-.

A Viscosity-Temperature Correlation at Atmospheric

Pressure for Gas-Free Oils
W.

B. BRADEN

MEMBER

AIME

ABSTRACT
lhis paper presents a suitable method for predicting
.qas-jrce oil iiscositim at tenzprra?nres np to 500F knowing only the API gravity of the oil at 60F and the viscosity oj the oil measured at any relatively low tentperarlwe. The API gravity und the one viscosity value are
IIsed as parameters to deter tnittethe ilOpe of a straight
line on the ASTM s!andard viscosity -tetnperatare churt.
Then. I(nowing the dope of the line and one point on
the
line, tltc~ viscosities at higher temperatures can be deIwl]irzed. TIze line slope correlations were developed at
100 und 210F since viscosity data are jreq[{ently n~ertstired lit these tetnperat[wes. A procedare is given for
predicting line slopes frot~l }neasmetnents at other tenlperat[tres. A notno~ral]r is jwni.rhed for solving the relationship.
The correlation has been evaltlated at tem,veratares up
ro 500F for oils varying in gravity from 10 to 33 API.
The corre:ltion is applicable only to Newtottian ,fluicis.
Cotnpurison at 500F o.f trne viscosities attd tilose predic(ed from ~wlnes at IOOF shows an average deviation
of .?.o per cen[ (nlaxinlut}~ [ieviation of 15.O per cent)Preclictions from the valnes at 21OF jor the same oils
.sitow atI avera,qe deviation of 1.5 per cent (wa.rimr(m
tielialion of 3.4 percent).

INTRODUCTION
Correlations have been developed by Beal and by
Chew and Connally: for predicting viscosities of gassaturated oils at reservoir conditions. Each of these correlations requires a knowledge of the solution gas-oil ratio
and the viscosity of the gas-free oil at the reservoir ternperature. For temperatures below 350F, measurements of
the gas-free oil viscosities can bc made easily using conlmercial[y available equipment, In thermal recovery processes, however, reservoir temperatures well in excess of
350F are encountered. Viscosity measurements at such
conditions are more ditllcult and time consuming and require modification of existing equipment or the construction of new equipment. Measurements are further complicated by the difficulty of handling higi+y viscous oils
associated with thermal recovery processes. Therefore,
it is desirable to have a correlation which allows accurate
prediction of viscosities at high temperatures.
A commonly used technique for predicting viscosities
Original manuscript received in Society of Petroleum Engineers office
July 8, 1966. Revised mnnuscril>t received SeDt, 30, 1966. Paver (SPE
1580) WRSpresented at SPE .IIst Annual Fall Meeting held in D.nljas.
Tex., Oct. Z-5, 1966. OCoI]y,<ight 1966 Americlln Institute of Mlnlng.
Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers, Inc.
preferences given at end of paper.

TEXACO,
8EL1AIRE,

INC.
TEX.

at high temperatures is to measure the viscosities at

two lower temperatures, plot the values on ASTM standard viscosity-temperature charts and extrapolate to the
temperatures desired. If either of the values is slightiy
in error, the extrapolated value can be significantly in
error. To justify an extrapolation, three points are actually
necessary. This procedure can consume tnuch time, particularly with heavy oils.
Considering the cost of viscosity measurements. it
would be desirable to eliminate the need for direct measurements by having correlations which would allow viscosity predictions from other physical or chemical properties. Bcal investigated the possibi[i[y of correlating
viscosity with oil gravity at temperatures from 100 to
220F. While showing that a general relationship exists.
he also found significant deviations. It is possible that
correlations will be developed based on oil composition
as more information becomes available.
While not ~liminating the need for viscosity measurements, the method presented herein requires that only
one viscosity measurement be rnadc. The API gravity
must also be known. The theory is based on the fact
that the viscosity of paraffins (high gravity) changes
less with temperature than does the viscosity of naphthenes or aromatics (low gravity). The gravity, therefore,
is used as a parameter to determine :he slope of a straight
line on the ASTM standard viscosity-temperature charts.
The correlation is applicable only to Newtonian oils, and
deviations due to thermaI decomposition and nonhomogeneity cannot be predicted. Oils containing additives
have not been evaluated.
PROCEDURE
Fifteen oils were used in developing the correlation:
eight were crudes and seven were processed oils. Oil
gravities varied from 9.9 API (naphthene base) to 32.7
API (paraffin base). The temperature range studied was
81 to 516F. Each oil used had a minimum of three
viscosity measurements and each plotted essentially as a
straight line on the ASTM charts. In ail, 91 viscosity
measurements were used in the correlation, Saybolt, roHing ball and capillary tube viscometers were used for the
measurements. Viscosity data for Samples 1, 2, 4, 7, 10,
11 and 14 were obtained irr Texaco, Inc. laboratories.
The data for Samples 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 12 and 15 were from
Fortsch and Wilsort~ and data for Sample 13 were
from Dean and Lane.
All data points used in the correlation are plotted in
Fig. 1. It is seen that some of the viscosity values deviated slightly from the straight-line plots at the higher
temperatures, Properties of the oils after exposure to the
1ISti

higher temperatures were not available; therefore, no attempt was made to explain these deviations.
All values used in constructing or evaluating the correlation were taken from the straight lines in Fig. 1
and will be referred to as true viscosities as distinguished from measured viscosities, Slopes of the lines
were determined using the true viscosities at 100 and
2 10F with the following equation (the straight-line equation for the ASTM standard viscosity-temperature charts):
loglog(v

