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06 Volume Conversions

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Oilphase

Volumetric conversions

Volume conversions
Reservoir (downhole) volumes of oil, gas and water after produced to surface conditions
undergo changes, which affect the fluid volumes as they pass from one set of conditions
to another. These volume changes occur due to the compressibility of the fluids, their
thermal expansion and the solubility of the gases.

Conversion factors are commonly used to account for these changes of the fluid volumes.

The volumes at surface are measured or converted at a standard set of pressure and
temperature conditions, so that they can be universally comparable.

Standard conditions

Gas volumes are expressed in cubic meters (m3) or in standard cubic feet (scf) at 15.56
°C (60 °F) and 1 bar or 1 atmosphere (14.7 psia).

Oil Volumes are expressed in cubic meters (m3) or the API barrels at stock tank conditions
(STB) – same reference conditions 15.56 °C (60 °F) and 1 atmosphere (14.7 psia).

Gas-Oil Ratios (GOR) result from the division of the above volumes. Units used are cubic
3 3
meters of oil per cubic meters of oil (m /m ) or standard cubic feet per stock tank barrel
3 3
(scf/STB). GOR’s can be converted from (m /m ) to scf/STB using the conversion factor
3 3
5.615 (1 scf/STB = 5.615 m /m ).

Formation volume factors


The letter B with a suffix denoting the fluid phase concerned, designates formation
volume factors. Formation volume factor is a function of the fluid composition and of the
pressure and the temperature difference between the downhole and reference (standard)
conditions.

There are three volumetric parameters used in reservoir engineering: Bo, Bg and Bw.

Bo - oil volume factor (or, formation volume factor of oil)

Bg - gas volume factor (or, formation volume factor of gas)

Bw - water volume factor (or, formation volume factor of water)

Reservoir Fluid Behaviour . 1/4


Oilphase
Volumetric conversions

Downhole to surface conversion (for oil reservoir)

Solution
Gas

Solution
SURFACE Gas

Water
Oil
Free
Gas

Gas Water
Oil (Free)

DOWNHOLE

Relationships between surface and downhole volumes - dissolved gas system

The downhole to surface volume relationships are shown graphically above. The total
gas volume collected at surface is the sum of the released gas that it was in solution
downhole plus the gas that it was in free gas state inside the porous media.

Reservoir Fluid Behaviour . 2/4


Oilphase
Volumetric conversions

Oil Formation Volume Factor, Bo


Oil shrinks in volume between downhole and surface conditions, primarily as a result of
the loss of solution gas. The formation volume factor of oil is usually determined by PVT
measurements performed on a live reservoir fluid sample.

Formation Volume Factor for oil (oil volume factor) is equal to:

Oil Volume @ reservoir conditions


Bo =
Oil volume @ standard conditions

A typical range of the formation volume factor for oil (Bo) is 1.2 - 1.6 for low shrinkage
(black) oils and 1.7 – 4.0 for high shrinkage (volatile) oils.

Being dependent essentially on the amount of dissolved gas, Bo increases with pressure,
up to the bubble point, where all of the available gas is dissolved and then decreases at
a rate determined by the liquid compressibility.

Solubility of natural gas in oil is dependent on the composition of the hydrocarbons, the
temperature and pressure applied. Charts, derived from correlations are also available
to estimate the values for Bo.

Figure below is a typical plot of PVT data for undersaturated oil. Bo increases from
8,000 psia down to the bubble point pressure at 6,350 psia due to the expansion of the
single-phase oil (green line). From 6,350 psia down to atmospheric pressure, increasing
amounts of gas are liberated and therefore Bo decreases.

2000

1800

1600
Compression of liquid after
all gas is in solution
1400 2.4

1200 2.2

1000 2.0

800 1.8

600 1.6

400 1.4

200 1.2

0 1.0
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000

Pressure (psia)

o
Typical PVT data for differential vaporisation of an under-saturated oil at constant temperature (305 F)

Reservoir Fluid Behaviour . 3/4


Oilphase
Volumetric conversions

Solution Gas-Oil Ratio, Rs


Rs is defined as the amount of gas in solution at reservoir temperature converted to
standard conditions per unit volume of oil at reservoir conditions converted to standard
conditions.

Dissolved Gas Volume @ standard conditions


Rs =
Residual Oil volume @ standard conditions

Rs is different from producing GOR, since the producing GOR includes also in the
nominator the volume of gas that was in free gas state in the pores of the reservoir.

Total Formation Volume Factor, Bt


When reservoir pressure is reduced below bubble point pressure (pB) some dissolved gas
is released from solution. If the amount of dissolved gas at pB is Rsb and the amount of
dissolved gas remaining in solution at P is Rs, then what has been evolved is (Rsb - Rs)
volume expressed at standard conditions.

pB p<pB

Bg(Rsb-Rs)
Bob

Rsb
Bo
Rs

Oil at pB Released gas & Oil at p

The total formation volume factor Bt (two-phase formation oil factor) may be defined as
the volume in barrels one stock tank barrel and its initial complement of dissolved gas
occupies at any pressure and reservoir temperature.

Therefore:

Bt = Bo + Bg (Rsb − Rs )

Written by: Sylvain Jayawardane (Ph. D., M. Eng.)

Oilphase, Aberdeen.

Reservoir Fluid Behaviour . 4/4

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