Part 2

Gas Behavior and

Hydrostatics
By
Prof. Dr. Abdel-Alim Hashem

Contents
Why Study Well Control?
Types of influx
Ideal Gases
Real Gases
Critical Temperature & Pressure
Pseudo-Critical Temp. and Press.
Gas Compressibility

Problems

Why study well control?

Well control fundamentals are quite well
known and understood
Individuals involved in drilling operations
have, in general, received well control training
Yet, well control problems, and blowouts
occur
with casualties
with environmental damage
at high cost (often in $millions/occurrence)
4

Why study well control?

Most blowouts result from human failure
Perhaps advanced well control training and
education can further improve the statistics

Why study well control?

Well owners, oil field workers, and regulatory
authorities are becoming increasingly
intolerant of human error relative to well
operations
At times unconventional well control
procedures are necessary in order to avoid
blowouts
We can all learn from the mistakes made in
the past to help avoid problems in the future
6

Why study well control?

The way to prevent failures:
proper training
responsible engineering and planning
adequate equipment
prudently executed operations

Why study well control?

Advanced well control can offer the largest
impact in the following areas:
proper engineering design of wells, such as
proper casing setting depths and proper materials
operational planning, and
the execution of the drilling process

Why study well control?

Costs may be higher in the short term, but
future profits will not be spent cleaning up
and litigating past mistakes

Why study well control?

Influx into wellbore may be gas, oil, and/or
water
All well control methods:
maintain a constant BHP
consider the behavior of gas under changing
wellbore conditions
are designed to move gas up a wellbore to the
surface whenever possible
must allow gas, if present, to expand
10

Why study well control?

Different well control methods may result in
different wellbore pressures
Accurate pressure predictions require
knowledge of the influx composition,
temperature, and pressure
Influx phase changes can and do occur in the
process of killing a well
11

Pressure-temperature phase diagram

for a pure substance
Pc

C
Melting Point Curve

P
r
e
s
s
u
r
e

Solid

Gas

Liquid

Vapor Pressure Curve

Temperature
12

Tc
Critical
Temperature

Some Definitions
The critical temperature of a gas is the highest
temperature at which a fluid can exist as a liquid or vapor.
Above this temperature the fluid is a gas, at any pressure.
The critical pressure is the pressure needed to
condense a vapor at its critical temperature
The reduced pressure of a pure gas is the ratio of the
gas pressure to the critical pressure of the gas, p/pc
The reduced temperature of a pure gas is the ratio of the
gas temperature to its critical temperature, T/Tc
Use absolute units, e.g., oR and psia
13

Types of Influx
Influx into wellbore may be gas, oil, and/or water
All well control methods:
Maintain a constant BHP
Consider the behavior of gas under changing wellbore conditions
Are designed to move gas up a wellbore to the surface whenever
possible
Must allow gas, if present, to expand
Different well control methods may result in different wellbore
pressures
Accurate pressure predictions require knowledge of the influx
composition, temperature, and pressure
Influx phase changes can and do occur in the process of killing a well

14

Pressure-temperature Phase Diagram for A

Pure Substance
Pc

Pressure

Melting Point Curve

Solid

Gas

Liquid

Vapor Pressure Curve

Temperature

Tc
Critical
Temperature 15

Some Definitions
The critical temperature of a gas is the highest
temperature at which a fluid can exist as a liquid or
vapor. Above this temperature the fluid is a gas, at any
pressure.
The critical pressure is the pressure needed to
condense a vapor at its critical temperature
The reduced pressure of a pure gas is the ratio of the
gas pressure to the critical pressure of the gas, p/pc
The reduced temperature of a pure gas is the ratio of
the gas temperature to its critical temperature, T/Tc
Use absolute units, e.g., oR and psia
16

Physical Properties of Natural Gas

Constituents

17

Typical Phase Diagram for Mixtures

Bubble point curve

Dew point curve

18

Ideal Gases
Boyles Law:

T constant

Charles Law:

