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Modeling the Effect of Reservoir Fluid Properties on Abundance of (H2S) Evolved

from Oil Wells and Dissolved in Reservoir Fluids

Chapter · April 2019

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-18641-8_10

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Modeling The Effect of Reservoir Fluid Properties
on Abundance of (H2S) Evolved From Oil Wells
and Dissolved in Reservoir Fluids
Ibtisam Kamal Keyvan Amjadian Namam Salih Bryar Ahmad Rebwar Haidar

Chem.. Eng. Dept. Pet. Geosciences Dept. Pet. Geosciences Dept. Pet. Geosciences Dept. Pet. Geosciences Dept.

Faculty of Engineering Faculty of Science Faculty of Science Faculty of Science Faculty of Science

Soran University, KRG - Iraq

[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Abstract - Oil reservoirs are generally described by its main (4). Furthermore, temperature, pressure, fluids composition,
characteristics including its lithology and the pressure-volume- and water pH and ionic strength are the factors that control the
temperature (PVT) data. In reservoir engineering calculations, thermodynamic process of partitioning of H2S between the oil,
PVT data are essential to determine the reservoir fluid water and gas (5). H2S is so much of a risk that sour crude has
composition and design the production facilities. PVT data of 10 to be stabilized via removal of H2S before it can be transported
petroleum crude wells of Tawke field- Zakho are investigated in by oil tankers. H2S gas is flammable and extremely toxic, it can
the current study. The data were analyzed to define the be fatal when its concentration is as low as 100 ppm (6). An oil
mathematical models correlate and govern the reservoir fluids well is deemed to be sour if the concentration of H2S exceeds
properties as a function of sulfur compounds in term of (H2S)
10 ppm in the gas phase. Because of H2S is toxic and causes
evolved from the wells and dissolved in reservoir fluids. The
results obtained showed that crude oils are classified as sour, and
corrosion, plugging of reservoir formations, and increasing
medium with high content of heavier fractions C6+ up to C14+ sulfur content of the produced oil, precautions are necessary to
(average oAPI 23.4). The mathematical models explain the be taken in design and operation of production, transport, and
correlations were estimated. H2S evolved and dissolved in storage equipment (7-9). Also, sulfur content increases with
reservoir fluids proved to increase with increasing sample depth, densification of crude oil (10, 11).
reservoir pressure and temperature, gas oil ratio, coefficient of On the other hand, it is well established that reservoir
compressibility at reservoir pressure, and decreases with fluids characteristics are known to vary with pressure,
increasing oAPI, viscosity at reservoir pressure and bubble point
temperature, and volume of the system. All reservoir
pressure, and gross heating value.
engineering calculations require PVT data to determine the
Keywords - PVT data, Tawke field, Hydrogen sulfide, reservoir fluid composition and design the production facilities
Mathematical modeling (12, 13). Because sulfur content is one of the major factors that
affect crude oils quality and price, estimation the correlations
between PVT data and sulfur content are very important.
I. INTRODUCTION However, it is complicated to obtain uuniversal correlations
Sulfur is the tenth most numerous element in the universe. between PVT data and sulfur content. As alternative,
In nature, sulfur can primarily be found occurring in three correlations for local regions, where crude properties are
forms; elemental sulfur, sulfides, and sulfates. Sediments expected to be uniform are acceptable.
accumulated about 43 % of the total sulfur of the earth's crust
(1). Studies on predictions the correlations of sulfur compounds
content with PVT data for crude oils of Kurdistan Region- Iraq
The decomposition of organic matter of crude oil results in are scarce. The objective of the current work is to predict the
formation of Sulfur. The aqueous sulfate derived from water, mathematical models that govern the correlation between
or from dissolution of solid calcium sulfate can be reduced at sulfur compounds content based on H2S and reservoir
high temperature (above 250 °C) by a variety of organic characteristics. Tawke field is an oil field located close to Iraq's
compounds such as alcohols, polar aromatic and saturated border with Turkey in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region,
hydrocarbons via a thermal redox reactions to produce high has been named as the oil field of the theme of the study. The
concentrations of H2S in the reservoir fluid (more than 10%) reservoir characteristics were analyzed based on PVT data
(2). The phenomena have been predicted from the data of supported by DNO (14). The lithology of the area has been
sulfur isotopes (3). The produced H2S appears in the associated described, and concentration of H2S evolved from the oil wells
gas, and some portion of sulfur stays with the liquid. H2S can and that dissolved in reservoir fluids was correlated with
react with the hydrocarbons to give sulfur compounds based on reservoir characteristics. The mathematical correlations were
pressure, temperature and period of formation of the reservoir estimated.

