Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Relation (TPR)
James A. Craig
The pressure drop required to lift reservoir
fluids to the surface at a given rate is one of
the major factors affecting Well
Deliverability.
SD P e P
0.5
5 2 S 2
in wh
qg 200, 000
gTZLf M e 1
S
gL
S 0.0375
TZ
2
3.71
fM 2 log
/ D
qg gas flow rate, scf/d
D tubing ID, in.
Pin flowing tubing intake pressure, psia
Pwh flowing wellhead pressure, psia
g gas gravity (air = 1)
T average temperature, o R
Z average gas compressibilty factor
L vertical depth, ft
f M Moody friction factor
absolute pipe roughness (0.0006 in. for most commercial pipe)
Multiphase Flow
Pressure drop in multiphase flow is more
complex than that of a single-phase flow
because parameters such as velocity, friction
factor, density, and the fraction of vapour to
liquid change as the fluid flows to the surface.
Pressure drop can be determined either by
correlations or by gradient curves. Some of
the correlations are:
Duns and Ros (1963)
Dukler (1964)
Orkiszewski (1967)
Hageborn and Brown (1965)
Beggs and Brill (1973)
Mukherjee and Brill (1985)
Application of multiphase flow correlations
requires an iterative, trial-and-error solution to
account for changes in flow parameters as a
function of pressure.
The calculation is intensive and is best
accomplished with computer programs.
Gradient curves (also called Pressure-traverse
curves) are developed as alternatives to the
correlations. They are computer generated.
These curves are developed for series of gas-
liquid ratios (GLRs) and provide estimates of
pressure as a function of depth.
Recent developed curves are based on the flow
regime correlations, and not on field data as was
originally done.
References
Joe Dunn Clegg (Editor): Petroleum
Engineering Handbook, Vol. IV Production
Operations Engineering, Society of Petroleum
Engineers, 2007.
Michael Golan and Curtis H. Whitson: Well
Performance, Tapir Edition, 1996.
William Lyons: Working Guide to Petroleum
and Natural Gas Production Engineering,
Elsevier Inc., First Edition, 2010.
Schlumberger: Well Performance Manual.