new approach to the adjustment of
differential liberation data to separator conditions.
This
approach is based on the fact that both flash and differential
data should give the same value for the oil relative density at
the reservoir conditions. This is achieved by correcting all the
properties, i.e. solution gas-oil ratio, formation volume factor,
gas relative density and oil relative density. The new method
overcomes the disadvantages and limitation of the
conventional approach. This method is tested on 400 PVT files
from all over the world and the result is consistent with
physical behavior. A sample calculation is presented to outline
the new method.

Reservoir Process
In differential liberation process, gas is removed from oil as it
is released from solution. While, in flash liberation process,
gas remains in contact with oil.
Generally, petroleum engineers consider that the liberation
process in the reservoir more closely approaches a differential
process. The fluid produced from the reservoir to the surface
is considered to undergo a flash process.
The actual liberation process in the reservoir is neither
flash nor differential. In certain localities, the process is flash,
and in others, the process is differential. In some other
localities the process does not match either of them. A
combination test proposed by Dodson2 is the closest to the
reservoir process. At each step of differential liberation test, a
sample is taken and flash liberated to obtain Rs, o, Bo, and g.
Here it can be seen that all properties including the api are
different at different pressures. Although this combination test
or composite liberation is an improvement and closest to
reservoir behavior, it does not match the actual reservoir
behavior. The appendix to reference 3 explains the differential
and flash processes, and their combination. From the
combination test, it is justified to correct all the properties
obtained by differential liberation test to flash liberation
including g and o.

Introduction
The differential solution gas-oil ratio is not the same as the
flash solution gas-oil ratio as shown in Fig. 1. Similarly, the
differential and flash oil formation volume factors are not the
same as depicted in Fig. 2. Thus, regardless of the testing
procedures - flash or differential, some correction needs to be
made on the resultant data to approximate the fluid behavior in
the oil production process.

Current Correction Procedures

In the current correction method of calculating the
combination fluid properties from standard data analysis,
several assumptions were made. The most important of those
assumptions as stipulated by Amyx et al.1 is:
1.
The standard cubic feet of gas remaining in
solution at reservoir conditions which will be

MUHAMMAD A. AL-MARHOUN

liberated upon producing that liquid to the

separator by a flash liberation process is the
difference between the original gas in solution
and the differentially liberated gas corrected for
the reservoir shrinkage of the fluid.
2.

The relationship between the formation volume

factors of flash and differentially separated
samples remains constant over the entire pressure
range of interest.
In equation form, the corrected differential solution gas oil
ratio at pressures below bubble point pressure according to the
first assumption mentioned above is as follows:
Rs

= Rsbf - (Rsbd - Rsd)(Bobf / Bobd)

(1)

where
Rs

Bod = formation volume factor obtained by

differential liberation test.
Bo = formation volume factor adjusted to separator
conditions.
Implicitly, the adjusted differential formation volume factor at
bubble point pressure is equal to the formation volume factor
at bubble point pressure obtained from separator test.
Bo = Bobf

bubble point solution gas oil ratio obtained

bubble point solution gas oil ratio obtained

by differential liberation test

Rsd
Bobf

differential solution gas oil ratio

bubble

point

formation

volume

factor

flashed through the separator to stock tank

2.

conditions.
Bobd

bubble

point

differentially

formation
liberated

volume
to

stock

factor
tank

conditions.
Implicitly, the adjusted differential solution gas-oil ratio at
pressures above bubble point pressure is a constant equal to
the solution gas-oil ratio at the bubble point obtained from
separator test.
Rs = Rsbf

at P Pb

(2)

In equation form, the second assumption states that the

adjusted differential formation volume factor at pressures
below bubble point pressure is evaluated from a combination
of differential vaporization data and separator test data as
follows:
Bo = Bod (Bobf Bobd)
Where

(4)

solution gas oil ratio adjusted to separator

from separator test

Rsbd

at P = Pb

Disadvantages of current correction procedure

The adjustment method used in the industry outlined above
has several disadvantages:
1.
At lower pressure, the solution gas-oil ratio
extrapolates to negative values, which is unacceptable
and does not conform to the physical trend. Actually,
the following observation should be true:

conditions
Rsbf

SPE 68234

at

P Pb

(3)

3.

