Petroleum Reservoir Engineering

SOEE2500/ SOEE5735

Dr Piroska Lorinczi
School of Earth and Environment, Room 8.140
p.lorinczi@see.leeds.ac.uk

Lecture 10

PVT Analysis
Pressure Volume Temperature

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 Learning Objectives

At the end of this lecture, students should:

§ Know what PVT analysis is, understand why the PVT analysis is needed in
Reservoir Engineering and the PVT scope.
§ Know which are the physical properties measured in a PVT analysis,
depending on the nature of the fluid under evaluation.
§ Describe briefly the sampling reservoir fluids techniques.
§ Understand the importance of PVT analysis in Reservoir Engineering, and the
wide applications of this.
§ Know the main PVT tests and describe briefly the ones mentioned in the
lecture.
§ Be able to comment briefly on the importance of PVT Reports.

Note: PVT data will be further used in practical applications, as well as in any
reservoir engineering related projects in your future careers.
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Introduction – Motivation for PVT Analysis

• Inspection and rationalisation of the pressure-volume-

temperature (PVT) fluid properties must be the opening move
in the study of any oil/gas field since the PVT functions, which
relate surface to reservoir volumes, are required in practically
every aspect of reservoir engineering:
• calculation of hydrocarbons in place
• any form of recovery calculations
• pressure-depth regimes
• to assure correct design of surface facilities.
(Dake, 2001)

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 PVT Scope
• Reservoir fluid analysis provides key data to the
petroleum engineer.
• Quality of the testing is important to ensure
realistic values used in design.
• Quality of the samples collected is also very
important, to ensure that the fluids tested are
representative of the field.
à Any high quality testing is of little value if the
sample is not representative.
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Pressure, volume, temperature (PVT) analysis

Pressure, volume and temperature (PVT)

analysis: An examination of a reservoir fluid in a
laboratory under various pressures, volumes and
temperatures to determine the characteristics
and behaviour of the fluid. (oilgasglossary.com)

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 PVT Analysis

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

• Correlation between pressure and volume at reservoir

temperature.
• Various physical constants that enter into reservoir
calculations: viscosity, density, compressibility.
• Effect of separator pressure and temperature on oil
formation volume factor, gas/oil ratio, etc.
• Chemical composition of the most volatile components.

PVT Analysis

• The physical properties measured depend on the

nature of the fluid under evaluation:

• Dry gas:
Ø composition, specific gravity, gas formation volume factor,
compressibility factor, viscosity.

• Wet gas:
Ø as for dry gas plus information on liquid drop out, quantities
and compositions.

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 PVT Analysis
• Oil system
Ø Bubble point pressure, composition of reservoir fluids and produced
fluids, Bo, GOR, Bt and viscosity (all as function of pressure).
Ø The coefficient of isothermal compressibility.
Ø The impact of operating below the bubble point on the formation
volume factor and solution GOR.

• Gas condensate:
Ø Properties measured reflect wet gas and oil analysis.
Ø Dew point pressure
Ø Compressibility above the dew point.
Ø Impact of allowing the reservoir to drop below the dew point.

Basic PVT parameters for an oil reservoir

(Dake, 2001)

• The basic PVT parameters for an oil reservoir:

• Bo: oil formation volume factor

• Rs: solution (or dissolved) gas-oil ratio
• Bg: gas formation volume factor

• All three are strictly functions of pressure at the (assumed)

constant reservoir temperature.
• All three PVT parameters are measured in laboratory
experiments conducted at constant reservoir temperature.
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 Sampling reservoir fluids
In the ‘Sampling reservoir fluids’ section, Dake (2001) points out:

• “By far the main responsibility of the practising reservoir engineer in

this matter is the collection of valid fluid samples for transfer to the
laboratory where the basic PVT experiments are performed.”

• Samples of the reservoir fluid are usually collected at an early stage in the
reservoir‘s producing life and dispatched to a laboratory for the full PVT
analysis.

• Two ways of collecting samples: subsurface or surface recombination

sampling.

• Whichever technique is used, the same basic problem exists: to ensure

that the proportion of gas to oil in the composite sample is the same as
that existing in the reservoir.
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Subsurface Sampling
• This is the more direct method of
sampling, illustrated schematically
in figure. (Dake, 1978)

• A special sampler is lowered into

the well, to the reservoir depth,
and the sample is collected from
the subsurface well stream at the
prevailing bottom hole pressure.

• One of the main drawbacks in the

method is that only a small sample
of the wellbore fluids is obtained, Fig. Subsurface collection of PVT
sample. (Dake, 1978)
the typical sampler having a volume
of only a few litres. (Dake, 1978)

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 Surface recombination sampling
• In collecting fluid samples at the
surface, separate volumes of oil
and gas are taken at separator
conditions and recombined to
give a composite fluid sample.

• The surface equipment is shown

schematically in fig.

• One of the attractive features

of surface recombination
sampling: statistically it gives a
reliable value of the producing
gas oil ratio measured over a Fig. Collection of a PVT sample by surface
period of hours; furthermore, it recombination. (Dake, 1978)
enables the collection of large
fluid samples. The well is produced at a steady rate for a period of
several hours and the gas oil ratio is measured in scf of
separator gas per stock tank barrel of oil.

