Windows of Eagle Ford:Oil, Natural Gas, &

Condensate

Paolo SolorzanoME 4373

Eagle Ford Shale What: A hydrocarbon

producing formation of shale.

Where: South Texas Shale: Fine grained

sedimentary rock.

Products of Eagle Ford 3 Products: Oil, Natural Gas, & Condensate

Source: Texas Rail Road Commission 2015

Crude Oil

Naturally occurring, FINITE resource. Liquid that is yellow-black in color &

made up of hydrocarbons. Formed when large quantities of dead

organisms are buried under sedimentary rock and put under high heat & pressure.

Crude Oil Classification: Location, API Gravity, &

sulfur content. Location: Affects transportation costs to

refinery. API Gravity: Measure of density. Light

crude oil will yield more gasoline than heavy crude oil. (Higher API Gravity=Less Dense Liquid)

Sulfur Content: Sour vs Sweet Oil. Sweet oil is more costly b/c its less harmful to the environment.

Natural Gas

Fossil fuel formed when plants & animals have been exposed to high heat & pressure for thousands of yrs.

Clean burning and regarded as very safe.

Primarily methane, ethane, propane, and butane. (Typically)

Condensate 1 of over 100+

grades of crude oil Generally, oil that

condenses from a vapor when extracted from high-pressure environments.

“Ultra-light Oil” found in shale regions. (TX&PA)

Source: Wikipedia “Natural Gas-Condensate”, 2015

Condensate No consensus on the definition of

condensate. Classified by its API Gravity. Condensate is classified by an API

Gravity of 45+

Application to Separation Processes

http://www.kindermorgan.com/projects/condensate

Question 1 What does API Gravity measure & what’s its

relationship w/ density?

1. Color of product. Higher API Gravity = Darker Color

2. Density. Higher API Gravity = Less dense liquid3. Density. Higher API Gravity = More dense liquid4. Sulfur Content. Low API Gravity = Less sulfur

content

Question 2

Why would condensate be desirable?1. It has a low density (High API Gravity),

thus it yields more gasoline.2. It is more dense (Low API Gravity),

thus it yields less gasoline.3. It is an edible product.4. It does not require processing.

Question 3 Rank the components of

typical natural gas in order from greatest to least in %.

1. Methane, Oxygen, Ethane

2. Methane, Propane, Carbon Dioxide

3. Propane, Rare Gases, Methane

4. Nitrogen, Oxygen, Ethane