SECTION 11

NITROGEN AND CARBON DIOXIDE

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF NITROGEN....................................................... 1

PIPELINE DISPLACEMENT WITH NITROGEN ............................................... 1
NITROGEN VOLUME FACTORS ..................................................................... 2
PRESSURE RATIOS FOR NITROGEN COLUMN............................................ 3
CARBON DIOXIDE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES ................................................ 4
CARBON DIOXIDE RATE VS. TREATING RATE ............................................ 5

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF NITROGEN

Chemical Symbol
Molecular Weight
Normal Boiling Point
Critical Temperature
Critical Pressure

N2
28.016
320.45o F
232.87o F
492.3 psig

CONVERSION FACTORS
1 pound (liquid)
1 pound (liquid)
1 gallon

0.1483 gallon
13.81 SCF
93.1 SCF

PIPELINE PRESSURE TESTING or PURGING with N2 GAS

Nitrogen gas, being both non-corrosive and non-explosive is an excellent media for
pipeline and pressure vessel testing aeration. It is also widely used for purging of flow
lines and gas plant components to an inert gas for safety or for corrosion- protected, long
term inoperative conditions.
To determine the N2 volume for pipeline testing, it is necessary to know 3 parameters:
1. Pressure required (psi)
2. Temperature (oF)
3. Volume of System (bbls)
Volume = (0.0009714 X d2) X Length
Where d is the inside diameter of the pipeline in (inches).
For the given pressure and temperature, enter the volume multiplier table for the
corresponding value.
Total N2 Volume = VM X Volume of System (bbls)
Where VM is volume multiplier value.

11-1

GAS VOLUME MULTIPLIERS - CONSTANT TEMPERATURE and PRESSURE

SCF of N2 PER BBL of SPACE
PRESSURE

PSIA
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
1100
1200
1300
1400
1500
1600
1700
1800
1900
2000
2100
2200
2300
2400
2500
2600
2700
2800
2900
3000
3100
3200
3300
3400
3500
3600
3700
3800
3900
4000

40o
41
82
123
164
204
244
284
324
364
404
443
482
541
460
599
638
677
716
755
794
823
870
907
944
980
1015
1049
1082
1114
1145
1176
1207
1238
1268
1298
1327
1356
1384
1412
1439

60o
38
77
116
155
194
233
272
311
347
387
425
463
501
539
576
613
650
687
723
759
795
831
866
900
933
965
997
1029
1060
1091
1122
1152
1182
1211
1240
1268
1296
1323
1350
1376

80o
37
74
111
148
185
222
259
296
333
369
406
442
479
514
550
586
621
656
690
725
759
792
825
858
890
922
954
985
1015
1046
1075
1104
1133
1161
1188
1215
1242
1268
1293
1318

100o
36
71
107
142
178
214
249
284
319
355
389
424
459
493
527
561
595
628
661
694
726
758
790
821
852
883
913
943
972
1001
1030
1058
1085
1112
1139
1165
1191
1216
1241
1266

TEMPERATURE
120o 140o 160o
34
33
32
69
66
64
103
99
96
137
132
128
171
165
160
206
198
194
240
231
223
273
264
254
307
296
286
341
328
317
374
360
348
408
392
378
441
424
409
474
456
439
506
487
469
539
518
499
571
549
529
603
580
558
634
610
588
666
640
617
697
670
645
727
699
674
758
729
702
788
757
730
818
786
757
847
814
784
876
842
811
905
870
838
933
897
864
961
924
890
988
950
916
1015
977
941
1042 1002
966
1068 1028
991
1094 1053 1015
1119 1077 1039
1144 1102 1062
1169 1125 1085
1193 1149 1108
1218 1173 1132

11-2

180o
31
62
93
124
155
185
216
246
276
306
336
366
395
424
453
482
511
539
567
595
623
650
677
704
731
757
783
809
834
859
884
908
932
956
980
1003
1026
1048
1071
1094

200o
30
60
90
120
150
179
209
238
267
296
325
354
382
410
438
466
494
521
548
575
602
628
654
680
706
731
757
781
806
830
854
878
901
925
947
970
992
1014
1036
1059

220o
30
59
88
117
146
174
203
228
259
287
318
344
371
398
425
452
479
503
529
558
583
610
632
658
684
705
735
762
780
804
827
853
874
898
920
942
962
985
1006
1030

240o
29
56
85
113
141
169
197
220
251
278
309
334
360
386
412
439
464
487
511
541
564
591
610
636
661
681
713
742
755
779
800
828
867
870
893
914
932
958
976
1000

