New models to predict the viscosity of extra-heavy oil in Colombian fields

Abstract

Viscosity is one of the fundamental properties of fluids in calculating the pressure drop of fluid flow through pipes or porous media. It is also highly relevant in interpreting production tests, hydrocarbon transport and the analysis of problems that may arise in the well. This paper introduces an adjustment to the De Ghetto viscosity model in order to accurately predict the viscosity of undersaturated extra-heavy oil. The adjustment of the De Ghetto model for undersaturated extra-heavy oil has been developed using a database of PVT analysis of extra-heavy oil to assess the accuracy of the models published in literature. Subsequently, by using statistical analysis and regression techniques, the models with the best approximation to the values of the PVT reports were adjusted, thus resulting in two models with absolute average error rates of 4.69 and 2.42%. These rates are valid for oils with API gravities ranging from 6.5 to 9.5, in order to accurately predict the viscosity of undersaturated extra-heavy oils.