Reservoir fluid and

it's properties
Introduction

 Reservoir fluid properties, along with rock properties described in the previous
chapter, determine how a petroleum reservoir would be developed, engineered,
and managed. Petroleum fluids range, as encountered in reservoirs throughout the
world, from dry natural gas to ultraheavy oil. Naturally occurring petroleum varies
widely in viscosity, gravity, composition, and phase behavior, which leads to the
formulation of unique strategies to develop and produce the reservoirs effectively.
The most common classification of petroleum reservoirs is based on the type of
hydrocarbons it stores and produces. Petroleum reservoirs are classified as follows:
 • Dry gas
 • Wet gas
 • Gas condensate
 • Light oil
 • Black oil of intermediate composition
 • Heavy oil
 • Extra heavy oil, bitumen
Introduction

 Dry gas has the lightest hydrocarbons and is least viscous. Naturally, it
has maximum mobility in the porous medium. Some fraction of wet gas
condenses at the surface under stock tank conditions. Gas condensate
reservoirs are distinguished by the fact that certain hydrocarbon
components remain in gas phase at high pressure, but condense out as
droplets within the reservoir when reservoir pressure is reduced. In light
crude, hydrocarbons having reduced molecular weight are found in
large proportions. Oil gravity and viscosity are comparatively reduced.
Oil having low viscosity flows with relative ease in porous media. One
important characteristic of light oil is that the volatile components are
liberated from the liquid into vapor phase as the reservoir pressure is
reduced. In the domain of heavy oil reservoirs, heavier hydrocarbon
components are relatively abundant in crude oil. Both oil gravity and
viscosity increase as heavier hydrocarbons of higher molecular weight
are in large proportions. Oil becomes less mobile at higher viscosity.
Ultraheavy oil and bitumen hardly flow in porous media unless oil
viscosity is reduced by thermal recovery or other methods.
Utilization of petroleum fluid
properties data
 Most fluid properties can be correlated to each other and are dependent on the
prevailing pressure and temperature to a varying degree. Hence, the properties are
also referred to as pressure–volume–temperature (PVT) properties; the acronym
stands for pressure, volume, and temperature. Knowledge of reservoir fluid properties
like viscosity, gravity, composition, and phase behavior aid the reservoir engineers to
understand the following:
 • How easily the reservoir fluids would flow toward the wellbore under operating
pressure
 • How fluid properties affect well rates
 • How wells will be designed and operated to achieve maximum productivity
 • To what extent oil or gas would change in volume once brought to the surface
 • How equilibrium among various fluids occurs in the geologic formation
 • If there would be a change in fluid phase (form liquid to vapor or vice versa) as
the reservoir pressure declines
 • How the fluid properties and any change in fluid phase would affect ultimate
recovery
Utilization of petroleum fluid
properties data
 Various fluid properties are required in virtually every aspect of
reservoir engineering studies. Some of the important roles that fluid
properties play in reservoir engineering are as follows:
 • Volumetric estimates of oil and gas in place
 • Classical material balance analysis
 Insight into reservoir drive mechanisms
 • Estimation of well rates
 • Reservoir simulation and prediction of reservoir performance
 • Determination of applicable enhanced oil recovery processes
Properties of reservoir oil

 The oil properties that are of primary interest to reservoir engineers include the following:
 • Specific gravity
 • Viscosity
 • Compressibility
 • Bubble point pressure
 • Solution gas–oil ratio
 • Producing and cumulative gas–oil ratio
 • Oil formation volume factor
 • Two-phase formation volume factor
 The phase behavior of petroleum is discussed in the next chapter. Fluid phase behavior,
including any changes from liquid to vapor or vice versa, is dependent upon the
composition of the fluids, as well as the reservoir pressure and temperature. It is observed
that reservoir fluid properties may vary from one geologic layer to another where the layers
are not in communication. In certain reservoirs, highly viscous tar mat is encountered at the
periphery of the reservoir.
Specific gravity of oil and API
gravity
 The specific gravity of crude oil is defined as the ratio of the oil
density over the density of the water, both measured at the same
reference temperature and pressure. Specific gravity measurements
are usually based on 60°F temperature. Specific gravity is a ratio of
two densities, hence it has no units. The specific gravity of oil is
commonly expressed as API gravity. As defined by the American
Petroleum Institute, the API gravity is computed as follows:
API gravity of commercially
available crude oil
Oil viscosity

 Viscosity of oil indicates how easily it will flow in the reservoir. It is a

measure of the internal resistance to flow. The unit of viscosity is the
centipoise as commonly used in reservoir calculations. Viscosity
data are required to calculate fluid flow rate in the reservoir and is
considered to be one of the most important properties of reservoir
fluids. Oil is more viscous than water; hence, water is more mobile in
porous media in comparison to oil. Consequently, one of the most
prevalent issues in reservoir management is to combat unwanted
water production, which flows better than oil. It is further noted that
gas may be produced in excessive quantities due to very low
viscosity in certain oil wells, and engineering solutions are needed to
reduce the gas–oil ratio as well.
Isothermal compressibility

 Oil compressibility is a measure of change in volume as a result of

change in prevailing pressure. It is defined as the rate of change in
the volume of crude oil per unit change in pressure divided by the
volume of oil. Mathematically, compressibility at a given pressure
and temperature can be expressed by:
Total and effective compressibility

 The total compressibility of the system accounts for the

compressibility of the fluid phases present in the system as well as
the formation compressibility. Hence, total compressibility, ct, can
be expressed as:
Bubble point pressure

