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FIT-OIL version 2.0

Microthermometric analysis of hydrocarbon inclusions

Table of contents

Introduction

FIT-Oil is a software package designed for the study of petroleum fluid inclusions.

It uses:

FIT-Oil allows users:

FIT-Oil is therefore a useful tool for specialists working on fluid inclusions.

FIT-Oil is provided without warranty and must be used at the user’s own risk.

Notations

About FIT-Oil

FIT-Oil is a modular application composed of five main modules, which can be used independently or in combination.

The main modules of FIT-Oil

1. Alpha-beta models

FIT-Oil uses a specialised compositional model, referred to as the alpha-beta model (Montel, 1993), to describe the physico-chemical properties of petroleum, including its immiscibility loop in a pressure-temperature diagram, its GOR, and its API degree.

The alpha-beta model offers two main advantages:

When applied to petroleum fluid inclusions, FIT-Oil attempts to determine the alpha and beta parameters that best fit the measured microthermometric data (homogenisation temperature and gas bubble filling degree). However, there is no unique solution.

For each inclusion studied, FIT-Oil calculates a curve known as the alpha-beta curve, which represents the set of possible solutions. FIT-Oil displays this curve in an alpha-beta plot.

The range of possible solutions can be further constrained by incorporating additional information, such as API° values obtained from microspectrofluorimetry.

2. Phase diagrams

This module calculates the pressure-temperature phase diagrams of petroleum fluids.

These phase diagrams include:

This module also allows the calculation of bubble filling degree as a function of temperature.

Phase diagrams can be produced:

3. Input of microthermometric inclusion data

This module is used to enter microthermometric data for inclusions.

It includes:

4. Alpha-beta correlations

Alpha-beta correlations are collections of alpha-beta values determined for characteristic petroleum types.

These correlations help users select realistic alpha and beta values for oils trapped in fluid inclusions.

5. Fluid models

The last module uses fluid models.

Fluid models are mixtures, generally made up of 10 to 20 hydrocarbon pseudo-components, whose thermodynamic parameters can be adjusted.

They provide additional flexibility for the compositional modelling of petroleum fluids, in a way similar to PVTSim.

In other words, this is an alternative to alpha-beta models.

Fluid models may also be used when compositional analyses of the trapped petroleum are available.

It is also possible:

Once a fluid model has been defined, FIT-Oil can calculate phase diagrams and volumetric plots for it.

In which order should the different FIT-Oil modules be used?

There are several ways to use FIT-Oil. If you have only a small number of inclusions, the most common workflow is as follows:

  1. first switch to the alpha-beta plots module,
  2. enter the microthermometric data (Th, Fv, and gas composition if available),
  3. calculate the alpha-beta curves and select realistic alpha-beta parameters,
  4. using the selected alpha-beta values, draw the P-T phase diagrams including isopleths and isochores; test several sets of alpha-beta parameters,
  5. then determine trapping pressures from the homogenisation temperatures of coeval aqueous fluid inclusions.

Use the microthermometric input module if you have a large number of inclusions. This module allows you to assign names and abbreviations to inclusions.

Use the alpha-beta correlations module if you wish to include your own alpha-beta correlations.

Use the fluid model module if alpha-beta models do not suit your needs. You can then calculate phase diagrams for these theoretical fluids.

A few words about FIT-Oil

FIT-Oil is a multi-platform application. It can run on Windows and Mac OS X systems. There is also a non-GUI version, which can be compiled for any computer system.

FIT-Oil is the first in a planned series of software packages for fluid inclusions, grouped under the name FIT (Fluid Inclusions Thermodynamics), which will also include:

FIT-Oil also uses the LOTHER calculation library (Library Oriented Object for THERmodynamic calculations) to compute liquid-gas phase equilibria and thermodynamic fluid properties using equations of state (Thiéry, 1996).

References

The FIT-Oil package

The FIT-Oil package contains several components:

FIT-Oil is available for Windows and Mac OS X.

The tutorial

A tutorial has been developed using OxGo software for creating multimedia-rich documents, including pictures, text, and animations.

It presents:

[A short preview of the tutorial in PDF format is available here (French version).]

Here are the main topics covered by FIT-Oil.

