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Abstract
This paper presents correlations to determine black oil properties from normally available or easily
obtainable field data. The best available correlations were selected on the basis of statistical error analysis
with a database of hundreds of reservoir-fluid studies of black oil samples representing all areas of the
world producing black oils.
Introduction
Reservoir fluid properties data are very important in reservoir engineering computations such as material
balance calculations, well testing, reserve estimates, design of fluid handling equipment and numerical
reservoir simulations. Ideally, those data should be obtained experimentally. On some occasions, these
data are not available or reliable; then, empirically derived correlations are used to predict PVT properties
from normally available or easily obtainable field data.
Hundreds of reservoir-fluid studies of black oil samples representing all areas of the world producing
black oils were gathered from different published and unpublished sources. All black oil property
correlations available in the petroleum literature were compared with this world wide database. This paper
gives the best correlations to estimate black oil properties based on statistical accuracy and physical
behavior.
SPE-172833-MS
Bubblepoint Pressure, pb
Bubblepoint Pressure is the pressure at which first gas bubble comes out of solution. Sometimes used
synonymously with saturation pressure. The oil bubblepoint pressure at reservoir conditions can be
estimated to an accuracy of 10% with1
(1)
where
a1 5.38088 x 103
a2 0.715082
a3 -1.87784
a4 3.1437
a5 1.32657
For undersaturated black oil reservoirs the initial producing gas oil ratio is equal to the solution gas oil
ratio for pressures equal to or above bubblepoint pressure. The solution gas oil ratio can be estimated to
an accuracy of 10% with1
(2)
where
a1 1.4903 x103
SPE-172833-MS
a2
a3
a4
a5
2.626
1.3984
-4.3963
-1.86
For pressures below original bubblepoint pressure, the solution is saturated and Eq. 2 is also valid to
estimate solution gas oil ratio provided that all input properties are taken at pressure of interest.
The oil formation volume factor at bubblepoint pressure can be estimated to an accuracy of 1% with2
(3)
where
a1 0.177342
a2 0.220163
a3 4.292580
a4 0.528707
x103
x103
x106
x103
For pressures below the original bubblepoint pressure, Eq. 3 is also valid to estimate oil FVF provided
that all input properties are taken at pressure of interest.
At pressures above the original bubblepoint pressure, the oil FVF is calcu1ated with
(4)
where Bob, the oil FVF at the bubblepoint is estimated as discussed above. Correlation for calculating
average oil compressibility, , at various conditions is presented later.
SPE-172833-MS
(5)
The oil relative density or specific gravity of oil is defined as the ratio of density of the oil to that of
water both at the same specified pressure and temperature.
(6)
Typical relationship of oil relative density for pressures above and below bubblepoint is shown in
Fig.3.
In the petroleum industry, it is common to express oil relative density in terms of oil API gravity as:
(7)
An equation for oil relative density at bubblepoint pressure is expressed as
(8)
The term, o, is the relative density or specific gravity of oil at stock tank of 14.7 psi and 60F.
For pressures above or below the original bubblepoint pressure, Eq. 8 is also valid to estimate oil
density provided that all input properties are taken at pressure and temperature of interest. The accuracy
of Eq. 8 depends on the accuracy of input properties because it is a material balance equation.
Above bubblepoint pressure, increased pressure will compress the liquid and increase its density. For
the case of the pressure greater than bubblepoint pressure, p pb, the oil relative density at a given
pressure, p, is calculated from
(9)
where ob, the oil relative density at the bubblepoint is estimated as discussed above. Correlation for
calculating average oil compressibility, , at various conditions is presented later.
SPE-172833-MS
The definition is valid if and only if the single phase composition is constant. The compressibility can
be calculated from the slope of relative volume versus pressure of a single phase liquid or from
differentiation of a fitted equation to the relative volume curve. In equation form, the point function oil
compressibility, co, is defined as:
(10)
The isothermal oil compressibility factor above bubblepoint pressure can be estimated to an accuracy
of 5% with3,4
(11)
where
a1 -14.1042
a2 2.7314
a3 - 56.0605 x 106
a4 -580.8778
Above bubblepoint pressure, when the average oil compressibility is used in the calculation of
undersaturated oil density or oil FVF, the following equation is applied:
(12)
To avoid the calculation involved in the equation above, the average oil compressibility between the
two pressures can be calculated from the point function or instantaneous oil compressibility at an average
pressure of (ppb)/2 as follows:
(13)
SPE-172833-MS
The oil compressibility at any bubblepoint pressure below the original Pb is the extrapolation of co
curve of pressures above that particular saturation or bubblepoint pressure. Therefore, the locus of co
below original bubblepoint corresponds to the locus of co at saturation pressures corresponding to the
pressure curve for the oil formation volume factor below original Pb as shown in Fig. 6.
SPE-172833-MS
Figure 6 Locus of oil compressibility below the original bubblepoint pressure Green curve.
