Patent ID: 6108608
Filing Date: 2000-08-22
Classification: E21B,G01F

Abstract:
A method for estimating one or more properties of a multi-component fluid contained in one or more volumetric zones, comprising the steps of:(a) characterizing the multi-component fluid using a set of base components;(b) defining a set of fluid compositions corresponding to fluid compositions predicted to occur in one or more volumetric zones;(c) developing a fluid characterization of the multi-component fluid using one or more pseudocomponents by a sequence of steps comprising:(i) defining an ordered set of vectors corresponding to a characteristic of said base components, each vector containing one entry for each base component, the first vector of the ordered set being most representative of the set of compositions according to a predetermined criterion and each vector thereafter in the ordered set being less representative of the set of compositions than the vector before it;(ii) selecting a subset of said ordered set of vectors, said subset comprising the first vector and a predetermined number of vectors immediately thereafter;(iii) defining a set of pseudocomponents based on said subset of vectors; and(d) using the fluid characterization to predict one or more properties of said multi-component fluid.