Specific Gravity

And
API gravity

(Reservoir Geology)
 Specific Gravity & API GRAVITY
• ratio of the gas density to that
of the air ..
• Both densities are measured or
expressed at the same pressure
STP - commonly used in the Imperial
and temperature .. and USA system of units - as air at 60oF
(520oR, 15.6oC) and 14.696 psia (1 atm, 
1.01325 bar) ..
 General Gas Equation
PV = nRT
Where,
P = absolute pressure, psia
V = volume, ft3
T = absolute temperature, °R
n = number of moles of gas, lb-mole
R = the universal gas constant which, for the above
units, has the value 10.730 psia ft3/lb-mole-°R
 “n” is defined as the weight of the gas m divided by the molecular
weight M,
n = m/M
Where;
m = weight of gas, lb
M = molecular weight, lb/lb-mol
By putting the value of n in general gas equation we get;

By rearranging the equation for density we get;

Unit of density? lb/ft3

 If, Molecular weight
of a gas is 21.7
pounds per mole ..

Gs = 21.7/28.97
= 0.75

OR; Thus, we may calculate the specific

gravity of a gas mixture (such as a
natural gas) if we know the mole
percentages of the components present.

Mair = apparent molecular weight of the air = 28.96

Ma = apparent molecular weight of the gas
Example

24.43

= 24.43 = 0.84
28.96
 Example
A gas well is producing gas with a specific gravity of 0.65 at a rate of 1.1
MMscf/day. The average reservoir pressure and temperature are 1,500 psi and
150°F. Calculate:

a. Apparent molecular weight of the gas

b. Gas density at reservoir conditions
c. Flow rate in lb/day = 18.82

= 4.31lb/ft3
 Flow Rate
“the volume V flowing past a point in time t”
Part c: Unit = m3/s

Step 1. Because 1 lb-mol of any gas occupies 379.4 scf at standard

conditions, then the daily number of moles that the gas well is
producing can be calculated from:
 5 roti = 10 rupees
1 roti = 10/5 = 2 rupees

20 rupees – roti ?
x roti = 20/2 = 10 roti

1 mole = 379.4 scf

n mole = 1.1 exp6/379.4
Step 2. Determine the daily mass m of the gas produced:

m = (n) (Ma)
m = (2899) (18.82)
m= 54559 lb/day
 API Gravity
• American Petroleum Institute gravity - a dimensionless quantity
• measure of how heavy or light a petroleum liquid is compared to
water
• API gravity is greater than 10, it is lighter and floats on water; if less
than 10, it is heavier and sinks.
• API gravity is thus an inverse measure of a petroleum liquid's
density relative to that of water (also known as specific gravity) ..
• It is used to compare densities of petroleum liquids.
• For example, if one petroleum liquid is less dense than another, it has
a greater API gravity.
 API vs Gs
Higher API indicates a lighter (low density) crude ..
Lower API indicates a heavier (denser) crude ..

API Gs Density - Lighter oil

API Gs Density - Denser oil
 API vs Gs
• Not measure in fraction ..
• API gravity values of most
petroleum liquids fall
between 11 and 40 ..
• API gravity of Water = 10
• Gs of oil – 0.825 – 0.993
(40-11 API gravity)
Formulae
 Example
A heavy oil with a specific gravity of 1.0 (i.e., with the same density as
pure water at 60 °F) has an API gravity of:
 Classifications or grades
oil with an API gravity between 40 and 45° commands the highest prices.
 Why lighter HC. are more valuable?

a. easier to refine (requires less processing)

b. contains greater quantities of hydrocarbons than heavier
variants
c. produces a greater percentage of gasoline and diesel than heavy
oil.
END