Unit Conversions

Dr. Dung T Tran

Fall 2021
HCM University of Technology
Purpose
• Introduce/Review some of the most common SI &
Field units encountered in the oil & gas industry
and their relationship

• Introduce:
• Introduction to Engineering
• Introduction to Petroleum Engineering
• Review:
• other GE courses
Units RATE,
VELOCITY
Volumetric rate

AREA Work, energy

• Length [L]
Pressure, Stress
ACCELERATION
• Time [T]
FORCE
• Mass [M] Density

• Temperature

• Amount of substance VOLUME

Others
 Multiple of units Designation
SI

Field Exceptions
Amount Symbol Examples
103 M Mscf, Mstb
106 MM MMscf, MMstb, MMBTU
109 B Bscf, Bstb
 1. Length (symbols: l, d, h, r, w)
• SI: Field:
• Base unit is meter (m)
• meter multiples: 1 in = 0.0254 m
• km, m, cm, mm, nm 1 ft = 12 in = 0.3048 m
1 yd = 3 ft (= 0.9144 m)
1 mi = 5280 ft (~1.609 km)

*Nautical mile (used in law, marine navigation) is different: 1 nmi = 1852 m

2. Time (symbol: t)
SI & Field Units
• Base: Second (s)
• Derivatives:
• ms
• ms
• 1 min = 60 s
• 1 hr = 60 mins (3.6x103s)
• 1 day = 24 hrs (a.w.a. 1 d = 8.64x104 s)
• 1 month ~= 30.4 days (also written as 1 mo)
• 1 yr = 12 mos = 365 days (or ~365.25 days)
 3. Mass (symbol: m)
SI: Field:
• Base: kilogram (kg) • Base: “pound mass”
• Derivatives: (lbm or lbm)
▪ g, mg
▪ (metric) tone (or tonne) 1 lbm ≈ 0.45359237 kg (~453.6g)
1 ton = 1000 kg
• Derivatives:
▪ Ounce:
16 oz = 1 lbm
▪ (US short) ton:
1 US short ton = 2000 lbm
 4. Amount of substance (symbol: n)
SI:
• mole (mol)
Number of particles in 12 g of 12C
1 mole has 6.02214076×1023 particles
(Avogadro number NA)
Related parameter:
Molecular Weight (or MW)
unit: (g/mol)
Field:
• pound mole (lbmol)
Number of particles in 12 lbm of 12C
•Thus the Molecular Weight (MW)
of a substance in Field Units will
has the same numerical value as in
SI unit, but the unit of MW is
(lbm/lb mol)

Mass of a Substance
m (g) = MW (g/mol) * n (mol) OR m (lbm) = MW (lbm/lbmol)* n (lb mol)

→ lbmol/mol = lbm/g = 453.6

 റ 𝑁, 𝑇,W…)
5. Force (symbol 𝐹,
SI: Field:
• Base: Newton (N) • Base: “pound force” (lbf or lbf)
1 N = 1 kg.m/s2
• Derivatives: 1 lbf = 32.174 lbm ft/s2
▪ mN
▪ dyne
𝑙𝑏𝑚 . 𝑓𝑡 0.45359237 𝑘𝑔 0.3048 𝑚 1𝑁
1𝑙𝑏𝑓 = 32.174 ∗
𝑠2 1 𝑙𝑏𝑚 1 𝑓𝑡 1 𝑘𝑔. 𝑚. 𝑠 −2

1 𝑙𝑏𝑓 = 4.4482 𝑁

Your body mass is 60 kg (132 lbm), then your weight (on Earth) is
60 kg *9.81 m/s2 = 590 N or
1𝑙𝑏𝑓
132 lbm∗32.174 ft/s2∗ = 132 lbf
32.174 𝑙𝑏𝑚 𝑓𝑡/𝑠 2
 Molecular Weight?? lbm <> lbf ??
• Technically, “weight” is not a Mass unit, but a Force
• Your body mass is 60 kg (132 lbm), then your weight (on Earth) is
• 60 kg *9.81 m/s2 = 590 N and …132 lbm* 32.174 ft/s2 = 132 lbf
• On Mars (or the Moon), your Weight will decrease (as the
gravitational acceleration is lower), your Mass does not!
• But in colloquial English, we say “my weight is 60kg;”“I
weigh 132 pounds” “That car weighs 3 tons”, etc.
not “I have a mass of 60 kg” nor “I weigh 590 N”