XXX-X-XXXX-XXXX-X/XX/$XX.00 ©20XX IEEE

 II. METHODOLOGY

LITHOLOGY OF THE PETROLEUM WELLS AND THE

RESERVOIR FLUID PROPERTIES

The topography of the area of the oil wells under

investigation was inspected. The findings revealed the presence
of folds and faults, which are widely spread, this had
significant role in shaping the complex topography
characterized by high altitude and very steep slopes composing
cliffs of carbonate rocks. In this location, the relatively long
and narrow main valley is surrounded by several high
mountains Bekher Mountain, at the southeastern of Tawke
village, and Shiranish Islam to the north.
The stratigraphic units of Miocene observed (mostly in
subsurface sections of Tawke wells) are: 1. Fatha (Lower Fars)
Formation, 2. Jeribe Formation, 3. Dhiban Formation, 4.
Euphrate Formation, 5. Pila Spi Formation.
The main lithology of the wells is including sandstone,
claystone, anhydrite, siltstone, limestone, dolomite, marl and
shale which are due to the geology of the area where wells are
drilled within geological units called Lower Fars, Jeribe,
Dhiban, Euphrates and Pila Spi formations. The lithology of
the ten investigated wells is described briefly below.
Well A: It is a 313 meters depth well which is mainly
consists of sandstone, claystone, anhydrite, limestone and
dolomite within Lower Fars and Jeribe formations. Well B: A
298 meters depth well including sandstone, claystone, siltstone,
anhydrite, limestone in Lower Fars and Jeribe formations. Well
C: A well of 405 meters depth with sandstone, claystone,
anhydrite, siltstone and limestone in Lower Fars and Jeribe
formations. Well D: It is a 307 meters depth well consisting of
sandstone, claystone, anhydrite, siltstone and limestone in
formations of Lower Fars and Jeribe. Well E: A 636 meters
depth well drilled in Lower Fars, Jeribe, Dhiban, Euphrates and
Pila Spi formations showing sandstone, claystone, siltstone,
limestone, marl, anhydrite and dolomite. Well F: It is
consisting of claystone, sandstone, siltstone, anhydrite, marl,
limestone and dolomite within Lower Fars, Jeribe, Dhiban,
Euphrates and Pila Spi formations in a 730 meters drilled well.
Well G: A well of 580 meters depth with sandstone, claystone,
siltstone, anhydrite, limestone and dolomite drilled in Lower
Fars, Jeribe, Dhiban and Euphrates formations. Well H: 395
meters depth well drilled in Lower Fars, Jeribe and Dhiban
formations including claystone, sandstone, siltstone, anhydrite,
limestone and shale. Well I: A well of 712 meters depth drilled
in Lower Fars, Jeribe, Dhiban, Euphrates and Pila Spi
formations with claystone, sandstone, siltstone, anhydrite and
limestone. Well J: It is consisting of sandstone, claystone,
anhydrite and limestone within Lower Fars, Jeribe, Dhiban,
Euphrates and Pila Spi formations in a725 meters drilled well.
In summary, the main lithology of the wells is including
sandstone, claystone, anhydrite, siltstone, limestone, dolomite,
marl and shale. The depth of the wells range from 298 to 725
m. A typical master log is presented in Figure 1 (well A).
 Reservoir temperature is the average temperature
maintained inside a hydrocarbon reservoir.
D. Reservoir pressure
Reservoir pressure, is the pressure of the fluids present in a
hydrocarbon reservoir. It is also known as formation pressure
or hydrostatic pressure It can also defined as the pressure
which is exerted by column of water on sea level from the
depth of a hydrocarbon reservoir inside the earth's surface.
E. API specific gravity
Sspecific gravity is one of the significant oil properties.
°API = (141.5/γ) –131.5, γ is the oil specific gravity of the
petroleum liquid being measured.
F. Reservoir fluid density at bubble pressure
Fig. 1. A typical master log and lithostratigraphy (well A) The bubble point pressure is stated as the pressure at which
the first bubble of gas comes out of solution. At this point, the
oil is saturated ; it cannot hold anymore gas. Above bubble
