Oil Reservoir Characterization via Crude Oil Analysis by Downhole Fluid Analysis in Oil Wells with Visible−Near-Infrared Spectroscopy and by Laboratory Analysis with Electrospray Ionization Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry

Mullins, Oliver C.; Rodgers, Ryan P.; Weinheber, Peter; Klein, Geoffrey C.; Venkataramanan, Lalitha; Andrews, A. Ballard; Marshall, Alan G.

doi:10.1021/ef060189l

Cited by 43 publications

(55 citation statements)

References 70 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Hence, ESI FT-ICR MS and GC×GC can be combined to provide a detailed description of the composition of almost an entire crude oil. The ESI FT-ICR MS method has been described previously, and details particular to this application are presented as Supplementary Material (Betancourt et al, 2009;Mullins et al, 2006;Senko et al, 1996).…”

Section: Esi Ft-icr Msmentioning

confidence: 99%

Combining biomarker and bulk compositional gradient analysis to assess reservoir connectivity

Pomerantz

Ventura

McKenna

et al. 2010

Organic Geochemistry

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract:Hydraulic connectivity of petroleum reservoirs represents one of the biggest uncertainties for both oil production and petroleum system studies. Here, a geochemical analysis involving bulk and detailed measures of crude oil composition is shown to constrain connectivity more tightly than is possible with conventional methods. Three crude oils collected from different depths in a single well exhibit large gradients in viscosity, density, and asphaltene content. Crude oil samples are collected with a wireline sampling tool providing samples from well-defined locations and relatively free of contamination by drilling fluids; the known provenance of these samples minimizes uncertainties in the subsequent analysis. The detailed chemical composition of almost the entire crude oil is determined by use of comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC×GC) to interrogate the nonpolar fraction and negative ion electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI FT-ICR MS) to interrogate the polar fraction. The simultaneous presence of 25-norhopanes and mildly altered normal and isoprenoid alkanes is detected, suggesting that the reservoir has experienced multiple charges and contains a mixture of oils biodegraded to different extents. The gradient in asphaltene concentration is explained by an equilibrium model considering only gravitational segregation of asphaltene nanoaggregates; this grading can be responsible for the observed variation in viscosity. Combining these analyses yields a consistent picture of a connected reservoir in which the observed viscosity variation originates from gravitational segregation of asphaltene nanoaggregates in a crude oil with high asphaltene concentration resulting from multiple charges, including one charge that suffered severe biodegradation. Observation of these gradients having appropriate magnitudes suggests good reservoir connectivity with greater confidence than is possible with traditional techniques alone.3

show abstract

Section: Esi Ft-icr Msmentioning

confidence: 99%

Combining biomarker and bulk compositional gradient analysis to assess reservoir connectivity

Pomerantz

Ventura

McKenna

et al. 2010

Organic Geochemistry

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…A recent study has shown that the asphaltene chemistry is very similar in an hydraulically unconnected stacked-sand sequence. [17] A similar investigation is being done here; we anticipate that there will be no large chemical differences between asphaltenes found at different depth to account for the color differences. Asphaltene concentration is the key issue.…”

Section: The Reservoirmentioning

confidence: 52%

Asphaltene Gravitational Gradient in a Deepwater Reservoir as Determined by Downhole Fluid Analysis

Mullins

Cribbs

Betancourt

et al. 2007

International Symposium on Oilfield Chemistry

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

fax 01-972-952-9435. AbstractThe fluids in large reservoirs can be in equilibrium -especially if conditions conducive to convective mixing prevail. A large vertical column of reservoir hydrocarbons offers a unique laboratory to investigate potential gravitational grading. Asphaltenes are known to exist in crude oils as a colloidal suspension, but which had not been well characterized in the laboratory until recently. In this paper, we review a gravitational gradient of asphaltenes in a reservoir and a simple theory is shown to apply. The corresponding downhole and laboratory analyses are consistent; asphaltenes exist in these crude oils in nanoaggregates. The corresponding asphaltene gradients provide a stringent and new method to test reservoir connectivity (as opposed to compartmentalization), which is key to the efficient economic development for many deepwater projects.

show abstract

“…8, DFA color inversions (higher color fluid higher in the oil column), thus asphaltene concentration inversions are observed. [26] For example, crude oil A has three times the color magnitude of crude oil B, thus three times the asphaltene content. [27] Thus a sealing barrier is between these zones.…”

Section: Gor (Scf/bbl)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Asphaltene Nanoscience on Understanding Oilfield Reservoirs

Mullins

Andrews

Pomerantz

et al. 2011

SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Understanding asphaltene gradients and dynamics of fluids in reservoirs had been greatly hindered by the lack of knowledge of asphaltene nanoscience. Gravitational segregation effects on oil composition, so important in reservoir fluids, are unresolvable without knowledge of (asphaltene) particle size in crude oils. Recently, the "modified Yen model" also known as the Yen-Mullins model, has been proposed describing the dominant forms of asphaltenes in crude oils: molecules, nanoaggregates and clusters. This asphaltene nanoscience approach enables development of the first predictive equation of state for asphaltene compositional gradients in reservoirs, the Flory-Huggins-Zuo (FHZ) EoS. This new asphaltene EoS is readily exploited with "downhole fluid analysis" (DFA) on wireline formation testers thereby elucidating important fluid and reservoir complexities.Field studies confirm the applicability of this scientific formalism and DFA technology for evaluating reservoir compartmentalization and especially connectivity issues providing orders of magnitude improvement over tradional static pressure surveys. Moreover, the mechanism of tar mat formation, a long standing puzzle, is largely resolved by our new asphaltene nanoscience model as shown in field studies. In addition, oil columns possessing large disequilibrium gradients of asphaltenes are shown to be amenable to the new FHZ EoS in a straightforward manner. We also examine recent developments in asphaltene science. For example, important interfacial properties of asphaltenes have been resolved recently providing a simple framework to address surface science. At long last, the solid asphaltenes (as with hydrocarbon gases and liquids) are treated with a proper chemical construct and theoretical formalism. New asphaltene science coupled with new DFA technology will yield increasingly powerful benefits in the future.

show abstract

Oil Reservoir Characterization via Crude Oil Analysis by Downhole Fluid Analysis in Oil Wells with Visible−Near-Infrared Spectroscopy and by Laboratory Analysis with Electrospray Ionization Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry

Cited by 43 publications

References 70 publications

Combining biomarker and bulk compositional gradient analysis to assess reservoir connectivity

Combining biomarker and bulk compositional gradient analysis to assess reservoir connectivity

Asphaltene Gravitational Gradient in a Deepwater Reservoir as Determined by Downhole Fluid Analysis

Impact of Asphaltene Nanoscience on Understanding Oilfield Reservoirs

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About