Rapidly Estimating Natural Gas Compressibility Factor

Natural gases containing sour components exhibit different gas compressibility factor (Z) behavior than do sweet gases. Therefore, a new accurate method should be developed to account for these differences. Several methods are available today for calculating the Z-factor from an equation of state. However, these equations are more complex than the foregoing correlations, involving a large number of parameters, which require more complicated and longer computations. The aim of this study is to develop a simplified calculation method for a rapid estimating Z-factor for sour natural gases containing as much as 90% total acid gas. In this article, two new correlations are first presented for calculating the pseudo-critical pressure and temperature of the gas mixture as a function of the gas specific gravity. Then, a simple correlation on the basis of the standard gas compressibility factor chart is introduced for a quick estimation of sweet gases' compressibility factor as a function of reduced pressure and temperature. Finally, a new corrective term related to the mole fractions of carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide is developed.