CHAPTER 7: PVT ANALYSIS

RESERVOIR ENGINEERING 1
SCOPE

• PVT-analysis of a reservoir fluid comprises the determination of:

(a) the correlation between pressure and volume at reservoir

temperature;
(b) various physical constants that enter into reservoir engineering
calculations, such as viscosity, density, compressibility etc;
(c) the effect of separator pressure and temperature on oil
formation volume factor, gas/oil ratio etc;
(d) the chemical composition of the most volatile components
SAMPLING

• The taking of samples can be accomplished either by sub-surface

sampling or by surface sampling

• A brief survey of these methods is given below, for detailed

descriptions of the techniques, which is outside the scope of this
section, service companies providing sample collection service
should be consulted.
Subsurface Sampling

• In this case a subsurface sampler is lowered into the well and kept
opposite the producing layer for a sufficiently long time.

• Subsurface samples can only be representative of the reservoir

contents when the pressure at the point of sampling is above or
equal to the saturation pressure.

• If this condition is not fulfilled, one should take a surface sample.

• Sample cylinder is pressurised either by using a piston cell or using
mercury as the displacing fluid.
• Whereas mercury was the most common fluid to be used as a
pressure transfer and volume change fluid, because of toxic and
other concerns its use is diminishing.
• From the relation between injection pressure and volume of
mercury injected, the following properties are derived:
a) the pressure existing within the sampler when it is received at
the surface;
b) the compressibility of the material within the sampler;
c) the bubble-point pressure of the contents of the sampler.
• Is generally not recommended for gas-
condensate reservoirs nor for oil
reservoirs containing substantial
quantities of water.
Surface Sampling

• A sample of oil and gas is taken from the separator connected with
the well
• The surface oil and gas samples are recombined in the laboratory
on the basis of the producing GOR.
Vertical and Horizontal Separator Gas Sampling
Separators
Separator Liquid Sampling Separator Liquid Sampling
by Gas Displacement by Water Displacement
SAMPLING WET GAS AND GAS CONDENSATE
SYSTEMS

• Use and value of any PVT study or other analysis of a reservoir

fluid is dependant on the quality of the sample collected from the
reservoir
• Sampling wet gas and gas condensate fluids can give rise to errors.
During the sampling procedure it is often possible to alter the
conditions such that the fluids sample are not representative of
those within the reservoir, the characteristics of which are being
assessed during the PVT report.
 SAMPLING WET GAS AND GAS CONDENSATE
SYSTEMS
• Phase Behaviour

Condition in separator
 SAMPLING WET GAS AND GAS CONDENSATE
SYSTEMS
• Phase Behaviour

-change in the temperature or pressure within the phase envelope

will result in alteration of the system and therefore alteration in
the characteristics of the two phases produced.
-The behaviour just described, therefore, will have implications on
the way samples are taken and on the techniques used to collect
the sample, for example, from the separator.
 Sampling Gas And Gas Condensate
Reservoirs

• The potential locations for

sampling these reservoirs
samples could possibly be
taken in the reservoir, at the
bottom of the well, at the
wellhead or in the separator
Sampling Gas And Gas Condensate
Reservoirs
Sampling Gas And Gas
Condensate Reservoirs
In a flowing well gas condensate
entering the wellbore as it travels
to the surface will experience a
drop in pressure likely to give rise
to retrograde liquid behaviour in
the wellbore.

The flow must be sufficient to lift

this uniform liquid and gas fluid to
the surface. If the flow is slow it is
possible that some liquid may fall
back therefore altering the overall
composition moving up the
wellbore.
 Sampling Gas And Gas
Condensate Reservoirs
• If the reservoir is shut in after flow
then considerable changes can rise in
the composition of the fluid in the
wellbore.
• The reservoir gas flowing into the
wellbore sets up a new equilibrium
with condensed retrograde liquid
which has rained down within the
wellbore.
• This separation in the wellbore gives
rise to a lean gas near the top of the
well with a more than rich mixture at
the bottom of the well.
 Sampling Gas And Gas
Condensate Reservoirs
• If the reservoir is shut in after flow
then considerable changes can rise in
the composition of the fluid in the
wellbore.
• The reservoir gas flowing into the
wellbore sets up a new equilibrium
with condensed retrograde liquid
which has rained down within the
wellbore.
• This separation in the wellbore gives
rise to a lean gas near the top of the
well with a more than rich mixture at
the bottom of the well.
• When the well is flowing after a shut-in
period, and sampling takes place there will
be a variation in the compositions produced
at the surface and therefore
unrepresentative samples collected from the
separator.
• In the early period after shut-in the lean gas
at the top of the well enters the separator
producing a fluid with a GOR higher than
that representative of the reservoir.
• As the fluids at the bottom of the well move
to the surface much richer as a result of the
liquid having collected at the bottom of the
well fluids they are produced with a GOR
lower than that of the representative
reservoir fluid.
• It is important, therefore, for the well to be
flowed for a sufficient period for all the
fluid within the well to have been displaced
and also that in the near wellbore region
which also could have been influenced by
the pressure and compositional changes
experienced during the shut-in period.
 Separator Sampling
Points
• These sampling points are often located
primarily in relation to accessibility
rather than the representative nature
of the fluids which can be extracted
from them.
APPARATUS