SPE-172833-MS
Figure 7 clearly shows that the oil compressibility above and below bubblepoint according to the new
definition is continuous and differentiable except at original bubblepoint pressure cusp.
Oil Viscosity, o
The oil viscosity measures the oils resistance to flow. It is defined as the ratio of shear stress to shear rate
induced in the oil by the stress. It is usually measured in centipoises. Typical relationship of oil viscosity
for pressures above and below bubblepoint is shown in Fig. 8.
SPE-172833-MS
and
a1
a2
a3
a4
a5
a6
10.715
100
-0.515
5.44
150
-0.338
10
SPE-172833-MS
If Eq. 23 yields a value for Boi at atmospheric pressure 1, then Boi for all pressures are calculated
by
(24)
Conclusions
The following conclusions were drawn from this evaluation study:
1. The bubblepoint pressure and solution gas oil ratio exhibited high errors with original coefficients,
but when new coefficients are recalculated an improvement occurred.
2. All correlations available in literature to estimate the oil formation volume factor at bubblepoint
pressure show low errors and a good degree of harmony towards the data used.
3. The selected correlation of isothermal oil compressibility gives an accurate and unique value
independent of different separator tests or consistent field data.
4. Bubblepoint oil viscosity and dead oil viscosity correlations exhibited very high errors for all
correlations available in literature. Therefore more research is needed in this area.
5. The performance of most of the correlations for viscosity above bubblepoint pressure are adequate.
6. The adjustment of differential liberation data to separator conditions successfully gives the
expected values for all the PVT properties at both bubble point and atmospheric pressures.
Nomenclature
ith coefficient of equations
ai
, coefficient of viscosity equations
api
stock-tank oil gravity, API
oil FVF at given pressure, bbl / STB (m3 / m3)
Bo
oil FVF at bubblepoint pressure, bbl / STB (m3 / m3)
Bob
oil compressibility, psi-1 (kPa-1)
co
oil compressibility at bubblepoint pressure, psi-1 (kPa-1)
cob
oil compressibility at given pressure, psi-1 (kPa-1)
cop
SPE-172833-MS
ob
od
o
w
11
Nomenclature
b
d
f
i
bubblepoint
differential
flash
ith data point
References
1. Al-Marhoun, M.A.: PVT Correlations for Middle East Crude Oils, Journal of Petroleum
Technology, Vol.40, No.5, May 1988, 650 666, Trans., AIME, 285.
2. Al-Marhoun, M.A.: New Correlations for Formation Volume Factors of Oil and Gas Mixtures,
The Journal of Canadian Petroleum Technology, Vol. 31, No.3, March 1992, 2226.
3. Al-Marhoun, M.A.: The Coefficient of Isothermal Compressibility of Black Oils, paper SPE
81432 presented at 13th SPE Middle East Oil Show & Conference, Bahrain, 9-12 June 2003.
4. Al-Marhoun, M.A.: A New Correlation for Undersaturated Isothermal Oil Compressibility,
paper SPE 81432-SUM, SPE Reservoir Evaluation & Engineering Online, Volume 9, Number 4,
August 2006.
5. Al-Marhoun, M.A.: The Oil Compressibility below Bubblepoint Pressure Revisited Formulations and Estimations, paper SPE 120047 presented at 16th SPE Middle East Oil Show &
Conference, Bahrain, 15 18 March 2009.
6. Dodson, C.R., Goodwill, D., and Mayer, E.H.: Application of Laboratory PVT Data to Reservoir
Engineering Problems, Trans., AIME (1953) 198, 287298.
7. Beggs, H.D. and Robinson, J.R.: Estimating the Viscosity of Crude Oil Systems, JPT (Sept.
1975) 1140 1141.
8. Al-Marhoun, M.A.: Evaluation of empirically derived PVT properties for Middle East crude
oils, Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 42 (2004) 209 221.
9. Glaso, O.: Generalized Pressure Volume-Temperature Correlations, JPT (May 1980) 785795.
10. Standing, M. B.: Volumetric and Phase Behavior of Oil Field Hydrocarbon Systems, Millet Print
Inc., Dallas, Texas, 81, (1977).
11. McCain, W.D. Jr.: The Properties of Petroleum Fluids, PennWell, 2nd ed., Tulsa, Oklahoma, 283,
(1990).
12. Al-Marhoun, M.A.: Adjustment of Differential Liberation Data to Separator Conditions, SPE
Reservoir Evaluation & Engineering, June 2003, 142146.
12
SPE-172833-MS
API
atm
bbl
ft3
cp
lb/ft3
F
C
psi
R
scf/STB
X
X
X
X
X
X
/
X
141.5/(131.5APl)
1.013 250* E05
0.158 987 3
2.831 685 E-02
1*
1.601 846 E01
(F 40)/1.8 - 40
(C 40) 1.8 - 40
6.894 757
1.8*
0.178 107 078
g/cm3
Pa
m3
m3
mPa.s
kg/m3
C
F
kPa
K
std m3/m3