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Fundamentals
• Fluid gravity
• Specific gravity of the solution gas
• Gas solubility
• Bubble-point pressure
• Oil formation volume factor
• Isothermal compressibility coefficient of undersaturated crude oils
• Oil density
• Total formation volume factor
• Crude oil viscosity
• Surface tension
Data on most of these fluid properties are usually determined by
laboratory experiments performed on samples of actual reservoir fluids.
In the absence of experimentally measured Properties of crude oils, it is
necessary for the petroleum engineer to determine the properties from
empirically derived correlations.
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𝜌𝑜
𝛾𝑜 = …………………………………………..………….2.1
𝜌𝑤
Although the density and specific gravity are used extensively in the
petroleum industry, the API gravity is the preferred gravity scale. This
gravity scale is precisely related to the specific gravity by the following
expression:
141.5
𝐴𝑃𝐼 = − 131.5………………………………….….....2.2
𝛾𝑜
The API gravities of crude oils usually range from 47° API for the
lighter crude oils to 10° API for the heavier asphaltic crude oils.
Where:
𝛾𝑜 : Specific gravity of the oil
𝜌𝑜 : Density of the crude oil, 𝑙𝑏/𝑓𝑡 3
Where:
𝑛: number of separators
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𝑅𝑠𝑒𝑝 : Separator gas-oil ratio, 𝑠𝑐𝑓/𝑆𝑇𝐵
Figure 2.4
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The following empirical correlation is for estimating the gas solubility:
• The Vasquez-Beggs correlation
𝐴𝑃𝐼
𝑅𝑠 = 𝐶1 𝛾𝑔𝑠 𝑃𝑐2 𝑒𝑥𝑝 [𝐶3 ( )]……………………………..2.4
𝑇
Where:
𝛾𝑔𝑠: Gas gravity at the reference separator pressure
• Standing
0.83
𝑃𝑏 = 18.2 [(𝑅𝑠 ⁄𝛾𝑔 ) (10)a − 1.4]……………………….2.6
With
a = 0.00091(T − 460) − 0.0125(API)……………………2.7
Where:
𝑃𝑏 : Bubble-point pressure, 𝑝𝑠𝑖𝑎
T : System temperature, 𝑅 𝑜
Standing’s correlation should be used with caution if nonhydrocarbon
components are known to be present in the system.
𝐶2
𝑃𝑏 = [(𝐶1 𝑅𝑠 ⁄𝛾𝑔𝑠 )(10)a ] ………………………………….2.8
a = −C3 API⁄T……………………………………………..2.9
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The gas specific gravity 𝛾𝑔𝑠 at the reference separator pressure is defined
by previous equation. The coefficients 𝐶1 , 𝐶2 , and 𝐶3 have the following
values:
Where:
𝛽𝑜 : Oil formation volume factor, 𝑏𝑏𝑙/𝑆𝑇𝐵
(𝑉𝑜 )𝑃,𝑇 : Volume of oil under reservoir pressure and temperature, 𝑏𝑏𝑙
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Figure 2.5
Correlations for computing oil formation volume factor include:
• Standing’s correlation
1.2
𝛾𝑔 0.5
𝛽𝑜 = 0.9759 + 0.000120 [𝑅𝑠 ( ) + 1.25(𝑇 − 460)] ......…..2.11
𝛾 𝑜
Where
𝑇 : Temperature, 𝑅 𝑜
𝛾𝑜 : Specific gravity of the stock-tank oil
𝛾𝑔 : Specific gravity of the solution gas
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Where:
𝜌𝑜 : Density of the oil at the specified pressure and temperature, 𝑙𝑏/𝑓𝑡 3 .
The error in calculating 𝛽𝑜 by using Equation above will depend only on
the accuracy of the input variables (𝑅𝑠 , 𝛾𝑔 , and 𝛾𝑜 ) and the method of
calculating 𝜌𝑜 .
1 𝜕𝑉
𝐶 = − ( ) ………………………………………………2.13
𝑉 𝜕𝑃 𝑇
Where:
𝛽𝑔 : Gas formation volume factor, 𝑏𝑏𝑙/𝑠𝑐𝑓
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There are three correlations that are developed to estimate the oil
compressibility at pressures above the bubble-point pressure, i.e.,
undersaturated crude oil system. Two of these correlations are presented
below:
Where:
𝑇 : Temperature, 𝑅 𝑜
𝑃 : Pressure above the bubble-point pressure, 𝑝𝑠𝑖𝑎
𝑅𝑠𝑏 : Gas solubility at the bubble-point pressure
𝛾𝑔𝑠 : Corrected gas gravity as defined previously
Where:
𝑇 = temperature, 𝑅 𝑜
𝑅𝑠𝑏 = gas solubility at the bubble-point pressure, 𝑠𝑐𝑓/𝑆𝑇𝐵
62.4𝛾𝑜 + 0.0136 𝑅𝑠 𝛾𝑔
𝜌𝑜 = ………………………………………2.17
𝛽𝑜
Where:
𝛾𝑜 : Specific gravity of the stock-tank oil
𝑅𝑠 : Gas solubility, 𝑠𝑐𝑓/𝑆𝑇𝐵
𝜌𝑜 Oil density, 𝑙𝑏/𝑓𝑡 3
Where:
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𝛽𝑜 : Oil formation volume factor, 𝑏𝑏𝑙/𝑆𝑇𝐵
𝑅𝑠𝑖 : Initial gas solubility, 𝑠𝑐𝑓/𝑆𝑇𝐵
𝑅𝑠 : Gas solubility at certain pressure, 𝑠𝑐𝑓/𝑆𝑇𝐵
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Undersaturated oil viscosity:
The undersaturated-oil viscosity is defined as the viscosity of the crude
oil at a pressure above the bubble-point and reservoir temperature.
With
𝑎 = 10(0.43+8.33⁄𝐴𝑃𝐼) ………………………………...……..2.20
Where:
𝜇𝑜𝑑 = viscosity of the dead oil as measured at 14.7 psia and reservoir
temperature, 𝑐𝑝
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𝑇 = temperature, 𝑅 𝑜
Where:
𝑚 = 2.6 × 𝑃1.187 × 10𝑎 ……………………………………2.22
With
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