Rs
0
This is undoubtedly the result of ignoring the
required adjustment in gas and oil relative densities.
The gas liberated in differential liberation has a
relative density, which increases with the decreasing
pressure. The oil relative density for flash and
differential are different.
Despite the fact that reservoirs do not reach
such low reservoir pressure, but the error is impeded
in near low-pressure values.
For the correction of formation volume factor, the
value obtained at lower pressure leads to a value less
than 1, which does not conform to the physical
behavior.
To overcome these problems, the range of
applying the calculation procedure is limited to a
pressure above 500 psia. This is not a solution to the
problem, but a convenient way to dispel clear
anomaly. Actually, the following observation should
be true:
Bo
1
When the values of corrected properties were utilized
to calculate the live relative density at bubble point
pressure, it does not agree with the flash live relative
density at bubble point pressure. This problem is
encountered due to an oversight in correcting oil and
gas relative densities at standard conditions, as can be
seen from the following equation:
ob = (o+2.18 x 10-4 Rsb g) / Bob

(5)

The new method

The new method of adjustment of the differential liberation
data to the separator conditions is based on the following
assumptions:

SPE 68234

ADJUSTMENT OF DIFFERENTIAL LIBERATION DATA TO SEPARATOR CONDITIONS

1.

All the parameters of the differential liberation at

bubble point are corrected to bubble point parameters
obtained by flash liberation.
The considered
parameters include gas-oil ratio, formation volume
factor, and oil and gas relative densities.
2.
All the parameters of the last differential liberation
stage to the atmospheric pressure do not need any
correction. This is considered as a flash liberation.
3.
The properties between bubble point pressure and
atmospheric pressure is proportionally adjusted. The
parameters that are to be adjusted from the
differential liberation data to the separator test are
gas-oil ratio, formation volume factor, oil relative
density, and gas relative density.
The adjusted differential solution gas-oil ratios at pressures
below bubble point are evaluated from the following equation:
Rsi = Rsdi (Rsbf / Rsbd)

(6)

The adjusted differential formation volume factor at

pressures below bubble point pressure are evaluated from the
following equation:
Boi = Bobf + ci (Bodn - Bobf)

(7)

ci = (Bobd - Bodi) / (Bobd - Bodn)

(8)

Where,

The adjusted differential gas relative density at pressures

below bubble point is evaluated from the following equation:
gi = gf + di (gd - gf)
n-1

(9)

Where,
di = (gd - gd ) / (gd - gd )
1

Where, gd

n-1

n-1

(10)

is the gas relative density at the lowest

pressure with Rs-value that is not equal to zero.

The adjusted differential oil relative density and API oil
gravity at pressures below bubble point pressure are evaluated
from the following equations:
oi = of + ci (od - of)

(11)

apii = 141.5 / oi - 131.5

(12)

Results and Discussion

The new method of adjusting the differential liberation data to
the separator condition has been tested on 400 PVT files from

