SPE 68234 Adjustment of Differential Liberation Data to Separator Conditions

Muhammad A. Al-Marhoun, SPE, King Fahd U. of Petroleum and Minerals

Copyright 2001, Society of Petroleum Engineers Inc. This paper was prepared for presentation at the 2001 SPE Middle East Oil Show held in Bahrain, 1720 March 2001. This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE Program Committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents of the paper, as presented, have not been reviewed by the Society of Petroleum Engineers and are subject to correction by the author(s). The material, as presented, does not necessarily reflect any position of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, its officers, or members. Papers presented at SPE meetings are subject to publication review by Editorial Committees of the Society of Petroleum Engineers. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper for commercial purposes without the written consent of the Society of Petroleum Engineers is prohibited. Permission to reproduce in print is restricted to an abstract of not more than 300 words; illustrations may not be copied. The abstract must contain conspicuous acknowledgment of where and by whom the paper was presented. Write Librarian, SPE, P.O. Box 833836, Richardson, TX 75083-3836, U.S.A., fax 01-972-952-9435.

The oil that leaves the reservoir is flashed to the separator, necessitating that the solution gas oil ratio and the formation volume factor should be determined by a flash process. In order to calculate the combination fluid properties from standard data analysis, several assumptions were stipulated, but these assumptions limit the range of application. This paper describes a new method to adjust the differential liberation data to separator conditions. This method overcomes the disadvantages and limitations of the current method and come up with a correction procedure that results in a consistent physical trend. Reservoir Process In differential liberation process, gas is removed from oil as it is released from solution. While, in flash liberation process, gas remains in contact with oil. Generally, petroleum engineers consider that the liberation process in the reservoir more closely approaches a differential process. The fluid produced from the reservoir to the surface is considered to undergo a flash process. The actual liberation process in the reservoir is neither flash nor differential. In certain localities, the process is flash, and in others, the process is differential. In some other localities the process does not match either of them. A combination test proposed by Dodson2 is the closest to the reservoir process. At each step of differential liberation test, a sample is taken and flash liberated to obtain Rs, o, Bo, and g. Here it can be seen that all properties including the api are different at different pressures. Although this combination test or composite liberation is an improvement and closest to reservoir behavior, it does not match the actual reservoir behavior. The appendix to reference 3 explains the differential and flash processes, and their combination. From the combination test, it is justified to correct all the properties obtained by differential liberation test to flash liberation including g and o. Current Correction Procedures In the current correction method of calculating the combination fluid properties from standard data analysis, several assumptions were made. The most important of those assumptions as stipulated by Amyx et al.1 is: 1. The standard cubic feet of gas remaining in solution at reservoir conditions which will be

Abstract The actual reservoir process is neither flash nor differential. Thus, regardless of the testing procedure, some adjustment needs to be made to the resultant data to approximate the fluid behavior in the oil production process. The conventional method of adjustment extrapolates to negative values of solution gas-oil ratio and formation volume factor leads to values less than one at low pressure. Both extrapolations do not conform to the physical behavior. This is due to the fact that the conventional approach does not observe that the oil relative density at reservoir conditions is the same regardless of the process. This paper presents a new approach to the adjustment of differential liberation data to separator conditions. This approach is based on the fact that both flash and differential data should give the same value for the oil relative density at the reservoir conditions. This is achieved by correcting all the properties, i.e. solution gas-oil ratio, formation volume factor, gas relative density and oil relative density. The new method overcomes the disadvantages and limitation of the conventional approach. This method is tested on 400 PVT files from all over the world and the result is consistent with physical behavior. A sample calculation is presented to outline the new method. Introduction The differential solution gas-oil ratio is not the same as the flash solution gas-oil ratio as shown in Fig. 1. Similarly, the differential and flash oil formation volume factors are not the same as depicted in Fig. 2. Thus, regardless of the testing procedures - flash or differential, some correction needs to be made on the resultant data to approximate the fluid behavior in the oil production process.