1. How to calculate an alpha-beta curve

Alpha-beta curves are estimated from the Th and Fv parameters.

Definitions:

FIT-Oil uses a simple compositional model, referred to as the alpha-beta model (Montel, 1993), to describe the physico-chemical properties of petroleum.

This model is based on two parameters:

Homogenisation temperature and bubble size in petroleum fluid inclusions depend on composition, and therefore on the alpha-beta parameters.

However, it is not possible to determine both alpha and beta unambiguously from Th and Fv alone. FIT-Oil can only provide a range of probable values: these are the alpha-beta curves.

This range can be further constrained using other data, such as correlations, GOR, or API°.

To calculate an alpha-beta curve

  1. Select the Alpha-Beta Model > New Alpha-Beta Plot... menu item.
  2. In the Alpha-Beta Curves panel of the floating window, enter the microthermometric properties of the inclusion in the fields Homogenisation temperature, Bubble size, Temperature of volume measurement, CO2, N2, and H2S, and specify the type of homogenisation (liquid or gas).
  3. Click the Calculate button.

Alpha-beta plot window and controls. Calculation result and naming of the new alpha-beta curve

The calculation generally takes about 5 to 10 seconds. FIT-Oil displays a progress bar and then asks the user to name the newly calculated alpha-beta curve.

2. How to select an alpha-beta fluid

Alpha-beta fluids are points selected in alpha-beta plots. They can be stored for later use.

To select an alpha-beta fluid

  1. Select the Alpha-Beta Fluids panel of the Alpha-Beta Plots floating window.
  2. Enter the alpha and beta values in the corresponding fields.
  3. If you want the fluid to belong to a calculated alpha-beta curve, check The fluid is on a curve and specify the relevant curve.
  4. Click the New Fluid button.
  5. FIT-Oil displays a marker corresponding to the selected alpha-beta point.

Selecting an alpha-beta fluid

GOR, API degree and CH4 content

GOR, API degree, and CH4 content are automatically calculated and displayed whenever alpha or beta changes. This helps users choose appropriate alpha and beta values.

Automatic display of GOR, API degree and CH4 content

To generate a fluid model from selected alpha-beta markers

Click the Generate a fluid model button. This creates a fluid model document whose hydrocarbon composition can later be modified.

Note: it is often easier to select alpha and beta directly by clicking on the alpha-beta diagram. A right-click displays a contextual menu; select Set a marker to choose an alpha-beta point.

3. How to use alpha-beta correlations

Alpha-beta correlations provide a small database of alpha-beta parameters determined for natural petroleums. These values are calculated to reproduce the phase diagrams of these fluids as closely as possible.

They can therefore be used as a reference for selecting probable alpha-beta values for fluid inclusions.

To display an alpha-beta correlation

  1. Select the Correlations panel of the Alpha-Beta Plots floating window.
  2. Click the Display a new correlation button.
  3. Choose a correlation file. Correlation files use the suffix .abe.
  4. FIT-Oil displays the alpha-beta values in the alpha-beta plot.

Example of an alpha-beta correlation

In the example above, the correlation was calculated from typical petroleum types: black oils, volatile oils, gas condensates, wet gas, and dry gas.

The contents of an alpha-beta correlation

It is possible to examine the contents of a correlation:

  1. Select Alpha-Beta Model > Edit Correlation...
  2. A table is displayed, in which each row corresponds to a petroleum type.

Table of alpha-beta correlation values

The composition of an alpha-beta fluid

To view the theoretical molecular composition of an alpha-beta fluid used internally by FIT-Oil, click the Composition... button.

Theoretical composition window for an alpha-beta fluid

Iso-GOR and iso-API curves

API° and GOR are parameters commonly measured for reservoir petroleums. Their dependence on alpha and beta can be visualised on alpha-beta plots and used as a guide when selecting alpha-beta parameters.

To display iso-GOR curves, click the Show iso-GOR curves checkbox.

Iso-GOR curves in an alpha-beta plot

To display iso-API curves, click the Show iso-API curves checkbox.

Iso-API curves in an alpha-beta plot

4. How to calculate immiscibility loops

After selecting alpha-beta parameters, the phase diagram can be calculated.

