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ABSTRACT
Reservoir fluids is defined as substances that are stored and trapped inside a subsurface reservoir. These fluids
usually consist of water, oil, and gas. The fluids that are stored in reservoir have distinct properties that can be
studied for further evaluation in order for these fluids to be produced for public use. The most common reservoir
fluids that can be produced are black oil, volatile oil, condensate (retrograde gas), wet gas, and dry gas. Water is
also found in the reservoir as one of the existing fluids, and in many cases, holds an important role as the driving
force of a reservoir. In order to have a better understanding and more complete data, these fluids have different
properties that shold be considered, and these include density, viscosity, solubility, formation volume factor, and
compressibility.
I. INTRODUCTION
meaning the oil could dissolve more gas if more gas
Reservoir is defined as a place where something is were present. If the pressure is at 2, the oil is at its
kept in store, whereas fluid is a substance that has no bubble point, and is said to be saturated - meaning
fixed shape and yields easily to external presure; a the oil contains the maximum amount of dissolved
gas or (especially) liquid. The composition of a gas and can't hold any more gas. A reduction in
reservoir can consist of water, oil, and gas as those pressure at this point will release gas to form a free
three are the most common to be found inside a gas phase inside the reservoir. Additional gas
reservoir. Reservoir fluids are moving substances evolves from the oil as it moves from the reservoir
that fill the pore of the rocks inside a reservoir. These to the surface. This causes some shrinkage of the oil.
fluids have different physical as well as chemical Black oil is often called low shrinkage crude oil or
properties that can be studied. The study of this ordinary oil.
particular material serves the function to know how
the fluids are behaving to certain changes and
ultimately to produce these fluids in oil and gas
production activity optimally in order to reach the
highest exploitation to the reservoir. Typically, there
are five main types of reservoir fluids: black oil,
volatile oil, condensate (retrograde gas), wet gas,
and dry gas. Each of these fluid types require
different approaches when analyzing the reservoir,
so it is important to identify the correct fluid type
early on in the reservoir's life. Laboratory analysis is
our primary method for determining and quantifying
fluid type, but production information such as initial
production gas-oil ratio (GOR), gravity of the stock-
Figure 1: Black Oils
tank liquid, and the color of the stock-tank liquid are
also useful indicators.
Black oils are dark in color indicating the presence
II. FLUIDS
of heavy hydrocarbons. It is characterized as having
2.1 Black Oils
initial gas-oil ratios of 2000 scf/stb or less.
Black oils are made up of a variety of components
Producing GOR will increase during production
including large, heavy, and non-volatile
when reservoir falls below bubble point pressure, 2
hydrocarbons. The phase diagram is shown below.
→ 3 as the gas evolves from the solution inside the
When the reservoir pressure lies anywhere along
reservoir and flows preferentially to the oil.
line 1 → 2, the oil is said to be undersaturated -
2.2 Volatile Oils volumes of liquid will condense in the reservoir.
Since the gas flows preferentially to oil, much of this
Volatile oils contain fewer heavy molecules and
oil will be unrecoverable. Consequently, it is
more intermediate components (ethane through
important to recognize that a reservoir contains a
hexane) than black oils. Volatile oils generally have
condensate gas and re-inject dry gas to maintain
initial gas-oil ratios in the 2000 to 3300 scf/Bbl
reservoir pressure above the dew point to maximize
range, and the stock tank gravity is usually 40° API
recovery of the liquids. In the diagram below, the
or higher. The color is generally lighter than black
retrograde gas exists completely in a gaseous state
oil – brown, orange, or green. Gas associated with
inside the reservoir at point 1. As the pressure
volatile oils tends to be very rich and similar to
decreases, the condensate exhibits a dew point at
retrograde condensate gas.
point 2. As the reservoir further depletes and the
The phase envelope for a volatile oil tends to cover pressure drops, liquid condenses from the gas to
a much narrower temperature range when compared form a free liquid inside the reservoir.
to a black oil; but like a black oil, the reservoir
temperature is always lower than the critical
temperature for the fluid. As the reservoir
temperature approaches the critical temperature a
volatile oil will become more gas-like such that with
even moderate depletion, a volatile oil reservoir can
flash mainly to gas and have a relatively low liquid
content.
Condensate gas is very similar to volatile oils in Wet gas exists solely as a gas in the reservoir
terms of the colour (green, orange, brown, even throughout the reduction in reservoir pressure.
clear) and gravity (40° to 60° API) of the produced Unlike retrograde condensate, no liquid is formed
oil. However, the reservoir temperature of a inside the reservoir. However, separator conditions
condensate gas reservoir is greater than the critical lie within the phase envelope, causing some liquid
temperature of the fluid, and so where a volatile oil to be formed at the surface. This surface liquid is
is a liquid at original reservoir pressure and normally called condensate, and the reservoir gas is
temperature, a condensate gas is a gas. sometimes called condensate-gas, which leads to a
lot of confusion between wet gasses and retrograde
As pressure is reduced in a condensate gas reservoir, condensate. The entire phase diagram of a wet gas
the fluid will pass through the dew point and large will lie below the reservoir temperature. Note that
the pressure path line does not enter the phase 2.6 Water
envelope, meaning no liquid is ever formed inside
Water often times becomes the driving force of a
the reservoir. reservoir. There are three different sources for all
free water found in the subsurface, which are:
- Density
It is defined as a ratio between the mass of oil and its
volume.
- Viscosity
Viscosity of oil is oil’s reluctance in flowing. The
higher the viscosity of oil, the harder it would be for
Figure 5: Dry Gas the oil to freely flow.
- Formation Volume Factor (FVF) ML_Files/Reference_Material/General_C
FVF or Bo is a Volume ratio between oil in oncepts/Reservoir_Fluid_Properties.htm
subsurface area with its volume after being lifted to - http://fekete.com/SAN/TheoryAndEquatio
the surface. The unit that is used to measure its ns/HarmonyTheoryEquations/Content/HT
subsurface volume is bbl while its surface volume ML_Files/Reference_Material/General_C
uses the unit Stock Tank Barrel (STB) oncepts/Reservoir_Fluid_Types.htm
- Gas solubility in Oil
Oil can contain gas that influences the physical
properties of oil. Hence, it is should be measured
correctly because this value will increase as pressure
increases.
- Compressibility
A change in volume of oil when more pressure is
being added to oil.
IV. CONCLUSION
This paper provides the basic information of
what a reservoir contains. It is known that a
reservoir can contain water, oil, and also gas.
Diversity in the composition as well as other
factors such as temperature, pressure, and trap
may affect the fluids within the reservoir. The
different phases also have different physical
properties which include density, formation
volume factor, gas solubility, compressibility,
and viscosity.
REFERENCES
- http://petrowiki.org/Waterdrive_reservoirs
- http://www.dnr.louisiana.gov/assets/TAD/
education/BGBB/4/fluids.html
- http://petrowiki.org/Oil_fluid_characteristi
cs
- http://fekete.com/SAN/TheoryAndEquatio
ns/HarmonyTheoryEquations/Content/HT