No.

of Experiment: 02
Name of the Experiment: Differential Liberation Test of Reservoir Fluid

The Aim of Experiment

The main purpose of the Differential Liberation Experiment (DLE) are to find the oil formation
volume factor, GOR and oil viscosity. The DLE was originally made to emulate the depletion
production of oil reservoirs.
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
Introduction

Theory

Figure 1: Differential Liberation Test

The Experiment Procedure:

 Step 1: The sample of reservoir liquid in the laboratory cell is brought to bubble-point
pressure, and temperature is set at reservoir temperature.

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  Pressure is reduced by increasing cell volume, and the cell is agitated to ensure
equilibrium between the gas and liquid. Then,
 All the gas is expelled from the cell while pressure in the cell is held constant by reducing
cell volume.
 The gas is collected, and its quantity and specific gravity are measured. The volume of
liquid remaining in the cell, V, is measured.
 The process is repeated in steps until atmospheric pressure is reached.
 Then temperature is reduced to 60°F, and the volume of remaining liquid is measured.
This is called residual oil from differential vaporization or residual oil.

Primary Results from a Differential Liberation Experiment

Determination of Gas Composition, Z factor, Specific Gravity:
a. Composition of gas is determined from removed gas.
b. Z-factor is determined from the following equation:
𝑉𝑅 𝑃𝑅 𝑇𝑠𝑐
𝑧=
𝑉𝑠𝑐 𝑃𝑠𝑐 𝑇𝑟
Where:
VR =volume of liberated gas in the PVTcell at Pand T.
PR = Pressure of the PVT cell.
TSC = Temperature at standard condition.
VSC = Volume of removed gas at standard condition. PSC = Pressure at standardcondition.
TR = Temperature of the PVT cell.

Figure 2: Pressure vs. Z-factor

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Specific gravity of gas is determined from removed gas.

Figure 3: Pressure vs. gas gravity

Determination of Oil density:

At each step oil volume is measured and from cumulative weight of gas oil density is determined.

Figure 4: Pressure vs. fluid density

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Determination of Differential Solution Gas Oil Ratio (scf/STB):
The removed gas at each step is flashed to standard conditions and its volume is measured and from
the cumulative volume of liberated gas measured at standard conditions is used to calculate gas
oil ratio.
The symbol is RS and measured by:
𝑉𝑔𝑎𝑠 (𝑇𝑠𝑐 ,𝑃𝑠𝑐 )
𝑅𝑠 = ( )
𝑉𝑜𝑖𝑙 (𝑇𝑠𝑐 𝑃𝑠𝑐 )

Figure 5: Pressure vs.Rs

Determination of Gas Formation Volume Factor (Bg):

It needs no correction to separator conditions.
Bg = 0.0282 ZT/P

Figure 6: Pressure vs Bg

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Determination of Relative Oil Volume (Diff. Oil FVF) Bod:
The differential oil formation volume factors βod at all the pressure levels are calculated by dividing the
recorded oil volumes V by the volume of residual oil Vsc.

Figure 7: Pressure vs. Bo

Determination of Relative Total Volume Factor Btd:

Btd=Bod + (Rsdb−Rsd) Bg
Where:
Rsdb = gas solubility at the bubble-point pressure, scf/STB
Rsd = gas solubility at any pressure, scf/STB
BOd = oil formation volume factor at any pressure, bbl/STB
Bg = gas formation volume factor, bbl/scf

Figure 8: Pressure vs. Bt

Conclusion & Discussion:

References:

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