Hydrocarbon Reservoirs and Production: Thermodynamics and Rheology

a comprehensive course by
Prof. Abbas Firoozabadi (Days 1-4), RERI and Yale University
Prof. Gerald Fuller (Day 5), Stanford University

August 12-16, 2013; Palo Alto, CA

Scope
This intensive course covers thermodynamics of reservoir fluids and conventional and unconventional oil and gas reservoirs (in particular, shale gas), modeling of CO2 and N2 injection in hydrocarbon reservoirs. A focus of the course will be on thermodynamics of nano-particles and the vast opportunity that they offer for process improvement, efficiency, and safety. Asphaltene molecular dissolution and colloidal stabilization are discussed in detail. Interfacial thermodynamics and thermodynamics of irreversible processes will be covered to shape understanding and modeling of different processes which can help with a variety of topics from oil and gas reservoir initialization and production to wax and asphaltene precipitation to past changes in climate. Some of the concepts are presented through cartoons to facilitate understanding of a broad range of topics.


Items of discussion in the course will include:
• Unique properties of CO2 in comparison to N2 and methane and other gases. Features of CO2 for improved recovery in unfractured and fractured oil reservoirs, and gas condensate reservoirs. N2 injection schemes, field experiences in different reservoirs in different parts of the world.

• Effect of salinity on solubility, in-phase behavior and wettability.

• Shale gas and shale light oil reservoirs and unique features of high fluid in place.

• Strength of Cubic-Plus-Association EOS for a variety of complex problems in aqueous mixtures and asphaltene precipitation.

• Predictive capability of EOS and reservoir fluid characterization. https://sverigepiller.com/xanor-billigt/

• CO2 diffusion in reservoir fluids. Why is diffusion complicated in flux computation reservoir simulators?

• Formation of nano-particles of asphaltene and hydrates, and advantage of surface property changes to bulk phase property changes.

• Effect of size of nano-particles on melting, and on saturation pressure.

• Very efficient two-phase and three-phase split computations.

• Unique powers of irreversible thermodynamics in relation to past climate changes.

• Understanding the kinetics of solution-gas drive and its importance to a variety of major applications in oil production.

• Basic-level understanding of micro-emulsion and micellization and application to a variety of problems in hydrocarbons production.

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Schedule

The course will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, August 12, and will end at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, August 16. Daily sessions will be from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm with a lunch break from 12:15 pm to 1:30 pm. Part of the afternoon sessions will be devoted to discussion.

Day 1

8:30 am – 9:45 am
General course agenda.
Introduction and overview of CO2, N2, and water injection in oil and gas reservoirs.
Introduction and overview of production in shale gas and shale light oil reservoirs.
Introduction and overview of efficient solubilization of asphaltenes in oils, and nano-particles in flow assurance.
Introduction to species distribution hydrocarbon reservoirs.

9:45 am – 10:15 am
Day 1 agenda.
Thermodynamic modeling of equilibrium and non-equilibrium states.

10:15 am – 10:30 am
Coffee break

10:30 am – 12:15 pm
Review of basics concepts in bulk phase thermodynamics, irreversible thermodynamics, and interfacial thermodynamics.

12:15 pm – 1:30 pm
Lunch break

1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Phase behavior and volumetric description of reservoir fluids from Cubic Equations of State (EOS). Nature of delay and kinetics in various processes including vaporization, condensation, crystallization, and melting.

2:30 pm – 3:15 pm
Phase behavior of water and water-CO2 mixtures by the Cubic-Plus-Association EOS. Applications to thermal recovery methods.

3:15 pm – 3:30 pm
Coffee break

3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Characterization of reservoir fluids for modeling of various processes including equilibria of vapor-liquid, vapor-liquid-liquid, wax precipitation, and asphaltene precipitation.
Discussion on key issues of CO2 injection in fractured and unfractured reservoirs.

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Day 2

8:30 am – 10:15 am
Day 2 Agenda.
Single-phase and two-phase compressibility, and heating and cooling due to expansion.
Stability and criticality concepts and criteria, and applications in problems of hydrocarbon reservoirs and production.

10:15 am – 10:30 am
Coffee break

10:30 am – 12:15 pm
Gibbs free energy surface analysis. Tangent plane distance analysis.
Stability analysis for flash computations in two-phase and three-phase.

12:15 pm – 1:30 pm
Lunch break

1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Two- and three-phase flash calculations for efficient compositional simulation.

2:30 pm – 3:15 pm
Wax precipitation modeling. Asphaltene precipitation modeling. Discussions.