+a)+Alog(T+460)=B

This can be written in the two-point form of the equation

with the elimination of B as follows:
T, + 460
log (s/, + a,) = =4=
log (P, + u,),
[1
where v = kinematic viscosity, centistokes

(2)

CY

(1)

parameter having a value of about 0.6

above 1.5 centistokes; the value varies in
a compIex manner with viscosity below 1.5
cent istokes

100,0

20,0
I 0,0
5,0
2,0
I ,0
5
3
2
I
(n
WI

100

75

0
t--

50

~
30

tz
w
0

20
.

15

,n

t%

$
s
v
F
a
z

0
\
>

w
z
;

b
\
\
\ b~
L

\
\

I
60

100

I 20

140

160

180

200

240

280

TEMPERATURE~lEGREES

320

360

400

440

480

520

FAHRENHEIT

LEGEND

l,e-CALIFORIAIA CRUDE
2. A-

COLOMBIAN CRUDE

3.cI-UIDCOHTIHENTRESIOUUH
4. v-CALIFORNIACRUDE
5.~-MIOCONTINENTCYLINDER
STOCK
6.0- MIDCONTINENT
HEAYYMOTOROIL
?. -GULF COAST CRUOE
8. o-NORTH LOUISIANA
HEAVYCRUDE

(24.OAPI)
(9.9API) 9.Q- HIDCONTINENT
RED OIL
(10.9API)
10, - SOUTHTEXAS CRUDE
(IT.8API)
(20.5API)
(14.5
API) lliu- 6ULF COAST CRUDE
(13.4
API) 12.A- MIDCONTINENT
LIGHTPARAFFINOIL (26,7API)
VACUUM DISTILLATE (32.7
API)
(22,9:
API) 13.0- PENNSYLVANIA
(23.5,
API) 14.Q- WYOMIN6CRUDE
(21.4
API)
PRESSED DISTILLATE
(29.2API)
(15.1API) 15.v- NIDCONTINENT
(18.3
API)

vs TEMPERATURE
DATA.
I%. IVJSCOSITY
I.lllft

]OinsAl.
OF PETI{ OI.KIN
fIEc IIxu I.o I;\

A = negative slope of the line

TASLE

For The Nine

(Samples

T = temperature, F
WO$

made,

was predlded,

The correlation was then developed by plotting the

viscosities at 100 and 210F vs API gravities at 60F. Lines
of constant A (negative line slope) were drawn to fit
the pIottaf points. The results (Figs. 2 and 3) allow
determination of line slope for any oil knowing only the
viscosity at 100 or 21OF since viscosity data are usuafly
available at these temperatures. A procedure is given in
the next section for predicting viscosities from measurements at other temperatures, In Fig. 4, a nomogram is
provided which takes into account the variation of a, and
it should be used when viscosities below 1.5 centistokes
are encountered.
USE OF THE CORRELATION
To predict a viscosity knowing the viscosity value at
either 100 or 21oF, the following procedure is used:
(1) find A from Figs. 2 or 3; and (2) use the nomogram in Fig. 4 to find the viscosity.
To predict a viscosity when a viscosity other than
100 or 21OF is known, the following procedure can be
used: (1) on the nomogram, use A=4.O and find the
viscosity at either 100 or 21OF, whichever is closer; (2)
from Figs. 2 or 3 make a second approximation to A;
(3) repeat Steps 1 and 2 using the new A until the
value of A becomes constant; and (4) use the nomogram to find the viscosity.

v-.)

CORRELATION

I 00,0

100.0

210.0

210.0

500.0

$00.0

Tnmperatweotwhich viscosity

log = logarithm to the base 10.