 The bubble point of reservoir oil is an important fluid property the

reservoir engineers seek. Simply stated, it is the pressure where the
volatile components present in oil begin to “bubble up.” The pressure at
which these bubbles of light hydrocarbons first appear is referred to as
the bubble point for the fluid system.
 Reservoir performance changes significantly when the reservoir
produces below the bubble point, including oil and gas rates at the
wells. Consider the production from an oil reservoir that does not have
any gas cap at discovery. Above the bubble point, only the oil phase is
present in the reservoir along with formation water. However, as the
reservoir is produced and pressure declines, phase change takes place
and light hydrocarbons are liberated from the oil. From this point
onward, both oil and gas are produced at the wellbore, and flow of
gas may eventually dominate over the production of oil. Many reservoir
management strategies involve the maintenance of reservoir pressure
above the bubble point pressure by water injection and avoid the
production of gas.
Solution gas–oil ratio

 In a reservoir, oil is in liquid phase with a certain quantity of gas

dissolved in it. As we have seen earlier, when the reservoir pressure
declines due to production of oil, lighter hydrocarbons begin to
evolve out of solution and form a gas phase.
 Solution gas–oil ratio is indicative of the amount of gas dissolved in
reservoir oil. It represents the volume of gas that would dissolve per
unit volume of oil under reservoir pressure and temperature;
however, the volumes of oil and gas are expressed in standard
pressure and temperature, scf and STB, respectively. Hence, the
solution gas–oil ratio can be expressed as follows:
Producing and cumulative gas–
oil ratio
 The gas–oil ratio at the well is defined as:

 When a gas cap exists on the top of the oil zone, the producing gas
volume is based on the free gas flow from the gas cap as well as the
solution gas that evolves from the crude oil under declining reservoir
pressure. Therefore, the producing gas–oil ratio is greater than the
solution gas–oil ratio. The cumulative gas–oil ratio is the cumulative
volume of gas produced over the cumulative volume of oil
produced from a reservoir. As the reservoir is produced, cumulative
gas–oil ratio increases with time.
Oil formation volume factor

 The oil formation volume factor is a measure of the degree of

change in oil volume as it is produced from the reservoir and
brought to surface conditions. In the subsurface formation, pressure
as well as temperature is significantly higher than stock-tank
conditions. As oil is produced, it undergoes shrinkage or reduction in
volume due to the liberation of dissolved gas. The effect is greater in
the case of highly volatile oil due to the abundance of light
hydrocarbons.
 The oil formation volume factor is defined as follows:
Formation volume factor of oil as
a function of pressure
Two-phase formation volume
factor
 The two-phase formation volume factor takes into account the oil
formation volume factor as well as the formation volume factor of
dissolved gas expressed in rb/stb. It can be expressed as follows:
Properties of natural gas

 Natural gas is primarily composed of light hydrocarbons compared to oil. Due to the
low viscosity of natural gas, it is produced with relative ease from gas and gas
condensate reservoirs. Oil reservoirs with a gas cap or the reservoirs that are
operating under bubble point pressure also produce natural gas along with oil.
Primary interests to reservoir engineers include the compression and expansion
characteristics of natural gas under changing reservoir pressure, mobility contrast of
gas in relation to oil, and the changes in solubility of gas in oil as reservoir pressure
declines, among others. Natural gas properties discussed in this chapter are as
follows:
 • Ideal gas law
 • Real gas law
 • Gas compressibility and gas compressibility factor
 • Pseudo-reduced pressure and temperature
 • Formation volume factor of gas
 • Gas viscosity
 • Gas density
Ideal gas law & Real gas law

 The ideal gas law states that the pressure, temperature, and volume
of gas are related to each other. The following equation can be
used to express the relationship:

Under typical reservoir conditions with high pressure and temperature,

real gas volume may deviate significantly from that of the ideal gas.
Hence, the ideal gas law is modified by introducing gas compressibility
factor or gas deviation factor in order to develop an equation of state
for real gases, as shown below:
Viscosity of natural gases, Values of gas
compressibility factor as function of pressure
based on gas composition and reservoir
temperature
Gas formation volume factor

 Gas formation volume factor is the volume of gas in a reservoir

barrel divided by volume of gas under standard conditions, scf.
Standard cubic feet of gas is the volume of gas at 14.7 psi−1
pressure and 60°F temperature.
Properties of gas condensates

 Gas condensates contain an amount of intermediate to heavy

hydrocarbon fractions, which condenses out of the vapor phase as
droplets in the porous medium when the reservoir pressure declines
below its dew point. The formation volume factor of gas
condensate is defined as follows:
Properties of formation water

 Knowledge of formation water properties is needed in various

reservoir studies along with oil and gas properties. Properties of
formation water are generally dependent on reservoir pressure,
temperature, and concentration of salt compounds.
 Formation water compressibility : Water compressibility is a function
of the rate of change in the volume of the water per change in
pressure at a specified temperature divided by water volume.
Formation water viscosity, Solution
gas–water ratio, Formation
volume factor
 Viscosity of water depends upon the reservoir temperature,
pressure, and the salinity of water. Viscosity of formation water
decreases with temperature, and increases the concentration of
salt compounds. At a reservoir temperature of 140°F, formation
water viscosity increases from 0.46 cp to 0.9 cp as the amount of salt
compounds increases from 0% to 26%.
 Solution gas–water ratio is defined as the volume of dissolved gas in
water over water volume. Natural gas has limited solubility in water.
 Water formation volume factor is the volume water and dissolved
gas at elevated pressure and temperature in the reservoir divided
by one stock-tank barrel of water under standard conditions. The
formation volume factor is quite low, around 1.01 in typical cases.