In cases where the composition of a natural gas is not available, the pseudo-critical properties,

i.e., ppc and Tpc, can be predicted solely from the specific gravity of the gas. Brown et al.
(1948) presented a graphical method for a convenient approximation of the pseudo-critical
pressure and pseudo-critical temperature of gases when only the specific gravity of the gas is
available. The correlation is presented in Figure 2-2. Standing (1977) expressed this graphical
correlation in the following mathematical forms:

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EFFECT OF NONHYDROCARBON COMPONENTS ON THE Z-FACTOR

Natural gases frequently contain materials other than hydrocarbon components, such as
nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide. Hydrocarbon gases are classified as sweet or
sour depending on the hydrogen sulfide content. Both sweet and sour gases may contain
nitrogen, carbon dioxide, or both. A hydrocarbon gas is termed a sour gas if it contains one
grain of H2S per 100 cubic feet.

The common occurrence of small percentages of nitrogen and carbon dioxide is, in part,
considered in the correlations previously cited. Con-centrations of up to 5 percent of these
nonhydrocarbon components will not seriously affect accuracy. Errors in compressibility factor
calculations as large as 10 percent may occur in higher concentrations of nonhydrocarbon
components in gas mixtures.

Nonhydrocarbon Adjustment Methods

There are two methods that were developed to adjust the pseudo-critical properties of the gases
to account for the presence of the nonhydrocarbon components. These two methods are the:

 Wichert-Aziz correction method

 Carr-Kobayashi-Burrows correction method

1. The Wichert-Aziz Correction Method

Natural gases that contain H2S and or CO2 frequently exhibit different compressibility-factors
behavior than do sweet gases. Wichert and Aziz (1972) developed a simple, easy-to-use
calculation procedure to account for these differences. This method permits the use of the
Standing-Katz chart, i.e., Figure 2-1, by using a pseudo-critical temperature adjustment factor,
which is a function of the concentration of CO2 and H2S in the sour gas. This correction factor
is then used to adjust the pseudo-critical temperature and pressure according to the following
expressions:

where
Tpc = pseudo-critical temperature, °R

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ppc = pseudo-critical pressure, psia
T′pc = corrected pseudo-critical temperature, °R
p′pc = corrected pseudo-critical pressure, psia
B = mole fraction of H2S in the gas mixture
ε = pseudo-critical temperature adjustment factor and is defined mathematically by the
following expression

where the coefficient A is the sum of the mole fraction H2S and CO2 in the gas mixture, or:

The computational steps of incorporating the adjustment factor ε into the z-factor calculations
are summarized below:
 Step 1. Calculate the pseudo-critical properties of the whole gas mixture by applying
Equations 2-18 and 2-19 or Equations 2-20 and 2-21.
 Step 2. Calculate the adjustment factor ε from Equation 2-24.
 Step 3. Adjust the calculated ppc and Tpc (as computed in Step 1) by applying
Equations 2-22 and 2-23.
 Step 4. Calculate the pseudo-reduced properties, i.e., ppr and Tpr, from Equations 2-11
and 2-12.
 Step 5. Read the compressibility factor from Figure 2-1.

2. The Carr-Kobayashi-Burrows Correction Method

Carr, Kobayashi, and Burrows (1954) proposed a simplified procedure to adjust the pseudo-
critical properties of natural gases when nonhydrocarbon components are present. The method
can be used when the composition of the natural gas is not available. The proposed procedure
is summarized in the following steps:

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Page 4 of 7
Example
A gas reservoir has the following gas composition: the initial reservoir pressure and
temperature are 3000 psia and 180°F, respectively.

Calculate the gas compressibility factor under initial reservoir conditions

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Example
A sour natural gas has a specific gravity of 0.7. The compositional analysis of the gas shows
that it contains 5 percent CO2 and 10 percent H2S. Calculate the density of the gas at 3500 psia
and 160°F.

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Example
A sour natural gas has a specific gravity of 0.7. The compositional analysis of the gas shows
that it contains 5 percent CO2 and 10 percent H2S. Calculate the density of the gas at 3500 psia
and 160°F.

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