,.,

OF THE

More VISCOUS 011s

1 lhro.gh 9]

Temperaturefrc.m which predlcli.an

B = ordinate intercept

105

1EVALUATION

Moxlmum
deviation
from trcm value
temperature,
percent

at predicted

Average devlctfion from true value otprad!cted

temper.atwe,
per cent

8.8

6.0

3.4

3.1

3.0

1.5

For The Six less Viscous 011s

(Samples
10 Ihm.gh
15]
Tamperotvre
from which
WES made,
F
Temperature
at which
wcs predicted,
F

pr.adicf ien

100.0

100.0

210.0

210.0

300.0

300,0

viscwity

M.axlmum deviation
from frue VOIUW at predicted
temperature,
percent
Average deviation
from twevolue
temperature,
percent

5.4

4<5

2,s

I .s

2.3

0,8

atp,edlcted

Use of the nomogram is illustrated by a s~mple problem in Fig, 4, It should be noted that kinematic viscosity
with units of centistokes is used throughout, The absolute
viscosity with units of centipoises is related to kinematic
viscosity by the equation p, = up,, where p. = oil viscosity, .cp; v = oil viscosity, centistokes; and p,, = oil density
at oil temperature, gin/cc, The density can be obtained
from direct measurement or from correlations such as
that of Katz by knowing the API gravity and the temperature.
Use of the correlation should be limited to those oils
with gravities greater than 10 API, and predictions should
be limited to 500F since no evaluations have been made
beyond these limits.

i03=

t.

10

I,

40
GRAVITY, API
I%, 2DETERMINATIONOF A

Nft VEMfl

ER,

1966

AT

100II.

10
[)(:.

1
20
GRAVITY, API
&I)IHMHUINATION

OF

I
30
AT

I
40

210F.
148!s

*-

.-

,n7

SAMPLE
GIVZN.

,06

,05

TO

PROBLEM
VISCOSITY

:100

.
GRAVITY
FIND:
VISCOSITY

CSTK
500e

(Q3

to
g

+
g
1;
*

Ioz

I
--

----

550

PROCEDURE:

104

,~OAp,

AT

q 600

4,3

1000F

AT

I. FINO FROM
FIGURE
2 ,A=4.00
2. CONNECT
A~4.00
TO T:IOQ
3. CONNECT
THE
INTERSECTION
WITH
M TO v :100
4. MARK
THE INTERSECTION
WITH

4,2

,/
,/

/1

.--

,/

4.1

5.?ONNECT
A:4.00
TO T=500
6, CONNECT
THE INTERSECTION
WITH M TO THE MARK ON B
7.;:;tAD
TO u AND READ L06

//
/

500

450

<0

-..

=.
--.

,
--II

\
\

\
=.9

\
---,
---

\
3.B

! 1
\

3.7

200

150

3.6

100

3.5

FIC. 4--NOMOGRAM fSol.lrrmN

EVALUATION

OF THE CORRELATION

The deviations of predicted values from the true values

obtained from the straight-line plots in Fig. 1 were calculated for the 15 oils used in the correlation. The viscosities of a[l the oils were predicted at 21OF from the
100F value and the deviations from the true values at
21OF were calculated. Viscosities at 500F (for those oils
over 1 centistoke at SOOF) or 300F were predicted
from the values measured at 100 and 21OF, Deviations
from the true values were also calculated. A summary of
the maximum and average deviations is presented in
Table 1. It is seen that there is little change in the deviations if the 100F point is selected and predictions
are made at 210, 300 or 500F. However, the deviations
can be decreased somewhat by using the 21OF value to
make the 300 and 500F predictions.
CONCLUSIONS
1. The correlation presented herein allows suitable predictions of gas-free oil viscosities knowing the API gravityand the viscosity atone temperature.
2. The correlation should be restricted to oils with
gravities greater than 10 API.
3. Prediction of viscosities using this method should
he limited to 500F.

149N

OFh. 1).

4. The correlation should be applied in temperature

ranges where the oils are Newtonian.
5. The effects of thermal decomposition,
neity and additives were notconsidercd.

nonhomoge-

AcKNOWLEDGMENTS
The author wishes to thank Texaco, Inc. for permission 10 publish this paper. Appreciation is also extended
to the personnel at Texaco BelIaire Laboratories who

supplied experimental data and helpful suggestions.

RlilWRftNCf;S
I.miii.
(:.: Thr Jisrmity of Air, \\atrx, IWurul (k,
and Its AswwiutrdGaws at Oil Field Ten]pvralurrw
sum, Tram,, AlMl? (1946) 165, 94.115.
~orrclntion
and
Connally. C.: A fisrosity
SLrtrrrmted Crude Oil.. Trans., AIME (1959) 216,

2. CIIW, J.

3. FoJ@r}l, A. R, and Wikon, R. E: The Viscosity

High Temperatures,
M. & Eng. Chert,. (1924)
4,11ron, K. \{. :ind Lirnr, F. }1.: Viwosity
of I:rartions of Typical Amrrictm (hdr!
C/tcrN.

for Gus

23.25.

of Oils at
16, 789.

Tmprmture
oils, htd.

Curve+
&

fhg.

(1921) 13, 779.

5, Kntz, D. L.: I>redictionof

&Prod.

Crud,, Oil
tinrf Pres.

Pr,/c., API (1942)

the ShrinkuJw of (lwde

137.

JOIJR~AJ, oJr

PET~OJ.F:IJM

Oils, LJrilL

rrECJJXOJ.

OGY