So keep that in mind, & don’t get confused

In Vietnamese, MW is translated to “khối lượng phân tử”
which is very clear of the unit.
However, lbf and lbm are not distinguished in Vietnamese
 6. Temperature (symbol: T)
SI: Field:
• Base: Kelvin (K) • Base: degree Rankine (°R)
• Derivatives: scale: 1.8°R = 1 K
▪ Degree Celcius (°C) absolute: 0 K = 0 °R
scale: 1 °C = 1 K
absolute: K = °C + 273.15 • Derivatives:
▪ Degree Fahrenheit (°F)
Scale: 1°F = 1°R = (5/9) K
Absolute: °F = °R + 459.67
°F = °C/1.8 + 32
We say:
▪ at atmospheric pressure, water freezes (or melts)
at 273.15 K, 0 °C, 32°F or 491.67°R
▪ 0 K or 0°R is absolute zero temperature (molecules stop moving)
 7. Area (symbol: A)
SI: Field:
• 1 ft2 =(0.3048 m)2 (~0.0929 m2)
• Base: m2
• Derivatives: • 1 in2 = (1/144) ft2 =(0.0254 m)2
▪ km2, hectare (ha)
▪ cm2, mm2 •Acre:
▪ mm2 •1 ac = 43560 ft2 (~4047 m2)

•640 ac = 1 mi2 (1 section)

•36 sections = 1 township

US rural land from above
(Image credit: NASA)

Big Circles: 1 mile in diameter

Small Circles: 0.5 mile in diameter
 8. Volume (symbol: V)
SI: Field:
• Base: m3 • Base: ft3 (or cf)
• Derivatives: 1ft3 = (0.3048)3 m3 = 123 in3
▪ dm3 (a.w.a. liter or L) 1 m3 ≈ 35.315 ft3
▪ cm3 (a.w.a. cc)
• Derivatives:
▪ 1 gal = 231 in3 (~3.785 L)
▪ 42 gal = 1 bbl ≈ 5.6146 ft3
▪ 1 bbl ≈ 0.159 m3
Or 1 m3 = 6.29 bbl

To specify volumes measured at standard conditions, we write: scf, sm3, STB

To specify volumes measured at reservoir conditions, we write: rcf, rm3, res.bbl or RB
 9. Work, energy (symbol W)
SI:
• Base: Joule (J) Field:
1 J = 1 N.m = 1 kg. m2. s-2 • Base: British Thermal Unit (BTU)
= 1 Pa. m3 = 1 W.s 1 BTU ≈ 1055 J
= 1 Ω.A2.s = 1 C.V • also, 1 lbf-ft ≈ 1.356 J

• Derivatives:
▪ kiloWatt hour (kWh)
1 kWh = 3.6*106 J
▪ (small/gram) calorie (cal)
1 cal = 4.184 J
1 kcal = 4.184 kJ
▪ erg = 10-7 J
 10. Pressure, stress (symbols: p, s)
SI: Field:
• Base: Pascal (Pa) • Base: pound force per squared inch
1 Pa = 1 N/m2= 1kg m-1 s-2 145.04 psi ≈ 1 MPa
• Derivatives: 14.696 psi ≈ 1 atm
▪ MPa, GPa Derivatives:
▪ bar
1 lbf/ft2 = psi/144
1 bar = 105 Pa
▪ atmosphere (atm)
1 atm = 101325 Pa

There are gauge and absolute pressures. We denote the pressures as psig & psia, respectively.
For measurements on Earth surface: pabs – pgauge ≈ 14.7 psi
 11. Density (symbol: r )
SI: Field:
• Base: kg/m3 • Base: lbm/ft3
1 lbm/ft3≈ 16.0185 kg/m3
• Derivatives: 1 g/cc ≈ 62.43 lbm/ft3
▪ g/cc • Derivatives:
1 g/cc = 1 g/cm3 = 1000 kg/m3 ▪ lbm/gal (a.w.a. ppg)
1 ppg ≈ 0.11983 g/cc
or 8.33 ppg ≈ 1.0 g/cc
 Exercise 1: Real gas law: pV = znRT
SI Units: Field Units:
• p in Pascal (Pa) • Universal Constant
• V in m3 R = ? lbf.ft/(lbmol.°R)
• z is dimensionless []
• n in mol
• T in Kelvin (K)
• Universal Gas Constant
R = 8.3145 J /(mol.K)
Exercise 2: hydraulic pressure
• p = rgh
Derive the equation for p in psig; r in lbm/gal (a.w.a
ppg), and h in ft.
Exercise 3: Gas Formation volume
factor Bg
• Real Gas EOS: pV = znRT
• Bg is the ratio between gas volume at reservoir
conditions (p, T) and gas volume at standard
conditions (psc = 14.7 psia; Tsc = 60°F; zsc = 1.0)
• Bg = Vres/Vsc = (znRT/p) / (zscnRTsc/psc)
= zT/p * psc/(zsc*Tsc) =
 Exercise 4: OIIP & GIIP volumetric
calculations
• The volume of oil (and/or gas) initially (originally) in-
place (OIIP & GIIP) is one of the two main questions in
exploration and appraisal phases.
• Oil reservoirs: OIIP = A*h*f*(1-Sw)/Bo
• Gas reservoirs: GIIP = A*h*f *(1-Sw)/Bg
Calculate the needed dimensional constants of the two equations
so that OIIP is in STB, GIIP is in scf, A in acres, h in feet, f and Sw
are dimensionless, Bo in rb/STB, Bg in rcf/scf