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Summary. A model is presented for predicting the pressure and temperature profiles for gaslliquid flow in wellbores stimulated with
downhole heaters. The solution algorithm consists of coupling the momentum- and energy-balance equations for the wellbore fluids with
the transient behavior in the surrounding rock. The heater is treated as a source term in the energy-balance equation. The model is capable
of predicting wellbore thermal effects, such as reduction of fluid viscosity and increase of free gas. It can be used to simulate temperature
maintenance during well shut-in periods to prevent pour-point problems and paraffin or hydrate formation. An existing well with pro-
duction problems related to thermal effects was simulated by the model. Results indicate that wellbore temperatures can be controlled
by downhole heaters. Also, under certain conditions, an increase in production was predicted with such an application.
Introduction
Many problems encountered in the production of oil and gas could Flowing-Temperature Determination. Two cases are analyzed in
be reduced by introduction of heat to increase the temperature of this study. The first case considers no heater in the wellbore. A
the fluids. A review of thermal stimulation methods was given by solution for this configuration, developed by Ramey4 for injection
Farouq Ali, I who included electrical or hot water heaters, gas wells, is modified here for producing wells. This solution is then
burners, limited in-situ combustion, and hot water or steam injec- extended in the second case for a wellbore with a heater.
tion. Increasing the fluid temperature results in several advantages. Without Heater. The wellbore heat-transmission process is gov-
Various reservoirs produce fluids that deposit semisolid asphaltic erned by the following equation 4 :
hydrocarbons. These solids can plug the flow path either in perfora-
aT I (D,t)/aD+(lIA)T I (D,t)-(I/A)Tr(D)=O, ........... (I)
tions or in the piping system. 2 A similar phenomenon is the deposi-
tion of wax in tubing or flowlines, resulting in additional flow re- where A =(w mCpm /27r){ (lIUorto ) + [f(t)/k h ]} . . .......... (2)
sistance. Thermal stimulation can reduce this deposition and increase
The functionjU) represents the resistance for radial conductive
well productivity.
heat transfer in porous media. A discussion ofj(t) is given in Ap-
An increase in temperature will also result in a reduction in oil
pendix B. The boundary condition for a producing well can be
viscosity. This is important when highly viscous crudes are produced
written as
where frictional pressure losses can be large. Another positive result
of heating is an increase in free gas, which in tum results in a lower TI(D=O,t)=Tbh . ................................. (3)
pressure gradient in the system.
Note that D=O represents the bottom of the producing well in
Heating can also be used for temperature maintenance during well
this equation. The geothermal temperature, represented as a linear
shut-in periods to prevent pour-point problems. Hydrate formation
function of depth, is given by
can also be prevented by thermal stimulation. Additional advantages
are thermal fractures, clay dehydration, and removal of residual Tr(D)=Tbh-gGD . ................................ (4)
water.
Solution of the partial-differential equation given by Eq. I with
An investigation of the use of electrical heaters to assist in the
the boundary condition given by Eq. 3 yields
production of viscous or waxy crudes has resulted in the develop-
ment of a simulation model for well flow analysis. The model allows TI (D,t) = Tbh -gG{D-A[l-exp( -DIA)]). . ........... (5)
the simulation of the temperature profile in the flowing fluids, in-
The solution assumes that the thermal properties of the earth and
cluding the effect of the electric heater. Evaluation of the two-phase-
the wellbore fluids are independent of temperature. Also, heat
flow pressure losses in the tubing and the effect of heating on the
transfer in the wellbore is assumed to be steady state, while heat
production rate are also considered. PVT properties of the fluids
flow to the surrounding rocks is described by the transient radial-
in the tubing were predicted with fluid property correlations, with
heat-flow equation. The overall heat-transfer coefficient, Uo ' in-
emphasis on the variations in the liquid viscosity and the solution
corporates the resistance to heat flow by the flowing fluids, tubing
GOR with temperature. A significant reduction in the solution gas
wall, fluid in the casing/tubing annulus, and casing wall.
can occur with heating. This reduction will increase the free gas
With Heater. A heat balance on an element of the two-phase flow
available, thereby making implementation of a gas-lift procedure
mixture within the heater region yields
possible.
aTI (D,t)/aD+(1/A)T I (D,t)-SlwmCpm -(1/A) Tr(D) =0,
Mathematical Formulation . . .................................... (6)
Determination of the flowing pressure traverse in tubing for the where S=rate of heat supply per foot by the heater. The assumptions
simultaneous transport ofliquid and gas phases requires a knowledge used in deriving Eq. I were also applied in determining the heat
of the temperature variation with depth because the PVT properties balance represented by Eq. 6. The heater generally is not attached
depend strongly on pressure and temperature. When the temperature to the entire tubing string. Therefore, part of the tubing surface,
distribution is not known, coupling the heat-balance equation with usually near the bottom of the well, is always bare of the heater,
the mechanical-energy equation to calculate the pressure and tem- while the remainder is always in contact with the heat source. Eq. 6
perature changes simultaneously becomes necessary and requires is valid only for fluid flow within the heated pipe section. An appro-
a double iterative procedure. Brill and Beggs 3 described the proce- priate boundary condition for this situation is given by
dure. When the temperature distribution is known or can be deter-
mined explicitly, a single iterative procedure that involves a standard TI(D=O,t)=TFHU) . ............................... (7)
marching algorithm is used to evaluate the flowing pressure and In this case, D=O represents the location of the heater base.
temperature profiles. The following sections show the development TFH(t), the temperature of the two-phase mixture at the entrance
of explicit equations for temperature prediction in the wellbore. to the bottom section of the heater, is evaluated with Eq. 5. The
'Now at Petrobras R&D Center.
geothermal temperature for this case is given by
Copyright 1969 Society of Petroleum Engineers Tr(D)=TGH-gGD, ............................... (8)
1000 1000
2000 510152025
2000 HEATER (WATT 1FT)
HEATER
~
I-'
BOTTOM ~
~ 3000 ~ 3000
a..
f!i
o ~ 15--~-O
5000 5000
60000L---~~'~~~~2--~--~3---L---4L-~~~5 6oo00~------~5~0~0------~10~0~0----~1~50~0~----~2~00'0
VISCOSITY OF LIQUID (CP) FLOWING PRESSURE (PSIA)
Fig. 2-Effect of a heater on liquid viscosity. Fig. 3-Effect of a heater on flowing pressure.
2000 2000
P HEATER
L1.. BOTTOM
:z: 3000 i= 3000
Ii:UJ c..
UJ
Q Q
4000 4000
5000 5000
60000~--------~100~--------~20~0~--------3~00
600~50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 50
SOLUTION GAS OIL RATIO (SCF/STB) EFFICIENCY (%)