COPYRIGHT, 1942 AND 1943, BY THE
AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF MINING AND METALLURGICAL ENGINEERS
(INCORPORATED)
Density of Natural Gases
By MARSHALL B. STANDING* AND DONALD
(New York Meeting, February
DENSITY data are reported on 16 saturated
hydrocarbon vapors at pressures ranging from
1000 to 8220 lb. per sq. in. and at temperatures
ranging from 35° to 250°F. These data have
been used to extend the compressibility-factor
chart for natural gases up to !O,ooo lb. per
sq. in. The relatively large quantity of high-
boiling constituents present in high-pressure
vapors in equilibrium with crude oils makes it
necessary to include in the analysis of the gas
the molecular weight, density, and possibly
boiling range of the heptanes and heavier
fraction. Relationships have been presented by
which the density of gases may be obtained
directly from the temperature, pressure, and
gas gravity provided the gases have a common
source or are similar in composition.
INTRODUCTION
The densities of natural gases are neces-
sary in many engineering computations in
petroleum production and utiliz~tion. Gas
reserves, changes in reservoir pressure, gra-
dients in gas wells, metering of gases, pipe-
line flow, and compression of gases are
typical problems requiring the density of
the gas. A decade ago, engineering compu-
tations used ideal gas laws with deviations
up to 500 lb. per sq. in} Recent discoveries
of pools having pressures up to 7500 lb. per
sq. in., and installation of pressure-mainte-
nance and recycling plants, have increased
the need for data on gas density at high
pressures.
METHODS OF COMPUTATION
The accepted method of computing the
density or specific volume of natural gases
Manuscript received at the office of the Institute
Dec. 31, 1940. Issued as T.P. 1323 in PETROLEUM
TECHNOLOGY, July 1941.
* University of Michigan. Ann Arbor, Mich.
, References are at the end of the paper.
L. KATZ,* MEMBER A.I.M.E.
1941)
is the use of the ideal gas law corrected by a
compressibility factor. The method pro-
posed by K ay 7 of correlating compres-
sibility factors for gaseous mixtures on
5
pseudocritical properties appears to be
satisfactory for natural gases. 2 The meth-
ane-compressibility factor has been shown
to deviate systematically from the behavior
of natural gases2 and a chart giving these
corrected factors is available.
A method of computing specific volume
of gaseous mixtures from partial molal
volumes has been reported by Sage and
L acey. 8 C
omp i ete d a t a for th e compu t a t'IOn
are not yet available for all hydrocarbon
gases.
Most of the reported data on gas densi-
ties have been in the single-phase region
removed from the dew point or saturation
condition. Since most gases in the reservoir
or while on contact with liquid during flow
are saturated, the determination of densi-
ties under conditions of saturation is
particularly important. Although there is
no reason to believe that the saturated
gases differ in behavior from those consider-
ably removed from their dew points, the
usual experimental determinations find
difficulty on approaching the dew-point
conditions.
This paper reports the density of 16
saturated gases in equilibrium with crude
oils. The relationships developed to com-
pute the density of gases to high pressure!
have been modified and enlarged. A simpli-
fied method of obtaining gas density is
presented in the form of charts, which
apply for specific groups of gases.
 MARSHALL B. STANDING AND DONALD L. KATZ

DATA OBTAINED ments over the usual gas analysis. The

In the process of obtaining equilibrium
data on mixtures of natural gas and crude
oils, the density and analysis of the satu-
rated vapor phases were obtained. These
data were in the range of 35° to 250°F. and
1000 to 8220 lb. per sq. inch.
The vapors in equilibrium with crude oil
were transferred, by mercury displacement,
at constant temperature and pressure from
the equilibrium cell into pycnometers of
2s-ml. capacity. The contents of the
pycnometer were discharged into a low-
temperature fractionating column, to ob-
tain the analysis of the gas. In all cases the
pycnometer was weighed before and after
discharging the gas and any mercury ac-
companying the gas was collected and
weighed. The combined error on weighing
is estimated as ±0.04 gram out of 1.35
gram for the gas of lowest density and 11.2
grams for the gas of highest density.
The presence of relatively large quanti-
ties of heptanes and heavier required refine-
TABLE I.-Typical Analysis of Vapor
Pressure, 4310 Lb. per Sq. In. Absolute. Temperature, 250°F.
Mol Frac-
Compound tion
heptane-plus fractions were collected and
weighed as a liquid. The density and
molecular weight were measured if suffi-
cient quantities were available.
A smooth curve relationship exists be-
tween the liquid density and molecular
weight of the heptanes plus and was used if
the data for either were lacking. It was
found that there was a permanent hold-up
in the fractionating column packing as high
as 0.5 gram. Differences between the
weight of gas out of the pycnometer and the
weight of the gas accounted for in the
analysis varied up to this quantity. Accord-
ingly, the weight of the heptanes and
heavier was taken as the difference between
the pycnometer weight of the gas and the
weight of the hydrocarbons of molecular
weight lower than heptane.
A typical analysis of the saturated vapor
is given in Table I. The absence of iso-
butane is due to the method of blending a
butane-free gas with the Arkansas crude 6
Critical
Pressure, Mol Mol Mol
Critical Fraction
Temperature, P"Lb. Fraction Fraction
Deg. R per Sq. X pT, X pp, X Mol
In. Abs. Weight

