Title: Comparative study of compositional viscosity prediction models for medium-heavy oils

Authors: Bipin Raut, Shirish L. Patil, Abhijit Y. Dandekar, Robert Fisk, Beth Maclean, Vanessa Hice

Addresses: Department of Petroleum Engineering, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 425 Duckering Building, Fairbanks, AK 99775-5880, USA. ' Department of Petroleum Engineering, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 425 Duckering Building, Fairbanks, AK 99775-5880, USA. ' Department of Petroleum Engineering, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 425 Duckering Building, Fairbanks, AK 99775-5880, USA. ' US Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Alaska State Office 222 West Seventh Avenue, #13, Anchorage, Alaska 99513-7504, USA. ' US Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Alaska State Office 222 West Seventh Avenue, #13, Anchorage, Alaska 99513-7504, USA. ' US Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Alaska State Office 222 West Seventh Avenue, #13, Anchorage, Alaska 99513-7504, USA

Abstract: This paper presents a comprehensive comparative study of composition-based Lohrenz-Bray-Clark (LBC) and principle of corresponding states (PCS) class viscosity prediction models for 11 different medium to heavy oils. The data sets span a wide range of pressures from 14.7 psia to 5000 psia; temperatures from 80 F to 180 F; and viscosities from 10 cP to 475 cP, typical of medium to heavy oils. The results show that all the LBC class models heavily underpredict the viscosities, whereas qualitatively PCS class models, in general, predict the viscosities in the range of the experimental values. However, none of the studied models were found to be truly predictive. [Received: June 2, 2007; Accepted: September 21, 2007]

Keywords: medium heavy oils; LBC method; corresponding states method; plus fraction characterisation; compositional prediction models; enhanced oil recovery; EOR.

DOI: 10.1504/IJOGCT.2008.019844

International Journal of Oil, Gas and Coal Technology, 2008 Vol.1 No.3, pp.229 - 249

Published online: 09 Aug 2008 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article