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Sampling, transfer and lab analysis of gas condensate reservoirs are not easy tasks even when fluid
under consideration is not near critical or the reservoir has a good permeability. This is primarily due to
the fact that we do not have any knowledge about the phase behavior of the fluid and the petrophysics
of the rock.
Single-phase sample capture and transfer is well documented but the integrity of the seals holding the
nitrogen cushion must be verified to avoid adsorption/desorption.
Permeability of the reservoir rock is a controlling factor for the local pressure drawdown and hence the
liquid build-up. Obtaining a gas sample in a layered reservoir with each layer having different
permeabilities do complicate the issue further.
Contrary to the well-shut-in for pressure build up for oil wells, it is not recommended to shut in the well
for gas reservoirs, as the liquid present in the tubing falls back to the near-well bore area and builds up
and accumulation.
Hence we ought to work with the worst scenario and consider the difficulties that may arise in each
case. I have enumerated the cases as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.


Under-saturated reservoir
Saturated reservoir
Two-phase flow conditions due to depletion
Well fluid contamination due to drilling mud
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If the well flowing pressure (pwf) was greater than the dew point pressure (pD) we would not expect
any major difficulties in collecting a reservoir fluid sample. The dew point pressure may be known
either from previous PVT analysis preformed on similar wells/reservoir with similar characteristics or
may be calculated from the fluid compositions if this information is available from a production scenario.
If the under saturation is not significant (near critical conditions) then a small pressure drop may result
in retrograde liquid drop out near the wellbore region and care must be taken to limit the pressure draw
down to minimum.
Well conditioning prior to sampling becomes an important exercise for obtaining a good sample.
Another aspect, which must be remembered while sampling condensate-gas wells, is the liquid hold up
in the tubing while producing. If the flow rates are reduced the liquid build up, which may have reached
an equilibration in the tubing, would cease and the condensate may fall back to the wellbore. There are
charts available in the literature and operating handbooks to compute the minimum flow rate that would
lift the condensate from the tubing. If water is present in the tubing then the liquid here implies the
summation of both hydrocarbons and water.
The only difficulty may rise in sample transfer from the single-phase sampling tool to a transport
container (bottle). It is clear that if the pressures are maintained throughout the sample retrieval

process that the fluid would possibly stay in entirely mono-phasic conditions, if the temperature drop
from reservoir to surface is not very significant.

p-T diagram of a gas condensate

On the other hand, if the sample temperature would drop considerably then any wax particles present in
the fluid may precipitate due to the cooling effect. It is known that in some wells the temperature
o
gradient could vary anywhere between 25-100 C depending on the annulus fluid and the wax may drop
in the sampling tool en route to the surface or at cooler winter temperatures.


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If the reservoir is saturated however, it is obvious that any minor pressure draw down would result in
liquid accumulation near the wellbore region and sub-surface sampler will collect a two-phase mixture,
which does not represent the original reservoir fluid compositionally.

p-T diagram of a gas condensate shifts as fluid losses heavy components

It must be remembered that in a saturated reservoir with low permeability the condensate build up may
not be avoided and as a general rule sub-surface sampling is not recommended. But if this is the only
mean available for collecting a sample then it must be remembered that PVT data from such a sample
will lead to higher dew point pressure and liquid saturations due to the excess liquid sampled.

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If the reservoir is depleted obtaining a single-phase gas sample is impossible due the two-phase flow
present in the reservoir rock. At these conditions two-phase flow stabilizes in near-wellbore region and
the relative permeability to gas, which is the primary flowing phase, drops dramatically. Near wellbore
liquid saturation can reach 40-60% of the pore volume and a subsequent gas permeability reduction of
0.05-0.2.

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If the well was recently drilled and has not been producing long enough, there is a possibility that the
well fluid is still contaminated with the OBM (oil based mud) utilized for drilling. This contamination
level may vary significantly depending on the type of OBM and other the well parameters.
If the OBM used is single-component synthetic oil, it is relatively easy to back up the real reservoir fluid
composition and PVT parameters using enhanced gas chromatography techniques and EoS models.
However, if mineral oils are used which are complex in chemical nature having several components
extracting the fluid composition and the PVT properties becomes difficult to impossible due to partial
miscibility of OBM in the reservoir fluid.

References:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Fevang O., Whitson C. H. SPE 28829, 1994

McCain W. D., Alexander R. A. SPERE, 358-362, 1992
Fevang O., Whitson C. H. Accurate in-situ compositions in petroleum reservoirs, 1994
Reffstrup J., H. Olsen North Sea oil and gas reservoirs-III, Kluwer academic press, 289-296, 1994.