~~i:<
0.8058 344 673 277.2 54 2 .3 12.89
0.0386 549 712 21.2 27·5 1. 16
0.0117 666 617 7.8 7.2 0.5 1
0.0197 766 551 IS. I 10.8 1. 14
0.0170 829 483 14. I 8.2 1.22
0.0280 84 6 485 23.7 13.6 2.01
0.0123 90 0 451 I I. I 5.5 1.06
0. 0148 914 435 13.5 6.4 1. 27
Heptanes + heavier ............ ...... 0.0521 113 2 360 59.0 18.7 7.24
1,000 44 2 .7 640 . 2 28. SO

Heptanes and heavier: molecular weight, 139; specific gravity, 69'60. 0.791.
Gas gravity = 28·50 = 0.985
28·96
10
PH = .!'.-- = 43 = 673
pP, 640.2 .
_ T
Til - pT, =
250 + 460
44 2 .7 = 1.603
.
Z from F'g. 2 = 0.933
PV = NZRT N =~= pounds divided by mol weight
PV = WZRT
M
Calculated density = lb. per cu. ft. = !!:
V
= PM
ZRT
= 0.93343 X10 10.71
X 28·50
X 710
= 1735 lb
. . per cu.
ft
.
Experimental density = 0.277 X 62.43 = 17·29 lb. per cu. ft.
 DENSITY OF NATURAL GASES

and varying quantities of natural gasoline G vised to be in agreement with Smith and
that contained normal butane but no Watson's newly defined boiling points.
isobutane. Data on the density and proper- This mean average boiling point may be
ties of 16 saturated vapors in equilibrium converted to the molal average from the
with a crude oil are given in Table 2. knowledge of the initial boiling point of
about 200°F. for the heptanes and heavier
PSEUDOCRITICAL CONDITIONS OF
fraction. The molal average boiling point
HEPTANES AND HEAVIER
and gravity give the pseudocritical tempera-
FRACTIONS
ture by Smith and Watson's relationship.
Computation of the pseudocritical tem- The densities and molecular weights of
perature and pressure of a gas is given in heptanes and heavier of Table 2 have been
Table 1. Because of the high content and used to compute the pseudocriticals shown
high molecular weight of the heptanes and in Fig. I. It should be noted that the
TABLE 2.-Properties of Saturated Gases
Experi-
Pres- Experi- mental
sure, Lb.
Temper.. Gravity. Mol Per Mol Per MolWt. Density
mental Com-
Run NO,a ature. Air = I Cent CentDensity. pressi-
per Sq. Deg. F. CR, C7' C1+ 6%0
bility
In. Abs. C,' Gram
per C.C. Factor
Z
---- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ---- - - -
A-5 ..... ... 1,000 120 0.659 0·9200 0.0090 I lob 0.74 2' 0.0564 0.870
A-4L ... ... 1,600 120 0.671 0.9158 0.0124 110b 0.742' 0.097 0.826
A-I. .. .... 3. 185 120 0·766 0.8800 0.0303 131 0.775' 0 224 0.8ro
A-21. .. ... 5.270 120 0.840 0.8588 0.0400 127 0.788 0.340 0·970
A-3 ... 8,220 120 0.899 0.8440 0.0444 144 0.802 0.404 1·358
B-I. .... ...... 2,920 250 0 766 0.8750 0.0268 IISb O.753 b 0.154 0.884
C-2 ..... 1,010 120 0.629 0·9345 0.0021 100b O.72sb 0.0556 0.852
C-I. .... .... 2.880 120 0.736 0.8895 0.or80 1I3 0.750' 0.203 0.777
C-3I. .. ..... 5.330 120 1.040 0.7995 0.0573 151 0 800 0·400 1.031
D-1. . .... ...... 4.33 0 120 0.876 0.8340 0.0375 123 o. 788 0.327 0.865
E-1. ..... . . . . . . . . . . . 4. 1 95 120 0·736 0.8920 0.0243 130 b 0.771 0.261 0.879
F-I. .... 3.185 250 0·915 0.8450 0.0495 130 0.768 0.192 0.925
F-2 .... 4.310 250 0·985 0 8060 0.0521 139 O. 791 0.277 0.931
F-3 ... .... .... 5.530 250 1.070 o. 7840 0.0588 157 0 808 0.349 1.031
G-2 ................ 3.485 35 0·926 0.8230 0.0434 128 0.765 0.383 0.737
G-3 ............... 4.970 35 1.074 0.7810 0.0631 145' 0.792 0.463 1.008
I
a Series A and B ........ . 7.000 cu. ft. gas per bbl. 50 vol. crude + 50 vol. gasoline.
Series C. F and G ............... . 3.500 cu. ft. gas per bbl. 50 vol. crude + 50 vol. gasoline.
Series D ........................ . 7.000 cu. ft. gas per bbl. 25 vol. crude + 75 vol. gasoline.
Series E .................. . 7.000 cu. ft. gas per bbl. 75 vol. crude + 25 vol. gasoline.
• Estimated.

