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SPE36919
A Novel Graphical Method for Determining Dewpoint Pressures of Gas Condensates
K.T.Potsch, SPE; OMV, and L.Braeuer, SPE, OMV
Abstract
This paper describes a novel graphical method for
determining the dew point pmssurc asa backup for the
visual readings of the total volume (gas and liquid) during a
constant composition expansion and the Z factor. The latter
is taken from the overall composition of the gas condensate
and should be provided with high accuracy,
Theoretically, this method will work even if no visual
data are available. The method was testcxi on several gas
mndensate systems. The results exhibit a relative accumqy
Ofl= thM53% Or 5TMXilINMll 5 bilC.
Introduction
The dew point pressure is one of the most important
quantities for characterizing a gas condensate. The
expximental determination in a window PVT cell is often
eumberwmc especially when the condensate is a lean one
and the liquid drop out is therefore very low. The visibility
of the first drops of liquid is masked by the numerous
reflections of the menisci and not enhanced at ail by the
grey backside of the cell. A better option is to observe the
visual onset of liquid precipitation in a through-window
cell.
Traditionally the determimtion of the liquid drop out is
done by r~ding the distance between the meniscus of the
mercury and the hydroeartwn liquid with a kathe(omcter
(Fig. 1), A CaIibrstion CUIVCthen gives the actual volume of
the liquid, The liquid saturation curve - i.e. the volume of
the liquid divided by the total volume (gas and liquid) of
the hydrocarbons in the cell - is extrapolated to S,=0 in
order-to find the dew point (Fig.2.)
Theory
The dewpoint pressure is sought experimentally in a
constant composition expansion (CCE) with [he
. . .
Societyof PetroleumEngineem
temperature held ccmstant. The mntent of the cell is not
changed so that the number of moles stays mnstant as well
M,(P) = = pv.....
-. ................................. ,..... (1)
In this formula m denotes the number of moles, p is the
pressure, V, the volume of the PVT cell, Z is the
compressibility factor, R the universal gas constant and T
the absolute temperature. As long as the Vstem pressure is
above the dew point pressure there exists onfy one phase
and one can use the single phase mmpressibllity factor for
the gas which is calculated from the ovemll imposition of
the system.
Below the dewpoint pressure mturally two phases form
and one has to split the expression in Eq. 1 into gas and
liquid moles
pv
m,=mg+m, =—Pvg — .........................(2)
ZgRT + Z,RT
h4aking use of the definition of the liquid saturation one
arrives-finally at
1]
~+zz
z
mt. —PK ; -; s, ......................(3)
Z,RT Zg [ , ,
where 2) stands for the single Dhase compressibility factor
and S for the saturation. fic -subscripts-Characterize the
phasea - gas and liquid. Exmpt for 21 , which has to be
calculated, the factor in front of the square bracket on the
right hand side mnsists of measurable quantities. In the
single phase region the expression in the square bracket
will always yield the numerical value of one because the
liquid saturation is non existent and therefore ZI = Zf.
The key idea of this work is to detect the onset of the
liquid formation by the following steps:
- Calculate the number of moles in the cell at each
preasurc point (Eq, 1), starting well above the dew pint
with at least four points above the dew pint using the
single phase mmpreasibility factor ZJ.
. Plot the moles versus pressure. This procedure should
yield a straight horizontal line in the single phase region.
- Continue with the same method also in the two phase
region. There, the use of the single phase compressibility
423
2 KT. POTSCH, L. BRAEUER SPE36919

factor is physically wrong, but it results in deviations from 3. A high aczuraqv single p- z-factor calculation
the straight line, an effect thm one is looking for. routine is required,
. Fit a euwe through the points that deviate from the
straight line.
- The point of intersection marks the dew point. Nomenclature
The deviations from the constant straight line are a m = number of moles
result of the change of the Z-factor with composition. p = pressure, bar
Whether the square bracket on the right hand side of Eq.3 R = gas eonstan~ tW.CM’/hlO~
is smaller or larger than 1, depends on the pressure. Both i“ = tempemture, K

eases are possible. Therefore, the single phase V = volume, emY

compressibility factor 21 should not be calculated with a Z = compressibility factor
PVf software package that calculates vapor liquid
equilibria. In our ease the calculation of the eampresaibility Subsenpts
factor was carried out with the AGA-8 equation of state g=gss
(Ref.1). The AGA-8 equation of state was selected because I = liquid
of its high accuracy (O.l%) which is nemsaty for this r = total
method.
It should be strmsed at this point that this novel method
of detecting the dew point of gas condensates involved only Acknowledgements
quantities that can be measured with high aeeurxy. No We thank the Austrian Oil Company, OIW for
volume of the liquid phase is needed so that in principle the supporting this work and giving permission to use the
dewpoint determination does not have to be earned out in a experimental data.
window or through window cell.

