Outflow Performance

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 WELLBORE FLOW PERFORMANCE (OUTFLOW)

Psep
ΔP flowline Pwf
GAS

Pwh Flowline
OIL
+WATER

Q
Separator

Tubing
g

ΔPtubing
ΔPtbg = f(Q)
Reservoir
OUTFLOW
Pwf
Pr, IPR,
IPR K

NODE (Pwf)
© NExT all rights reserved ΔPres Q 2
 Types of Outflow Systems

flowing or lifted
• gas-lifted
• pumped
p p
– beam pump
– ESP
– PCP
– Jet Pump
– Hydraulic Pump

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 Vertical Multiphase Flow
Instructional Objectives

• 1. List the 3 components of pressure loss

for multiphase flow in vertical pipe.
• 2. Define liquid holdup.
• 3.
3 Define
D fi Fl Flow R
Regime
i

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 SINGLE PHASE FLOW
BASIC CONCEPTS
FLUID VELOCITY

Is the flow rate (q) divided by the pipe cross sectional area (A)
through which the fluid flows at the pressure and temperature
conditions of the pipe element

v
q A
P,T

v=q/A

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 FUNDAMENTALS OF FLUID FLOW IN PIPES

FLOW GEOMETRY
Z

δP/δZ

GENERAL ENERGY EQUATION

ΔP ΔP ΔP ΔP
( )T=( ) acceleration + ( ) elevation + ( ) friction
ΔL ΔL ΔL ΔL

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 FUNDAMENTALS OF FLUID FLOW IN PIPES

ΔP ρ
( )elevation =
ΔL 144

ΔP ρ v 2

( )friction = f / 144
ΔL 2gd

ΔP ρ Δ( v 2)
( )acc = / 144
ΔL 2g ΔL

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 FRICTION LOSSES CALCULATION
((single
g phase
p flow))

ΔP ρv2
( )f = f / 144
ΔL 2gd
where
e e f,, is
s tthe
e friction
ct o factor
acto which
c is
s a function
u ct o oof tthe
e p
pipe
pe roughness
oug ess (ε)
and theReynolds Number (NRe), which is calculated from the following
equation:

dvρ
NRe =
µ
µ is the viscosity in lbm/ft-sec
1cps= 0.00067197 lbm/ft-sec

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 Friction Factor Calculation (single phase flow)

Depends
p on the flow regime:
g

64
For laminar flow NRe < 2000 f=
NRe

ε 2.51
For turbulent flow NRe > 4000. √1/ f = - 2 log ( + )
3.71d NRe√ f

The latest equation requires a trial and error process to calculate f

An intial value to start the iterative process can be obtained from the following equation:

f = 0.0056 + 0.5 NRe - 0.32

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 Moody Diagram for Friction Factor Calculation

104 105

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 EXERCISE
SINGLE PHASE FLOW

Calculate the friction pressure drop in a section of horizontal pipeline of

3000 ft length
g and 3.937 inches internal diameter,, where 5000 STB/D of 0.9 sp.
p g
gr.
oil with a viscosity of 5 cps oil are flowing. The absolute pipe wall roughness
is 0.006 ft.

q A
v
g= 32.2 ft/sec2
1cps= 0.00067197 lbm/ft-sec
1 Bbl=5
Bbl=5,615
615 Ft3
1 day=86400 sec
v=q/A
ρo = sp.gr.oil x 62.4 lbm/ft3
dvρ
NRe =
ΔP ρv2
µ / 144
f from Moody ( )f = f
ΔL 2gd
ε/d

sol

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 MULTIPHASE FLOW

PRESSURE GRADIENT EQUATION FOR TWO-PHASE FLOW:

ΔP ΔP ΔP
ΔP
( )T=( ) acceleration + ( ) elevation + ( ) friction
ΔL ΔL ΔL ΔL

ΔP ρm
( )elevation =
ΔL 144

ΔP ρm v m 2
( )friction = f /144
ΔL 2gd

ΔP ρm Δ( vm 2)
( )acc = /144
ΔL 2g ΔL

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 GRAVITY
TERM
ΔP ρm
( )elevation =
ΔL 144

•Correcting weight of fluid

•Dominant term
g phase
•Single p simple
p
•Multiphase complex

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 FRICTION
TERM
ΔP ρm v m 2
( )friction = f / 144
ΔL 2gd

•Increases with rate

•Proportional to velocity
p
•Proportional to relative roughness
g
•Laminar vs turbulent flow
y
•Effect of viscosity
•Effect of mixture density
Sensitive to gas volumes
•Sensitive