Natural gas: gravity = 0.596; CH" 93.20 per cent; C 2H s, 4.25 per cent; CaH g, r.6r per cent;
N 2, 0.43 per cent; C02, 0.51 per cent.
heavier fractions, the usual procedure of calculated values deviate somewhat from
using the critical properties of heptanes or the normal paraffin curve of critical tem-
octanes for this fraction is no longer reliable. peratures and pressures as a function of
Smith and Watson lO reported a method molecular weight. The difference between
of obtaining the pseudocritical pressure the calculated pseudocriticals and the criti-
directly from liquid density and molecular cals of the normal paraffin hydrocarbons is
weight. For the pseudo critical temperature, much smaller when using the molecular
the molal average boiling point must be weight of the heptanes and heavier than
known in addition to the liquid density. when using the liquid density as the cor-
The mean average boiling point 10 may be relating factor. In no case would the critical
obtained from the density and molecular properties of heptanes have been repre-
weight by a chart similar to that given by sentative of the heptanes and heavier frac-
Egloff and Nelson (ref. 3, p. 235) and re- tion. Since the data given are for saturated
 MARSHALL B. STANDING AND DONALD L. KATZ I43

vapors, it is indicated that the molecular density of the saturated vapors at 8220 lb.
weight, liquid density, and boiling range if per sq. in. and 120°F. checked the computed
possible, should be measured for gases at density within the error of reading the
equilibrium above 1000 lb. or with appreci- methane chart.

130 0

(." -"

0
~Vo~ ,,(.">
~f'\po.
"'/

~..."o'"
Q.1b
oc.~~":"l--

,./ °0 po.,<f\~
V .~ ..
0 v:; ,,~\o
/~ ,,0"
0
/' V-
)7
00o /

so 0

""- " .0.....

40 0
"'" '-...... o
t--....... ~:r"''''e-s
" .
I"'O~ ..~-!~ -of.~
30 0
"1""~/f'y~

200
"'''O'iO
C
·"'81°"'3 -
eo 100 120 140 160 180 200
MOL.£CULAR WEIG~T

FIG. I.-VARIATION OF PSEUDOCRITICALS WITH MOLECULAR WEIGHT.

able quantities of heptanes and heavier
present.
COMPRESSIBILITY FACTORS FOR NATURAL
GASES
The pycnometer density and the molecu-
lar weight of the gases, gas gravity referred
to air, were used to compute the compressi-
bility factors of the saturated vapors, Table
2. Excellent agreement was found between
these values and those from the chart for
natural gases 2 up to reduced pressures of
about 5. At higher pressures, the data
deviated from the natural-gas chart and
were closer to the values from the chart
based on pure methane. The measured
The data on gaseous mixtures available
to construct the chart for natural gases 2
were meager above 3000 lb., and the chart
had been extended only to a reduced pres-
sure of 8. Since it did not cover the pressure
range of this investigation, and was shown
to deviate consistently at pressures above
reduced pressures of 5, a revised and
extended plot was prepared (Fig. 2). This
compressibility-factor chart is identical
with the former chartI· 2 up to reduced
pressures of 4. Using the data of Table 2
and the methane chart as a guide, Fig. 2
was drawn up to a reduced pressure of IS or
9000 to 10,000 lb. per sq. inch.
144 DENSITY OF NATURAL GASES

