University Of Zakho

Collage Of Engineering
Petroleum Department

Reservoir fluid sampling, methods, tools & technique

Experiment No.2.

Name: Lulav saeed sadiq

Class: one , 3rd stage
Subject: Reservoir fluid properties
Date: 11/4/2020
Leader: Mr.All’a Rasol &Mr.Nechirvan Qasim
Year:2019_2020
Contents
1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 2
2. Objective ............................................................................................................................ 3
3. PVT sampling methods ..................................................................................................... 4
a. Type of Sampling ........................................................................................................... 4
b. The choice of sampling method influenced by ............................................................... 4
4. Sampling Methods with their procedures .......................................................................... 4
A. RFT Sampling ............................................................................................................ 4
B. Subsurface Sampling Method..................................................................................... 5
C. Separator Sampling........................................................................................................ 6
D. Wellhead Sampling ........................................................................................................ 7
5. Constant Composition Expansion – Oil & Gas condensate .............................................. 9
a. Bubblepoint determination .......................................................................................... 10
b. Y - function .................................................................................................................. 11
6. Calculation ...................................................................................................................... 12
7. Discussion ....................................................................................................................... 13
8. References ....................................................................................................................... 14

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“Reservoir fluid sampling, methods, tools & technique”
1. Introduction
Oil and gas samples are taken to evaluate the properties of produced fluids at
reservoir conditions, in the production tubing, and in pipeline transportation.
The key PVT (pressure-volume-temperature) properties to be determined for a
reservoir fluid include:
1. Original reservoir composition(s)
2. Saturation pressure at reservoir temperature
3. Oil and gas densities
4. Oil and gas viscosities
5. Gas solubility in reservoir oil
6. Liquid (NGL/condensate) content of reservoir gas
7. Shrinkage (volume) factors of oil and gas from reservoir to surface
conditions
8. Equilibrium phase compositions
Standard experimental procedures are used for measuring these properties,
including expansion and depletion studies, and multistage separator tests.
Reservoir fluid samples can also be used in gas injection studies, where oil
recovery by vaporization, condensation, and developed miscibility are
quantified. Slim tube tests and multi contact gas injection PVT studies are
typically used for this purpose. Less traditional PVT analyses include:
a) Analysis of produced water, including salinity and brine composition
b) Wax and asphaltene analysis
c) Hydrates and emulsions

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 Conducting the sampling operation

2. Objective
Obtain a sample of the original reservoir fluid by collecting samples before the
bottom hole flowing pressure has dropped below reservoir fluid saturation
pressure. This fluid will be representative of the original reservoir fluid
Objectives.

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 3. PVT sampling methods

a. Type of Sampling
The API1 gives recommended practices for sampling oil and gas wells. Several
sampling methods can be used to collect reservoir fluids, including :-
1) RFT Sampling
2) Bottom hole sampling
3) Separator sampling
4) Wellhead sampling

b. The choice of sampling method influenced by

• Volume of sample
• Type of reservoir fluid
• The degree of depletion of the reservoir
• The mechanical condition of the wellbore
• The type of available gas oil separation equipment.

4. Sampling Methods with their procedures

A. RFT Sampling
Repeat Formation Tester (RFT) sampling (open wellbore sampling) is
probably the least accurate of all methods of sampling, mostly because of the
limited volume of sampling. However, RFT samples should be valid under the
following conditions:
• Undersaturated oil
• High Permeability
• Water-based mud used when drilling
If oil-based mud is used during drilling then the samples can only be used for
approximate compositional analysis.
The hydrocarbon components found in the oil-based mud must be backed out
of (subtracted from) the overall composition. The greatest advantage of RFT
sampling is that the fluid is defined for a precise depth. Many reservoirs exhibit

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compositional variation with depth. Accurate RFT samples can help establish
this variation, typically a task that is very difficult.

B. Subsurface Sampling Method

Undersaturated oils are usually sampled with bottomhole containers lowered
into the wellbore on a wireline (Figure 1, Figure 2). The bottomhole sample is
taken while the well is flowing at a relatively low rate. The flowing bottomhole
pressure should always be higher than the estimated bubble point pressure of
the reservoir oil. Bottomhole oil samples can also be taken when a well is
shutin. The flowing bottomhole pressure prior to shut in should be higher than
the bubble point pressure.
The typical procedure for bottomhole sampling includes:
1. Install sample container in the production tubing
2. Make pressure gradient measurements going into the hole
3. Position sampler at the specified depth
4. Produce the well at a low, stable rate (following conditioning)
5. Sample during the flow test (dynamic sample) or after shuting in the well
(static sample)

Figure-1-
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 Figure-2-

C. Separator Sampling
Separator sampling is used for gas condensates and saturated oils. Separator
samples are also taken for gas injection studies requiring large sample volumes,
and for special studies involving analysis of asphaltene precipitation, wax
(paraffin) point, emulsions, hydrates, and corrosion. Separator gas and
separator oil rates are measured during the sampling to determine the ratio
with which to recombine the separator samples.
The recombined mixture should yield an overall fluid representing the
wellstream that entered the separator. This wellstream hopefully represents the
reservoir fluid. Measured separator gas rates are corrected in the laboratory
using standard orifice equations.

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Criteria for valid separator sampling include:-
• Stable separator pressure and temperature, liquid level, and flow rates.
• Excessive carryover (due to high rates) should be avoided.
• Critical flow through the choke, requiring that separator pressure is less
than 1/2 of the wellhead flowing pressure. Sometimes this criterion
cannot be achieved, and strictly speaking it is not necessary if separator
conditions are stable.

