p-T Phase Diagram of a Pure Substance

p-V Phase Diagram of a Pure Substance

Bubble Point Pressure (pb
or psat):
at a given temp., the
pressure at which appears
the first bubble of gas from
a single phase liquid.

Dew Point Pressure (pd or

psat):
at a given temp., the
pressure at which appears
the first drop of liquid from
a single phase gas.
p-V-T Diagram of a Pure Substance
p-V Diagram of a Binary System
p-T Diagram of a Binary System
pVT Experiment (simple, un-natural synthetic mixture)
General Phase Diagram Definitions
Volatile/Black Oils Gas Condensates Wet/Dry
Cricondenbar: the
maximum pressure at which
two phases can exist.
Critical point

cricondenbar Cricondentherm: the max.

Pc temp. at which two phases
Dew point
Bubble point can exist.

Critical point, also called a

PRESSURE

critical state: specifies the

80% conditions (P&T) at which a
phase boundary ceases to
40%
exist. The critical point is

cricondentherm
20% defined as the P&T at which
10% they become equal. There
5% (oil)
is no distinction between
the two phases at this
point.
Tc
TEMPERATURE
Black Oil (Low Shrinkage Oil)
Exhibits a saturation pressure in the reservoir (pb)
Low GOR and formation volume factor (Bo)
Medium to high oil density (r)
Wide range of oil viscosity (m) Black Oil

Critical
point

Pressure
% Liquid

Separator

Temperature
Volatile Oil (High Shrinkage Oil)
Exhibits a saturation pressure in the reservoir (pb)
High GOR and formation volume factor (Bo)
Relatively low oil density (r)
Volatile Oil
Low oil viscosity (m) Critical
point

Pressure
% Liquid

Separator

Temperature
Retrograde Gas Condensate
Exhibits a saturation pressure in the reservoir (pd)
Liquid is deposited in the reservoir during pressure depletion
Significant amount of condensate is produced at surface
Yellowish liquid (normally)
2

Pressure
Critical
point

% Liquid

Separator

Temperature

Retrograde Gas
Condensate
Wet Gas
Remains single phase in reservoir during pressure depletion
Passes through its saturation pressure before the separator
Small quantity of liquid produced at surface
Light colorless liquid (normally)

Pressure
Critical % Liquid
point

Separator

Temperature

Wet Gas
Dry gas
Remains single phase in reservoir during pressure depletion
No liquid produced at surface (unless sub-cooled)
Composition is mainly methane (C1)

Pressure

% Liquid

Separator

Temperature

Dry Gas
 Black Oil Volatile Oil
Critical

Reservoir
point

Critical
point

Fluids

Pressure
Pressure

% Liquid

% Liquid

Vertical RED line represents the

Separator
Separator pressure path in reservoir at TRES

Temperature Temperature

2
Pressure
Pressure

Critical

Pressure
point

% Liquid
Critical % Liquid
point % Liquid

Separator Separator Separator

Temperature Temperature Temperature

Retrograde Gas Wet Gas Dry Gas

Condensate
Classification Definition

Natural hydrocarbon reservoirs are classified arbitrarily

according to observed properties during production such as:

Gas-Oil Ratio (GOR)

API Gravity of the Oil
Gas gravity (air=1)
Color of the STO
Reservoir Fluid Classification
From Reservoir & Production Fundamentals (Schlumberger - 1980)
and Reservoir Fluid Behavior Manual (Oilphase Aberdeen - 2000)
GOR API Typical Composition
(scf/stb) Gravity
C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6+
Dry Gas no liquid n/a 95 2.5 1 0.9 0.1 0.5
Wet Gas > 100,000 60 - 70 85 5 4 3 2 1

Gas Condensate 5 100,000 50 - 70 78 6 4 3 1 8

Volatile Oil 3,000 40 - 50 65 8 5 4 3 15

Black Oil 100 2,500 30 - 40 45 6 4 3 2 40

Heavy Oil < 100 10 - 25 16 3 2 2 2 75

Bitumen 0 < 10 - - - - - 90+

* See note at bottom of next slide.