RELATIONSHIPS OF GAS GRAVITY AND curves for miscellaneous gases.! All gases
GAS DENSITY whose pseudo critical temperatures and
The gas gravity, compared to air, and pressures fit these gravity curves have the
pseudocritical conditions gave a smooth same density for a temperature, pressure
relationship when compared with the and gas gravity independent of composi-
PSEUDO REDUCED PRESSURE
2 3 4 5 6 7

0.9

NO.
cr
0
I-
U
~
~
..J
III
III 1.4 N
III cr
W
cr 0
Q. I-
~ U
0 ~
U 1.3
~
..J
III
2~
w
cr
Q.
:!:
0
U
1.1

1.0

8 9 10 II 12 13 14
PSEUDO REDUCED PRESSURE
FIG. 2.-COMPRESSmILITY FACTORS.
 MARSHALL B. STANDING AND DONALD L. KATZ 145

tion. This simplification makes it possible
to construct charts giving gas density as a
function of temperature, pressure, and gas
gravity or molecular weight.
The hydrocarbon gases used to construct
the curve of Fig. 3 contained more than 83
For the gases represented by Fig. 3,
density plots have been prepared. Fig. 4
gives the density of these gases with gravi-
ties (air = 1.0) from 0.6 to 0.8, and Fig. 5
from 0.9 to I. I for pressures from 100 to
10,000 lb. per sq. in. and temperatures from

.... ~
~ tfi- ~
0
0

.. r- r----- ~ I-
0

...
0:

"I- ~ .....
00( .5 0
...
0:
Q. o J......- V
:>
u
1- ...
I---
!--- •
~i .00 ~
\)Z
t~
/YI.
0:. I~
\)

o
a 350
.9 V
..." o "ISCELL.ANEOUS DATA
~ • AUTHORS' DATA

060 0.70 0.10 0.90 1.00 1.10

GAS GRAVITY IAIA-I)

FIG. 3.-VAR1ATION OF PSEUDOCR1TICALS WITH GAS GRAVITY.

per cen t of combined methane and heptanes
and heavier fraction. Gases containing over
2 or 3 per cent of nitrogen or high con-
centrations of ethane, propane, and butanes
deviate from the curves given. In all such
cases, whenever the analysis is available,
the pseudocritical conditions should be
computed to establish the position of the
curve on Fig. 3.
o to 300°F. Table 3 shows a comparison
between the measured density, the density
by the calculated pseudocriticals and Fig. 2,
and the density from Figs. 4 and 5 for
the authors' data. As would be expected,
the densities computed from individual
pseudocritical conditions and the compres-
sibility-factor chart are superior to those
from the gravity-density charts and are in
 DENSITY OF NATURAL GASES

GAS

GAS

FIG. 4.-DEN5ITIES OF NATURAL GASES.

 MARSHALL B. STANDING AND DONALD L. KATZ I47

100

FIG. 5.-DENSITIES OF NATURAL GASES.

148 DENSITY OF NATURAL GASES

TABLE 3.-Comparison of Experimental and Calculated Densities

Experi- Calcu-
Pressure, Temper~ Pseudo Pseudo mental lated Density.
Run No. Lb. per Gravity, Reduced Density. Fig. 4,
Sq. In. ature, Air = I Reduced Temper- Density, Fig.2, Lb. per
Abs.
Deg. F. Pressure ature Lb. per Lb. per Cu. Ft.
Cu. Ft. Cu. Ft.

A-5 .... .. 1,000 120 0.659 1.50 1. 55 3·52 3.50 3·55

A-41 .. 1,600 120 0.671 2·42 1. 54 6.06 6.12 6. IS
A-I. . 3,185 120 0.766 4·87 1.47 14. 0 14·4 14·8
A-2 ... 5.270 120 0.840 8.09 1.41 2I.2 20.8 2IoO
A-3 .. ... 8,220 120 0.899 12.7 1. 37 25. 2 25·2 25·3
B-I. .. : 2.920 250 0·766 4·44 1. 77 9.61 9· 55 9.59
C-2 .. 1,010 120 0.629 1.5 0 1. 59 3·47 3.3 1 3.39
C-r. ... ... ...... 2,880 120 0.736 4·35 1.48 12.7 12.7 12·9
C-31. ....... 5,330 120 1.04 8.36 I. 29 25·0 25·5 25.6
D-I. . ... ..... 4,330 120 0.876 6.70 1.37 20·4 20.2 20.1
E-I. . ..... 4,195 120 0.736 6.34 1.48 16.3 16.3 16.6
F-I. ........ 3,185 250 0.9 15 4·90 1.69 12.0 12.8 12.7
F-2 .. . ....... .. 4,310 250 0.985 6.72 1.60 17.3 17.3 18.0
F-3 ... .. ....... ... 5,530 250 1. 07 8.72 1. 55 2I.8 21.6 21.2
G-2 .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,4 8 5 35 0.926 5.4 1 I. 14 23.9 24.2
G-3 ... .... .... 4,970 35 1.074 7.86 1.08 28.9 28.6

