MAB - Pete 310 page 1

Fall, 2002

PETE 310
Application of the Crude Oil PVT Properties in
Reservoir Engineering Problems
Radial Flow of Crude Oils

Using Darcy's law in differential form to a crude oil

flowing in a radial system gives:

1.1271 (2π rh)kh dP

qo = = res bbl
1000µo dr day (1)

To express the oil flow rate in STB/day we need to

include the oil formation volume factor.

1.1271 (2π rh)kh dP

Qo = = STB
1000µo B o dr day (2)

Separate variables and integrate by imposing the

inner (wellbore) and outer (drainage area)
boundaries.
re Pe

Qo dr= 1.1271 (2π rh)kh dP

r 1000µo B o (3)
rw P wf
MAB - Pete 310 page 2
Fall, 2002

Notice that we have assumed constant (or average)

properties to integrate equation (3)!

Qo = 0.00708 k h ∆ P
µo B o ln re/rw (4)

Where:

Qo = oil flow rate , STB/day

h = pay zone thickness, ft
k = permeability , md (milidarcies)
∆P = difference between reservoir pressure and
bottom-hole flowing pressure
= (P - Pwf), psia
Bo = formation volume factor of oil at reservoir
pressure, bbl/STB
µo = oil viscosity, cp
rw = wellbore radius, ft
re = drainage radius, ft

The following sketch helps to identify the process

MAB - Pete 310 page 3
Fall, 2002

Qo

Pe

P
wf

re

magnified
wellbore r
w

The application of this equation is limited to

steady-state and laminar flow.
The fluid and the reservoir are homogeneous.
MAB - Pete 310 page 4
Fall, 2002

Oil production example:

Estimate the daily oil production of WELL77J in

STB/day.
The following rock and fluid propertieshave been
given to you.

k = 1000 md
h = 40 ft
re = 700 ft
rw = 0.5 ft
∆P = 300 psia.
Pe = 3300 psia
Pwf = 3000 psia
Rs = 800 SCF/STB ( has remained constant over
time)
gg = 0.9 (specific gravity of separator gas)
˚API = 40
T = 200 ˚F (reservoir temperature)

The PVT lab could not finish a complete Differential

Depletion Test at Reservoir Temperature T=200˚F,
but they gave to you the following data.
MAB - Pete 310 page 5
Fall, 2002

Pressure (psia) Oil Density (gm / cc)

5000 0.681
4500 0.676
4100 0.673
3500 0.666

3000 0.660
2500 0.652
2350 0.665
2100 0.673
1850 0.689
1600 0.697
You have reasons to believe that the reservoir
pressure is above the bubble point pressure of the
reservoir oil because the producing gas-oil ratio has
remained constant. In addition you can (and must )
estimate the bubble point pressure of this reservoir
fluid by using the data of the PVT report.

A plot of pressure vs density ( or pressure vs volume)

at fixed temperature should give you the bubble point
pressure of this oil.
MAB - Pete 310 page 6
Fall, 2002

Experimental Determination of Bubble Point Pressure

0.70
T = 200 ÞF

0.69

0.68
Density (gr/cc)

0.67

0.66

0.65
1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000
Pb
Pressure (psia)

We will take the bubble point pressure as Pb = 2,500

psia.

Or alternatively we can obtain this pressure from the

type of plot we are more familiar with
MAB - Pete 310 page 7
Fall, 2002

1.54
T = 200ÞF

1.52
Specific Volume (cc/gr)

1.50

1.48

1.46

1.44

1.42
1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000
Pb
Pressure (psia)

Now we are sure that our reservoir is above the

bubble point pressure.
To evaluate the formation volume factor to be used in
equation (4) we first require its value at the bubble
point pressure and then we correct it for a higher
pressure using the oil compressibility.

Bob can be calculated from the following formula:

ρSTO + 0.0135R s γg
Bo b =
ρOR (5)
 MAB - Pete 310 page 8
Fall, 2002

Where:

ρ STO is obtained from the API gravity of the stock

tank oil:

ρ STO = 141.5 ρ w = 141.5 62.37 = 51.46 lbm /cu ft (6)

API + 131.5 40 + 131.5

The density at reservoir conditions is obtained from

the PVT report. (We interpolate between the two
pressures closest to the reservoir pressure).

We can use a linear interpolation

Pressure (psia) Oil Density

(gm/cc)
3500
0.666
3300 0.664
3000 0.660

thus,

ρ OR = 0. 666 - 0.666 - 0.660 200 = 0.664 gm /cc (7)

3500-3000

ρOR = (0.664)(62.37) = 41.414 lbm / cu ft (8)

MAB - Pete 310 page 9
Fall, 2002

The formation volume factor at the bubble point is

then:

51.56 + 0.0135×800×0.9
B o b= = 1.48 bbl /STB (9)
41.414

....but we need the formation volume factor above the

bubble-point pressure
Therefore we need to correct for the compressibility of
the oil above the Pb.

The following equation is to be used:

B o = B o bexp co Pb - P (10)

We need to find out a value for the isothermal

compressibility.
We must use the data provided in the PVT report :

∂ρ
co = 1 = 1 × 0.666-0.660 = 18.×10-6 psi -1
ρ ∂P T
0.664 3500- 3000 (11)
MAB - Pete 310 page 10
Fall, 2002

Therefore the formation volume factor at 3300 psia is:

B o = 1.48exp 18.×10-6 2500 - 3300 = 1.46 bbl / STB (12)

To estimate the viscosity of the oil at reservoir

conditions we will make use of the equations listed in
Appendix B of your text book. The charts from
Chapter 11 in your text book could also be used.

To evaluate the viscosity we follow a three step

procedure:

(1) Evaluate Dead oil viscosity ( µoD ):

log (log (µoD + 1)) = 1.8653 - 0.025086API -

0.5644 log T (13)

= 1.8653 - 0.025086 ( 40 ) - 0.5644 log

200
= -0.437
log (µoD + 1) = 10 - 0.437 = 0.366
µoD = 10 - 0.366 - 1 = 1.321 cp
MAB - Pete 310 page 11
Fall, 2002

(2) Evaluate Saturated Oil Viscosity ( µob ) :

µob = A µoD B
(14)

A = 10.715 (Rs + 100)- 0515

B = 5.44(Rs + 150)- 0338

µob = 0.374 cp

(3) Evaluate Oil viscosity above Pb

µo = µob ( Pb / P ) B
(15)

B = C1P C2 exp (C3 + C4P )

= 2.6 P 1.187 exp ( -11.513 - 8.98x10-5 P )
= 0.29

µo = 0.374 ( 3300 / 2500 ) 0.29 = 0.405 cp

Finally the daily oil flow rate is:

Qo = 0.00708 k h ∆ P
µo B o ln re/rw
MAB - Pete 310 page 12
Fall, 2002

0.00708×1000× 40× 300

Qo = = 19,834.193 STB /day
0.405× 1.46 ln 700/0.5

Pretty good well !