PVT Behavior for Mixtures of Methane, Propane and C7 Hydrocarbons

The purpose of this investigation was to measure PVT behavior of various types and combinations of PVT behavior of various types and combinations of heavy hydrocarbon components from the paraffinic, naphthenic and aromatic classes where the relative proportions of the various components were selected proportions of the various components were selected to approximate those of natural gas or gas condensate systems. Synthetic mixtures were used so that the compositions of the various components could be measured accurately. n-Heptane, methylcyclohexane and methylhenzene were used to represent the paraffinic, naphthenic and aromatic components of paraffinic, naphthenic and aromatic components of the heavy fraction. In the mixtures studied, the heavy fraction composition was held constant at 0.05-mole fraction, the balance being methane except for one mixture where 0.10-mole fraction of an intermediate component, propane, was added. The PVT data for the mixtures were determined in a variable-volume, constant-mass apparatus at psuedo-reduced temperatures from 1.84 to 2.00, over psuedo-reduced temperatures from 1.84 to 2.00, over a pseudo-reduced pressure range from 2.3 to 12.0. The experimental results showed that, regardless of the type of heavy material (paraffinic, naphthenic, aromatic, or combinations thereof) mixed with methane or methane and propane, the compressibility factors at equal values of pseudo-reduced temperature and pressure varied by less than 2.2 percent. pressure varied by less than 2.2 percent Introduction PVT data is used for natural gas and gas condensate fluids in determining reserves of reservoirs and performance of wells, in metering produced fluids, performance of wells, in metering produced fluids, and in recombining samples for laboratory studies. While there are vast amounts of PVT data reported for natural gas and gas condensate systems from which useful correlations have been developed, the compositional analyses for these systems and the resultant correlations typically were made with components analyzed through some arbitrary carbon number, usually C6, with the residue reported as a lumped "heavy" fraction. The heavy fraction was stoichiometrically recombined on the basis of an apparent molecular weight to give the final compositional analysis. It is virtually impossible to make a systematic analysis of the effect that variation of the relative amounts of paraffinic, naphthenic and aromatic constituents of the heavy fraction of natural systems might have on PVT behavior. Because there is considerable latitude in the relative amounts of these constituents, one speaks of crudes or condensate liquids as being "paraffin base", etc. It is of interest to determine if changes in the relative amounts of these three types of hydrocarbons in the heavy fraction cause significant changes in PVT behavior. If so, steps should be Taken to PVT behavior. If so, steps should be Taken to describe better the nature of the heavy fraction in PVT correlations. If not, more confidence can be PVT correlations. If not, more confidence can be placed in the correlations presently employed. placed in the correlations presently employed. DESIGN OF THE EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION We attempted to determine if changes in the base of the heavy fraction would cause significant changes in the PVT behavior of gas or gas condensate fluids. Synthetic mixtures were used to enable us to systematically vary the base of the heavy fraction and to analyze accurately the fluids. We found that the heavy fraction of naturally occurring condensate systems seldom exceeds 0.05-mole fraction. Thus, the mole fraction of the heavy fraction in the synthetic systems studied was set arbitrarily at 0.05, to maximize whatever deviations in PVT behavior that might occur. Further, we judged that since the C7 hydrocarbons normally are present in greater quantities than higher carbon number hydrocarbons in naturally occurring systems, the use of n-heptane, methylcyclohexane, and methylbenzene to represent the paraffinic, naphthenic, and aromatic species in the heavy fraction would be most appropriate. SPEJ P. 338