good agreement with the experimental puted and experimental results should be
values. However, for gases containing less representative of gases of that type since
than 2 or 3 per cent nitrogen and more than the data were not used in any of the
83 per cent of combined methane and correlations.
heptanes and heavier, Fig. 4 is a convenient A set of charts giving the density as a
and quick method of obtaining densities for function of gas gravity, temperature, and
general engineering calculations. pressure could be prepared for any series of
gases that have a smooth relationship be-
TABLE 4.-Comparison of Experimental tween gas gravity and pseudo critical condi-
and Calculated Densities of Rio tions. Gases from a common source, such as
Bravo Gas covered by the data of this paper, or gases
Calcu-
of similar composition may be expected to
Experi- lated Density,
Pressure, Temper- mental
Density, Fig. 4,
have such a relationship.
Lb. per Sq. ature, Density, Fig.2, Lb. per
In. Abs. Deg. F. Lb. per
Lb. per Cu.Ft. CONCLUSIONS
Cu. Ft.
Cu. Ft.
------ --- I. Density data have been reported on 16
500 100 I. 74 1. 74 1. 75 saturated hydrocarbon vapors in the range
1,000 roo 3·78 3.76 3.75
2,000 100 8.54 8·46 8.45 of 35° to 250°F. and 1000 to 8220 pounds.
3,5 00 roo 13.9 13.9 13·8
5. 000 roo 16.8 16.9 16.8 2. The compressibility-factor chart for
500 190 1.44 1.44 1. 44 natural gases has been revised and extended
1,000 190 3.00 3·02 3·02 to 10,000 pounds.
2,000 190 6.32 6·38 6·40
3.5 00 190 10.8 ro·9 10.8 3. The molecular weight, density and
5,000 190 14. 0 14. 0 14. 0
boiling range of the heptanes and heavier
500 280 1. 24 1. 25 1. 25
1,000 280 2.52 2·55 2·55 fraction has been shown to be an important
2,000 280 5.16 5. 2 4 5·25
3,500 280 8.82 8.94 9.02 part of the gas analysis for saturated vapors
5,000 280 II.8 II.8 II.8
at high pressure and temperature.
4. Relationships have been presented by
The recent density data of Sage and which the density of hydrocarbon gases
Reamer9 on the separator gas from the Rio containing more than 83 per cent of com-
Bravo field are compared with the com- bined methane and heptanes plus may be
puted densities and compressibility factors obtained from temperature, pressure, and
in Table 4. The agreement between com- gas gravity (air = 1.0) directly.
 MARSHALL B. STANDING AND DONALD L. KATZ
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The authors are indebted to the Humble
Oil and Refining Co. for the natural gas, to
the Phillips Petroleum Company for the
crude oil, and to the Indian Territory
Illuminating Oil Co. for the natural gaso-
line used in the investigation.
REFERENCES
r. G. G. Brown: Nat. Gas. Assn. Arner., Proc. 19th
Annual Convention, 54. May 1940.
149
2. G. G. Brown and D. E. Holcomb: Pelr. Engineer-
ing (1940) II (5). 23.
3. G. Egloff and E. F. Nelson: Trans. Arner. Inst.
Chern. Eng. (1936) 32, 221.
4. T. W. Johnson and W. B. Bermald: U. S. Bur.
Mines Tech. Pub. 539 (1932).
5. D. L. Katz: Trans. A.I.M.E. (1938) 127, 159.
6. D. L. Katz and C. C. Singleterry: Trans. A.I.M.E.
(1939) 132, 103.
7. W. B. Kay: Ind. and Eng. Chern. (1936) 28,
101 4:--
8. B. H. Sage and V\f. N. Lacey: Arner. Petro Inst.
Drill. and Prod! Practice (1939) 641.
9. B. H. Sage and H. H. Reamer: Trans. A.I.M.E.
(1941) 142,179.
10. R. L. Smith and K. M. Watson: Ind. and Eng.
Chern. (1937) 29, 1408.