Black oil vs.

compositional simulation in
gas injection processes

PETROBRAS-PEMEX IOR-EOR WORKSHOP

March 8-12 th
Rio de Janeiro
 Outline

• Conservation of mass in one dimension

• Generalized isothermal black-oil model

• Isothermal compositional model

• Black-oil vs. compositional

• Simulation exercise

• Final remarks and discussion

Conservation of mass in one dimension (1/3)

c = componente
i = célula
n = início do incremento de tempo ∆t
n+1 = final do incremento de tempo ∆t
M = mass
w = fonte ou sumidouro
qc = vazão mássica do componente c
 Conservation of mass in one dimension (2/3)

Mas o componente c pode estar presente em cada fase pi:

Assumindo que o fluxo entre células é somento por convecção:

A = área de fluxo
ρp = massa específica da fase p
yc,p = fração mássica do componente c na fase p
up = velocidade da fase p

Sendo que pela lei de Darcy:

k = permeabilidade absoluta do meio
kr = permeabilidade relativa à fase
µp = viscosidade da fase p
pp = pressão da fase p
D = profundidade vertical
γp = peso específico da fase p
 Conservation of mass in one dimension (3/3)

Massa do componente c na célula i:

Sendo que a massa do componente c em cada fase, e na célula i, é:

V = volume total da célula (rocha + poros)

Ф = porosidade
Sp = saturação da fase p

Substituindo tudo na equação inicial temos, para o componente c:

This is the general compositional model for one dimensional flow.

 Conservation of mass in one dimension (4/4)

A equação anterior está na forma contínua (diferencial), portanto pode-se neste ponto apenas a título de
ilustração continuar a derivação aproximando as derivadas na lei de Darcy utilizando:

Onde a transmissibilidade do componente c na fase p entre as células i+1 e i:

Na forma compacta, utilizando os deltas:

 Generalized isothermal black-oil model (1/2)

• Three-component system (c = w , o , g )
w = water component Vg , g
o = liquid hydrocarbon component (oil)

gas phase
g = gaseous hydrocarbon component (gas)

• Three-phase system (p = w, o, g)
Vg
w = water phase

o = oil phase Vg , o
g = gas phase

oil phase
• The gas component can dissolve in the oil and water

Stock tank oil

phases
Vo
• Oil and water components are not allowed to vaporize Vo ,o
into the gas phase at reservoir conditions

Vg , w

phase
Vw water
Vw, w

P, T Standard
Conditions
 Generalized isothermal black-oil model (2/2)
• Fração mássica do componente água na fase água:

ρ Vw,w ρ Vg , g
yw,w = =
w w

ρwVw ρwBw

gas phase
• Fração mássica do componente óleo na fase óleo:

ρoVo,o ρo
yo,o = = Vg
ρoVo ρo Bo
• Frações mássicas do componente gás:
Vg , o
• na fase água:

ρgVg,w ρg Rg,w

oil phase
yg,w = =
ρwVw ρwBw

Stock tank oil

Vo
• na fase óleo: Vo ,o
ρgVg,o ρg Rg,o
yg,o = =
ρoVo ρoBo Vg , w

phase
water
• na fase gás: Vw Vw, w
ρgVg,g ρg
yg,g = = Standard
ρgVg ρg Bg P, T
Conditions
 Final black-oil mass conservation equation

 Rc , p kk rp  ∂p p ∂D   Rc , p kk rp  ∂p p ∂D  
w 
∆t ∑  A  −γ p  −  A  −γ p  − qc , pi  =
p  B p µ p  ∂x ∂x   B p µ p  ∂x ∂x  
 i+ i−
n +1
 R   Rc , p  
n

= ∑ Vφ S p  − Vφ Sp  
c, p

p  Bp   Bp  
    

• In writing the above equation, we have assumed that mass transfer by diffusion
and dispersion can be neglected and there are no chemical reactions

• It is also assumed, in the standard black-oil simulation model, that the gas come
instantaneously into solution in the oil phase

• Besides mass conservation equation for each component there are some
constraint equation:
Pcow = po − pw Pcog = pg − po

So + S g + Sw = 1
 Isothermal compositional model (1/4)

• The black-oil model, as presented previously, is just a particular case of the

compositional simulation model

• In the compositional model we can predict phase compositions, amount in each

phase and all other thermodynamic properties. To do this we need a
thermodynamic model of the system. In the reservoir simulation such a model is
either a K-value (equilibrium ratio) correlation or table, or an equation of state
(EoS)

• So the differences between black-oil and compositional model are basically the
number of components and how the thermodynamic equilibrium of reservoir
fluids is characterized
 Isothermal compositional model (2/4)

• In the standard compositional model, besides the mass conservation equation for each
component (hydrocarbons + water) there are nc+3 system constraints:

So + S g + S w = 1

∑y
c
c ,o =1

∑y
c
c,g =1 phase equilibrium equations

f c ,o = f c , g

• Once the solution of the phase equilibrium equations is itself a complex duty (flash
calculation) the simulator (GEM) solves separately the mass conservation and the phase
equilibrium equations.