MUHAMMAD A. AL-MARHOUN

SPE 68234

liberated upon producing that liquid to the separator by a flash liberation process is the difference between the original gas in solution and the differentially liberated gas corrected for the reservoir shrinkage of the fluid. The relationship between the formation volume factors of flash and differentially separated samples remains constant over the entire pressure range of interest. In equation form, the corrected differential solution gas oil ratio at pressures below bubble point pressure according to the first assumption mentioned above is as follows: Rs where Rs Rsbf Rsbd Rsd Bobf = solution gas oil ratio adjusted to separator conditions = bubble point solution gas oil ratio obtained from separator test = bubble point solution gas oil ratio obtained by differential liberation test = = differential solution gas oil ratio bubble point formation volume factor 2. = Rsbf - (Rsbd - Rsd)(Bobf / Bobd) (1) 2.

Bod = formation volume factor obtained by differential liberation test. Bo = formation volume factor adjusted to separator conditions. Implicitly, the adjusted differential formation volume factor at bubble point pressure is equal to the formation volume factor at bubble point pressure obtained from separator test. Bo = Bobf at P = Pb (4)

Disadvantages of current correction procedure The adjustment method used in the industry outlined above has several disadvantages: 1. At lower pressure, the solution gas-oil ratio extrapolates to negative values, which is unacceptable and does not conform to the physical trend. Actually, the following observation should be true: Rs 0 This is undoubtedly the result of ignoring the required adjustment in gas and oil relative densities. The gas liberated in differential liberation has a relative density, which increases with the decreasing pressure. The oil relative density for flash and differential are different. Despite the fact that reservoirs do not reach such low reservoir pressure, but the error is impeded in near low-pressure values. For the correction of formation volume factor, the value obtained at lower pressure leads to a value less than 1, which does not conform to the physical behavior. To overcome these problems, the range of applying the calculation procedure is limited to a pressure above 500 psia. This is not a solution to the problem, but a convenient way to dispel clear anomaly. Actually, the following observation should be true: Bo 1 When the values of corrected properties were utilized to calculate the live relative density at bubble point pressure, it does not agree with the flash live relative density at bubble point pressure. This problem is encountered due to an oversight in correcting oil and gas relative densities at standard conditions, as can be seen from the following equation: ob = (o+2.18 x 10-4 Rsb g) / Bob (5)

flashed through the separator to stock tank conditions. Bobd = bubble point formation liberated volume to stock factor tank

differentially conditions.

Implicitly, the adjusted differential solution gas-oil ratio at pressures above bubble point pressure is a constant equal to the solution gas-oil ratio at the bubble point obtained from separator test. Rs = Rsbf at P Pb (2)

3.

In equation form, the second assumption states that the adjusted differential formation volume factor at pressures below bubble point pressure is evaluated from a combination of differential vaporization data and separator test data as follows: Bo = Bod (Bobf Bobd) Where at P Pb (3)

The new method The new method of adjustment of the differential liberation data to the separator conditions is based on the following assumptions:

SPE 68234

ADJUSTMENT OF DIFFERENTIAL LIBERATION DATA TO SEPARATOR CONDITIONS

1.

All the parameters of the differential liberation at bubble point are corrected to bubble point parameters obtained by flash liberation. The considered parameters include gas-oil ratio, formation volume factor, and oil and gas relative densities. 2. All the parameters of the last differential liberation stage to the atmospheric pressure do not need any correction. This is considered as a flash liberation. 3. The properties between bubble point pressure and atmospheric pressure is proportionally adjusted. The parameters that are to be adjusted from the differential liberation data to the separator test are gas-oil ratio, formation volume factor, oil relative density, and gas relative density. The adjusted differential solution gas-oil ratios at pressures below bubble point are evaluated from the following equation: Rsi = Rsdi (Rsbf / Rsbd) (6)

The adjusted differential formation volume factor at pressures below bubble point pressure are evaluated from the following equation: Boi = Bobf + ci (Bodn - Bobf) Where, ci = (Bobd - Bodi) / (Bobd - Bodn) (8) (7)

The adjusted differential gas relative density at pressures below bubble point is evaluated from the following equation: gi = gf + di (gd - gf) n-1 Where, di = (gd - gd ) / (gd - gd )
1 i 1 n-1

(9)

(10)

Where, gd

n-1

is the gas relative density at the lowest

pressure with Rs-value that is not equal to zero. The adjusted differential oil relative density and API oil gravity at pressures below bubble point pressure are evaluated from the following equations: oi = of + ci (od - of) apii = 141.5 / oi - 131.5 (11)

(12)

