1. n. []

The pressure and temperature conditions at which the first bubble of gas comes out of solution in oil. At discovery, all petroleum reservoir oils contain some natural gas in solution. Often the oil is saturated with gas when discovered, meaning that the oil is holding all the gas it can at the reservoir temperature and pressure, and that it is at its bubblepoint. Occasionally, the oil will be undersaturated. In this case, as the pressure is lowered, the pressure at which the first gas begins to evolve from the oil is defined as the bubblepoint.

See related terms: reservoir pressure