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This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPWLA 53rd Annual Logging
Symposium held in Cartagena, Colombia, June 16-20, 2012.
ABSTRACT
In recent years, several major advances have taken
place in asphaltene science and have been codified in
the Yen-Mullins Model. Specifically, these advances
embody the characterization of the nanocolloidal
structure of asphaltenes in crude oil. They also are
applicable to surface science at the molecular level and
provide a foundation for understanding wettability. This
nanoscience also establishes the foundation for the
gravity term enabling the development of the
industrys first predictive equation of state of
asphaltene gradients in the Flory-Huggins-Zuo (FHZ)
equation of state. The FHZ equation coupled with
downhole fluid analysis (DFA) data has been used to
address major reservoir concerns including reservoir
connectivity, heavy oil columns, tar mats, and reservoir
fluid disequilibrium in many case studies. This paper
provides an overview of the developments in asphaltene
science, surface science and the development of the
FHZ EoS. We review the many classes of case studies
linking the FHZ EoS with DFA, with emphasis on the
corresponding significant improvement of capability in
each focus of study. The coupling of new science and
new technology is shown to yield tremendous
improvements in reservoir characterization.
INTRODUCTION
An ancient truism taught in elementary school is
matter is composed of solids, liquids and gases. True
to form, reservoir crude oils contain dissolved gases,
hydrocarbon liquids and solids, the asphaltenes.
Petroleum gases and liquids have been relatively
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Interfacial Science: Much of the interfacial science
approach to crude oils and asphaltenes has been
phenomenological such as measurement of contact
angle or wettability. However, with the development of
the nanoscience model of asphaltenes shown in Fig. 1, a
1st principles approach is now all but mandated.
exp
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In addition, baffles can hinder equilibration and barriers
essentially preclude equilibration. Molecular diffusion
which is required to equilibrate reservoir fluids is
geologically slow at reservoir length scales.[17]
Asphaltenes, especially in colloidal species, have by far
the smallest diffusion constant of any oil component.
The enormous time required to equilibrate asphaltenes
in a reservoir is incompatible with significantly
restricted connectivity.[17] Very slow reservoir fluid
equilibration is in dramatic contrast to pressure
equilibration which is far more rapid due to the tiny
mass flow required. In many cases, the constraint of
fluid equilibration is ten million times better (more
stringent) than pressure communication to establish
reservoir connectivity.[17] Indeed, in the Tahiti
reservoir, production proved the accuracy of fluid
equilibrium to predict connectivity. Equilibration of
asphaltenes does not prove reservoir connectivity.
Nevertheless, if asphaltene equilibration, pressure
analysis and geochemistry all point to connectivity,
then probably connectivity prevails. Also, note that
connectivity does not mandate fluid equilibration.
Nevertheless, continuous fluid gradients, even if not
equilibrated, indicate connectivity. Generally more
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X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Well #5
Well #1
Well#5
A
Well D#1
Well #5
Well #1
Molecule
Nanoaggregate
Cluster
2~3 nm
4~6 nm
~1.5 nm
x00
Nanoaggregates
& Clusters
TVD
meters
x50
x00
Only
Nanoaggregates
x50
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
DFA OD at 1070 nm
Asphaltene Content
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Fig. 11. Core sections in the oil zone (upper) and tar
zone (lower) under both visible and UV
illumination.[31] The core shows a fairly light crude oil
with brown color in the visible and bright yellowish
fluorescence. The tar zone is black under all
illumination.
REFERENCES SECTION
[1] O.C. Mullins, B. Martinez-Haya, A.G. Marshall,
Contrasting perspective on asphaltene molecular
weight; this Comment vs. the Overview of A.A. Herod,
K.D. Bartle, R. Kandiyoti, Energy & Fuels, 22, 17651773, (2008)
CONCLUSIONS
[6] O.C. Mullins, H. Sabbah, J. Eyssautier, A.E.
Pomerantz, L. Barr, A.B. Andrews, Y. Ruiz-Morales,
F. Mostowfi, R. McFarlane, L. Goual, R. Lepkowicz, T.
Cooper, J. Orbulescu, R.M. Leblanc, J. Edwards, R.N.
Zare, Advances in Asphaltene Science and the YenMullins Model, accepted, Energy & Fuels
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Dr. Andrew E. Pomerantz is
the Geochemistry Program Manager at SchlumbergerDoll Research. His research focuses on the
development of novel techniques to characterize the
chemical composition of kerogen and asphaltenes,
including methods in mass spectrometry and X-ray
spectroscopy. That molecular information is used to
understand fundamental physical and chemical
processes in petroleum such as asphaltene
compositional grading. He graduated from Stanford
University with a PhD in chemistry in 2005 and has coauthored 30 peer-reviewed publications.
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