V constant

Ideal Gas Law:

or

pV
p2V2 constant
1 1
p1 p2

constant
T1 T2
pV
p2V2
1 1

constant
T1
T2
pV nRT
19

Universal Gas Constant Values

p

psia
psia
psia
kPa
kPa

ft3
gal
bbl
m3
m3

R
R
R
K
K

lbm mole
lbm mole
lbm mole
g mole
kg mole

10.732
80.275
1.911
0.0083145
8.3145

pV=ZnRT
20

Problem 1
A 20 bbl gas influx has entered a well at
bottom hole pressure of 3,500 psia.
Determine the gas volume when the kick
exits the well.
a. Assume atmospheric pressure of 14.4 psia
and no change in the gas temperature.
o
b. Assume initial gas temperature of 150 F
o
and surface temperature of 65 F.
21

Solution
(a) Using Boyles law:

p1V1 p 2 V2

p1V1
V2
p2

3,500 psia * 20 bbl

V2
14.4 psia

V2 = 4,861 bbl

(243x expansion!)
22

Solution
(b) Using the Ideal Gas law:
p1V1T2
V2
p 2 T1

p1V1 p 2 V2

T1
T2

3,500 * 20 * ( 65 460 )

14.4 * (150 460)

V2 = 4,148 bbl

(207x expansion!)

Note: If a real change in temperature is ignored (in this

example) the predicted volume is high by approx. 17%
23

Problem 2
What is the density of the gas from the
previous example if it contains 90% methane
and 10% ethane.
a. Under bottomhole conditions?
a. Under the specified atmospheric conditions?

24

Solution
Weighted molecular weight:
MWgas = 0.9 * 16.0 + 0.1 * 30.1 = 17.41

Gas Specific gravity:

MW g
MWa

17 .41
g
0 .600
29
25

Solution
(a) Under bottomhole conditions the gas density
(assume Z = 1):
g ,bottom

29 g p

29 (0.600)(3,500)

ZRT
1 * 80.28 (150 460)

g,bottom 1 .24 ppg

26

Solution
(b) Under the specified atmospheric
conditions:
29 g p
g

g ,surface

ZRT

29 (0.600)(14.4)

1 * 80.28 (65 460)

g,surf ace 0 .00594 ppg

27

Properties of H-C gases

Gas
Methane, CH4
Ethane, C2H6

Mol.
Wt.
16.0
30.1

Specific
gravity
0.55
1.04

Critical
Temp F
343
550

Critical
Press psia
668
708

Propane, C3H8
n-Butane, C4H10
Nitrogen, N2
Carbon Dioxide, CO4
Hydrogen Sulfide, H2S
Water, H2O

44.1
58.1
28,0
44.0
34.1
18.0

1.52
2.00
0.97
1.25
1.18
0.62

666
765
227
448
673
1166

616
551
439
1071
1306
3208
28

Real Gases
The Equation of State (EOS) for a non-ideal gas is:
pV = ZnRT
The Z-factor, or compressibility factor, is an
empirical adjustment for the non-ideal behavior
of a real gas

29

Real Gases
Z, the compressibility factor, is 1 at atmospheric
conditions, decreases as the pressure increases (min.
value ~ 0.25) and then increases again, reaching a
value of 1 or more at pseudo reduced pressures in
excess of 9.
At low temperatures and a pseudo-reduced pressure
in excess of 25, the value of Z can be as high as 2.0,
or even higher .

30

31

Problem 3
Repeat Problem 2 taking into consideration
the variation in Z-factor with changes in
temperature and pressure.
From Problem 2, g = 0.600
From Fig. 1.5, the Pseudo-critical pressure,
Ppc = 671 psig
and the pseudo-critical temperature
Tpc = 358 oR
32

Tpc (oR)

ppc (psia)

Fig. 1.5
671

358

Gas Specific Gravity (air = 1)

33

Problem 3
The psuedo-reduced pressure,
ppr = p / ppc
At Bottomhole conditions,
ppr = 3,500 / 671 = 5.22
At the surface,
ppr = 14.7 / 671 = .022
The pseudo-reduced pressure of a gas mixture is the ratio p/ppc
34

Problem 3
The psuedo-reduced Temperature,
Tpr = T / Tpc
At Bottomhole conditions,
Tpr = 610 / 358 = 1.70
At the surface,
Tpr = 525 / 358 = 1.47
The pseudo-reduced temperature is the ratio T/Tpc

