8/2/2018 Choke Sizing

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Choke Sizing
Single-Phase Flow
Gas Mass Flow
The relationship which describes the mass flow of a single-phase gas through a choke can be
generically written as:

where

With the gas density at standard conditions, the gas mass flowrate is readily converted into a daily
standard volumetric flowrate.
This equation applies only at the critical pressure ratio, . The critical pressure ratio can be calculated
from

Liquid Mass Flow

Single-phase liquids flowing through a restriction almost never reach the critical velocity, which is many
times that for single-phase gas. The flowrate can be related to the pressure drop across the restriction
with the following relationship:

where

The choke flow coefficient is a function of the Reynolds number in the choke throat and so the solution is
necessarily iterative, but convergence is quite rapid.

Rawlins-Schellhardt
Rawlins and Schellhardt give us a form of the equation for gas flow through chokes under critical flow
conditions which is dependent only on the upstream pressure. Rawlins and Schellhardt based their
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equation on ideal gas at a standard pressure of 14.4 psia. Correction for non-ideality and for a standard
pressure other than 14.4 psia is included in the following equation:

where

Szilas
Szilas gives us an alternate form of the gas mass flow equation and with constants and conversion
factors for field units, as:

where

This equation applies both at and above the critical pressure ratio, .

Multiphase Flow
Ashford-Pierce
Ashford and Pierce developed a correlation specifically describing multiphase flow through safety valves
and tested it against field data. Their correlation has the form:

with

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and where

This relationship applies both at and above the critical pressure ratio, .

Ashford and Pierce further define the critical pressure ratio, , as

where

As this is implicit in , it must be solved iteratively.

The Ashford-Pierce relationship cannot directly be applied here because oil may or may not be one of
the flowing phases. However, their relationship for the fluid velocity downstream of the choke gives rise
to an alternative approach which is amenable to solution with gas plus one or more liquid phases
present:

where

Assuming critical flow in the choke throat, the downstream pressure and fluid velocity can be calculated,
and with the latter plus the produced fluid ratios, the mass flowrate of each phase is obtainable.

Achong
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Achong updated Gilbert’s relationship on the basis of data from oil wells in the Lake Maracaibo field of
Venezuela. The rate of multiphase flow through a choke and the upstream pressure are, according to
Achong, correlated by the following relationship:

where

Baxendell
Baxendell’s correlation linking the rate of multiphase flow through a choke and the upstream pressure –
and fundamentally an update of the Gilbert correlation – is:

where

Gilbert
Gilbert developed a generalized correlation based on data from flowing oil wells in the Ten Section field
of California. The rate of multiphase flow through a choke and the upstream pressure can be correlated,
according to Gilbert, by the following relationship:

where

Omana et al.
Omana et al. carried out field experiments in the Tiger Lagoon field of Louisiana with natural gas and
water flowing through restrictions. Carrying out a dimensional analysis, Omana derived the following
correlation:

with

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and where

Reliable use of Omana’s correlation is limited to an upstream pressure range of 400 – 1000 psig, 800
bbl/d maximum liquid flowrate, and choke sizes from 4/64" to 14/64". It should be applicable for both
bottomhole and surface chokes.

Ros
The rate of multiphase flow through a choke and the upstream pressure are, according to Ros on the
basis of Gilbert’s and other prior work, correlated by the following relationship:

where

References
Achong, I., "Revised Bean Performance Formula for Lake Maracaibo Wells", internal co. report, Shell Oil
Co., Houston, TX, Oct 1961
Ashford, F.E. and Pierce, P.E., "Determining Multiphase Pressure Drops and Flow Capacities in Down-Hole
Safety Valves", SPE Paper No. 5161, J. Pet. Tech., Sep 1975, 1145
Baxendell, P.B., "Bean Performance – Lake Maracaibo Wells", internal co. report, Shell Oil Co., Houston, TX,
Oct 1967
Gilbert, W.E., "Flowing and Gas-Lift Well Performance", Drill. & Prod. Practice, 1954, 126
Omana, R., Houssiere, C. Jr., Brown, K.E., Brill, J.P., and Thompson, R.E., "Multiphase Flow Through
Chokes", SPE Paper No. 2682, paper presented at Annual Fall Meeting of the SPE of AIME, Denver, CO,
Sep 28 – Oct 1, 1969
Ros, N.C.J., "An Analysis of Critical Simultaneous Gas-Liquid Flow Through a Restriction and Its Application
to Flowmetering", Appl. Sci. Res. (9), 1960, 374

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