all over the world and the result is consistent with physical
behavior. The detailed results of an example for one
experimental data set taken from a PVT file given in Table 1
are presented in Tables 2-6.
Table 2 presents the adjustment of solution gas-oil ratio
curve to the separator conditions. Columns 1 and 2 in Table 2
are from Table 1. Column 3 is calculated from Eq. 1 and
column 4 is calculated from Eq. 6. Figure 3 shows the three
curves, differential data, the current correction method Eq. 1,
and the new method Eq. 6. At the bubble point, the values
obtained at both new and current methods are equal to the
bubble point value obtained from flash liberation.
At
atmospheric pressure, both the differential liberation value and
the value obtained from the new method are the same and
equal to zero. This is the expected value while the current
correction procedure results in negative value, which is
considered to be wrong. The new method adjusts the data
between bubble point and atmospheric pressure proportionally
according to Eq. 6.
Table 3 presents the adjustment of oil formation volume
factor to the separator conditions. Columns 1 and 2 in Table 3
are from Table 1. Column 3 is calculated from Eq. 3 and
column 4 is calculated from Eq. 7. Figure 4 compares the
three curves, differential data, current correction method Eq.3,
and the new approach Eq.7. From the figure, at the bubble
point, both the new method and the current correction method
are the same and it equals to the bubble point value obtained
from the flash liberation. At the atmospheric pressure, the
value obtained from both the differential liberation and the
new method are the same. This is for the reason that the last
differential step is similar to a flash liberation. The data
between the two end-points are corrected proportionally
according to Eq. 7. The current correction method gives
values for oil formation volume factor lower than the values
obtained from the differential liberation at the atmospheric
pressure, which can not be explained rationally.
Table 4 presents the adjustment of gas relative density
curve to the separator conditions. Columns 1 and 2 in Table 4
are from Table 1. Column 3 is the same as the differential
values, since the current practice does not adjust the gas
relative density, while it takes the differential value. Column
4 is calculated from Eq. 9. Figure 5 shows the two curves.
One of them shows the differential data, and the other curve
indicates the new correction method for gas relative density
according to Eq. 9. The value at the bubble point for the new
method is the same as that of the bubble point value obtained
from the flash liberation. At the lowest pressure where Rs >
0, the gas relative density is the same as the differential data.
This is due to the consideration that at the last step in pressure
reduction down to atmospheric pressure, the differential
liberation is a flash liberation.
Equation 9 calculates the
values of gas relative density between the bubble point and the
lowest pressure proportionally.
Table 5 presents the adjustment of oil relative density
curve to the separator conditions. Columns 1 and 2 in Table 5
are from Table 1. Column 3 is the same as column 2 because

MUHAMMAD A. AL-MARHOUN

SPE 68234

the current practice takes the differential values without

correction. Column 4 is calculated from Eq. 11. Figure 6
shows the two curves of the differential data and the new
correction method for oil relative density based on Eq. 11. It
is noticeable that, at bubble point pressure, the new method
assumes the flash value as the adjusted value. At atmospheric
pressure, the new method takes the differential value as the
adjusted value. The atmospheric pressure differential step is
considered to be a flash liberation. Equation 11 calculates the
values of oil relative density between bubble point and
atmospheric pressure proportionally. The correction of oil
relative density at different pressures is sound because if oil
samples at different pressures were flashed to atmospheric
pressure, different API gravity would result.
Table 6 presents the calculated live oil relative density at
different reservoir pressures. Columns 1 and 2 in Table 6 are
from Table 1. Column 3 is calculated using Eq. 5 with current
method adjusted parameters. Column 4 is the new approach
values using Eq. 5 with corrected parameters. Figure 7 shows
that the new approach is the same as the flash liberation value
for the live oil relative density at the bubblepoint pressure and
reservoir temperature. At atmospheric pressure, the value
based on the new approach value for the live oil relative
density is the same as the differential liberation calculated
value. The current method of correction failed to match the
bubble point and the atmospheric values.

ci

variable defined by Eq. 8

di

api

variable defined by Eq. 10

stock tank oil gravity, oAPI

gas relative density (air = 1)

gd

gas relative density obtained by differential

Conclusions
1.
A new method to adjust differential liberation data to
separator test is outlined and tested on numerous
experimental data sets and the method is found to
give the right physical trend.
2.
The new method gives the correct oil relative density
at reservoir conditions when the adjusted data are
used while the current method of correction fails to
give the right oil relative density at reservoir
conditions.
3.
The new method successfully gives the expected
values for all the PVT properties at both bubble point
and atmospheric pressures while the current method
succeeded in some and fails in other cases.
Nomenclature
Bo

oil formation volume factor, bbl/STB [res

(air = 1)
o

oil relative density (water = 1)

od

oil relative density obtained by differential

liberation test (water = 1)

of

oil relative density obtained from separator test

(water = 1)

ob

bubble point oil relative density (water = 1)

op

oil relative density at pressure P and reservoir

temperature (water = 1)

pressure, psia (kPa)

Pb

bubble point pressure, psia (kPa)

Rs

solution gas-oil ratio, SCF/STB [std m3/stocktank m3]

