Reservoir Fluids
Sampling
By Dr. Mohammed A. Khamis
21-12-2014
Outlines
• Objectives
• Planning The Sampling Program
• Factors that influence planning
• Sampling methods
• Preparing The Well for Sampling
• Reservoir fluid type consideration and well operation conditions
• Duration of the well conditioning period
• Field measurements during well conditioning
• Conducting The Sampling Operation
• Subsurface sampling
• Surface sampling
• PVT Laboratory Tests
2
Objectives
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
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Planning The Sampling Program
Factors that influence planning
• Types of reservoir fluids
• Effect of reservoir fluid type on planning
• The production characteristics of each well
• No water production (even small amount)
• Gas oil ratio and tank oil gravity
• Relatively high productivity index
Avoid sampling from an oil well
• Near GOC
• Near OWC
• Oil water transition zone
4
Planning The Sampling Program
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.
Sampling methods:
• Subsurface sampling
• Surface sampling
• Wellhead sampling
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Planning The Sampling Program
Subsurface sampling
• Bottom-hole samplers:
Tool to collect sample from the well-bore that can be used in
either open-hole or cased-hole wells and can be run in tubing.
• Formation testers
Modern open-hole wireline sampler that can collect fluid
samples directly from the formation.
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Planning The Sampling Program
Subsurface sampling
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Planning The Sampling Program
Surface sampling
Taking samples from
separator of oil and gas.
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Planning The Sampling Program
Wellhead sampling
Less common but potentially valuable.
If the fluid is in the single-phase state at the wellhead condition of temperature
and pressure, this technique can produce the easiest and more reliable results.
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Planning The Sampling Program
Advantages of subsurface sampling
• Collects the desired sample directly.
• Can maintain full pressure on sample (with special sampling tool).
• Avoids use of surface separators, and the proper sizing of separators.
• Avoids the need for flow rate metering devices, and their proper sizing
and calibration (for determination of producing GOR).
• Requires less sampling information to be transmitted to testing
laboratory.
• Eliminates potential errors in recombination of gas and oil samples
required for surface samples.
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Planning The Sampling Program
Advantages of surface sampling
• Relatively easy, convenient and less expensive compared to subsurface
sampling (e.g., no rig or wireline unit is required on location).
• Avoids loss of production during required shut-in period for
subsurface sampling (period of 1 – 4 days, or more for low
deliverability wells).
• Avoids the potential for getting the subsurface sampling tool stuck or
lost if the tubing is damaged or deviated, or if the sampling tool is
lowered below tubing level.
• Applicable to cases where water is expected in tubing at the depth of
the producing formation, where subsurface sampling cannot be used.
• Does not require that single-phase fluid be produced into the wellbore.
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Planning The Sampling Program
Advantages of formation testers
• Same advantages as subsurface sampling above.
• Collects the desired sample directly from the formation.
• Sample represents reservoir fluid over a very narrow depth interval.
• Sample not affected by fluid segregation in the wellbore.
• Can sample reservoir fluid even if water is standing in wellbore.
• Can sample reservoir fluid at original conditions (before any reservoir
fluid has been produced).
• Controlled pressure draw-down during sample collection.
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Preparing The Well for Sampling
Considerations of reservoir fluid type and well operating conditions
• Understanding of the type of fluid.
• The current status of the production operation.
• The production history of the well.
• All chemical injections which may affect the sample quality should be
stopped prior to sampling or minimized.
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Preparing The Well for Sampling
Conditioning the well before sampling
• The well is produced long enough to clean up all chemicals that used
during the well completion
• The flow rate is stepwise decreased until the pwf > the estimated
saturation pressure (if possible)
• The final rate must be large enough to maintain a stable producing
GOR and wellhead pressure.
• The final rate should be maintained long enough to ensure that the
producing GOR is constant
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Preparing The Well for Sampling
Flowing oil wells
Making accurate measurements of the oil and gas rates and measuring the
bottom-hole pressure for the last 24 hours of normal production rate.
Pumping oil wells
Generally, they are undesirable for sampling unless it is the only available
option.
If the surface sampling method is used, the well should be pumped for
several days after steady oil and gas rates achieved.
If the subsurface sampling is used, pumping is stopped after the well is
conditioned and the rods and pump (or ESP) are pulled out of the tubing.
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Preparing The Well for Sampling
Duration of the well conditioning period
The period depends on:
• The volume of reservoir fluid that has been altered.
• Contamination by drilling fluid.
• Producing the well at pwf < pb
• The rates at which the altered reservoir oil is produced.
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Preparing The Well for Sampling
Field measurements during well conditioning
• Tubing (wellhead) pressure and temperature
• Gas rate
• Gas gravity
• Gas temperature
• Oil rate
• Primary separator rate
• Stock tank oil production rate
• Water production rate
• Separator pressure
• Separation temperature
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Conducting The Sampling Operation
Subsurface sampling
The well should be cleaned up of drilling and completion fluids. The
sampling process must be preceded by the selection of:
• The type of subsurface sampling tool.
• The appropriate sampling point in the wellbore.
Sampling tools
• Conventional bottom-hole samplers
• Piston-type bottom-hole samplers
• Formation testers
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Conducting The Sampling Operation
Subsurface sampling
Selecting the sampling point
The best place is the lowest point in the
wellbore passed by all the fluid entering the
wellbore and when the static pressure is not
less than the estimated reservoir fluid
saturation pressure and avoiding water
producing zones.
The pressure survey data will be used to
determine the GWC or OWC depths.
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Conducting The Sampling Operation
Surface sampling
• It is satisfactory for nearly all
types of reservoir fluids.
• The producing rate should not
be changed after the well has
been conditioned.
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Conducting The Sampling Operation
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Conducting The Sampling Operation
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Conducting The Sampling Operation
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PVT Laboratory Tests
Importance of PVT
Oil and gas samples are taken to evaluate the properties of the
produced fluids at reservoir conditions.
• Original reservoir composition(s)
• Saturation pressure at reservoir temperature
• Oil and gas densities
• Oil and gas viscosities
• Gas solubility in reservoir oil
• Liquid (NGL/condensate) content of reservoir gas
• Shrinkage (volume) factors of oil and gas from reservoir to surface
• conditions
• Equilibrium phase compositions
Accuracy of PVT Data ≠ Representivity of Sample 24
PVT Laboratory Tests
Compositional analysis
• Gas chromatography
Pressure Depletion Tests
• Constant Composition Expansion (CCE)
• Constant Volume Depletion (CVD)
• Differential Liberation (DL)
Viscosity Test
Density Test
Separator Test
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PVT Laboratory Tests
Compositional analysis
• Liquid and gas analysis C1 ̴ Cn+
• Properties of the heavy components
• Properties of the stock tank liquid
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PVT Laboratory Tests
Pressure Depletion Tests
Constant Composition Expansion (CCE)
Black oil
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PVT Laboratory Tests
Pressure Depletion Tests
Constant Volume Depletion (CVD)
Condensate and volatile oil
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PVT Laboratory Tests
Pressure Depletion Tests
Differential Liberation (DL)
Non volatile oil
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PVT Laboratory Tests
Pressure Depletion Tests
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PVT Laboratory Tests
Viscosity Test
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PVT Laboratory Tests
Density Test
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PVT Laboratory Tests
Separator test
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