  1. Select Phase Diagrams > New P-T diagram...
  2. A new window opens with an empty P-T phase diagram and a floating window named Phase Diagrams.

This floating window contains four panels:

These panels group the main tasks involved in constructing the phase diagram.

To calculate an isopleth

  1. Click Use Alpha-Beta Model.
  2. Select an alpha-beta fluid in the list box, or enter alpha and beta directly.
  3. Optionally specify the mole % of CO2, N2, and H2S.
  4. Click Calculate the isopleth.

Isopleth calculation controls

The immiscibility loop

The liquid-gas immiscibility loop is calculated and displayed immediately in the P-T phase diagram.

The filled circle on the isopleth represents the liquid-gas critical point. The loop separates the biphasic liquid-gas field from the monophasic field.

Liquid-gas immiscibility loop in a P-T diagram

Liquid-gas immiscibility loop in a P-T diagram

To modify axis ranges

Select Edit > Axis ranges... to specify the new horizontal and vertical axis ranges.

Axis range dialog box

It is also possible to click and drag a selection rectangle on the plot and then use the magnification button in the lower-left corner of the window.

5. Isochors

To calculate an isochor

  1. Switch to the Isochors panel of the Phase Diagrams window.
  2. Select one of the calculated isopleths in the Model list.
  3. Specify the microthermometric properties of the inclusion:
  4. its homogenisation temperature in °C,
  5. and its type of homogenisation (liquid or gas).
  6. Click the Calculate the isochor button.

Isochor calculation panel

The isochor

FIT-Oil immediately draws the corresponding isochor in the phase diagram. This line represents the pressure-temperature path followed by the inclusion and intersects the immiscibility loop at the homogenisation point.

Isochor drawn in the phase diagram

Isochor drawn in the phase diagram

The calculated isochor is also listed in the Isochors panel. It is assigned a new name combining the alpha-beta model abbreviation and the homogenisation temperature.

Isochor properties

The Isochors panel also shows additional information for the selected isochor:

To display these data:

  1. select the isochor in the inclusion list,
  2. browse through the list to compare isochor properties.

Isochor properties displayed in the interface

Thermodynamic properties

If necessary, detailed thermodynamic data can be written to an ASCII log file by clicking the Write to Log button.

In addition to other data, the log includes:

Detailed thermodynamic properties written to the log

6. How to determine trapping conditions

The calculated isochor provides an indication of the paleo-pressure and paleo-temperature conditions at which the petroleum was trapped in the fluid inclusion. The trapping point necessarily lies somewhere on this line in the monophasic field.

In some cases, coeval aqueous inclusions are also present. Their homogenisation temperature may indicate the trapping temperature of the petroleum inclusions, allowing the trapping pressure to be read directly.

To determine trapping pressure

  1. Switch to the Trapping panel of the Phase Diagrams floating window.
  2. Select the isochor in the list box, or click directly on it in the pressure-temperature plot.
  3. Enter the homogenisation temperature of the aqueous inclusion in °C.

FIT-Oil immediately draws a thin vertical pink line in the P-T diagram, and the trapping pressure in bar is displayed in the corresponding field.

This trapping line is temporary and moves automatically when the homogenisation temperature of the aqueous inclusion is modified.

Temporary trapping line in the P-T diagram

To permanently fix the trapping line in the phase diagram

  1. Click the Set a trapping line button.
  2. The trapping line is then fixed permanently and stored in the document file.

To retrieve the results

  1. Click the Write to Log button.
  2. FIT-Oil writes all calculated results to the log file, including the inclusion name, trapping pressure, compositional model used, and homogenisation temperature of aqueous inclusions.

Trapping results written to the log

Bulk densities are calculated using two methods: the Peng-Robinson equation of state and the Standing-Katz method. Both methods have limitations.

The Peng-Robinson equation of state yields only moderate estimates of liquid density, whereas the Standing-Katz correlation is not reliable above 200°C.

7. Volume-temperature diagrams

FIT-Oil can also draw the evolution of bubble filling degree (in volume %) as a function of temperature.

This curve is calculated in the biphasic liquid-gas field and makes it possible to compare calculated values with measurements performed on inclusions, for example by confocal scanning laser microscopy.