Rsb
Rsbd

solution gas-oil ratio at bubble point pressure

bubble point solution gas-oil ratio obtained by

differential liberation test

Rsbf

bubble point solution gas-oil ratio obtained from

separator test

Rsd

solution gas-oil ratio obtained by differential

liberation test

Subscripts
i
ith differential stage

differential liberation test

flash liberation test

bubble point oil formation volume factor

Bobd

bubble

point

formation

volume

factor

differentially liberated to stock tank conditions.

bubble point formation volume factor flashed
through the separator to stock tank conditions.
=

gas relative density obtained from separator test

m /stock-tank m ]
=

Bod

number of stages in the differential liberation test

Bob

gf

Bobf

liberation test (air = 1)

formation volume factor obtained by differential

liberation test.

References
1.
Amyx, J. W., Bass, D. M., and Whitting, R. L.,
"Petroleum Reservoir Engineering," McGraw-Hill
Book Co., Inc., New York (1960) 395.
2.
Dodson, C.R., Goodwill, D., and Mayer, E.H.,
"Application of Laboratory PVT Data to Reservoir

SPE 68234

ADJUSTMENT OF DIFFERENTIAL LIBERATION DATA TO SEPARATOR CONDITIONS

Engineering Problems," AIME Trans., Vol. 198,

1953.
Moses, P. L., "Engineering Applications of Phase
Behavior of Crude Oil and Condensate System," JPT
(July 1986), 715-723.
Carlson, M. R., "Tips, Tricks and Traps of Material
Balance Calculations," Journal of Canadian
Petroleum Technology (December 1997), Vol. 36,
No. 11, pp. 34-48

3.

4.

SI Metric Conversion Factors

141.5/(131.5+ api)
bbl x 1.589 873
E + 01
fto3 x 2.831 685
E 02
( F + 40)/1.8 40
psi x 6.894 757
E + 00

No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Flash

= o (unit-less)
= m3
= om3
= C
= kPa

Table 1: Differential and Flash Data.

Pressure Bod
Rsd
g
api
2079
1815
1615
1415
1215
1015
815
615
415
215
115
15
2079

1.342
1.316
1.296
1.274
1.255
1.235
1.213
1.192
1.171
1.145
1.126
1.053
1.289

586
524
477
426
381
334
283
235
187
131
92
0
526

0.9336
0.9607
0.9859
1.019
1.0551
1.1017
1.1673
1.2503
1.3651
1.5553
1.742
0
0.8024

36.0
38.1

op
0.718362
0.725318
0.730938
0.737369
0.742957
0.748982
0.755805
0.762440
0.768937
0.776587
0.781273
0.802257
0.718639

Table 2: Adjustment of Solution Gas Oil Ratio Curve to

Separator Conditions.
Current
Correction
New
Pressure
Diff. Data
Method
Approach
(psia)
Curve
2079
586
526.0
526.0
1815
524
466.4
470.3
1615
477
421.3
428.2
1415
426
372.3
382.4
1215
381
329.1
342.0
1015
334
284.0
299.8
815
283
235.0
254.0
615
235
188.9
210.9
415
187
142.8
167.0
215
131
89.0
117.6
115
92
51.5
82.6
15
0
-36.9
0.0

Table 3: Adjustment of Oil Formation Volume Factor

Curve to Separator Conditions.
Current
Pressure
Diff. Data
Correction
New
(psia)
Curve
Method
Approach
2079
1.342
1.2890
1.2890
1815
1.316
1.2640
1.2678
1615
1.296
1.2448
1.2514
1415
1.274
1.2237
1.2335
1215
1.255
1.2054
1.2180
1015
1.235
1.1862
1.2016
815
1.213
1.1651
1.1837
615
1.192
1.1449
1.1665
415
1.171
1.1248
1.1494
215
1.145
1.0998
1.1281
115
1.126
1.0815
1.1126
15
1.053
1.0114
1.0530

