Joule-Thomson expansion of high-pressure-high-temperature gas condensates

This paper presents calculations of Joule-Thomson inversion effects in high-pressure-high-temperature gas condensates. Isenthalpic expansions were modelled for several gas condensate mixtures reported in literature using the Soave-Redlich-Kwong and the Peng-Robinson equations of state. The calculations confirmed qualitatively the heating of gas condensates at expansion. Although reservoir temperatures are in the region where cooling occurs, i.e., inside the inversion curve, it was shown that reservoir pressures lie outside this region, and that the temperature will increase until the inversion curve is reached. The calculated temperature increases are not very large. Although exact values depend on fluid composition, reservoir conditions, and pressure drop, typical calculated temperature increases are in the range of 10-30 degrees C for reservoir pressures of 1000 bar. A sensitivity study showed that both reservoir pressure and fluid composition greatly affect the temperature increase. With increasing pressures and increasing amounts of heavy constituents present in gas condensate mixtures, the maximum possible temperature effect will also increase. Unfortunately, due to lack of experimental information, the calculated results could not be verified on their reliability. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.