Sampling

• Important to record and keep note of following. These records

to go with samples:

• Date and time

• Identification of the cylinder into which the sample is to be
collected
• Location of sampling points
• Temperature and pressure
• GOR in separator
• Any special details
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 Sampling
• PVT samples should be taken as early as possible in the
producing life of the field to facilitate the collection of
samples in which the oil and gas are combined in the
correct ratio. (Dake, 1978)
• Use and value of any PVT study is dependant on the
quality of the sample collected.
• During sampling procedure it is possible to alter the
conditions so that samples are not representative.
• In sampling reservoir fluids it is important to ensure that
the conditions during which the samples are being taken
are not altered to give rise to false samples.

Recall…

Phase Behaviour
• Fluids uniquely described Single phase
by phase diagram.
• The hydrocarbon mixture
with its own unique
composition will have its Two phase

own phase diagram and

phase envelope.
• Within the phase envelope
system is two phase.
• Outside the phase
envelope single phase.

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 Phase Behaviour
• At a particular point within the envelope the composition of each
component in each phase is constant.
• The separation of oil and gas as predicted by the phase diagram results in
each phase itself having a phase diagram. These phase diagrams intersect
at the separation temperature and pressure; the oil will exist at its bubble
point and the gas at its dew point.

• A 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. à Implications on the
way samples are taken and on the
techniques used to collect the sample, e.g. Fig. Conditions in a separator.
from the separator.

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PVT Tests

• Main PVT tests :

• Flash vaporisation (or flash expansion)

• Differential vaporisation test
• Separator tests
• Viscosity measurements
• Compositional measurements

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 Flash Vaporisation (Relative Volume) Test

• Flash Vaporisation: Determination of the

correlation between pressure and volume
at reservoir temperature.
• The system never changes during the test.
• The gas remains in equilibrium with the oil
throughout the test.

• Main objectives:
Ø To determine reservoir bubble
point pressure.
Ø Together with information from
separator tests, the formation
volume factor above bubble point.
Fig. Flash Vaporisation.

Flash Vaporisation (Relative Volume ) Test

• Tests at constant pressure V2 - V1

and varying temperature
enables thermal expansion
coefficient to be obtained
for well flow calculations.
Thermal expansion, b =
V2 ( T2 - T1 )
V1 = volume at T1 , V2 = volume at T2
The thermal expansion factor is expressed,
for example, in ˚C -1.

• Above bubble point, V2 - V1

c=
compressibility of oil at V2 ( P1 - P2 )
reservoir temperature can
V2 =volume at pressure P2
be determined.
V1 =volume at pressure P1

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 Differential Vaporisation
• The differential vaporisation differs from the flash in that the 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.
• Bubble point starting point.

Fig. Differential Vaporisation. 21

Separator Tests
• Objective: to determine the influence of separator pressure and temperature
on Bo, GOR, gas density and tank-oil density.
• To give an indication of oil shrinkage and GOR when fluids produced to surface.

• There are no unique values

for Bo and GOR. They depend
on separator conditions.

• Starting point for the test is

the bubble point pressure.

• Fluid produced at surface

conditions termed stock tank
oil.
Fig. Schematic of a Two Stage Separator Test.

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 PVT Report

Having considered the various aspects of PVT analysis, consider

now the PVT report.

Purpose of a PVT report:

• Although can be used for applications from reservoir to surface
facilities, the reservoir engineering application provides the main
basis and structure of the report.
• The report provides much of the black oil model information.
• PVT report is the source of much of the data for material balance
equation.
• The PVT report is clearly specific to a particular fluid, collected
from a specific well under specific conditions.
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Example
PVT report:

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 Concluding Remarks

• PVT functions, which relate surface to reservoir volumes, are

required in practically every aspect of reservoir engineering.

• PVT analysis: examination of reservoir fluid in a laboratory under

various pressures, volumes, and temperatures to determine the
characteristics and behaviour of the fluid.

• Quality of the testing and quality of the samples collected are very
important. à Use and value of any PVT study dependant on the
quality of the sample collected.

• Different PVT tests can be performed.

• PVT reports are a source of information for reservoir engineers

applications.

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 References

• Dake, L.P. Fundamentals of Reservoir Engineering. Elsevier, 1978. Online via Library.
• Dake, L.P. The Practice of Reservoir Engineering. Elsevier, 2001. Online via Library.
• Lyons, William C., Plisga, Gary J. Standard Handbook of Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering (2nd
Edition). Elsevier, 2005. Online via Library.
• Ahmed, Tarek. Reservoir Engineering Handbook (2nd Edition). Elsevier. 2001. Online via Library.
• Ahmed, Tarek. Reservoir Engineering Handbook (3rd Edition). Elsevier. 2006. Online via Library.
• Ahmed, Tarek. Reservoir Engineering Handbook (4th Edition). Elsevier. 2010. Online via Library.
• Archer, J.S, and Wall, C.G. Petroleum engineering : principles and practice, Graham and Trotman, 1986.
• Satter, A., Iqbal G. M., Buchwalter, J.L. Practical enhanced reservoir engineering: assisted with simulation
software. PennWell Corp., 2007. Online via Library.
• McCain, W.D. The Properties of Petroleum Fluids. Pennwell Books, Tulsa, Oklahoma. 1990. Online via
Library.
• Guidelines for Application of the Petroleum Resources Management System. (Reserves Classification
Guidelines.) Society of Petroleum Engineering, 2011. Online via SPE.
(http://www.spe.org/industry/docs/PRMS_Guidelines_Nov2011.pdf)
• Craft, B.C. and Hawkins, M.F. Applied petroleum reservoir engineering, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-
Hall, 1959.
(Clip art from: www.clipartguide.com, clker.com, clipartof.com, picturesof.net, chumpysclipart.com, sites.google.com)
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