References
1. Starling,K.E., FItz,C.W., Chen,Y.C., Rondon$., Jambaen,
Experiments R.T., Be@ein$.W., Clarke,W.P., LemmorrX., GRI High
Two lean Austrian gas condensatesystems were tested in a Accuracy Natural Gas Equation of State fm Gas
window Ruska P~-cell. The compositions are listed in Measurements Applications, 1991 Revision of AGA No. 8
Tab.1. The relative accuracies for the pressure readings Equation,
were 104, for the temperature 0.7x 104 and for the volume
2x104, The error analysis of Eq. 1
S1 Metric Conversion Factors
Am, AZ+ Ap+AV, psi x 6.894757 E42 = bar
—= —— —— +AT inch x 3.937008 E4tl=cm
m, Z p < T ‘“””””’’’”’’’”””-”””””(4) R X 5.555555 E-O1=K

shows that the error resulting from the Z factor calculation

is the primary source of contribution to the fluctuations in
rable 1- Gas Condensate Sytems
the accuracy of the calculation of the number of moles.
Hoenein Moan
component mole% rnok%

Results cl 88.2970 8e.e987

Fig.2 and 3 refer to the gas condensate field Hoeflei~ Fig.4 C2 5.3534 4.2128

and S to the one found in the exploration well of Molln. C3 2.8810 1.3s95
Both systems are lean gas condensates and they exhibit a so IC4 o.e950 o.3e39
called tail which makes the traditional dew point nC4 0.948s o.47%t
determination more dift%mh. The proposed method yields ics 0.3848 0.3115
curves that look somewhat familiar to the curves in the
nC5 0.3459 0.2121
bubble point determination of black oil systems (Rgs.3 and
Ce 0.5797 o.4om
5).
C7 0.8244 0.3200
Ca 0.s17 0.2s00

Summarv C9 o.4el 7 O.mm

1. The m&lmd described in this paper does not require a Clo 0.7832 1.4s10
window or through-window cell. C02 15.3691 O.teal
2. The dew point is determined from a plot of the number N2 2.= 0.43s2
of moles in the cell versus pressure. Graphical H2S Omoo 0.009B
intersecting the straight line in the one phase region
with the curve in the two phase region yields the dew
point pressure, 424
SPE36W9 A NOVEL GRAPHICAL METHOO FC.R DETERMINING DEWPOINT PRESSURES OF GAS cONDENSATES 3

Ffg.l-View of Uqulddropout hawfndow PVTceti

0.030

h o j o
0.025
2.0 0
0 deta

0 date

~fit
0.005
o_ o
0.0 1 r 1
I 1 I 1
I , , O.cx)o -t I , I
I I I
120 160 200 240 280 3 o o w 200 300 400
pressure [bar] pressure bar]

Ffg. 2-Tradii detarrdnafim of the dew @d (Awtrfen ga$ Fig. 4- Trediil detemlnetion of the dew point (expforathn
sonrtensetesystem Hoefkln) wlt Mofln)

1.05

O date

1~
$1.60
1.00
— fii
f

1.55

0,95
)
1.50
dwpoint

1.45 1 0.90 1,,,, ,,,, ,,,, ,1,, ,,,, ,,,, ,,,,

I 1
I
t 1 1
I
I 1 1
I
1 a 1
I r r r 1’
120 160 203 240 280 320 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400
pressure [bar] pressure [bar]

Fig. 3$&v technique for detemnination of the dew point via ● Fig. 64WV technfque for determination of the dew point via ●
mole vc p pbt (Austrian gas condensate system Hoeffeln) mole vs p plot (exploration well Molln)
425