As known, reservoir fluids could be classified to three point pressure the oil acts as a single-phase liquid. Lowering of
categories; (i) aqueous solutions with dissolved salts, (ii) liquid the pressure at and below bubble point pressure leads to
hydrocarbons, and (iii) gases (hydrocarbon and non- liberation of gas resulting in two-phase flow .
hydrocarbon). The compositions of reservoir fluids depend on
their source, history, and present thermodynamic conditions. G. Oil viscosity
The distribution of reservoir fluids within a given reservoir Oil viscosity is a measure of the flow resistance of the oil,
depends upon the physical and chemical properties of the and is given in units of centipoises (cP). Higher values of oil
fluids, the thermodynamic conditions of the reservoir as well as viscosity indicate greater resistance to flow. Iincreasing
the petro-physical properties of the rocks. Gravity, capillary, temperature and pressure (up to the bubble point) results in
molecular diffusion, thermal convection, and pressure decreasing the oil viscosity. Oil viscosity increases minimally
gradients are the forces that originally distribute the fluids. with increasing pressure (above the bubble point pressure).
Reservoir fluid properties has been highlighted and Rreservoir temperature, oil gravity, and solution gas-oil ratio
overviewed in literature (15-17). However, studies on are highly related to oil viscosity.
predictions the correlations of sulfur compounds content with H. Coefficient of compressibility at reservoir pressure
reservoir characteristics including the PVT data for crude oils
are very scarce. In the current work, several reservoir fluids The isothermal oil compressibility is defined as the unit
parameters were correlated with the amount of Hydrogen change of volume with pressure. Rreservoir calculations and
Sulfide (H2S) evolved from the reservoirs and dissolved in accuracy of design of high-pressure surface equipment are
reservoir fluids for 10 petroleum wells distributed in Tawke dependable on the isothermal oil compressibility. Higher
oil field. The reservoir fluid properties correlated include: accuracy of oil compressibility estimates will improve the
design of high-pressure surface equipment and material
A. Gas gravity balance calculations. The oil compressibility can be calculated
Gas gravity could be defined as the molecular weight of from the slope of the curve of isotherm of the logarithm of the
the gas divided by the molar mass of air (28.94 kg/kmole). oil formation volume factor versus pressure (18). Also, it can
Petroleum gases typically have a gravity of about 0.65. The be determined from the differentiation of an equation of state
calculations of solution gas-oil-ratio, gas viscosity, (19).
compressibility as well as compressibility factor are highly
affected by gas gravity.
III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
B. Solution Gas-Oil Ratio (GOR)
Figures (2-10) illustrate the correlations estimated in the
The solution gas-oil ratio is the amount of gas dissolved in current study. Figure 2 shows that as sample depth increases
the oil at any pressure. The GOR is directly proportional the amount of H2S evolved and dissolved in reservoir fluids
approximately with pressure. It increases with pressure until increases. More depth means that the sample is exposed to
the bubble point pressure is reached, after which it becomes higher temperature and pressure, resulted in increasing the
constant, and at that time the oil is said to be under saturated. decomposition rate of sulfur compounds and consequently
Also, the GOR is a function of the oil and gas composition, releasing more H2S (20, 21) as reflected in Figure 3.
light oils contain more dissolved gas than heavy oils. In
general, the GOR ranges from 0 for dead oil to approximately
2000 scf/bbl for very light oil.
C. Reservoir temperature
 any pressure. Figure 6 shows the relation of fluid density with
o
API. In general light oils are of high oAPI and lower density
compared to heavy oils.