3:15 pm – 3:30 pm
Coffee break

3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
General theory of irreversible thermodynamics and its applications.
Discussion on the topics of the day.

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Day 3

8:30 am – 9:30 am
Day 3 Agenda.
Diffusion flux (Fickian, thermal, and pressure) and diffusion coefficients in binary and multicomponent mixtures. Complexities from incorporation of diffusion flux in reservoir simulations. Accuracy of diffusion effect in reservoir simulators. Computation variations in hydrocarbon reservoirs.

9:30 am – 10:15 am
Brief introduction to interfacial phenomena and a simple approach to account for interfacial effect on phase behavior.
Kelvin equation.
Condensation and vaporization in nano-pores.

10:15 am – 10:30 am
Coffee break

10:30 am – 12:15 pm
Phase behavior in shale gas and shale oil reservoirs.
Adsorption in shale gas and shale oil reservoirs.

12:15 pm – 1:30 pm
Lunch break

1:30 pm – 2:15 pm
Shale composition.
Effect of shale surface composition on adsorption.

2:15 pm – 3:00 pm
General theory of interfacial thermodynamics and non-equilibrium phenomena. New phase formation and nucleation.

3:15 pm – 3:30 pm
Coffee break

3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Solution gas drive in light and heavy oil reservoirs and nucleation.
Discussion on the main topics of the day.

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Day 4

8:30 am – 9:30 am
Day 4 Agenda.
Thermodynamics of micellization and microemulsion. Stabilization of nano-particles by steric and electrostatic repulsion.

9:30 am – 10:30 am
Asphaltene stabilization in petroleum fluids by colloidal stabilization.

10:30 am – 10:45 am
Coffee break

10:45 am – 11:15 pm
Asphaltene stabilization in crude by efficient molecular dissolution.
Applications to Tar Mat and dissolution of asphaltenes around the wells.

11:15 am – 12:15 pm
Hydrates.
Hydrate anti-agglomeration and application in natural gas production in the offshore. Oil capture from the sea bed.

12:15 pm – 1:30 pm
Lunch break

1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Wettability alteration to intermediate gas wetting. Well productivity improvement in gas condensate reservoirs.

2:30 pm – 3:15 pm
Oil recovery by emulsion.

3:15 pm – 3:30 pm
Coffee break

3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
General discussion.

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Day 5

8:30 am – 9:30 am
Day 5 Agenda.
Introduction to the rheology of complex, bulk liquids.

9:30 am – 10:30 am
Rheological testing equipment.

10:30 am – 10:45 am
Coffee break

10:45 am – 11:15 pm
Interfacial rheology – concepts.

11:15 am – 12:15 pm
Hydrates. Interfacial rheology – experimental methods.

12:15 pm – 1:30 pm
Lunch break

1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
The rheology of heavy oils, emulsions and suspensions.

2:30 pm – 3:15 pm
The interfacial rheology of asphaltene-laden interfaces.

3:15 pm – 3:30 pm
Coffee break

3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
General discussion.

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Course Venue

The course will be held at Stanford University:
ChemE Gazebo
377 North-South Axis
Stanford, CA 94305-5025
map

Parking Instructions:
 •Option #1: Across from the Rodin Sculpture Garden on Lomita Dr. there is metered parking ($.75/20 min.)
 •Option #2: At the corner of Roth Way and Campus Dr. is Parking Structure #1, which has metered parking.
 •Option #3: Palm Dr. at the Oval has metered parking.

Click here for a complete Parking and Circulation map of the Stanford University campus.

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Fees and Registration

The fee for attendance is US $2,500. For the staff members of those companies who are members of the Institute, the fee is US $2,100. The course fee includes a copy of Thermodynamics of Hydrocarbon Reservoirs and Production (published or unpublished) and a file containing relevant write-ups and papers.

Payments should be made by wire transfer or check by July 12, 2013. Please make checks payable to Reservoir Engineering Research Institute. To arrange a payment by a wire transfer, please email us at info@rerinst.org. Payments may be refunded upon cancellation at least 30 days prior to the beginning of the course. We ask the prospective participants to register by filling out our registration form online.

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Preferential Hotel Rates

If interested, course participants can take advantage of discounted rates at The Cardinal Hotel in downtown Palo Alto:
 •$135.00 + tax for standard room with private bath
 •$75.00 + tax for shared-bath style room (single occupancy)

Group rate offered from: 8/12/2013 - 8/16/2013.
Last date for booking: 7/12/2013.
Booking after 7/12 will be based upon general hotel availability.
For reservations and more details about the Cardinal Hotel, please click here.

Additional hotel options: explore here.

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