• At each iteration of each time-step in each block the simulator calculate the overall mass
fractions and the pressure, then a flash calculation is performed to obtain the phases
compositions and the amount in each phase
 Isothermal compositional model (3/4)
• One possible flowchart for flash calculation is:

1. Given zc (overal mass fractions), P and

T, calculate Pb and Pd to ensure the
c = component
system has two phases in equilibrium. As
a first guess compute the equilibrium zc = overall mole fraction of component c
ratios (Kc) or xc=yc=zc
xc = mole fraction of component c into de liquid phase

^L
^L ^V
φc
yc = mole fraction of component c into de gaseous phase
2. Compute φc , φc and Kc =
^V
P = pressure
φc
T = temperature

3. Compute
Pb = bubble point pressure
zc
xc =
L
K c + (1 + K c ) 5. New estimate for L/F
Pd = dew point pressure
F
If D > 0, increase L/F Kc = equilibrium ratio of component c
yes
yc = zc xc ^L
If D < 0, decrease L/F
φ c = fugacity coefficient of component c in the liquid phase

D = ∑ xc − ∑ yc 6. Have L/F , xc and yc

^V
φ c = fugacity coefficient of component c in the gaseous phase
changed since the last
interaction?
L = moles of liquid phase

F = total moles
no no
4. D = 0 ?

7. L/F , xc and yc
yes
 Isothermal compositional model (4/4)
• From flash calculation it is obtained (L/F). Then it is possible to
compute the number of mols in the liquid and in the gas, and the
saturations:
L
No =
F
∑ Ni

 L
N g = 1 −  ∑ N i
 F

S o = (1 − S w )
L
F
No = numbers of mols in the liquid phase

 L
S g = (1 − S w )1 −  Ng = numbers of mols in the gas phase
 F
Nc,o = numbers of mols of the component c in the liquid phase

Nc,g = numbers of mols of the component c in the liquid phase

• The number of mols of the component are then calculated from
the saturations

N c ,o = φρ o S o xc

N c , g = φρ g S g yc
 Black-oil vs. compositional
B.O. Comp
n°of equations
(per block per iteration)

Mass balance of each “hydrocarbon” component 2 5

Mass balance of water component 1 1

Phase equilibrium fc,o = fc,g 0 5

Capillary pressure relations Pcow = po − pw Pcog = pg − po 2 2

Volume (saturation) constraint So + S g + Sw = 1 1 1

Phase constraints ∑y c ,o =1 ∑yc

c,g =1 0 2
c
Total 6 16
n°of unkowns
Pressures (po, pw, pg) 3 3

Saturations (So, Sw, Sg) 3 3

Compositions (x
(xc, yc) 0 5x2
Total 6 16

n°of primary variables

3 6
 Black-oil vs. compositional
Black-oil Compositional

• –Black-oil
Basic assumption: The composition (and – Basic assumption: The composition (and
– nº of components
hence the properties) of the two pseudo- hence the properties) of the n pseudo-
components (stock tank oil and surface components (ex.: CO2; C1; C2-C6; C7+) do
gas)
– nºremain constant during reservoir
of equations not remain constant during reservoir
production - this is rarely true! production – more realistic!
– choice of primary variables and equations
– It is usually selected, instead of – Drainage strategy for the reservoir:
compositional, based on the volality of the
oil: EOR processes:
Hydrocarbon Gas injection
Rs < 750 scf/stb CO2 injection
WAG-HC
Bo < 1.4 bbl/stb WAG-CO2
API gravity < 30
Integration with down stream facilities
– But it is also selected based on the
drainage strategy for the reservoir:

Depletion
Water injection
Aquifer water influx
Simulation exercise
Simulation exercise - depletion
 Simulation exercise – gas injection

Producer constraints:

• BHPMIN = 450 kgf/cm2

• Maximum liquid rate = 8000 m3 std /d

Injector constraint:

• gas injection rate = 5500 m3 res/d

Simulation exercise – gas injection
 Simulation exercise – gas injection (2 years)
Composicional gás injetado Composicional gás injetado
Black-oil
17%CO2 83%C1 17%CO2 63%C1 20% C2-C6

Sg

So

Miscibilidade: Sg > 50% So < 50% Sor = 34% Swr = 16%

 Final remarks and discussion

• Petrobras has been needed to run EOR predictions on million cells models (mainly
carbonate fields with a huge area and with a high rock heterogeneity)

• It has been assumed that the compositional simulation is the best model to run EOR
predictions: Gas injection, CO2 injection, WAG-HC and WAG-CO2

• However these full field simulations are very slow in the compositional approach, so
Petrobras has considered the following options:

• Sub-model compositional simulations

• Simulate SWAG processes in a full field compositional model to represent WAG

• Pseudo compositional models (Todd-Longstaff empirical model) may also be an option,

but it hasn’t been teste yet
Gracias!