Nonequilibrium Gas Displacement Calculations

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Abstract
The effects of phase behavior on reservoir economics is a function of both fluid composition and flow properties of the reservoir rock. In some operations such as gas injection into volatile crude-oil reservoirs, the stock-tank recovery derived from vaporization of the reservoir oil by the displacing gas can approach the recovery derived from the displacement mechanism. In other cases of gas-cycling reservoirs, the dry injected gas can effectively vaporize a retrograde liquid phase, allowing a substantial reduction in cycling pressure with no appreciable loss in recoverable liquids. Because of these effects, it is essential that phase behavior be considered in developing the economics of any secondary recovery program in which gas is the injected fluid. The inclusion of phase behavior in conventional calculation procedures has been retarded because of the complexity of the calculation and the large volume of laboratory data required. However, by applying high-speed computers and new laboratory techniques, the phase-behavior displacement calculation has been developed to economically include this basic fundamental of gas displacement. The calculation is performed by reducing the reservoir to a series of one-dimensional segments. Phase changes, saturation distributions and changing fluid properties are evaluated for each segment as a function of time. The relative volumes of equilibrium liquid and gas displaced from each segment are determined by a trial-and-error procedure to meet the requirements of phase equilibrium and two-phase flow. The produced fluids are flashed through conditions of surface separation approximating those in the field to obtain actual values for stock-tank liquid recovery and producing gas oil ratios. Based on the results of successful field studies, the technique appears to have application to reservoirs producing under a nonmiscible gas-displacement mechanism and should substantially increase the reliability of this type of analysis when phase behavior is an important factor.

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