College of engineering - UOZ
Department of petroleum engineering
Reservoir Fluid Properties
Stage: Three
Student names
Shaaban Hassan
Due Date: 1 Mar 2023 Wednesday
Lecturer/Visitor: [Link]
Report : Differential Liberation(DL)
DIFFERENTIAL LIBERATION (VAPORIZATION) TEST
In the differential liberation process, the solution gas that is liberated from an oil
sample during a decline in pressure is continuously removed from contact with the
oil, and before establishing equilibrium with the liquid phase. This type of
liberation is characterized by a varying composition of the total hydrocarbon
system.
The experimental data obtained from the test include:
Amount of gas in solution as a function of pressure
The shrinkage in the oil volume as a function of pressure
Properties of the evolved gas including the composition of the liberated gas,
the gas compressibility factor, and the gas specific gravity
Density of the remaining oil as a function of pressure
The differential liberation test is considered to better describe the separation
process taking place in the reservoir and is also considered to simulate the flowing
behavior of hydrocarbon systems at conditions above the critical gas saturation. As
the saturation of the liberated gas reaches the critical gas saturation, the liberated
gas begins to flow, leaving behind the oil that originally contained it. This is
attributed to the fact that gases have, in general, higher mobility than oils.
Consequently, this behavior follows the differential liberation sequence. The test is
carried out on reservoir oil samples and involves charging a visual PVT cell with a
liquid sample at the bubble-point pressure and at reservoir temperature. As shown
schematically in Figure A, the pressure is reduced in steps, usually 10 to 15
pressure levels, and all the liberated gas is removed and its volume is measured at
standard conditions. The volume of oil remaining VL is also measured at each
pressure level. It should be noted that the remaining oil is subjected to continual
compositional changes as it becomes progressively richer in the heavier
components. The above procedure is continued to atmospheric pressure where the
volume of the residual (remaining) oil is measured and converted to a volume at
60°F, Vsc. The differential oil formation volume factors Bod (commonly called the
relative oil volume factors) at all the various pressure levels are calculated by
dividing the recorded oil volumes VL by the volume of residual oil Vsc, or:
Figure A: Schematic representation of a differential liberation (DL) test on an
oil sample.
The differential solution gas-oil ratio Rsd is also calculated by dividing the volume
of gas in solution by the residual oil volume. Table 1 shows the results of a
differential liberation test for the Big Butte crude. The test indicates that the
differential gas-oil ratio and differential relative oil volume at the bubble-point
pressure are 933 scf/STB and 1.730 bbl/STB, respectively. The symbols Rsdb and
Bodb are used to represent these two values,i.e.:
Rsdb = 933 scf/STB and Bodb = 1:730 bbl/STB
1
Column C of Table shows the relative total volume Btd from differential liberation
as calculated from the following expression:
Where
Btd = relative total volume, bbl/STB
Bg = gas formation volume factor, bbl/scf
The gas deviation z-factor listed in column 6 of Table represents the z-factor of the
liberated (removed) solution gas at the specific pressure and these values are
calculated from the recorded gas volume measurements as follows:
Where
V = volume of the liberated gas in the PVT cell at p and T
Vsc = volume of the removed gas at standard column 7 of Table contains the gas
formation volume factor Bg as expressed by the following equation:
Where
Bg = gas formation volume factor, ft3 /scf
T = temperature, °R
P = cell pressure, psia
Tsc = standard temperature, °R
Psc = standard pressure, psia
Moses (1986) pointed out that reporting the experimental data in relation to the
residual oil volume at 60°F (as shown graphically in Figures ) gives the relative oil
volume Bod and that the differential gas-oil ratio Rsd curves the appearance of the
oil formation volume factor Bo and the solution gas solubility Rs curves, leading to
their misuse in reservoir calculations. It should be pointed out that the differential
liberation test represents the behavior of the oil in the reservoir as the pressure
declines. We must find a way of bringing this oil to the surface through separators
and into the stock tank. This process is a flash or separator process.
Figure B: Relative volume versus pressure.
The compressibility factor Z of the produced gas at an y pressure stage is
determined from Equation :
where VR = expelled gas volume at cell conditions and PR and TR = cell pressure
and temperature, in absolute units.
It should be noted that the remaining oil at each depletion stage is subjected to
continual compositional changes as it becomes progressively richer in the heavier
components. In addition, the above described type of DL is characterized by a
varying composition of the total hydrocarbon system; whereas the total system
composition is kept unchanged during the CCE test. The combined data from the
DL and CCE tests are considered sufficient to simulate the separation process
taking place in the reservoir. Consider the illustration in Fig B which depicts a
possible depletion scenario of an oil reservoir and pressure profile around the
production well. In region “A”, the reservoir pressure “pr” is greater than the
bubble point pressure “pb” indicating an undersaturated oil system with the oil as
the only moving phase, which is migrating (possibly by expansion) to region “B”.