Results and Discussion The new method of adjusting the differential liberation data to the separator condition has been tested on 400 PVT files from

all over the world and the result is consistent with physical behavior. The detailed results of an example for one experimental data set taken from a PVT file given in Table 1 are presented in Tables 2-6. Table 2 presents the adjustment of solution gas-oil ratio curve to the separator conditions. Columns 1 and 2 in Table 2 are from Table 1. Column 3 is calculated from Eq. 1 and column 4 is calculated from Eq. 6. Figure 3 shows the three curves, differential data, the current correction method Eq. 1, and the new method Eq. 6. At the bubble point, the values obtained at both new and current methods are equal to the bubble point value obtained from flash liberation. At atmospheric pressure, both the differential liberation value and the value obtained from the new method are the same and equal to zero. This is the expected value while the current correction procedure results in negative value, which is considered to be wrong. The new method adjusts the data between bubble point and atmospheric pressure proportionally according to Eq. 6. Table 3 presents the adjustment of oil formation volume factor to the separator conditions. Columns 1 and 2 in Table 3 are from Table 1. Column 3 is calculated from Eq. 3 and column 4 is calculated from Eq. 7. Figure 4 compares the three curves, differential data, current correction method Eq.3, and the new approach Eq.7. From the figure, at the bubble point, both the new method and the current correction method are the same and it equals to the bubble point value obtained from the flash liberation. At the atmospheric pressure, the value obtained from both the differential liberation and the new method are the same. This is for the reason that the last differential step is similar to a flash liberation. The data between the two end-points are corrected proportionally according to Eq. 7. The current correction method gives values for oil formation volume factor lower than the values obtained from the differential liberation at the atmospheric pressure, which can not be explained rationally. Table 4 presents the adjustment of gas relative density curve to the separator conditions. Columns 1 and 2 in Table 4 are from Table 1. Column 3 is the same as the differential values, since the current practice does not adjust the gas relative density, while it takes the differential value. Column 4 is calculated from Eq. 9. Figure 5 shows the two curves. One of them shows the differential data, and the other curve indicates the new correction method for gas relative density according to Eq. 9. The value at the bubble point for the new method is the same as that of the bubble point value obtained from the flash liberation. At the lowest pressure where Rs > 0, the gas relative density is the same as the differential data. This is due to the consideration that at the last step in pressure reduction down to atmospheric pressure, the differential liberation is a flash liberation. Equation 9 calculates the values of gas relative density between the bubble point and the lowest pressure proportionally. Table 5 presents the adjustment of oil relative density curve to the separator conditions. Columns 1 and 2 in Table 5 are from Table 1. Column 3 is the same as column 2 because

MUHAMMAD A. AL-MARHOUN

SPE 68234

the current practice takes the differential values without correction. Column 4 is calculated from Eq. 11. Figure 6 shows the two curves of the differential data and the new correction method for oil relative density based on Eq. 11. It is noticeable that, at bubble point pressure, the new method assumes the flash value as the adjusted value. At atmospheric pressure, the new method takes the differential value as the adjusted value. The atmospheric pressure differential step is considered to be a flash liberation. Equation 11 calculates the values of oil relative density between bubble point and atmospheric pressure proportionally. The correction of oil relative density at different pressures is sound because if oil samples at different pressures were flashed to atmospheric pressure, different API gravity would result. Table 6 presents the calculated live oil relative density at different reservoir pressures. Columns 1 and 2 in Table 6 are from Table 1. Column 3 is calculated using Eq. 5 with current method adjusted parameters. Column 4 is the new approach values using Eq. 5 with corrected parameters. Figure 7 shows that the new approach is the same as the flash liberation value for the live oil relative density at the bubblepoint pressure and reservoir temperature. At atmospheric pressure, the value based on the new approach value for the live oil relative density is the same as the differential liberation calculated value. The current method of correction failed to match the bubble point and the atmospheric values. Conclusions 1. A new method to adjust differential liberation data to separator test is outlined and tested on numerous experimental data sets and the method is found to give the right physical trend. 2. The new method gives the correct oil relative density at reservoir conditions when the adjusted data are used while the current method of correction fails to give the right oil relative density at reservoir conditions. 3. The new method successfully gives the expected values for all the PVT properties at both bubble point and atmospheric pressures while the current method succeeded in some and fails in other cases. Nomenclature Bo Bob Bobd Bobf Bod = oil formation volume factor, bbl/STB [res m /stock-tank m ] = = bubble point oil formation volume factor bubble point formation volume factor
3 3

ci di api g gd gf o od of ob op P Pb Rs Rsb Rsbd Rsbf Rsd

= = = = =

variable defined by Eq. 8 variable defined by Eq. 10 stock tank oil gravity, oAPI gas relative density (air = 1) gas relative density obtained by differential liberation test (air = 1)

gas relative density obtained from separator test (air = 1)

