Classification of

Reservoirs and DR. FARQAD HADI

Reservoir Fluid LECTURE 4

Properties
Motivation
The various fluid properties just discussed in previous lecture are commonly spoken of
as PVT (Pressure-Volume-Temperature)
Crude oils are frequently classified by “base”, generally based on API or specific gravity,
as either a paraffin base, asphalt base, or, mixed base crude.
1- Paraffin-base, or oils containing predominantly paraffin series hydrocarbons (light
oils, High API), when oil completely distilled, leaves a solid of residue of wax.
2- Asphelt-base, or oils containing predominantly polymethylene or olefin series
hydrocarbons, i.e., cyclic compounds (mostly naphthenes) (heavy oils, low API), when oil
distilled, leaves a solid of residue of asphalt.
3- Mixed-base, or oils containing large quantities of both paraffin and polymethylene
series hydrocarbons, or oils which fall in the middle of these categories (moderate API).
 Classification of
Petroleum
Reservoirs
Petroleum reservoirs are broadly classified
as oil or gas reservoirs. These broad
classifications are further subdivided
depending on:

1. The composition of the reservoir

hydrocarbon mixture.
2. Initial reservoir pressure and temperature.
3. Location of the reservoir temperature with
respect to the critical temperature and the
cricondentherm.

According to the initial reservoir pressurepi

and temperature T of the reservoir with
respect to the p/T diagram of the reservoir
fluid, reservoirs can be classified into
two types:

• Oil reservoirs If the reservoir temperature, T, is less than

the critical temperature, Tc, of the reservoir fluid, the
reservoir is classified as an oil reservoir.
• Gas reservoirs If the reservoir temperature is greater
than the critical temperature of the hydrocarbon fluid, the
reservoir is considered a gas reservoir.
 Oil Reservoirs
Depending on initial reservoir pressure, pi, oil reservoirs can be subclassified into the
following categories:

Oil Reservoirs

Undersaturated Saturated Gas cap

 Crude oil
Types of crude oil
Ordinary black Low-shrinkage High-shrinkage Near-critical
oil oil oil (Volatile) oil

This classification is based on the properties exhibited by the crude oil,

including:
• Physical properties, such as API gravity of the stock-tank liquid.
• Composition.
• Initial producing gas/oil ratio (GOR).
• Appearance, such as color of the stock-tank liquid.
• Pressure-temperature phase diagram.
Natural Gas Reservoirs
Types of Natural Gas
Natural gases can be categorized on the basis of
their phase diagram and the prevailing reservoir
condition into four categories.

Natural gases

Retrograte gas Near critical gas

Wet gas Dry gas
condensate condensate