PVT Fluid Sampling, Characterization and Gas Condensate Reservoir Modeling

When reservoir pressure decreases in gas condensate reservoirs, there is a compositional change which makes the system difficult to handle. This type of system requires an Equation of State (EOS) to ensure proper fluid characterization so that the Pressure Volume Temperature (PVT) behavior of the reservoir fluid can be well understood. High quality and accurate PVT data will help reservoir engineers to predict the behavior of reservoir fluids and facilitate simulation studies. The aim of this study is to determine what to do on reservoir fluid before carrying out reservoir modeling.

PVT data were obtained from a reservoir fluid in the Niger Delta which was sampled following standard procedures. Then the laboratory experiments were critically examined to ensure accuracy, consistency and validity before PVT analysis. Finally, the results from the PVT experiments were imported into PVT software and subsequently in a reservoir simulator for simulation studies. These processes generate the EOS model for reservoir modeling of gas condensate reservoirs.

The mass balance test, Hoffman plot and CCE/CVD (Constant Composition Expansion and Constant Volume Depletion) comparison plots were used to validate PVT data. From these tests, the consistencies of the data were ascertained and the composition added up to 100%. The pattern of the CCE/CVD comparison plot was observed to reflect that less liquid dropout was experienced later in the depletion process of the CVD experiment than in the CCE experiment. PVT validation checks help to confirm the Gas oil ratio of the system and the richness of the gas condensate fluid.

It is imperative to obtain representative reservoir fluid samples and carry out reliable laboratory experiments to generate PVT data for fluid characterization. PVT fluid characterization and consistency checks will ensure that accurate results are obtained from reservoir simulation models leading to proper reservoir management.