PETE 310

Lecture # 14
Wet Gas Specific Gravity & Z-factor

(Chapter 7: pages 195-205)
Learning Objectives
Calculate the specific gravity of a wet gas
mixture, given producing GOR (at separator(s)
and stock tank and:
compositions liquid and gas from stock tank
and separator gas
or, separator compositions (gas & liquid)
or, properties of the separator gas and stock
vent gas
Define the two-phase z-factor and understand the
uses of this in reservoir engineering
Explain the shape of a typical two-phase z-factor
isotherm.
Calculate values of two-phase z-factor using
Rayes etal. correlation (SPE paper).
Separators
iST
x
) STB / scf ( GOR and
y
iST
) STB / scf ( GOR and
y
iSP
iST
x
Wellhead
iSP
x
( )
( )
( ) ( )
( )
( )
ST
oil gas
ST
gas
v
ST
oil gas
SP
oil
SP
oil gas
SP
gas
v
mole lb mole lb
mole lb
f
mole lb mole lb mole lb
mole lb mole lb
mole lb
f
ST
SP
+

=
+ =
+

=
Key Points
What matters is the molar ratio of gas to oil
so lets assume one barrel of oil produced
Methods to evaluate oil density will be
discussed in Chapter 11 (here it will be
provided)
To convert
o
API to oil density

w
o
o
o
o
5 . 131
5 . 141
API

=
Key Points
The expression [=] means has the units of For
example



You are responsible for reading the material that
cannot be covered in this lecture
Rework ALL the example problems in the book
Procedure 1 - explained in detail here - is simpler
and takes less time to solve than the method
explained in the book

| |
3
o
ft
lb
=
Recombination procedure when
separator gas y
iSP
and tock tank
compositions (x
iSTO
, yi
ST
) are
known


(Procedure 1.)
Procedure 1.
Calculate molecular weight of stock tank
liquid


Calculate lb-moles of separator gas produced
per barrel of STO from separator

=
=
Nc
1 i
wi i wo
M x M
| |
( )
( )
| |
volume) molar gas (ideal mole - b 380.7scf/l V
/STO mole - lb
mole - scf/lb
scf/STB

V
GOR
id
m
gas
id
m
SP
=
= =
Procedure 1.
Calculate lb-moles of stock gas vented per
STO


Calculate moles of oil in 1 barrel of stock tank
(need to use molar density)


| |
( )
( )
| |
| | /STO mole - lb
bbl
ft
615 . 5
ft
mole - lb
ft
mole - lb

mole - lb/lb
lb/ft

M
oil
3
3
oil
3
oil
3
wo
oil
=
= =

| |
( )
( )
| | /STO mole - lb
mole - scf/lb
scf/STB

V
GOR
gas
id
m
ST
= =
Procedure 1.
( )
( )
( ) ( )
( )
( )
STO
mole lb mole lb
STO
mole lb
f
mole lb mole lb mole lb
STO
mole lb mole lb
STO
mole lb
f
ST
oil gas
ST
gas
v
ST
oil gas SP oil
SP
oil gas
SP
gas
v
ST
SP
+

=
+ =
+

=
iST x
Procedure 1.

Determine reservoir gas composition from
fundamental mole balance










Once reservoir composition is known determine z-
factor and specific gravity




( )
( )
( ) | |( )
ST ST ST SP
ST ST
SP SP
v v
ST
i v
ST
i v
SP
i i
v
ST
i v
ST
i
SP
i
v
SP
i v
SP
i i
f 1 f 1 x f y f y z
f 1 x f y x
f 1 x f y z
+ + =
+ =
+ =
iST x
Example for Procedure 1.
Y
i SEP
Y
i STO
X
i STO
Recombination procedure when
separator gas y
iSP
and liquid
compositions x
iSP
are known


(Procedure 2.)
Example for Procedure 2.
Procedure 2.
Additional information given is the separator/stock
tank volume ratio as



Use this to convert from scf/STO scf/ST
Proceed as in procedure 1.
Rework example 7.2 in textbook
( )
) conditions standard at ( STB bbl
separator) of P (T, at il o SP bbl
f 1 x f y z
SP SP
v
SP
i v
SP
i i
+ =
Recombination procedure when
only separator gas and stock vent
gas properties are known


(Procedure 3.)
Procedure 3.
For two-stage separators





For three-stage separators derive
expressions
ST SP
gST ST gSP SP
g
R R
R R
+
+
=
ST SP
R R R + =
Procedure 3.
Moles in one stock tank barrel
Procedure 3.
Mass of one stock tank barrel
Procedure 3.
And the gas gravity at reservoir conditions
is



An approximation for Mo (when not given is)
o o
o g
gR
M / 300 , 133 R
600 , 4 R
+
+
=
STO
STO
o
o
008 . 1
43 . 42
8 . 8 API
954 , 5
M

=
Procedure 3.
For two-stage separators




For three-stage separators derive
expressions
ST SP
gST ST gSP SP
g
R R
R R
+
+
=
ST SP
R R R + =
Once Gas Specific Gravity is
Known
Evaluate Tpc and Ppc (previous paper
using K and J and including corrections
for impurities N
2
, CO
2
, H
2
S)
If dew-point pressure is not known
Use dry-gas z-factor when C7+ < 4%
Or when wellstream gravity < 0.911
If p
d
is known
if reservoir p is lower than p
d
evaluate z-
2phase using equation from SPE 20055 paper
If reservoir p is greater than p
d
, evaluate z as
for a dry gas (single-phase)

Correlation of Specific Gravities
for a wet gas
READ - SPE 20055
Ranges of Compositions
Single vs Two-phase z-factor
p/z-2phase vs z-2phase
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000
Pressure (psia)
z
,

z
-
2
p
h
a
s
e
z-gas (one phase)
z-2phases
Estimates of the Gas in Place (G)
When p/z = 0 G
p
= G (PETE 323)








Exercise: verify these calculations using
information from next slide
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
G
G
1
z
p
z
p
p
i
i
From single phase z G = 644640 MMSCF
From two-phase z G = 679522 MMSCF
5.13328 % difference
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
G
G
1
z
p
z
p
p
i
i
Estimates of Reserves
Gas in Place Prediction
P/z_1phase = -9.359752E-03x + 6.033670E+03
R
2
= 9.979569E-01
P/z_2phase = -8.405311E-03x + 5.711591E+03
R
2
= 9.979049E-01
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
0 100000 200000 300000 400000 500000 600000 700000 800000
Gp (MMSCF)
p
/
z

,

p
/
z
-
2
p
h
a
s
e

(
p
s
i
a
)
p/z-2phase
p/z-gas
Linear (p/z-gas)
Linear (p/z-2phase)