Table 4: Adjustment of Gas Relative Density Curve

to Separator Conditions.
Current
Pressure
Diff. Data
Correction
New
(psia)
Curve
Method
Approach
2079
0.9336
0.9336
0.8024
1815
0.9607
0.9607
0.8339
1615
0.9859
0.9859
0.8632
1415
1.0190
1.0190
0.9017
1215
1.0551
1.0551
0.9436
1015
1.1017
1.1017
0.9978
815
1.1673
1.1673
1.0740
615
1.2503
1.2503
1.1705
415
1.3651
1.3651
1.3039
215
1.5553
1.5553
1.5250
115
1.7420
1.7420
1.7420

Table 5: Adjustment of Oil Relative Density Curve

to Separator Conditions.
Current
Correction
New
Pressure
Diff. Data
Method
Approach
(psia)
Curve
2079
0.8448
0.8448
0.8343
1815
0.8448
0.8448
0.8353
1615
0.8448
0.8448
0.8360
1415
0.8448
0.8448
0.8368
1215
0.8448
0.8448
0.8375
1015
0.8448
0.8448
0.8382
815
0.8448
0.8448
0.8390
615
0.8448
0.8448
0.8397
415
0.8448
0.8448
0.8405
215
0.8448
0.8448
0.8414
115
0.8448
0.8448
0.8421
15
0.8448
0.8448
0.8448

MUHAMMAD A. AL-MARHOUN

SPE 68234

Table 6: Calculated Live Oil Relative Density at

Reservoir Temperature.
Current
Pressure
Diff. Data Correction
New
(psia)
Curve
Method
Approach
2079
0.718362
0.738425
0.718639
1815
0.725318
0.745606
0.726285
1615
0.730938
0.751376
0.732399
1415
0.737369
0.757943
0.739328
1215
0.742957
0.763601
0.745360
1015
0.748982
0.769645
0.751817
815
0.755805
0.776390
0.759056
615
0.762440
0.782806
0.766021
415
0.768937
0.788848
0.772794
215
0.776587
0.795561
0.780530
115
0.781273
0.799180
0.785084
15
0.802257
0.835243
0.802257
1.40
Formation volume factor (bbl/STB)

Solution gas - oil ratio (SCF/STB)

600

500

Rs Diff. Data Curve

400

300

Rs Flash Data Curve

200

1.35
1.30
B o Diff . Data Curve

1.25
1.20

B o Flash Data Curve

1.15
1.10

100
1.05
0

1.00
15

415

815

1215
1615
Pressure (psi)

2015

2415

15

415

1215
1615
Pressure (psi)

2015

2415

Fig. 2. Typical oil formation volume factor curves

Fig. 1. Typical solution gas-oil ratio curves

600

1.4
Diff. Data Curve

500

Diff. Data Curve

Current Correlation Method

Formation volume factor (bbl/STB)

Solution gas- oil ratio (SCF/STB)

815

The New Approach

400

300

200

100

Current Correlation Method

The New Approach

1.3

1.2

1.1

-100
15

315

615

915
1215
Pressure (psi)

1515

1815

Fig. 3. Adjustment of solution gas-oil ratio to separator conditions

1
15

315

615

915
1215
Pressure (psi)

1515

1815

Fig. 4. Adjustment of oil formation volume factor to separator conditions

SPE 68234

ADJUSTMENT OF DIFFERENTIAL LIBERATION DATA TO SEPARATOR CONDITIONS

0.85

1.80
1.70

Diff. Data Curve

Current Correlation Method

1.60

The New Approach

Oil relative density

Gas relative density

0.85
1.50
1.40
1.30
1.20

Diff. Data Curve

Current Correlation Method

0.84

The New Approach

1.10
0.84
1.00
0.90
0.80

0.83
15

315

615

915
1215
Pressure (psi)

1515

1815

15

Fig. 5. Adjustment of gas relative density to separator conditions

315

615

Diff . Data Curve

0.82

Current Correlation Method

Live oil relative density

The New Approach

0.80

0.78

0.76

0.74

0.72

0.70
315

615

1515

1815

Fig. 6. Adjustment of oil relative density to separator conditions

0.84

15

915
1215
Pressure (psi)

915
1215
Pressure (psi)

1515

1815

Fig. 7. Calculated live oil relative density at reservoir temperature