University Of Zakho

Collage Of Engineering
Petroleum Department

Differential Liberation Test

Experiment No.2.

Name: Lulav saeed sadiq

Class: one , 3rd stage
Subject: Reservoir fluid properties
Date: 4/6/2020
Leader: Mr.All’a Rasul
Year: 2020_2021
Table of Contents

1. The Aim of Experiment...................................................................................3

2. Introduction.................................................................................................3
3. Theory.......................................................................................................4
4. Equipment..................................................................................................4
5. Procedure...................................................................................................5
6. Primary Results from a Differential Liberation Experiment Performed on an Oil Mixture
could be summarized as per below:.........................................................................6
4.1 Determination of Gas Composition, Z factor, Specific Gravity...................................6
6.2 Determination of Oil density.......................................................................7
4.3 Determination of Differential Solution Gas Oil Ratio (scf/STB)..................................8
4.4 Determination of Gas Formation Volume Factor (Bgd)............................................8
4.5 Determination of Relative Oil Volume (Diff. Oil FVF) Bod........................................9
7. Calculation................................................................................................11
8. Conclusion & Discussion.................................................................................15
9. References.................................................................................................16

Table of Figures
Figure 1: differential liberation test...........................................................................................4
Figure 2: Schematic of the used procedure for differential vaporization or differential liberation
(DL)........................................................................................................................................5
Figure 3: Pressure vs. Z-factor.................................................................................................6
Figure 4: Pressure vs. gas gravity.............................................................................................7
Figure 5: Pressure vs. fluid density...........................................................................................7
Figure 6: Pressure vs. Rs.........................................................................................................8
Figure 7: Pressure vs. Bg.........................................................................................................9
Figure 8: Pressure vs. Bo.........................................................................................................9
Figure 9: Pressure vs. Bt........................................................................................................10

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List of Table
Table 1: Experiment Data Example.........................................................................................11
Table 2: Data for experiment..................................................................................................12
Table 3: Data for experiment..................................................................................................14

PVT sampling methods: Differential Liberation (DL) test

1. The Aim of Experiment

The primary purpose of PVT experiments is to gain experimental knowledge about the
behavior of a reservoir fluid at reservoir conditions. The differential depletion experiment has a
secondary purpose of Generating information on the volumetric changes taking place with the ell
stream when produced at standard conditions.

2. Introduction
The hydrocarbon reservoir consists of fluids (water, oil, and gas) in varying proportions.
Some may be saturated with only water and oil; water and gas; or water, oil and gas. The
collection of a representative sample of these fluids and laboratory study of their phase behavior
are very essential for fluid or reservoir characterization, economic evaluations (estimation of
reserves), and development of reservoir management plan. Samples of the reservoir fluid are
usually collected at an early stage in the well’s producing life and dispatched to a laboratory for
the f PVT analysis. The objectives of sampling are to receive samples from a suitable place in the
production wells or surface facilities. The samples should represent the system in the reservoir
under its initial conditions in order to determine its type, volumetric and phase behavior, and its
composition. PVT analysis results are needed for geological and reservoir engineering evaluation
and forecasting, as well as for laboratory studies concerning enhanced oil recovery (EOR).

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 Fluid Properties for Reservoir Engineering Processes PVT properties are
determined from 5 specific lab procedures:
1. Flash Liberation Tests (CCE)
2. Differential Liberation Tests (DL)
3. Viscosity Measurements
4. Separator Tests
5. Compositional measurements.

3. Theory
Differential Liberation (DL) test results, one of the standard experiments performed by
Pressure-Volume-Temperature (PVT) laboratories on reservoir fluid samples (black oil) are
presented. The laboratory DL test data was simulated using Peng-Robinson Equation of State on
HYSYS. The simulated results were compared graphically and statistically to the experimental
data in terms of oil formation volume factor (FVF), solution gas-oil ratio (GOR), liberated GOR,
gas compressibility factor (z-factor), and gas composition, with respect to pressure,
respectively. Differential Liberation (DL) test also known as Differential Vaporization or
Differential Expansion is one of the standard experiments performed by Pressure-Volume-
Temperature (PVT) laboratories on reservoir fluid samples. The DL test is designed to
approximate the depletion process of an oil reservoir, and also simulate the flowing behavior of
hydrocarbon systems at conditions above the critical gas saturation, and thereby provide suitable
PVT data to evaluate reservoir performance.
The experimental data obtained from the test include:
• Amount of gas in solution as a function of pressure
• The shrinkage in the oil volume as a function of pressure
• Properties of the evolved gas including the composition of the liberated
gas, the gas compressibility factor, and the gas specific gravity
• Density of the remaining oil as a function of pressure
Pressure gauge

