Analysis of pressurized reservoir fluids

• US 8,991,233 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2012
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SGS North America Incorporated (SGS SA)
• Original Assignee: SGS North America Incorporated (SGS SA)
• Inventors: Kriel, Wayne A., Mullings, Graham M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Frank, Rodney T
• Application Number:
  US13/455,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20120272715A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,070 Days
• Field of Search: 73/234.2
• US Class Current: 73/23.42
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2030/8854 involving hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2030/8881 Modular construction, specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/12 by evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/88 Integrated analysis systems specially adapted therefor, not covered by a single one of the groups G01N30/04 - G01N30/86
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/241 for hydrocarbon content
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/2823 Raw oil, drilling fluid or polyphasic mixtures

Abstract

A self-contained analysis system operable to assess gas to oil ratio (GOR), shrinkage of reservoir fluid, and composition of pressurized reservoir fluids. The analysis system can be used for extended compositional analysis of rich flashed gas and lean gas samples as well as flashed equilibrium liquids, condensates, and black oils. Analysis of the various samples is achieved without cross contamination, for example, between rich flashed gases and lean gases or between extended natural gas and liquids (e.g., black oils and condensates). The system yields accurate results up to and including C20 for gas samples and up to and including C36+ for liquid samples, and entrained water.

Claims

1. An analysis system comprising:

a common housing comprising;

a flash apparatus configured to partially vaporize a pressurized reservoir fluid by reduction in pressure across a valve to yield a vaporized gas and a reservoir liquid;

a first chromatography subsystem comprising a first chromatography column and a first sample loop, the first sample loop fluidly coupled to the flash apparatus and configured to receive the vaporized gas from the flash apparatus;

a second chromatography subsystem comprising a second chromatography column and a second sample loop, the second sample loop fluidly coupled to the first sample loop and configured to receive the vaporized gas from the flash apparatus via the first sample loop, wherein the first chromatography column of the first chromatography subsystem and second chromatography column of the second chromatography subsystem are configured to be actuated simultaneously to detect components in the pressurized reservoir fluid;

a single data acquisition system coupled to the first chromatography subsystem, the second chromatography subsystem, and the flash apparatus, wherein the single data acquisition system is configured to acquire data related to the composition of the pressurized reservoir fluid provided to the flash apparatus; and

a microprocessor coupled to the data acquisition system, wherein the microprocessor is operable to assess a gas to oil ratio of the pressurized reservoir fluid provided to the flash apparatus based on the data acquired by the data acquisition system.

2. The analysis system of claim 1, wherein the first chromatography subsystem is configured to detect fixed gases.

3. The analysis system of claim 1, wherein the second chromatography subsystem is configured to detect C1 to C5 hydrocarbons.

4. The analysis system of claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises a third chromatography subsystem, and the third chromatography subsystem comprises a chromatography column configured to detect C1 to C20 hydrocarbons.

5. The analysis system of claim 4, wherein the third chromatography subsystem comprises a flame ionization detector.

6. The analysis system of claim 5, further comprising:

a gas analytical capillary column;

a liquid analytical capillary column; and

a selector valve,

wherein the gas analytical capillary column and the liquid analytical capillary column are coupled to the flame ionization detector via the selector valve.

7. The analysis system of claim 6, wherein the third chromatography subsystem comprises the gas analytical capillary column.

8. The analysis system of claim 1, wherein the first chromatography subsystem comprises a first thermal conductivity detector and the second chromatography subsystem comprises a second thermal conductivity detector.

9. The analysis system of claim 1, further comprising a conduit configured to transport vaporized gas from the flash apparatus to the first chromatography subsystem, wherein a temperature of the conduit is controlled using available heat in the analysis system.

10. The analysis system of claim 1, wherein the flash apparatus is configured to partially vaporize the pressurized reservoir fluid to yield free water along with the vaporized gas and the reservoir liquid.

11. The analysis system of claim 1, wherein the flash apparatus is configured to partially vaporize the pressurized reservoir fluid to yield an equilibrated reservoir liquid.

12. A method comprising:

partially vaporizing a pressurized reservoir fluid to form a vaporized gas and a reservoir liquid;

inhibiting condensation of the vaporized gas, wherein inhibiting condensation of the vaporized gas comprises heating the vaporized gas;

automatically providing a single sample of the heated vaporized gas to a first sample loop of a first chromatography subsystem and a second sample loop of a second chromatography subsystem in series and actuating a first chromatography column of the first chromatography subsystem and a second chromatography column of the second chromatography subsystem simultaneously to detect components in the heated vaporized gas;

acquiring data related to the composition of the heated vaporized gas from the two chromatography subsystems with a single data acquisition system;

quantifying the composition of the reservoir liquid based on the data acquired by the single data acquisition system; and

assessing a weight ratio of the vaporized gas to the reservoir liquid.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising automatically providing a portion of the single sample of the vaporized gas to a third chromatography subsystem in series with the two chromatography subsystems.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

providing a portion of the reservoir liquid to a third chromatography subsystem;

acquiring data related to the composition of the reservoir liquid from the third chromatography subsystem with the single data acquisition system;

combining the data related to the composition of the reservoir liquid and the data related to the composition of the vaporized gas; and

quantifying the composition of the pressurized reservoir fluid based on the data acquired by the single data acquisition system.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein inhibiting condensation of the vaporized gas comprises heating the vaporized gas with available heat.