= =

oil relative density (water = 1) oil relative density obtained by differential liberation test (water = 1)

oil relative density obtained from separator test (water = 1)

= =

bubble point oil relative density (water = 1) oil relative density at pressure P and reservoir temperature (water = 1)

= = =

pressure, psia (kPa) bubble point pressure, psia (kPa) solution gas-oil ratio, SCF/STB [std m3/stocktank m3]

= =

solution gas-oil ratio at bubble point pressure bubble point solution gas-oil ratio obtained by differential liberation test

bubble point solution gas-oil ratio obtained from separator test

solution gas-oil ratio obtained by differential liberation test

Subscripts i ith differential stage n d f number of stages in the differential liberation test differential liberation test flash liberation test

differentially liberated to stock tank conditions. = bubble point formation volume factor flashed through the separator to stock tank conditions. = formation volume factor obtained by differential liberation test.

References 1. Amyx, J. W., Bass, D. M., and Whitting, R. L., "Petroleum Reservoir Engineering," McGraw-Hill Book Co., Inc., New York (1960) 395. 2. Dodson, C.R., Goodwill, D., and Mayer, E.H., "Application of Laboratory PVT Data to Reservoir

SPE 68234

ADJUSTMENT OF DIFFERENTIAL LIBERATION DATA TO SEPARATOR CONDITIONS

3.

4.

Engineering Problems," AIME Trans., Vol. 198, 1953. Moses, P. L., "Engineering Applications of Phase Behavior of Crude Oil and Condensate System," JPT (July 1986), 715-723. Carlson, M. R., "Tips, Tricks and Traps of Material Balance Calculations," Journal of Canadian Petroleum Technology (December 1997), Vol. 36, No. 11, pp. 34-48 = o (unit-less) = m3 =o m3 = C = kPa

SI Metric Conversion Factors 141.5/(131.5+ api) bbl x 1.589 873 E + 01 3 ft x 2.831 685 E 02 o ( F + 40)/1.8 40 psi x 6.894 757 E + 00

Table 3: Adjustment of Oil Formation Volume Factor Curve to Separator Conditions. Current Pressure Diff. Data Correction New (psia) Curve Method Approach 2079 1.342 1.2890 1.2890 1815 1.316 1.2640 1.2678 1615 1.296 1.2448 1.2514 1415 1.274 1.2237 1.2335 1215 1.255 1.2054 1.2180 1015 1.235 1.1862 1.2016 815 1.213 1.1651 1.1837 615 1.192 1.1449 1.1665 415 1.171 1.1248 1.1494 215 1.145 1.0998 1.1281 115 1.126 1.0815 1.1126 15 1.053 1.0114 1.0530

No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Flash

Table 1: Differential and Flash Data. Pressure Bod Rsd g api 2079 1815 1615 1415 1215 1015 815 615 415 215 115 15 2079 1.342 1.316 1.296 1.274 1.255 1.235 1.213 1.192 1.171 1.145 1.126 1.053 1.289 586 524 477 426 381 334 283 235 187 131 92 0 526 0.9336 0.9607 0.9859 1.019 1.0551 1.1017 1.1673 1.2503 1.3651 1.5553 1.742 0 0.8024

op 0.718362 0.725318 0.730938 0.737369 0.742957 0.748982 0.755805 0.762440 0.768937 0.776587 0.781273 0.802257 0.718639

36.0 38.1

Table 4: Adjustment of Gas Relative Density Curve to Separator Conditions. Current Pressure Diff. Data Correction New (psia) Curve Method Approach 2079 0.9336 0.9336 0.8024 1815 0.9607 0.9607 0.8339 1615 0.9859 0.9859 0.8632 1415 1.0190 1.0190 0.9017 1215 1.0551 1.0551 0.9436 1015 1.1017 1.1017 0.9978 815 1.1673 1.1673 1.0740 615 1.2503 1.2503 1.1705 415 1.3651 1.3651 1.3039 215 1.5553 1.5553 1.5250 115 1.7420 1.7420 1.7420