PRESSURE RATIOS FOR N2 COLUMN AT VARIOUS WELL DEPTHS

Depth
Depth
Depth
Depth
Feet
PR
Feet
PR
Feet
PR
Feet
1000
1.038
1100
1.040
3600
1.140
6100
1.234
8600
1200
1.046
3700
1.143
6200
1.237
8700
1300
1.049
3800
1.147
6300
1.241
8800
1400
1.053
3900
1.150
6400
1.244
8900
1500
1.057
4000
1.154
6500
1.247
9000
1600
1.061
4100
1.158
6600
1.250
9100
1700
1.065
4200
1.162
6700
1.253
9200
1800
1.069
4300
1.166
6800
1.257
9300
1900
1.073
4400
1.170
6900
1.260
9400
2000
1.077
4500
1.174
7000
1.263
9500
2100
1.081
4600
1.178
7100
1.266
9600
2200
1.085
4700
1.182
7200
1.269
9700
2300
1.089
4800
1.185
7300
1.273
9800
2400
1.093
4900
1.189
7400
1.276
9900
2500
1.097
5000
1.193
7500
1.279
10000
2600
1.101
5100
1.197
7600
1.282
10100
2700
1.105
5200
1.201
7700
1.285
10200
2800
1.109
5300
1.204
7800
1.288
10300
2900
1.113
5400
1.208
7900
1.291
10400
3000
1.117
5500
1.212
8000
1.294
10500
3100
1.121
5600
1.216
8100
1.297
10600
3200
1.125
5700
1.220
8200
1.300
10700
3300
1.128
5800
1.223
8300
1.304
10800
3400
1.132
5900
1.227
8400
1.207
10900
3500
1.136
6000
1.231
8500
1.310
11000
To calculate bottom hole pressure for a column of gaseous
nitrogen, multiply well head pressure by the Pressure Ratio
(PR) for the given well depth.

11-3

PR
1.313
1.316
1.320
1.323
1.326
1.329
1.332
1.334
1.337
1.340
1.341
1.346
1.348
1.351
1.354
1.357
1.360
1.363
1.366
1.369
1.372
1.375
1.378
1.381
1.384

Depth
Feet

PR

11100
11200
11300
11400
11500
11600
11700
11800
11900
12000
12100
12200
12300
12400
12500
12600
12700
12800
12900
13000
13100
13200
13300
13400
13500
14000
14500
15000

1.387
1.389
1.392
1.394
1.397
1.399
1.402
1.404
1.407
1.409
1.412
1.414
1.417
1.419
1.422
1.425
1.428
1.430
1.433
1.436
1.439
1.442
1.444
1.447
1.450
1.464
1.477
1.489

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF CARBON DIOXIDE

Chemical Symbol
Molecular Weight
Triple Point
Critical Temperature
Critical Pressure
Column @ 20o F

CO2
44
6.9o F & 60.43 psig
87.8o F
1070.16 psig
0.4396 psi/ft

CONVERSION FACTORS FOR CO2 @ 0o F & 305 psi

Liquid Measurements
1 ton
1 ton
1 gallon
1 cubic foot
1 barrel

235 gallons (5.61 bbls)

5.60 bbls
8.51 lbs
62.3 lbs
357 lbs

Gas Measurements
1 ton (liquid)
1 pound (liquid)
1 gallon (liquid)
1 barrel (liquid)
1 cubic foot (liquid)

17200 SCF
8.61 SCF
73 SCF
3060 SCF
547 SCF

11-4

CARBON DIOXIDE RATE VS. TREATING RATE

1
2
T
o 3
t
a 4
l
5
p
u 10
m
p 15
r 20
a
t 25
e
30
B
P 35
M
40
50

100
1.4
.033
2.8
.066
4.2
.1
5.6
.133
7
.166
14
.333
21
.5
28
.666
35
.833
42
1
49
1.16
56
1.33
70
1.66

200
2.8
.066
5.6
.133
8.4
.3
11.2
.266
14
.333
28
.666
42
1
56
1.33
70
1.66
84
2
98
2.33
112
2.66
140
3.33

300
4.2
.1
8.4
.2
12.6
.3
16.8
.4
21
.5
42
1
63
1.5
84
2
105
2.5
126
3
147
3.5
168
4
210
5

SCF per Barrel

400
500
600
700
5.6
7.0
8.4
9.8
.133 .166
.2 .233
11.2
14 16.8 19.4
.266 .333
.4 .466
16.8
21 25.2
29
.4 .364
.6 .690
22.4
28 33.6 39.2
.533 .666
.8 .933
28
35
42
49
.666 .833
1 1.16
56
70
84
98
1.33 1.662
2 2.33
84
105
126
147
2
2.5
3
3.5
112
140
168
196
2.66 3.33
4 4.66
140
175
210
245
3.33 4.16
5 5.83
168
210
252
294
4
5
6
7
196
245
294
343
4.66 5.83
7 8.16
224
280
336
392
5.33 6.66
8 9.33
280
350
420
490
6.66 8.33
10 11.6

11-5

800
11.2
.266
22.2
.528
33.2
.790
44.8
1.07
56
1.33
112
2.66
168
4
224
5.33
280
6.66
336
8
392
9.33
448
10.6
560
13.3

900 1000
12.6
14
.3 .333
25 27.8
.595 .661
37.4 41.6
.890 .990
50.4
56
1.2 1.33
63
70
1.5 1.66
126
140
3 3.33
189
210
4.5
5
252
280
6 6.66
315
350
7.5 8.33
378
420
9
10
441
490
10.5 11.6
504
560
12 13.3
630
700
15 16.6

CO2
rate
gpm
bpm
gpm
bpm
gpm
bpm
gpm
bpm
gpm
bpm
gpm
bpm
gpm
bpm
gpm
bpm
gpm
bpm
gpm
bpm
gpm
bpm
gpm
bpm
gpm
bpm