In region “B,” the reservoir pressure is slightly below the bubble point pressure,
which signifies the start of the liberation of solution gas. However, the gas
saturation “Sg” is presumably below the critical gas saturation “Sgc” indicating
that the gas is immobile and will remain in contact with the oil, which resembles
the CCE separation process. Therefore, region “B” is appropriately simulated by
the data obtained from the flash liberation test (CCE test). Region “C” represents
the pressure profile near the wellbore where the pressure is approaching the
bottom-hole flowing pressure “pwf.” A large pressure sink occurs in region “B”
causing the liberated gas to exceed Sgc allowing the gas to flow. Because the gas
has higher mobility than oil, the liberated gas begins to flow leaving behind the oil
that originally contained it. Consequently, this behavior follows the DL sequence.
However, it should be pointed out that in the tubing and surface separation
facilities, the gas and oil flow simultaneously in equilibrium resembling the flash
expansion process. In general, the reservoir fluid flow dynamic is modeled by the
combined flash and DL tests.
Figure C: Reservoir phase distribution in an oil reservoir.
The experimental data obtained from the DL test include:
The differential oil FVF “Bod”
The differential gas solubility; that is, solution GOR, “Rsd”
Gas FVF “Bg” in ft3 /scf
Gas compressibility factor “Z”
Total FVF “Btd”
Composition of the liberated gas
Gas specific gravity
Density of the remaining oil as a function of pressure
Differential Oil FVFs:
The differential oil FVFs, Bod (commonly called the relative oil volume factors),
are calculated at all pressure levels by dividing the recorded oil volumes, VL, by
the volume of residual oil, VLsc:
Example (A)
A DL test was conducted on a crude oil sample at 180°F. The sample exhibited a
bubble point pressure of 3565 psig. The residual (remaining) oil volume was
corrected to SC of 14.7 psia and 60°F to give 60 cm3 . The following
measurements were obtained from a differential expansion (DE) test:
Using the above reported DE measurements data, calculate the differential oil FVF
“Bod”; that is, relative oil volume factor.
Solution
Calculate Bod by applying [Link] give
Gas FVF “Bg”
The gas FVF is the defined ratio of the volume “(Vgas)p,T” occupied by n moles
of gas at a specified pressure and temperature to the volume “(Vgas)sc” occupied
by the same number of moles (ie, n moles) at SC. Mathematically, this is defined
by
Example (B)
Using the DE measurements data in Example, calculate the gas FVF.
Solution
As an Example of calculating Bg at 3000 psig:
Gas Deviation Factor “Z”
Using the volume of the free gas at any pressure and the corresponding volume at
SC, the gas deviation factor can be calculated by applying the gas ESO at both
conditions; that is,
where
Zsc = 1
Tsc =520°R
T=640°R
psc=14.7 psia
Equating the above two expressions and solving for Z, gives
Example (C)
Using the DE measurements data in Example A, calculate the gas FVF
Solution
As a sample of the Z-factor calculations at 3000 psig:
The tabulated values of Z as a function of pressure are given below
Total FVF “Btd” From DE Test
The two-phase (total) FVF from DE test is determined by applying the definition
of this property as expressed mathematically by Eq. . In terms of differential data,
Btd is given by
Where
Rsbd=gas solubility at the bubble point pressure, scf/STB
Rsd=gas solubility at any pressure, scf/STB
Bod=oil FVF at any pressure, bbl/STB
Bg=gas FVF, bbl/scf
Example (D)
Applying Eq. , to calculated Btd gives
Notice, Bg must be expressed in bbl/scf where 1 bbl¼5.615. For example, at 3000
psig
Table 2 shows results of the DL test conducted on a crude oil bottom-hole sample
taken from the Big Butte Field in Montana. The graphical presentation of the data
in terms of the relative oil volume and differential GOR are presented in Figs. D
and E, respectively. The test indicates that the differential GOR and differential
relative oil volume at the bubble point pressure are 933 scf/STB and 1.730
bbl/STB, respectively. The symbols Rsdb and Bodb are used to represent these two
values:
Column 4 of Table 4.6 shows the relative total volume, Btd, from DL as calculated
from the following expression:
2
Figure D: Relative volume vs. pressure.
Figure E: Solution gas-oil ratio vs. pressure.
The gas deviation factor, Z, listed in column 6 represents the Z-factor of the
liberated (removed) solution gas at the specific pressure. These values are
calculated from the recorded gas volume measurements as follows:
Column 7 of Table 4.6 that contains the gas FVF, Bg, which can be also
determined in terms of the Z-factor by applying Eq. (3.52); that is,
Reference
Ahmed, T. (2018). Reservoir engineering handbook. Gulf professional publishing.
Dandekar, A. Y. (2013). Petroleum reservoir rock and fluid properties. CRC press.
Ahmed, T. (2016). Equations of state and PVT analysis 2nd edition.