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 ACCELERATION
TERM

ΔP ρm Δ( vm 2)
( )acc = / 144
ΔL 2g ΔL

p
•Expansion of fluid as pressure
p decreases
•Smallest term
Often ignored
•Often
•Need to account in high rate

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 Proportion of terms in oil well close to
sandface (no significant GLR)

GRAVITY
FRICTION
ACCELERATION

Proportion of terms in oil well significant

GLR close to surface

GRAVITY
FRICTION
ACCELERATION

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 BASIC CONCEPTS

Mixture Velocity, V (Two-phase flow)

qg v
A
qL

Pipe element with liquid and gas travelling at the same velocity, V

v = (qL+qg) / A

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 No-Slip Liquid Holdup (Input Liquid Content), λ

Ag
L

qg v
Ap
qL
P,T
AL
RATIO OF THE VOLUME OF LIQUID IN A PIPE ELEMENT THAT WOULD EXIST
IF THE GAS AND THE LIQUID TRAVELED AT THE SAME VELOCITY (NO SLIPPAGE)
DIVIDED BY THE VOLUME OF THE PIPE ELEMENT.

λ = AL /AP = qL / (qL + qg)

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 No-Slip Liquid Holdup (Input Liquid Content), λ

Ag
L

qg v
Ap
qL
P,T
AL
RATIO OF THE VOLUME OF LIQUID IN A PIPE ELEMENT THAT WOULD EXIST
IF THE GAS AND THE LIQUID TRAVELED AT THE SAME VELOCITY (NO SLIPPAGE)
DIVIDED BY THE VOLUME OF THE PIPE ELEMENT.

λ = AL /AP = qL / (qL + qg)

However, the gas velocity is higher than the liquid velocity and as a consequence the volume
of liquid in the pipe element increases.

This phenomenon is known as “slippage between phases” , and the volumen fraction occuppied
by the liquid in the pipe element under this conditions is known as“Hold-Up Factor” (HL), and is
dependent on flow pattern, gas and liquid properties, pipe diameter and pipe inclination.
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 Superficial Gas Velocity, VSG

Ag
L

qg v
Ap
qL
AL
Pipe element with liquid and gas travelling at the same velocity, V

vSG = qg / Ap
Is
s tthe
e velocity
e oc ty that
t at the
t e gas phase
p ase would
ou d exhibit
e b t if itt flowed
o ed tthrough
oug the
t e total
tota cross
c oss
sectional area of the pipe alone.

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 Superficial Liquid Velocity, VSL

Ag
L

qg v
Ap
qL
AL
Pipe element with liquid and gas travelling at the same velocity, V

vSL = qL / Ap
Is
s tthe
e velocity
e oc ty that
t at the
t e liquid
qu d phase
p ase would
ou d exhibit
e b t if itt flowed
o ed through
t oug the
t e total
tota cross
c oss
sectional area of the pipe alone.

Vm= Vsl + Vsg

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 FLOW REGIMES

Based on observations different flow

patterns may exist due to

– Input Liquid Content

– G and
Gas d Liquid
Li id Velocities
V l iti
– Viscosities
– Interfacial tension
– Densities

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 Vertical Flow Patterns

BUBBLE SLUG CHURN ANNULAR

23 FLOW FLOW FLOW FLOW
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 2-Phase –Gas-Liq. Flow Regimes

– Flow regime or Flow Pattern : is a qualitative

description of the phase distribution in a pipe.
– 4 regimes are generally agreed upon:

1. BUBBLE FLOW: dispersed bubbles of gas in a

continuous
ti liquid
li id phase
h

2 SLUG FLOW: at higher rates

2. rates, the bubbles coalesce
into larger bubbles, which eventually fill up the entire
pipe section. Between the large gas bubbles are
slugs
l off liquid
li id th
thatt contain
t i smaller
ll b
bubbles
bbl off gas
24 entrained in the liquid.
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 2-Phase –Gas-Liq. Flow Regimes

3. CHURN FLOW: with further increase in g gas rate,, the

larger gas bubbles become unstable and collapse,
resulting in a highly turbulent pattern. Both phases
are dispersed.
dispersed Churn flow is characterized by
oscillatory up-and-down motions of liquid.

4. ANNULAR FLOW: at higher rates, gas becomes the

continuous phase, with liquid flowing in an annulus
coating the surface of the pipe and with liquid
droplets entrained in the gas phase.

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 Generic two-phase vertical flow map

26

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 Two-Phase Vertical Flow
Analysis and Calculations are Complex
1
Flow regime (gas distribution)
Mist Flow 2 Proportion gas vs liquid changes

Annular 3 Gas tends to rise faster than liquid

ure

(slippage)
Fl
Flow
g Pressu

Factors affecting ΔPvert.

