Philip Rabbito

Near-Infrared Compositional Analysis of Gas and Condensate Reservoir Fluids at Elevated Pressures and Temperatures

The near-infrared spectroscopic (NIR) analysis of several fluid mixtures approximating natural gases or condensates is reported. Spectra were measured under wide variations of pressure and temperature in accord with conditions found in various gas or condensate reservoirs. Some restrictions simulating currently feasible hardware specifications were placed on spectral data before they were used for analysis. We employed principal components regression (PCR) on inverted Beers Law for compositional analysis. The result shows that it is feasible to conduct an in situ compositional analysis in the reservoir environment. In fact, this algorithm is currently being utilized successfully with an optical spectrometer operating down-hole in oil wells.

Near-Infrared Spectral Analysis of Gas Mixtures

The analysis by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) of a series of gas mixtures approximating natural gases is reported. Wide variations of gas pressure and temperature are used in accord with conditions found in various utilitarian gas flow streams. The NIR analysis of CH4 and CO2 composition is found to be straightforward and depends only on compound mass density, but not explicitly on temperature, pressure, or composition. Linearity of the spectra of more complex mixtures is maintained, but the NIR analysis is more complex. Principal component analysis is shown to resolve composition for those gas mixtures.

Effect of high pressure on the optical detection of gas by index-of-refraction methods

An optical method for the detection of gas in high-pressure flow streams has been developed. One can detect gas by measuring the variation in intensity of reflected, p-polarized light at a sapphire-flow stream interface over a range of angles including the Brewster and critical angles for gas. The effects of high pressure and gas identity have been determined for this gas detection method. Pressure ranges to 20,000 psi of helium, nitrogen, argon, and methane along with a gas mixture were used in these experiments. Excellent agreement is obtained in the pressure- and gas-dependent shifts in critical angle between experimental observations and predictions based on literature values of gas densities and molar refractivities. Significant gas nonidealities are discussed in terms of the correspondence principle.