Evaluation of Empirically Derived PVT Properties for Middle East Crude Oils

PVT properties are important parameters in reservoir engineering. Correlations are used whenever experimentally derived PVT data are not available and data from local regions are expected to give better approximation to estimated PVT values. This paper evaluates the most frequently used empirical black oil PVT correlations for application in the Middle East. As will be discussed, Empirical PVT Correlations for Middle East crude oil have been compared as a function of commonly available PVT data. Correlations have been compared for: Bubble point pressure; solution gas oil ratio at bubble point pressure and oil formation volume factor at bubble point pressure. Often, these properties are required for oil field computations when there are no experimental or laboratory measurements available. For comparison of correlations, a wide range of data has been covered. Approximately, five hundred Pressure-Volume-Temperature (PVT) reports have been used in the comparison correlations. The PVT correlations can be ordered with respect to their accuracy: (a) Bubble point pressure: The result of Al-Marhoun and Standing are similar to Hanafy, Dindoruk; (b) Oil formation volume factor: Petrosky, Glaso and Dokla correlations produce similar results, while Al-Marhoun, Standing and Hanafy predictions are different and (c) Solution gas oil ratio: Standing and Al-Marhoun results are the same, however, Dindoruk, Glaso and Petrosky correlations are less accurate. Error bounds of the obtained correlations are calculated and compared to Middle East crude oil. All reservoir fluid property correlations available in the petroleum engineering literature were compared with this databas.