35

Problem 3
The Z-factors can now be determined.
Under bottomhole conditions,
Z = 0.886
Under surface conditions,
Z = .995 ~ 1

36

Surface
0.995
0.886

Bottomhole

37

Determination of Z-factor
If a computer is available, Z factors can be
calculated:
ppr = 756.8 - 131g - 3.6 g2
Tpr = 169.2 + 349.5 g 74 g2
Z can be taken from chart or calculated on
spreadsheet

38

Determination of Z-factor

39

Problem 3
At bottomhole conditions, the density of
the gas is:
g ,bottom

29 g P

29(0.6)(3,500)

ZRT
(0.886)(80.28)(610)

g ,bottom 1.4 ppg

This is 13% above the value obtained

for an ideal gas
40

Problem 3
Under surface conditions, with a Z - factor
near 1, the density is still ~ 0.0059 ppg.
Note: At a pressure of 10,000 psia and
temperature of 200 OF
ppr = 10,000 / 671 = 14.9
Tpr = 660 / 358 = 1.84
Z = 1.41
and
g = 2.33 ppg
41

500 psi

Problem 4
A 12,000 vertical well is shut in
with a single-phase, 0.6 gravity gas
influx on bottom.
SICP = 500 psia. The initial influx
height is determined to be 400 ft.
Mud density = 11.5 ppg.
Determine the BHP
BHT = 205 deg F

if

400 ft
42

Solution
The pressure at the top of the kick is:

p = SICP + HSPmud
= 500 + 0.052*11.5*(12,000-400)

p = 7,437 psia
pr = p/ppr = 7,437/671 = 11.08, and

Tr = T/Tpr = 665/358 = 1.86

Z = 1.195 from Fig
43

Solution
29 g p

29 (0.6) (7,437)
g

ZRT
(1.195) (80.27) (665)

g ,bottom 2.03 ppg

BHP = 7,437 + 0.052 * 2.03 * 400
= 7,479 psia
44

Problem 5
Consider the same well. What would the
SICP be if all the drilling fluid had been
unloaded from the hole prior to shut-in?
Assume BHP = 7,479 psia as calculated in
problem 4. Also assume that the average
wellbore temperature is 160 deg F.

45

Solution
Solve by trial and error.
First assume that Z = 1
g ( D D0 )

p po e

53.3 ZT

7,479 po e

0.6(12,000 0 )
53.3(1.0 )( 620 )

1.243 po

po 6,009 psia
7,479 6,009
ppr
/ 671 10.05
2

Tpr 620 / 358 1.73

46

Solution
Thus, Z = 1.132, Then:

7,479 po e

0.6(12,0000 )
53.3(1.132 )( 620 )

po 6,164 psia
7,479 6,164
ppr
/ 671 10.17
2

Tpr 620 / 358 1.73

47

Solution
Now, Z = 1.140, Then:

7,479 poe

0.6(12,0000 )
53.3(1.14 )( 620 )

po 6,173 psia
Close enough
48

6,173 psia

12,000

7,472 psia

49

Problem 6
For the same well, determine the equivalent
density at depths of 6,000 and 12,000.

Assume the average temperature from the

o
surface to 6,000 is 120 F for the case where
the hole is filled with gas.

50

Solution
Recall that:

p = 0.052 * MW * Depth

so, MW = p / (0.052 * Depth)

At TD,
equiv = (7,479-14.4) / (0.052*12,000)
= 12.0 ppg
51

Solution
At 6,000
p = 500 + 0.052*11.5*6,000 = 4,048 psia
equiv = (4,048-14.4)/(0.052*6,000)
= 13.0 ppg

52

Solution
What is the equivalent density at 1,000?
p = 500 + 0.052*11.5*1,000 = 1,098 psia
equiv = (1,098-14.4)/(0.052*1,000)
= 20.8 ppg
Note how the equivalent density increases as
depth decreases.
53

Equivalent Mud Weight

0
2,000

Depth, ft

4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
14,000
0

10

15

20

25

EMW, ppg

54

End

55