Equation of State of a Complex Fluid Column and Prediction of Contacts in Orocual Field, Venezuela

Abstract

SummaryThe Orocual field is located in the northern Monagas state of Venezuela and is owned and operated by Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA), the national oil company of Venezuela.Reservoir compartmentalization adds complexity to the field, and structurally equivalent, noncommunicating fluid regions exist. An equation of state (EOS) is needed for reservoir modeling, requiring a review of available data and area fluid distributions.A seven-pseudocomponent EOS with a single characterization defining the compositional gradient of the hydrocarbon column from gas to black oil is defined. The method demonstrates that composition relative to depth can be predicted in those parts of the reservoir in which samples do not exist but in which production and test data must be matched, and thus where a gas-to-oil transition occurs.This paper demonstrates a technique to identify representative samples for use in developing an EOS and for initializing fluids in place. A method is presented to adjust the component composition vs. depth, providing consistent vertical composition distribution and compositional-model stability. This method meets the objectives of matching field production observations. A method is presented to quickly initialize a full-field model using a 1D compositional simulator to give full-field-model stability using the local high-temperature gradient.Results of compositional simulation show a single EOS, and vertical compositional and thermal variation reproduce the complex character of the field hydrocarbon column, matching field-measured observations of saturation pressure (ps), gas/oil ratio (GOR), and fluid densities.