  1. Select V-T plots > New V-T plot...
  2. FIT-Oil displays a new window showing an empty Bubble Filling Degree (% volume) versus Temperature (°C) diagram.

Empty V-T plot window

FIT-Oil also displays a floating window used to construct the V-T diagram by plotting calculated volumetric curves together with inclusion data.

To add a volumetric curve calculated by FIT-Oil

  1. Switch to the V-T curves panel of the V-T plot floating window.
  2. The left list contains available calculated isochores not yet inserted into the diagram.
  3. The right list contains the isochores already plotted.
  4. Select the isochor to plot in the left list.
  5. Click Plot Isochor >>.

Selection of an isochor for plotting in a V-T diagram

FIT-Oil immediately plots the requested curve. In the example shown, the curve displays the typical convex-upward trend of an inclusion homogenising to liquid.

Example of a calculated V-T curve

8. To enter inclusion data

FIT-Oil provides an editor for entering microthermometric data for a series of petroleum inclusions.

To open an input window

  1. Select File > New...
  2. FIT-Oil displays the input window.
  3. Initially, the table contains a single row, each row corresponding to one inclusion.
  4. Enter:
  5. the homogenisation temperature Th in °C,
  6. the type of homogenisation (liquid or gas),
  7. the filling degree Fv in volume percent measured at a given temperature,
  8. the temperature at which the volume measurement was made,
  9. the mole percentages of CO2, N2, and H2S.

Input window for inclusion data

To add data for another inclusion

  1. Select Edit > Add a row... or use the shortcut Ctrl-K.
  2. A new empty row is added, in which the microthermometric and volumetric data can be entered.

Adding a new inclusion row

To open an editor for volumetric data

  1. Click the Volume button at the end of the row.

FIT-Oil displays a new form window in which volumetric data can be entered.

The inclusion name appears in the window title. A first row is shown with two fields: T (°C) and % Gas, corresponding to the first V-T point.

Volumetric data editor

To add volumetric data

  1. Use Ctrl-K or select Edit > Add a row... to append another row.
  2. Enter the bubble filling degree and the corresponding measurement temperature.
  3. Repeat the procedure for each volume-temperature measurement.

Additional volumetric data rows

9. To plot volumetric data

  1. Switch to the V-T data... panel of the V-T Plots floating window.
  2. The first list contains available inclusion data not yet plotted.
  3. The second list contains the inclusion data already added to the current V-T plot.
  4. Select the inclusion to plot in the first list.
  5. Click Plot Data >>.

Plotting inclusion V-T data

Inclusion V-T data displayed as solid squares

10. To define fluid models

In FIT-Oil, fluid models are user-defined compositional models, similar in spirit to those used in PVTSim. They are linked to thermodynamic models that allow the calculation of petroleum properties.

To open a fluid model data file

  1. Select Load Fluid Model... from the Fluid Model menu.
  2. A window opens. The left pane lists fluid models, while the right pane lists the components defined for the selected model.
  3. Other controls allow the user to adjust compositional parameters or select another thermodynamic model.

Fluid model editor window

To create a new fluid model data file

  1. Select New Fluid Model... from the Fluid Model menu.
  2. By default, only one fluid is defined, containing methane as a single component.

To add a fluid model

  1. Click the Add button.
  2. A new fluid model is created, initially containing only methane.

To delete a fluid model

  1. Select the fluid model in the left list.
  2. Click the Delete button.

To duplicate a fluid model

  1. Select the fluid model in the left list.
  2. Click the Duplicate button.

To select a compositional model

Each fluid model is defined by a compositional model, which determines the list of components and mole fractions. Several options are available:

  1. User defined: components and mole percentages are defined manually.
  2. Alpha-Beta model: uses the alpha-beta model implemented in FIT-Oil. Alpha and beta values can be entered directly or adjusted with stepper buttons.
  3. Alpha-Beta model (extended): an extended version using pseudo-components up to C40+.
  4. Gamma model: based on the model of Behrenbruch and Dedigama (2007) for crude oils. It uses three parameters: alpha, beta, and delta.

