1

Demonstrate Knowledge
of Advanced
Technologies in Oil and
Gas Production


Session 14







2
Agenda
Flow regimes, horizontal wells
Horizontal wells more important than
vertical wells, Why?
Applications of deviated wells
Name a few?
3
Flow Regimes
Liquid in any pipe:

2 phase for liquids: laminar, turbulent
=

Re< 2300 : laminar
2300<Re<4000 : transient
Re>4000 : turbulent
Flow Entry Region:

4
u When does a two-phase flow occur?
Some formations produce both
For flow Stimulation purposes
Oil well examples of multiphase application:
Multiphase flow meters using Venturi effect
Underbalanced drilling


5
Flow regimes in horizontal pipes


Minimum 7 phases for liquid-gas flow
Depends on geometry
More difficult to model and calculate






6
Flow regimes in horizontal pipes

Vertical wells:



7
Typical horizontal pipeline flow
regimes
u Horizontal Wells:

8
Horizontal pipeline flow
Regimes are interchangeable:

9
Slugs
slugs or elongated bubbles.
Slugs are generally unwanted because they can
create significant pressure fluctuations, and they
can also lead to gas and liquid arriving at the
processing facilities unevenly, causing tanks to
flood.
Since gases have lower density and therefore
lower heat capacity than liquids, gases cool faster,
so the temperature reduction during periods of
high gas content can more easily cause hydrates
to form. The increased intermittent liquid velocity
can also accelerate corrosion
10
Slug formation
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Slugs
Thus, slugs are unwanted because
They create pressure transients
Lead to flooding at receiving end
Increase deposits and corrosion
12
Flow Regimes in wells
The 2 main drivers of fluid within a rock are porosity
and permeability. In vertical wells fluid flows radially
into the wellbore.


Well completions have limited entry points which
transfers the radial and laminar flows within the
reservoir to a non radial flow. These point are called
point sink.

At this point the pressure drop is increased as well as
the velocity of flow into the wellbore which can create
turbulence in high flowing gas wells
13
Flow Regimes







14
Flow Regimes
Horizontal wells face lesser problems as they have a line sink.
15
Horizontal wells
Apart from the before mentioned benefit,
horizontal wells have the following advantages
Produce Reserves that are not economical to produce
with Vertical Wells
Increasing the exposed section length through the
reservoir by drilling through the reservoir at an angle
thereby increasing production Rates
Provide Better Rate of Return
Drilling into the reservoir where vertical access is difficult
or not possible. For instance an oilfield under a town,
under a lake, or underneath a difficult-to-drill formation

16
Horizontal Wells
Allowing more wellheads to be grouped together on one
surface location It allows fewer rig moves

Drilling a "relief well" to relieve the pressure of a well
producing without restraint (blowout). In this scenario,
another well could be drilled starting at a safe distance away
from the blowout, but intersecting the troubled wellbore.
Then, heavy fluid (kill fluid) is pumped into the relief
wellbore to suppress the high pressure in the original
wellbore causing the blowout.

17
Horizontal Wells
Thin Formations
Economical Viability of Small Fields
Avoidance of Gas/Oil and Gas/Water Contacts