The apparatus required for PVT analysis consists of:

(a) apparatus for the transfer and the recombination of separator

oil and gas samples;
(b) apparatus for measuring gas-volumes and for performing
separator tests;
(c) the PV cell and displacement pumps and dispensing cell;
(d) high pressure viscometer;
(e) gas chromatograph.
 PVT TESTS

Three main application areas are;

a) to provide data for reservoir calculations,
b) to provide physical property data for well flow calculations
c) for surface facility design.

Four main PVT tests for oil systems plus associated compositional analysis:
(i) the flash vaporisation or relative volume tests.
(ii) the differential test.
(iii) the separator tests.
(iv) viscosity measurements
(v) compositional measurements.
Simple Schematic of PVT Facility for Oil Tests
 Flash Vaporisation
(Relative Volume Test)

• Main objectives of the flash

vaporisation test are to :
-provide the reservoir bubble point
pressure and together with the
information from the separator test,
the formation volume factors above
the bubble point
 Flash Vaporisation
(Relative Volume Test)

• Determination of the correlation

between pressure and volume of a
reservoir liquid at constant
temperature (reservoir
temperature) from high pressure
to the lowest possible pressure.
• The gas liberated below the point
of saturation remaining in
equilibrium with the oil
throughout the experiment.
(system remains constant)
 Flash Vaporisation
(Relative Volume Test)

• The vaporisation process occurring in

the reservoir cannot be duplicated in
the laboratory, since in the reservoir
below the bubble point the system
does not remain constant as the
increased mobility of the gas causes it
to move away from its associated oil.
 Flash Vaporisation (Relative Volume Test)

• By plotting the volume of the

system versus pressure a break is
obtained in the slope.
• This occurs at the Bubble Point
pressure.
• The saturation pressure or bubble
point pressure is that pressure
below which gas is liberated
 Flash Vaporisation (Relative Volume Test)

• A two-phase system is formed,

whereas above the bubble point
pressure a one phase system is
present (undersaturated liquid).
Flash Vaporisation (Relative Volume Test)

• The thermal expansion factor (β) can then be calculated from the
volume withdrawn.
Flash Vaporisation (Relative Volume Test)

• The compressibility of the oil phase above the bubble point can
now be calculated from the graph

• Expressed in reciprocal atmospheres, 1/psi

• After the reservoir liquid has expanded to its
maximum volume (dependent on the capacity of the
PV cell), the gas cap is removed at constant pressure
(lowest possible flash expansion pressure)
Differential Vaporisation

• When the reservoir pressure falls below the bubble point the
process of gas liquid separation in the reservoir is one of a
constant changing system
• PVT process has been designed in an attempt to provide a means
of in part simulating the changing systems as separation occurs
within the reservoir below the bubble point.
Differential Vaporisation

• Difference with flash:

liberated gas is removed from
the cell stepwise. At each step
below the bubble point the
quantity of gas, oil volume,
density, gas expansion and gas
compressibility are determined
• Objectives:
- to generate PVT data for
conditions below the bubble
point
 Differential Vaporisation

• Bubble point Pb is the starting

pressure for the differential test.
• The next step is to reduce the
pressure in the PV cell by expansion
of the PV cell volume.
• The reduction of pressure causes the
system to go two phase. All the gas
phase is removed at constant
pressure by reducing the cell volume
as gas is withdrawn.
• The volume of the remaining oil is
then determined.
 Differential Vaporisation

• The cell pressure is then again

dropped by expansion of the PV cell
and the above process repeated
until the cell pressure has been
dropped to atmospheric pressure.
• The pressure steps for the tests
cover a range of around 8-10 steps.
All the above steps have taken place
at reservoir temperature.
 Differential Vaporisation

• The final stage is to reduce the cell

to 60°F keeping the pressure at
atmospheric pressure.
• The final oil volume is measured.
This remaining all is termed
residual oil to distinguish it from
stock tank oil which although at the
same pressure and temperature
conditions has got there by a
different process.
 Differential Vaporisation

• The cumulative weight of the

amounts of gas withdrawn are used
in the calculation of the densities of
the oil phase in the differential
vaporisation process.
• These densities can also be
determined directly if a pressure
pycnometer is available.
Differential Vaporisation

• Considered to be representative of the gas-liquid separation process in

the reservoir below the bubble point pressure.