Three types of separator

sampling can then be
requested

D. Wellhead Sampling

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If a produced oil is single phase at the wellhead then a sample can be taken
upstream to the choke. Several wellhead sampling methods can be used:
• Fill a membrane sampler by displacing the backpressure fluid (ethylene
glycol)
• Fill a piston cylinder sampler
• Fill an open cylinder containing mercury (sometimes not allowed
• offshore, e.g. in Norway)
Successful wellhead samples should be very accurate if the temperature is
above the wax appearance point (WAP). Usually wellhead samples can only be
taken from high-pressure, deep wells that are highly undersaturated (e.g.
Embla). In general, wellhead (or bottomhole) samples are preferred for
asphaltene studies.

Wellhead sampling

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 5. Constant Composition Expansion – Oil & Gas condensate
For an oil sample the constant composition expansion (CCE) experiment is
used to determine the bubblepoint pressure, the undersaturated oil density and
isothermal oil compressibility, and the two-phase volumetric behavior at
pressures below the bubblepoint.

The CCE experiment for a gas condensate reports the total relative volume,
defined as the volume of the gas or gas-plus-oil mixture divided by the dew
point volume. Z-factors are also reported, at the dew point pressure and above.

Comparison between flash liberation and differential liberation.

Flash liberation, which portrays the separation stage of production, involves a
sudpden pressure change that causes the fluid to quickly separate, or "flash"
into gas and oil com- ponents. In differential liberation, which repre- sents
pressure depletion in the reservoir, pressure gradually decreases and any
liberated gas is removed from the oil.

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 a. Bubblepoint determination

Bubblepoint determination during a flash liberation test. Starting above the

reservoir pressure, pressure on the reservoir sample is decreased in steps by
removing mercury from the cell. The ini- tial slope of the pressure-volume
curve is very steep until gas begins to come out of solution at the bubblepoint.
Then, any subsequent volume increases cause small changes in cell pressure
and the slope of the pressure-volume response- shows a dramatically reduced
slope.

A schematic of a Constant Composition Expansion experiment steps

The PV cell pressure is initially raised to a value greater than the bubble point
pressure, the pressure is subsequently reduced in stages, and on each stage, the
volume of the cell is recorded.

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 b. Y - function

The Y-function is linear with pressure and is related to the two phase volume
(Vp (scf)), bubble-point volume (Vb (scf)), bubble-point pressure (Pb (psia))
and pressure (P (psia)) as follows: (Whitson, 1998l; Hosein, Mayrhoo. and
McCain, 2014; Nnabuo, Okafor and Ubani, 2014):

The Y - function, which is dimensionless, is applied to CCE data below the

bubblepoint from black oil PVT studies (Standing, 1952) but has also been
extended to determine the bubble-point pressures for black oils and volatile oils
(Hosein, Mayrhoo. and McCain, 2014).

Y-function versus pressure

Determine the coefficient of the best straight fit of the data from curve to
determine Y-function: Y=a+bp

Recalculate the relative volume at all pressure below saturation pressure from
the following expression :

𝑃𝑠𝑎𝑡 − 𝑃
𝑉𝑟𝑒 = 1 +
𝑃(𝑎 + 𝑏𝑝)

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 6. Calculation

Example:
The following table illustrates the results of a CCE experiment for an oil
sample obtained by subsurface sampling. The temperature is maintained
constant and equal to 114 °C. The bubble point pressure for this sample is
equal to 424.5 bar. The relative volume in the graph below are volumes
measured in relation to this bubble point volume (Pb, Vrel = 1).

Solution

NB: The shape of the (Relative Volume)-Pressure curve changes with the type of the
reservoir fluid (either black oil, volatile oil, gas condensate, dry gas).

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 7. Discussion
Pressure/volume/temperature (PVT) fluid properties are an integral part of
determining the ultimate oil recovery and characterization of a reservoir, and
are a vital tool in our attempts to enhance the reservoir's productive capability.
However, as the experimental procedures to obtain these are time consuming
and expensive, they are often based on analyses of a few reservoir-fluid
samples, which are then applied to the entire reservoir. Therefore, it is of
utmost importance to ensure that representative samples are taken, as they are
fundamental to the reliability and accuracy of a study. Critical to the successful
sampling of a reservoir fluid is the correct employment of sampling procedures
and well conditioning before and during sampling. There are two general
methods of sampling—surface and subsurface sampling. However, within
these, there exist different methods that can be more applicable to a particular
type of reservoir fluid than to another. In addition, well conditioning can differ
depending on the type of reservoir fluid. Sampling methods for each reservoir
type will be discussed with an emphasis on scenarios where difficulties arise,
such as near-critical reservoir fluids and saturated reservoirs. Methods,
including single-phase sampling and isokinetic sampling, which have been used
increasingly in the last decade, will also be discussed with some detail, as will
preservation of the representatives of other components in the sample
including asphaltenes, mercury, and sulfur compounds. The paper presents a
discussion aimed at better understanding the methods available, concepts
behind the methods, well conditioning, and problems involved in obtaining
representative fluid samples.

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 8. References
https://www.slb.com/~/media/Files/resources/oilfield_review/ors89/jan89/1_pvt.pdf
https://www.ijser.org/researchpaper/pvt_lab_manual.pdf
https://production-technology.org/pvt-sampling-methods/
http://www.ipt.ntnu.no/~curtis/courses/PhD-PVT/PVT-HOT-Vienna-May-
2016x/presentations-and-papers/Fluid-Sampling%20c3-public.pdf
https://dias.library.tuc.gr/view/manf/63591

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8kuBF13mHM

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