1 Mass flow rate:
Churn
C u Flow
o Oil Rate
ecreasing

Gas Rate (GLR)

Water Rate (CUT)
Plug OR 2 Physical properties PVT
Viscosity
Slug Flow S f
Surface tension
t i
De

3 Conduit Configuration Size

Bubble Flow Roughness
Concentric?
Single Phase 4 Pressure
27 Liquid Flow
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 Horizontal Flow Patterns
Annular
Di
Dispersed
d

Stratified
Wavy

Slug (Intermitent)

Dispersed
Bubble
28
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 Gas-liquid mixture properties

Density of an oil/water mixture

ρL = ρofo + ρwfw where fo = qo / (qo + qw ) y fw = 1 - fo

Density of a gas/liquid mixture

ρm = ρLHL + ρg(1-H
(1 HL)
Viscosity of an oil/water mixture

µL = µofo + µwfw
Viscosity of a gas/liquid mixture

µm = µLHLx µg (1-HL)
Surface tension of an oil/water mixture

σL = σofo + σwfw
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 Generic two-phase horizontal flow map

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 CORRELATIONS

• Babson (1934)
• Gilbert (1939 / 1952)
• Poettmann & Carpenter (1952)
• Duns & Ros
• Hagedorn & Brown
• Orkiszewski
• Aziz, Govier and Fogarasi
• Chi i i ett all
Chierici
• Fancher & Brown
• Beggs &Brill
• D kl Fl
Duckler Flannigan
i
• Gray
• H.MONA, Asheim
• Hasan and Kabir

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 PRESSURE TRAVERSE

PRESSURE, psi
Pwh

DEPTH,, ft

Pwf

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 PROCEDURE FOR PRESSURE TRAVERSE CALCULATION
((incrementing
g pressure
p drop)
p)
1. Starting with the known pressure value, P1, at location L1, select a length
increment ΔL.
2. Estimate a pressure drop, ΔP, corresponding to the length increment, ΔL. P2
3. Calculate the average pressure and temperature in the selected pipe
element.
L2
4. Calculate the the fluids PVT properties at the average conditions of P and T.
5. Calculate fluids densities and flow rates at the average conditions.
6. Calculate the input liquid content, λ and the superficial velocities vsl and
vsg.
7. Determine the flow regime pattern.
8. Calculate the hold-up factor, HL, corresponding to the stablished flow
regime pattern. ΔL ΔP
9.
9 C l l t the
Calculate th mixture
i t properties
ti for
f the
th calculated
l l t d hold-up
h ld f t
factor.
10. Calculate the two-phase friction factor.
11. Calculate the total pressure gradient in the increment of pipe at the average
conditions of P and T.
12. Calculate the ppressure dropp corresponding
p g to the selected length
g increment.
13. Compare the estimated and calculated pressure drop. If they are not
sufficiently close, estimate a new pressure drop an repeat the procedure

14.
from steps 3 through 13.
Repeat steps 3 through 13 until the estimated and calculated values are
L1
15.
sufficiently close.
close
Calculate a new position L2 = L1 + ΔL and the corresponding pressure P2 =
P1
P1 + ΔP.
16. Repeat steps 1 through 15 until the total pipe length is completely covered.
© NExT all rights reserved 33
 PRODUCTION SYSTEM ANALYSIS

ΔP flowline

Flowline
Pwh

Psep

Tank Inflow to node:

Pr – ΔPres – ΔPcomp = Pwf (1)

Outflow from node:

ΔPtubing P
Psep + ΔPflowline+
ΔPfl li ΔPt
ΔPtubing
bi = Pwf
P f (2)
Tubing

INFLOW OUTFLOW

Pwf Pr Pwf

NODE
ΔPcomp ΔPres Q
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 EXAMPLE OF PRESSURE TRAVERSE

Pwh Pwf

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 Outflow Calculation (node at the bottomhole)

Pwh Pressure Pwf1

Q Q1 Q2 Q3
Equv.
. To Pwhh
Depth E

Pwf2
Pwf Pwf1 Pwf2 Pwf3

Pwf3
ubing Depth

Q1
Q2
O tflo
Outflow
Tu

Q3

Pwf
Pwf1
Pwf3
Pwf2

q1 q2 q3 Q

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 Well Performance Software

The most noteworthy well performance programs on the

market today are:
– Prosper (Petroleum Experts)
– WellFlo (Edinburgh Petroleum Services)
– Perform (Dwight’s / IHS Energy Services)
– PipeSim (Schlumberger)

In addition to these programs

programs, numerous other well performance
programs have been developed for commercial or private use.

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