Prediction of Interfacial Tensions of Reservoir Crude Oil and Gas Condensate Systems

In this work, the linear gradient theory (LGT) model, the simplified linear gradient theory (SLGT) model, the corresponding-states (CS) correlation, and the parachor method developed by the authors(1-4) were extended to calculate interfacial tensions (IFT's) of crude oil and gas condensate systems. Correlations of the model parameters were presented for pseudocomponents. The characterization procedures of Pedersen et al.(5) and the SRK equation of state (EOS)(6) were used to calculate vapor-liquid equilibria (VLE). To the exclusion of the near-critical region, the IFT's calculated by all the models except the CS correlation were in good agreement with the measured IFT data for several crude oil and CO2/oil systems. The SLGT model and the parachor model perform better than the LGT model and the CS correlation. For N-2 volatile oil systems, the performance of the LGT model is better than that of the SLGT model and the parachor model. For gas condensate systems, the predictions by use of the SLGT model are in good agreement with the measured IFT data. In the near-critical region, a correlation was proposed for estimations of IFT's for CO2/oil systems, and satisfactory correlated results were obtained.