PROPERTIES OF OILFIELD BRINES - Petroleum Reservoir Fluid Property Correlations - page 171

Brine Viscosity

Although several studies of viscosity of sodium chloride brines have
been published, few of these have reported viscosities at typical oilfield
temperatures, pressures, and salinities. On the other hand, the properties
of pure water have been extensively investigated. The International
Association for the Properties of Water and Steam adopted a correlation
for viscosity of pure water (IAPWS-08) valid for both liquid and vapor
phases at temperatures from 32ºF to 1,652ºF (0ºC to 900ºC) and
pressures up to 43,500 psia (300 MPa). 27

Brine viscosity database

Table 4-12. Brine viscosity database

Viscosity range
(cp)
Kestin et al. (1977) a 249 18-40.7 0.1-31.5 2.6-5.6 0.92-1.65
Kestin et al. (1978) 726 18-154 0.1-31.5 0.48-5.4 0.20-1.55
Kestin-Shankland (1984) 388 24-201.5 0.1-32.1 1.1-6.0 0.16-1.48
Combined 1,363 18-201 0.1-32.1 0.48-6.0 0.16-1.65
Note: n = number of points in database. a Kestin, J., Khalifa, H.E., Ro, S.-T., and Wakehame, W.A. “Preliminary Data on the Pressure Effect
on the Viscosity of Sodium Chloride-Water Solutions in the Range 10-40ºC.” Journal of Chemical and Engineering Data . Vol. 22, No. 2 (1977).

n Temperature range

(ºC)

Pressure range
(MPa)

NaCl salinity range
(g-mol/kg H 2 O) Reference

Table 4-12 shows the database of brine viscosity data used to
evaluate correlation equations for brine viscosity. While this database
contains only three data sets, these three data sets represent most of
the measurements of viscosity of sodium chloride brines that have been
reported in the literature. Mao and Duan compiled a database of the
brine viscosity measurements reported in the literature. 28 Their database
includes 22 papers with a total of 2,261 data points, of which 1,363 data
points were used in the present evaluation.
Three papers included in the Mao and Duan database cover ranges
of temperature and pressure of interest in the petroleum industry,
beyond those covered by the Kestin et al. and Kestin-Shankland papers.
Semenyuk et al. measured brine viscosity for temperatures from 212ºF
to 673ºF (100ºC to 356ºC) and pressures from 1,450 to 21,750 psia (1
to 150 MPa). 2 9 Pepinov et al. reported brine viscosities at pressures from
290 to 4,350 psia (2 to 30 MPa) and temperatures between 68ºF and
662ºF (20ºC and 350ºC). 30 Pepinov et al. reported relative viscosities