Table 2: Adjustment of Solution Gas Oil Ratio Curve to Separator Conditions. Current Correction New Pressure Diff. Data Method Approach (psia) Curve 2079 586 526.0 526.0 1815 524 466.4 470.3 1615 477 421.3 428.2 1415 426 372.3 382.4 1215 381 329.1 342.0 1015 334 284.0 299.8 815 283 235.0 254.0 615 235 188.9 210.9 415 187 142.8 167.0 215 131 89.0 117.6 115 92 51.5 82.6 15 0 -36.9 0.0

Table 5: Adjustment of Oil Relative Density Curve to Separator Conditions. Current Correction New Pressure Diff. Data Method Approach (psia) Curve 2079 0.8448 0.8448 0.8343 1815 0.8448 0.8448 0.8353 1615 0.8448 0.8448 0.8360 1415 0.8448 0.8448 0.8368 1215 0.8448 0.8448 0.8375 1015 0.8448 0.8448 0.8382 815 0.8448 0.8448 0.8390 615 0.8448 0.8448 0.8397 415 0.8448 0.8448 0.8405 215 0.8448 0.8448 0.8414 115 0.8448 0.8448 0.8421 15 0.8448 0.8448 0.8448

MUHAMMAD A. AL-MARHOUN

SPE 68234

Table 6: Calculated Live Oil Relative Density at Reservoir Temperature. Current Pressure Diff. Data Correction New (psia) Curve Method Approach 2079 0.718362 0.738425 0.718639 1815 0.725318 0.745606 0.726285 1615 0.730938 0.751376 0.732399 1415 0.737369 0.757943 0.739328 1215 0.742957 0.763601 0.745360 1015 0.748982 0.769645 0.751817 815 0.755805 0.776390 0.759056 615 0.762440 0.782806 0.766021 415 0.768937 0.788848 0.772794 215 0.776587 0.795561 0.780530 115 0.781273 0.799180 0.785084 15 0.802257 0.835243 0.802257
600 Formation volume factor (bbl/STB) 1 .40 1 .35 1 .30
B o Diff . Data Curve

Solution gas - oil ratio (SCF/STB)

500

400

Rs Diff. Data Curve

1 .25 1 .20 1 .15 1 .10 1 .05

300

Rs Flash Data Curve

B o Flash Data Curve

200

100

0 15 415 815 1215 1615 Pressure (psi) 2015 2415

1 .00 15 415 815 1215 1615 Pressure (psi) 2015 2415

Fig. 1. Typical solution gas-oil ratio curves

Fig. 2. Typical oil formation volume factor curves

600
Diff. Data Curve

1 .4
Diff. Data Curve

Formation volume factor (bbl/STB)

Solution gas- oil ratio (SCF/STB)

500

Current Correlation Method The New Approach

Current Correlation Method The New Approach

400

1 .3

300

1 .2

200

100

1 .1

-100 15 315 615 915 1215 Pressure (psi) 1515 1815

1 15 315 615 915 1215 Pressure (psi) 1515 1815

Fig. 3. Adjustment of solution gas-oil ratio to separator conditions

Fig. 4. Adjustment of oil formation volume factor to separator conditions

SPE 68234

ADJUSTMENT OF DIFFERENTIAL LIBERATION DATA TO SEPARATOR CONDITIONS

1 .80 1 .70 1 .60 Gas relative density 1 .50 1 .40 1 .30 1 .20 1 .10
Diff. Data Curve Current Correlation Method The New Approach

0 .85

0 .85 Oil relative density

Diff. Data Curve Current Correlation Method

0 .84

The New Approach

0 .84 1 .00 0 .90 0 .80 15 315 615 915 1215 Pressure (psi) 1515 1815 0 .83 15 315 615 915 1215 Pressure (psi) 1515 1815

Fig. 5. Adjustment of gas relative density to separator conditions

Fig. 6. Adjustment of oil relative density to separator conditions

0 .84
Diff . Data Curve

0 .82 Live oil relative density

Current Correlation Method The New Approach

0 .80

0 .78

0 .76

0 .74

0 .72

0 .70 15 315 615 915 1215 Pressure (psi) 1515 1815

Fig. 7. Calculated live oil relative density at reservoir temperature