(94a) Gas Evolution Rates in Crude Oil for Upstream Applications: A Literature Review

As gas-liquid separators are reduced in size to accommodate offshore and subsea specifications, ensuring that the units are appropriately sized has become increasingly important. Failure to size separators correctly will hinder both the safety and reliability of the unit, and could compromise processes downstream. While the vessel volume is typically calculated from estimated flow rates and well head conditions, the rate of gas evolution during flow and at high pressures has been largely overlooked. This presentation provides an overview of the research that is relevant to gas evolution with specific emphasis on the impact of flow on the rate of gas evolution. Sources from literature show that the rate of gas evolution can be affected by parameters including initial saturation pressure, liquid temperature, rate of agitation, and the presence of solid particulates. Equilibrium and dynamic modeling is also discussed in the presentation.