Reservoir Fluid Classification
From McCain
Black Oil Volatile Oil Retrograde Wet Gas Dry Gas
Gas Cond.
Initial Producing GOR 1,750 3,200
< 1,750 > 15,000 n/a
(scf/bbl) 3,200 15,000
Initial Stock Tank
< 45 > 40 > 40 up to 70 no liquid
Liquid Gravity (API)
Stock Tank Liquid Color Dark Colored Lightly colored Water white no liquid

Phase Change in Bubble Bubble no phase no phase

Dew point
Reservoir point point change change
C7+ mol% > 20 20 12.5 < 12.5 <4 < 0.7
Oil FVF at pb <2 >2 n/a n/a n/a

* It should be noted that there are no definite boundaries between any of these classifications and
that often overlaps are encountered. Gravity and GOR values are dependent on the surface
separation set-up and the prevailing conditions.
The Range Of Crude Oil
Viscosities, Densities, and oAPI

Viscosity
10 100 1,000 10,000 100,000
(mPa.s, cP)

Tar Sands
Lighter Crudes & Black Oils Heavy Oils
(Bitumen)

Density (kg/m3) 802 934 966 1,000 1,068

Gravity (API) 45 20 15 10 1
Phase Behavior in the context of Testing
Surface Testing String

Separator
Multi-phase
Well Head
qgst
pst, Tst

qgsp
pmp, Tmp psp, Tsp
pwh, Twh
qosp
qost
qwsp
qgmp
qomp
qwmp Stock Tank
Pipeline

Reservoir
pbhf, Tbhf
Fluid Phase Diagram along Production Path

Separator
Multi-phase
Well Head
qgst
pst, Tst

qgsp
pmp, Tmp psp, Tsp
pwh, Twh
qosp
qost
qwsp
qgmp
qomp
qwmp Stock Tank
Pipeline

Reservoir
pbhf, Tbhf
Comparison of Phase Diagrams
Initial Reservoir Fluid, Gas Phase & Liquid Phase (Separator)
Initial Critical Point
Reservoir
Conditions
Reservoir
Bubble Point Fluid Phase
Pressure Envelope

Sep Oil
Sep Gas Phase
Phase Envelope
Envelope

Sep
Pressure

Sep
Temperature
Reservoir Temp.
Production Path Example (Black Oil)
Initial
Reservoir
Conditions
(Pi, Ti)

Bubble
Point at Tres

MPFM (Vx)
Conditions

Separator
conditions

Tank
Conditions
 Production Path Example (Gas Condensate using Vx)

pLC, TLC

pSC, TSC Dewpoint line

500 105.5, 500 Bubblepoint line
Critical point
qgLC
qoLC 450 Mole gas 98%
Mole gas 95%
400 Mole gas 90%
Initial reservoir conditions
350 Bottomhole flowing conditions
pbhf, Tbhf
pi, Ti Iso-thermal Pi - Pbhf path
300 Wellhead. Choke 6 mm

Perssure, bara
Pbhf - Pwh path
250 Vx line conditions
Case study Pwh - Pline path
Type: Gas-condensate 200 Standard conditions
PhaseTester: VXFM-EA # 33 Single-stage flash
Bottomhole sample: SRS 288 150 PhS gas
SSB 12730-QA
PhS oil
Bottomhole p&T: SLSR 5781
100
Multiphase samples: PhS gas 11.01 10.6, 83.4
CSB 14646-QA
50
PhS oil 11.02
CSB 8540-QA
0
-100 -50 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400
o
Temperature, C
 TWO STAGE SEPARATOR
SCHEMATIC OF A ???
Gas Standards are:
GOR SCF/Sep BBL T = 15C
@ Tr , Pr P = 1 atm
G
Gas

T1 , P 1
Oil

L G
T2 , P2
1st Stage
Oil (STO)
Separator Conditions L

*GOR is path dependent.

2nd Stage
Feed Well Head
Ambient Conditions
THREE STAGE SEPARATION

well HP LP ST
stream

Importance of Composition Importance of Rs

Intermediates (C3, C4, C5) Rs = 700 scf/stb
Liquid Yield optimization: 1%-3% GORtopside = 1000 scf/STB
Impact on Crude Spec (TVP / RVP) OIL = 50,000 STB/day
GAS = 50 mmscf/day
GOR vs Pressure at Constant Temperature

Total

Optimize separation path

Gas Oil Ratio

Minimize GORtotal
Maximize QSTO $$$

0
Atm. pb
Separator Pressure