• Flash liberation is considered to take place between the reservoir and

through the separator.

• Differential liberation tests are carried out therefore to obtain oil

formation volume factors and GOR’s that can be used to predict the
behaviour of a reservoir when the pressure has dropped below the
bubble point pressure.
• Continued to atmospheric pressure where the volume of the
residual (remaining) oil is measured and converted to a volume at
60°F, Vsc.

• Differential oil formation volume factors Bod

• Other term you should know:
- Differential solution gas-oil ratio, Rsd
𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑔𝑎𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 / 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑜𝑖𝑙 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒
- Differential gas-oil ratio at the bubble-point pressure, Rsdb
- Differential relative oil volume at the bubble-point pressure,
Bodb
- Relative total volume Btd from differential
• Gas deviation z-factor
Separator Tests

• Objective: To examine the influence of separator pressure and

temperature on formation volume factor, gas/oil ratio, gas density
and tank-oil density.
• Carried out to give an indication of the oil shrinkage and GOR
which occurs when the fluids are produced to surface conditions.
• It should be emphasised at this stage that there is not a unique
value for the formation volume factor and solution gas-oil ratio.
• It depends on the stages and conditions of separation through
which the fluids pass.
 Separator Tests

Procedure:
• Starting point is oil in the PVT cell at
its reservoir bubble point,
• Fluid is displaced from the PVT cell
ensuring that the PVT cell contents
remain at bubble point pressure.
• The gas and liquids are collected from
the separation stage(s) and their
respective properties measured.
• The final stage is at stock tank
conditions.
• The resulting fluid is termed stock
tank oil.
Single /Double Separator Tests ?

• Single separator test is carried out by flashing reservoir

liquid at bubble point pressure and reservoir
temperature through the separator operating at the
average annual temperature and at pressures which may
be expected in the field.
• The difference in results when using a single or a double
separator is that in the former case the total gas/oil
ratio is higher, the shrinkage is greater and the density of
the tank oil is higher than in the latter case.
Separator test

• separator test are in combination with the flash vaporisation and

differential tests to provide formation volume factor and solution
gas-oil ratios over a full pressure range above and below the
bubble point.
• In quoting these values it is important to recognise that the
values are separator condition specific.
Experimental Procedure

• involves placing a hydrocarbon sample at its saturation pressure and

reservoir temperature in a PVT cell.
• The volume of the sample is measured as Vsat. The hydrocarbon sample
is then displaced and flashed through a laboratory multistage separator
system
• The pressure and temperature of these stages are set to represent the
desired or actual surface separation facilities. The gas liberated from
each stage is removed and its specific gravity and volume at standard
conditions are measured.
• The volume of the remaining oil in the last stage (representing the stock-
tank condition) is measured and recorded as (Vo)st. These experimental,
measured data can then be used to determine the oil formation volume
factor and gas solubility at the bubble-point pressure as follows:
• These experimental, measured data can then be used to determine the
oil formation volume factor and gas solubility at the bubble-point
pressure as follows
Adjustment of Differential Liberation Data to
Separator Conditions
Example
Solution
CONSTANT-COMPOSITION EXPANSION TESTS

• performed on gas condensates or crude oil to simulate the

pressure-volume relations of these hydrocarbon systems
• Purpose:
a) Saturation pressure (bubble-point or dew-point pressure)
b) Isothermal compressibility coefficients of the single-phase fluid
in
excess of saturation pressure
c) Compressibility factors of the gas phase
d) Total hydrocarbon volume as a function of pressure
Experimental Procedure
Experimental Procedure

• The volume of the hydrocarbon system as a function of the cell pressure

is reported as the ratio of the reference volume.

** relative volume is equal to one at the saturation pressure

Density of oil: (Above bubble point pressure)
Example 1

Given the experimental data in Table, verify the oil density values
at 4,000 and 6,500 psi.
Solution
Smoothing technique

Dimensionless compressibility function, commonly called the Y-

function,
Calculation of oil compressibility, Co

• Graphically differentiate the curve.

• Drawing tangent line and determining slope of line, ∂Vrel/∂p
 Example
Using above figure,
evaluate Co at 3000psi.
 Example
Draw tangent line to curve
Determine slope

Apply into equation:

calculating the changes in the relative
volume at the indicated pressure interval
Example
• Using previous table of pressure and relative volume, calculate the oil
compressibility in range of 2500-2000 psi.
Solution

• Apply equation for calculating Co for pressure intervals,