4. Equipment

1. Pressure gauge
2. Cell pvt
3. Piston Cell

Piston

Figure 1: differential liberation test

5. Procedure
The Experiment Procedure

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Step 1. The reservoir fluid sample is placed in a PVT cell at reservoir temperature.
Step 2. The cell is pressurized to saturation.
Step 3. The volume of the all-liquid sample is recorded.
Step 4. The cell pressure is lowered.
Step 5. The liberated gas is removed from the cell through the cell flow valve. During this
process, the cell pressure is kept constant by reinjecting mercury (H2O) in the cell at the same
rate as the gas discharge rate.
Step 6. The volume of the discharged gas is measured at standard conditions and the volume of
the remaining oil is recorded.
Step 7. Steps 5 and 6 are repeated until the cell pressure is lowered to atmospheric pressure.
Step 8. The remaining oil at atmospheric pressure is measured and converted to a volume at 60
F. This final volume is referred to as the residual oil.

Figure 2: Schematic of the used procedure for differential vaporization or differential

liberation (DL)

6. Primary Results from a Differential Liberation Experiment

Performed on an Oil Mixture could be summarized as per
below:
4.1 Determination of Gas Composition, Z factor, Specific Gravity
a. Composition of gas is determined from removed gas.
b. Z-factor is determined from the following equation:

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Where:
V = volume of liberated gas in the PVT cell at P and T.
Vsc = Volume of removed gas at standard condition.

Figure 3: Pressure vs. Z-factor

c. Specific gravity of gas is determined from removed gas.

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 Figure 4: Pressure vs. gas gravity

6.2 Determination of Oil density

At each step oil volume is measured and from cumulative weight of gas oil density is
determined.

Figure 5: Pressure vs. fluid density

4.3 Determination of Differential Solution Gas Oil Ratio (scf/STB)
The removed gas at each step is flashed to standard conditions and its volume is measured and
from the cumulative volume of liberated gas measured at standard conditions is used to
calculate gas oil ratio.

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 Figure 6: Pressure vs. Rs

4.4 Determination of Gas Formation Volume Factor (Bgd)

It needs no correction to separator conditions.

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 Figure 7: Pressure vs. Bg

4.5 Determination of Relative Oil Volume (Diff. Oil FVF) Bod

The differential oil formation volume factors βod at all the pressure levels are calculated by
dividing the recorded oil volumes V by the volume of residual oil Vsc.

Figure 8: Pressure vs. Bo

4.6 Determination of Relative Total Volume Factor Btd

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Btd =Bod +(Rsdb −R sd) Bg
Where: Rsdb = gas solubility at the bubble-point pressure,
scf/STB
Rsd= gas solubility at any pressure, scf/STB
BOd= oil formation volume factor at any
pressure, bbl/STB
Bg= gas formation volume factor, bbl/scf

Figure 9: Pressure vs. Bt

7. Calculation

Example (1):
The following example guides you on how to use and interpret the data from Differential
Liberation test. The reservoir temperature is T= 200 °F and the bubble point pressure is
3330psia. The essential data obtained from the differential liberation experiment, performed
on the same oil sample as CCE test, are listed in the following table:

