SESE MANAGEMENT | Chemical Composition Determines Behavior Of - Reservoir Fluids The most important factors in classifying the five types of reservoir fluids are the differences in composition. These also affect the sizes and shapes of each fluids phase diagram. Further, phase diagram shapes affect the actions of the fluids in the reservoiz Subsequent parts of this article will address fluid classification using the initial gas-oil ratio, stock-tank liquid gravity, and stock-tank liquid color, etroleum reservoir fluids can be classified into five types-black oils, volatile oils, retrograde gas-conden- sates, wet gases, and dry gares.!2 Each type is produced by different engineering techniques. “The type of fluid is critical to pro- duction decisions and, therefore, must be determined early in the fe of a reservoir. The reservoir fluid type determines the: a Method of uid sampling, Laboratory tests used in analyz ing the samples. ‘Surface equipment types and size. Procedures for determining oil and gas in place. 1m Techniques for predicting oil and gas reserves. 1 Processes for predicting future production rates, See 1 Plan of depletion. Fig. 1. The intl producing gas-l ratio ie higher for gases, which ar represented 1 Sclection of secondary oF en- the upper left part ofthe graph than for black ole which are represented in ele? Lance recovery methods "ght portion ofthe graph. Other ids exiet ns continu between dry ges ond Reservoir fluid type can be con- black ole: firmed only by observing a repre. sentative sample ofthe fuid in a lab- Initial producing gas-ol ratio, stock- most important of these indicators, oratory. However, readily available tank liquid gravity, and stock-tank ofl but stock tank oil gravity and colot production a efor elasifying Tuts Taalidsiors “the type of fluid im the reservoir. Initial producing gas-oil ratio is the "The fuid types discussed in ths -A. Holditch & Associates, College Station, Tex. 18 Petroleum Engineer International OCTOBER 19778’21n the phase digram of typical black oll, line 123 represents the prossure ition path at reservoir temperature. Blac ell critical points occur at temper- fares much higher than reservoir temperature. ses of articles are defined for engi- 1g purposes, These should not confused with the reservoir Quid defined by legal agencies ich regulate the petroleum indus- fy The regulatory definitions of oi, Frude oil, condensate, gas, natural and casing-head gas are not slated to these engineering defini- ‘and often contradict them. Black oils and volatile oils ae lig- in the reservoir, exhibit bubble de- feased during production, and Frlease gas in the reservoir pore pace at pressures below the bubble nt. However, the “oil material bal- fice equations,” which are used for lack oils, will give incorrect results or volatile oils, because the behavior Pi volatile oils does not fit the sumptions inherent in derivation bf these equations.‘ Incidentally, -k oils are not necessarily black. in color and volatile oils do not scessarily produce more surface than black ols. Retrograde gases, wet gases, and guses-are initially-all-gas-in-the— servoir. Retrograde gases exhibit Kew points as reservoir pressure is reduced and release increasing vol- lumes of liquid condensate into the pore space as pressure is reduced below the dew point. This condensate seldom flows and is lost to production. ‘Wet gases and dry gases remain gaseous in the reservoir throughout depletion-neither release condensate in the reservoir. The difference between the two is wet gases release condensate as pressure and tempera- ture are reduced to separator condi- tions and dry gases remain entirely gaseous at the surface, Note that the ‘words “wet” and “dry” as used in this classification system do not refer to the presence or absence of water or ‘water vapor. Water is always present in petroleum reservoirs, and all gases normally are saturated with water vapor. However, water is excluded from the discussions in this series of articles. ‘The “gas material balance equa- tion” was derived originally for dry gases. But the equation can be used for wet gases if the equivalent gaseous volume of condensate is included in the cumulative gas pro- duction and the quantity and proper- ties of the condensate are added 10 the surface gas to determine the properties and quantity of the reser~ voir gas.® And the equation is valid for a retrograde gas ifthe reservoir is, volumetric and two-phase gas com:RESERVOIR MANAGEMENT Fo. 4 With fewer heavy molecules thanolatlé oll retrograde gases have a critical perature less than reservoir temperature Line 123 exhibits a dew point. Eressibility factors are used.*? ‘Composition is the controlling jor for the behavior described jove. Black oils are mixtures of cies ranging from methane to ie, heavy, virtually non-volatile olecules, Volatile oils contain fewer the heavier molecules, Retrograde ‘The heavy components in the petroleum mixtures have the Strongest effect on the charac- teristics of the fluids. Normally, laboratory tests combine the heavy components as a "heptanes plus” fraction. Fig. 1 illustrates the effect Of this heavy fraction on the most important fluid type indicators-the initial producing gas-oil ratio. Of the five fluids, black oils are represented at the lower right end of © Fig, 5, The prosture depletion path (ine 12) of a wet gas does not enter the two: ‘hose region since the phase dlagram covers a much smaller tempersture range. HE ocroser 1993, Petroleum Engineer International the data (black oils have the lowest, initial gas-oil ratios and the highest concentration of heavy components). Dry gases are located at the upper left of the graph. The other fluids exist in a continuum between these two. This figure is not a corre- lation-the gas-oil ratios are not nor~ malized to any standard surface operating conditions. However, the data will be used in ensuing articles to aid understanding of the differ- fences among the five fluids. Phase Diagrams Phase diagrams are pots of presure inst temperate that show cond tins for which a pardeular substance weil exist as aliquid, ga, of both Phase diagrams show the phases of pe (voleum Hide in the reservoir: When ‘combined with knowledge of the effec- the permesbiities and veoses, the lngrams also indicate which phases fre owing in tbe reservole ‘The wite range of sizes and mass ce of molecules in a ack ofl mixture Gicates thatthe phase diagram will cover a wide range of temperatures. Fig 2 shows the phase diagram of ‘ppical black ol "The region inthe upper let part of the dlagam gives condions in which the mixture a gud. Aqui phase fr verified by the fact that as presure fs reduced at constant temperature, fa is rleased, Rist as 2 bubble, then Eporeasing amounts as the pressure iS reduced below the bubble point. The Sipe right part of the diagram gives cBhaldons in which the mixure is a fan Again the testis what happens (thea the pressure is reduced at con- ant temperature. This time the min- ture has dew point, and increasing Sum of ligule formed as pres- Sei reduced below his point “The lines representing the bubble- point and dev-point pressures meet Bethe eritical point. Lines repre- tenting the volume of liguid inthe two-phase region of the diagram are ‘Sta eval Tey also converse 1 oat point Observe that the ‘critical point Is on the lefthand slope of the phase envelope. The critical joint in naturally occuring pewoleum fide normally doesnot appear to the Baht ofthe top of the diagram. Only 2B