Fig. 2. Amount of H2S evolved and dissolved in reservoir fluids versus sample
depth

Fig. 5. The amount of H2S in reservoir fluids as a function of gas oil ratio

Fig. 3. Amount of H2S evolved and dissolved versus reservoir pressure

Fig. 6. The variation of fluid density with oAPI
Figure 4 shows that increasing the temperature of reservoirs
resulted in increase the amount of H2S. The situation is On another hand, the design of transport equipment, such
attributed to increasing the rate of degradation of sulfur as oil pipelines or compressors, simulation of oil and gas
compounds to release more evolved H2S gas and more reservoirs production profiles, enhanced oil recovery, and the
dissolved gas in reservoir fluids enhancing by increasing the storage of natural gas are among the engineering disciplines
gas solubility as temperature and pressure of the reservoir that are highly correlated with viscosity. The amount of H2S
increases. evolved and dissolved in reservoir fluids seemed to decrease
with increasing the viscosity at reservoir pressure and at bubble
point pressure as shown in Figure 7.

Fig. 4. Amount of H2S evolved and dissolved versus reservoir temperature

Fig. 7. The amount of H2S as a function of reservoir fluid viscosity
Figure 5 shows how the amount of H2S in reservoir fluids
Figure 8 shows the variation of the amount of H2S
increases as gas oil ratio increases. It is logical to estimate such
dissolved in reservoir fluid with coefficient of compressibility
relation as gas oil ratio reflects the amount of dissolved gas at
at reservoir pressure. The results estimated confirmed that the
amount of H2S dissolved in reservoir fluid has a significant HHV. This phenomenon is very important from economical
positive effect on the unit change of reservoir fluid volume point of view.
with pressure. As mentioned before, the design of high-
pressure surface equipment and reservoir calculations are
strongly affected by the isothermal oil compressibility (19).

Fig. 10. Evolved gas gravity versus HHV

Fig. 8. The variation of the amount of H2S with coefficient of

compressibility On the other hand, general estimated characteristics of the
investigated back oils from the 10 investigated wells
Figure 9 illustrates the relation between the gravity of the pointed out that the crude oils are classified as medium
evolved gas from reservoir (including H2S) with sample depth. (average degree API is 23.4) with high content of heavier
Our results demonstrated that as the sample depth increases the fractions C6+ up to C14+. Also, they are sour (H2S content
gas gravity increases significantly. The results obtained is relatively high) the evolved and the dissolved in reservoir
revealed that at higher depths the amount of heavier fluids. Figure 11 demonstrates a typical diagram of the
components including the degradable sulfur compounds reservoir fluid composition from pressure-volume-
capable to release H2S gas is more than that in samples of temperature (PVT) analysis.
lower depths.

Fig. 11. Typical reservoir fluid composition

The mathematical models derived from the correlations

Fig. 9. Evolved gas gravity versus sample with depth
plotted in Figures (2-11) are listed and highlighted in table
Figure 10 demonstrates the variation of evolved gas 1.
(including H2S) gravity versus gross heating value (HHV). It is
It is obvious to note that table 1 includes 13 adopted
well known that the energy content of petroleum and its related
correlations with their mathematical models. It is well
fuels is defined by HHV. It was pointed out that there is a
remarked that all the models have high regression
significant correlation between specific gravity and HHVs for
coefficient reflecting a good fitting of the experimental
petroleum fuels. Regular decrease in HHVs is noted with
data. The mathematical models can serve to predict the
increasing the specific gravity of petroleum fuels (22). Our
amount of H2S evolved and dissolved in reservoir fluids
results revealed that HHV of the reservoir fluids increases with
based on reservoir characteristics.
increasing the gravity of evolved gas (including H2S). The
results reflect consequently that as the amount of evolved gas
increases, the reservoir fluids will contain less dissolved H2S
resulted in increasing the HHV of the reservoir fluids, thus,
removing H2S from reservoir fluids is essential to increase the
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