Mercury-free PVT apparatus for thermophysical property analyses of hydrocarbon reservoir fluids

Technical Report · Mon Aug 31 00:00:00 EDT 1992

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7052545· OSTI ID:7052545

Lansangan, R M; Lievois, J S

Typical reservoir fluid analyses of complex, multicomponent hydrocarbon mixtures include the volumetric properties, isothermal compressibility, thermal expansivity, equilibrium ratios, saturation pressure, viscosities, etc. These parameters are collectively referred to as PVT properties, an acronym for the primary state variables; pressure, volume, and temperature. The reservoir engineer incorporates this information together with the porous media description in performing material balance calculations. These calculations lead to the determination (estimation) of the initial hydrocarbon in-place, the future reservoir performance, the optimal production scheme, and the ultimate hydrocarbon recovery. About four years ago, Ruska Instrument Corporation embarked on a project to develop an apparatus designed to measure PVT properties that operates free of mercury. The result of this endeavor is the 2370 Hg-Free PVT system which has been in the market for the last three years. The 2370 has evolved from the prototype unit to its present configuration which is described briefly in this report. The 2370 system, although developed as a system-engineered apparatus based on existing technology, has not been exempt from this burden-of-proof Namely, the performance of the apparatus under routine test conditions with real reservoir fluids. This report summarizes the results of the performance and applications testing of the 2370 Hg-Free PVT system. Density measurements were conducted on a pure fluid. The results were compared against literature values and the prediction of an equation of state. Routine reservoir fluid analyses were conducted with a black oil and a retrograde condensate gas mixtures. Limited comparison of the results were performed based on the same tests performed on a conventional mercury-based PVT apparatus. The results of these tests are included in this report.

• Research Organization: Ruska Instrument Corp., Houston, TX (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: FG01-90CE15454
• OSTI ID: 7052545
• Report Number(s): DOE/CE/15454-T5; ON: DE93008186
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION
DENSITY
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
RESERVOIR FLUIDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
COMPRESSIBILITY
DESIGN
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
HYDROCARBONS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PRESSURE MEASUREMENT
PROGRESS REPORT
SATURATION
TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT
THERMAL EXPANSION
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
VISCOSITY
VOLUME
DATA
DOCUMENT TYPES
EXPANSION
FLUIDS
INFORMATION
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
TESTING
023000* - Petroleum- Properties & Composition
440800 - Miscellaneous Instrumentation- (1990-)