Phase Behavior of Hydrocarbon Fluids in Shale Reservoirs, Considering Pore Geometries, Adsorption, and Water Film

Abstract

Phase behavior of hydrocarbon fluids in nanopores is different from that observed in a PVT cell due to the confinement effect. While scholars have established various models for studying the phase behavior in nanopores, the authors often ignore the effect of pore geometries, which can significantly affect the critical fluid properties in shale nanopores. In this study, we extend the Soave-Redlich-Kwong equation of state (SRK EOS) using potential theory and establish models of critical property shift, considering pore geometries, adsorption, and water film. Our research shows that the critical property shifts, considering fluid adsorption, begin at r p ≤ 10 nm and are seriously strengthened with nanopore radius reduction. The extended SRK EOS is applied to compute phase diagrams of the 50% C1–50% nC10 mixture at different pore sizes and find that the thickness of adsorption and water film causes a depression in the P–T diagram and that the bubble point pressure is lower in cylindrical pores. At pressures above 6 MPa, the irreducible water saturation and pore geometries greatly impact the vapor–liquid ratio. This study is significant for evaluating residual oil distribution and studying fluid flow laws in shale reservoirs.