Syllabus

Classification of reservoir fluids Students should be able to:

Phase diagram for multi Sketch and label a typical phase diagram
component for multi-components hydrocarbon system.
Characteristics of fluid types Compare types of reservoir fluids from the
- Blackoil phase diagram (dry gas, wet gas, gas
- Volatile oil condensate, retrograde gas,
- Retrograde gas undersaturated oil, saturated oil).
- Wet gas Describe the characteristics of reservoir
- Dry gas fluid type base on composition, API, GOR,
and physical appearance.
Multi-component System
Multi-component System
Multi-component System
 Reservoir Terminology

Saturated oil
- The reservoir contain gas and liquid phase.
- The oil region is inside the two-phase envelope.

Undersaturated oil
- The reservoir contain a single phase liquid.
- The region is outside the two-phase envelope.
 Reservoir Terminology

Non-associated free gas

- Gas reservoir, not in equilibrium with any liquid.
- The gas region is outside the two-phase envelope.

Associated free gas

- gas in the gas cap which is in equilibrium with its
liquid.
- The gas is at its dew point and the liquid is at its
bubble point.

Dissolved gas
- A single phase liquid passing through a two-phase
region will form liquid and gas phases.
- The gas is initially dissolved in the single phase
liquid.
 Black oil
• Also known as low shrinkage crude oil.
• Two-phase region covers a wide range
of pressure and the critical temperature
of the oil is higher than the reservoir
temperature.
• The vertical line 1- 2 - 3 indicates the
constant-temperature reduction in
pressure that occurs in the reservoir as
this crude oil is produced. The dash line
indicates the pressure-temperature
conditions as oil leaves the reservoir and
flows through the tubing to the
separator.
•If the initial reservoir pressure and temperature are at point 2 the oil is at its bubble
point and is said to be saturated. If the initial reservoir pressure and temperature are at
point 1 the oil is said to be undersaturated.
 Black oil
• As oil is removed from the reservoir
the pressure will decrease and point 3
will eventually be reached.
• At point 3 the fluid remaining in the
reservoir consists of 75 mole % liquid
and 25 mole % gas.
• The pressure and temperature in the
separator lies close to the bubble-point
line. It shows a fairly high percentage of
about 85 mole % of the produced oil
remains as a liquid at separator
conditions.
• Therefore this oil is called a low-shrinkage oil. This oil contains relatively more larger
hydrocarbon molecules.
• When produced, low-shrinkage oils usually yield GOR at the surface < 500 scf/STB with
oil gravities of 30°API or heavier. The produced liquid is usually black or deeply colored.
 Volatile oil
• Also known as high shrinkage crude oil.

• The phase diagram for a high-shrinkage

crude oil.

• The vertical line shows the path taken by

the constant temperature reduction in
pressure during production of this oil.

• Points 1 and 2 have the same meaning on

this diagram as the corresponding points in
Low-shrinkage crude oil.

• Notice that as pressure is reduced below the bubble point a large amount of gas is
formed.

• By the time the pressure has reached point 3 the reservoir contains about 40 mole %
liquid and 60 mole % gas.
Volatile oil
• Approximately 65% of the fluid
remains liquid at separator
conditions.

• This is considerably less liquid than

the low-shrinkage crude oil.

• This oil would contain relatively fewer

of the heavier molecules than the
low-shrinkage oil.

• The STO produced from reservoirs

containing high-shrinkage crude oils
are usually deeply colored with
gravities less than 50°API and GOR
less than 8000 scf/STB.
 Retrograde / Condensate Gas

• The reservoir temperature lies

between the critical point and the
cricondentherm of the reservoir fluid.

• About 25 mole % of the produced

fluid remains liquid at the surface.

• The liquid produced is called a

condensate or a gas-condensate and the
gas is called a condensate-gas.

• When the reservoir conditions are at point 1, a single phase exists in the reservoir.

• As reservoir pressure declines during production, retrograde condensation takes

place in the reservoir.
 Retrograde / Condensate Gas

• At point 2 a dew point occurs and

liquid begins to form. From points 2 to 3
the amount of liquid in the reservoir
increases.
• The maximum liquid occurs at a
pressure corresponding to point 3.
Further pressure reduction causes liquid
to revaporise.
• This mixture contain more lighter
hydrocarbons and fewer heavier
hydrocarbons than the high-shrinkage oil.
• GOR produced from condensate reservoirs can be as high as 70,000 scf/STB with
liquid gravities as high as 60°API.
• As reservoir is produced, GOR tends to increase due to loss of some heavy
components to the liquid formed in the reservoir. The STO is usually water-white or
slightly colored.
 Wet Gas
• The phase diagram of a hydrocarbon
mixture containing predominately smaller
hydrocarbon molecules positioned below
the reservoir temperature.

• The fluid exists as a gas throughout

the reduction in reservoir pressure.

• The conditions in the separator lie

within the two-phase region of the
mixture and therefore some liquid is
formed at the surface.

• This liquid is normally called condensate and the resulting gas is called condensate-gas
or natural gas.

• The wet gas refers to the fact that the gas contains some of the heavier hydrocarbon
molecule which under surface conditions form a liquid phase.
Wet Gas

• The gas at separator conditions

normally contains more of the
moderate-size hydrocarbons than the
dry gas.

• Sometimes this gas is processed to

separate and liquify the butane and
propane.

• Wet gases are characterized by

surface GOR up to 100,000 scf/STB.

• The associated stock-tank oils are

usually water-white with gravities
higher than 50°API.
 Dry Gas
• Both reservoir and separator conditions
lie outside the two-phase region for this
mixture.

• Dry gases produce no liquid at the

surface.

• Natural gas consists primarily of

methane with small amounts of ethane
and possibly propane and higher.

• No liquid will be formed in the reservoir

or at the surface and the gas is called a
natural gas.
• The fluid does not contain enough of the heavier hydrocarbon molecules to form a liquid
at surface conditions. Usually GOR greater than 100,000 scf/STB is considered to be a dry
gas.