Table 1: Experiment Data Example

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Results of isothermal differential liberation at 200 °F
After the pressure drop from 2700 to 2400 psia, column 2 of the table indicates that 0.0466
volumes of gas are taken off from the cell at the lower pressure and at 200°F. These gas
volumes v (small v) are measured relative to the unit volume of bubble point oil, as are all the
relative volumes listed in the table. After each stage, the incremental volume of liberated gas
is expanded to standard conditions and re−measured as V relative volumes (column 3).
Column 4 is simply the cumulative amount of gas liberated below the bubble point expressed at
standard conditions. Dividing values in column 3 by those in column 2 (V /v) gives the gas
expansion factor E (column 5). Thus the 0.0466 relative volumes liberated at 2400 psia will
expand to give 6.9457 relative volumes at standard conditions and the gas expansion factor is
therefore 6.9457/.0466 = 149.05. Knowing E, the Z-factor of the liberated gas can be
determined by explicitly solving the following equation:
Z = 35.37 × [P/(E × T)]
Z = 35.37 × [2400 × (149.05 × 660)]
Z = 0.863
These values are listed in column 6.
Finally, the relative oil volumes, v, are measured at each stage of depletion after removal of
the liberated gas, as listed in column 7.

Example (2):
The data from a differential vaporization on a black oil at 220O F are given below. Prepare a
table of solution gas- oil ratios, relative oil volumes, and relative total volumes by this
differential process. Also include Z- factors and formation volume factors of the increments of
gas removed.

Table 2: Data for experiment

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Solution:
All calculation shown will be at 2100 psig.
First, calculate solution gas oil ratio

Second, calculate relative oil volume:

Third, calculate Z- factor

Fourth, calculate the gas formation volume factor:

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Fifth, calculate relative total volume:

BtD = ( 1.515 res. Bbl/residual bbl ) + ( 0.00771 cuft)/(5.615 cuft/bbl) (854 -684 scf/residual
bbl) = 1.748 res. bbl/ residual bbl
All the calculations are shown in table below.

Table 3: Data for experiment

(1) Cubic feet of gas at 14.65 psia and 60°F. per barrel of residual ail at 60°F.
(2) Barrels of oil at indicated pressure and temperature per barrel of residual oil at 60°F.
(3) Barrels of oil plus liberated gas at indicated pressure and temperature per barrel of residual
oil at 60 F.
(4) Cubic feet of gas at indicated pressure and temperature per cubic foot at 14.65 psia and
60°F.

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 8. Conclusion & Discussion
In summary of this experiment, it can be stated that the laboratory differential liberation
experiment, which is regarded as best simulating phase separation in the reservoir, provides an
absolute set of PVT data in which all volumes are expressed relative to the unit oil volume at
the bubble point, the latter being a unique volume. The results of the differential liberation
experiment, as listed in table-3, provide an absolute set of data which can be modified,
according to the surface separators used, to give the values of the PVT parameters required for
field use. All volumes are measured relative to the unit oil volume at the bubble point. There
is, however, a more common way of representing the results of the differential liberation in
which volumes are measured relative to the volume of residual oil at stock tank conditions. This
volume is obtained as the final step in the differential liberation experiment by flashing the
volume of oil measured at atmospheric pressure and reservoir temperature, to atmospheric
pressure and 60°F. 

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 9. References

1. Igwe, I. and Ujile, A.A., Performance Evaluation of Experimental and Simulated Differential Liberation
Tests on Reservoir Fluid.
https://www.ijser.org/researchpaper/Performance-Evaluation-of-Experimental-and-Simulated-Differential-
Liberation-Tests-on-Reservoir-Fluid.pdf

2. Lashkarbolooki, M., Branch, D. and Branch, D., 2015. Screening

and PVT Analysis on Explored-Not-Productive Southern Iranian
Oilfields. Open Access Library Journal, 2(04), p.1.
https://www.scirp.org/html/68348_68348.htm

4. Reservoir Fluid Laboratory Analysis

Differential Liberation Test .Faculty of Petroleum & Mining Engineering Suez University By: Ahmed
M. Saad
https://www.scribd.com/doc/194846730/Differential-Liberation-PVT-fluid-test

5. https://www.slideshare.net/alaminia/q922rfpl09-v1
6. https://www.scribd.com/document/387350845/pvt
7. Ahmed, T., 2018. Reservoir engineering handbook. Gulf Professional Publishing.
8. Dake, L.P., 1983. Fundamentals of reservoir engineering. Elsevier.
9. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/oil-formation-volume-factor
10. https://slideplayer.com/slide/12365637/
11. https://vdocuments.site/pvt-experiments.html
12. https://production-technology.org/category/pvt/

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