--> ABSTRACT: Differentiating Oil Reservoir Compartments by Mass Spectral Analysis of Producing Fluids, by Alan H. Silliman and Paul A. Harrington; #91019 (1996)

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Differentiating Oil Reservoir Compartments by Mass Spectral Analysis of Producing Fluids

Alan H. Silliman and Paul A. Harrington

Reservoir fluid samples from an oil field in Texas were collected from forty-six producing wells. The fluid samples were taken from various locations, including at the wellhead and in the flowline. The fluid samples were exposed to an adsorbent material in the headspace, which was then desorbed in a mass spectrometer and analyzed over a mass range of approximately C2 to C14. The mass spectral data derived from these samples was then examined for evidence of chemical difference that may indicate different compartments within the reservoir.

The mass spectral data for these samples was processed using principal components analysis (PCA). This technique uncovered several statistical clusters in the data related to compositional differences in the reservoir fluid samples. These clusters are not related to the location where the fluid samples were taken. At least three different geochemical compositions of oil are present within the reservoir area.

The passive headspace adsorption - mass spectral analysis method is a useful tool in reservoir management. Results from this study may be used to better understand the production from a reservoir.

AAPG Search and Discover Article #91019©1996 AAPG Convention and Exhibition 19-22 May 1996, San Diego, California