To visualize the composition spectrum

Use the plot displayed in the lower part of the window. By right-clicking in the plot area, several options become available:

To modify a fluid model

In the editor window, all data can be modified. The meaning of the columns is as follows:

The first two columns give the component name (for example C1 for methane) or the fraction cut (for example C7+).

SG, MW, Tc, Pc, Tb, and omega can be adjusted for heavy fractions such as C7+ in order to improve the thermodynamic representation of selected properties, such as saturation pressure.

To change a component

A component can be changed in three ways:

After any component change, FIT-Oil automatically updates the corresponding SG, MW, Tc, Pc, and omega values. These values can then be edited manually if necessary.

To add a new component

Note: this option is available only for user-defined compositional models.

To remove a component

  1. Select the component in the table.
  2. Select Delete row... from the Edit menu.
  3. FIT-Oil displays a confirmation dialog.
  4. Click OK to confirm.

11. To use a fluid model

To calculate properties under STP conditions

STP properties of a fluid model

Additional STP properties window

To calculate bulk properties

Content not provided in the source.

To perform flash calculations

Content not provided in the source.

12. To generate a fluid model from an alpha-beta model

  1. Open the Alpha-Beta Plots floating window.
  2. Select the Fluids panel.
  3. Enter the alpha and beta parameters for your petroleum. You can use the spin boxes to adjust alpha and beta until the desired GOR and API° are reached.

Selection of alpha and beta parameters

  1. Once the alpha and beta values have been chosen, click Generate Fluid Model...
  2. A new window opens, listing the pseudo-components, their mole percentages, and associated parameters.

Fluid model generated from an alpha-beta model

The FIT-Oil user workspace

The FIT-Oil user workspace on Mac OS X

The FIT-Oil workspace is made up of several elements.

The menu bar

The menu bar includes six main menus:

The menu bar

Data input windows

FIT-Oil provides several input windows for displaying and editing microthermometric data, alpha-beta correlations, and fluid models.

Diagrams

FIT-Oil mainly uses graphical representations to display calculation results. Plots are drawn for alpha-beta curves, phase diagrams, and bubble filling degree variations.

These graphical windows are more than simple plot viewers. Any displayed object (curve, point, axis, legend, etc.) can be selected with a mouse click. FIT-Oil then displays information about the selected object in floating windows.

Floating windows

FIT-Oil provides floating windows for displaying information and controls. Many tasks can be performed from these windows, especially those related to plots.

Three floating windows are used:

Contextual menus

Every graphical element in the diagrams can also be modified through contextual menus, accessible by right-clicking.

Menus

The following sections present the FIT-Oil menus in greater detail.

The Edit menu

The Edit menu

The Edit menu contains general commands commonly found in many applications, such as Cut, Copy, and Paste.

Two additional menu items are also available:

Other menu items include:

The Alpha-Beta Model menu

The Alpha-Beta Model menu

The Alpha-Beta Model menu provides access to commands for creating and modifying alpha-beta diagrams.

It includes:

The Fluid Model menu

The Fluid Model menu

The Fluid Model menu provides access to commands for creating and editing fluid models.

It includes:

The Phase Diagrams menu

The Phase Diagrams menu

The Phase Diagrams menu provides access to commands for creating, calculating, and drawing phase diagrams in pressure-temperature space.

It includes:

The V-T Plots menu

The V-T Plots menu

The V-T Plots menu provides access to commands for creating and modifying V-T plots, that is, bubble filling degree as a function of temperature.

It includes:

Contextual menus

Contextual menu example

Every graphical object in a plot (curves, points, axes, etc.) has its own contextual menu, giving access to a set of related commands.

These contextual menus can be accessed by right-clicking the object to be modified.

For example, right-clicking on the background of a phase diagram displays the contextual menu associated with phase diagrams. This menu gives access, for example, to commands for calculating a new isopleth or modifying axis ranges.

Contextual menus: isopleths

Contextual menu for isopleths

By right-clicking on an isopleth, the following actions become available:

Contextual menus: isochores

Contextual menu for isochores

By right-clicking on an isochor, another contextual menu is displayed, allowing the user:

Publications

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FIT-Oil is academic freeware and may be used and distributed free of charge.