BC10 Field Mudline Pump Operation Case Study: A Deepwater, Long Tie Back, High GVF and High Viscosity Application

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Igor Vieira Debacker ◽  
David Liney ◽  
Mariana Ferreira Palacios ◽  
Nicholas Fletcher
Keyword(s):  
Volume Fraction ◽  
Flow Instability ◽  
High Viscosity ◽  
Gas Content ◽  
Oil Emulsion ◽  
Pump Operation ◽  
Field Development ◽  
Artificial Lift ◽  
Electrical Submersible Pumps ◽  
Gas Volume

Abstract The Parque das Conchas (BC10) block offshore southern Brazil's Campos Basin has fields with challenging subsea well conditions (high viscosity and high gas content). The fields require subsea boosting to lift the production to the FPSO facility. The field development was conceived with ten Electrical Submersible Pumps (ESP) installed in dummy wells in three different subsea artificial lift manifolds (ALM) in water depths around 2000m. In 2018, the first Mudline Pump (MLP) was installed in the BC10 field. The MLP was conceived to be fully compatible with the existing infrastructure and replaced one of the existing seabed Module of Boost (MOBOs) in the Argonauta O-North field. Argonauta O-North has heavy crude oil and forms tight water-in-oil emulsion. Another challenge in this field is frequent flow instability causing abrupt variations of the Gas Volume Fraction (GVF) at the ALM inlet. The MLP was commissioned and started up in November of 2018. The initial weeks of operation were marked by frequent trips caused mainly by a non-optimized controller combined with excessive flow transients generated in the flowlines and risers, and lack of understanding of the interaction between the pump and the seafloor flowline, manifold system and production riser. The main results of the work performed in the first year of MLP operation were to significantly reduce the number of trips, and to optimize MLP oil production.

Experience of Application of Different Multiphase Metering Technologies for Cold Production and High Viscosity Oil Systems

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mikhail Igorevich Tonkonog ◽  
Yermek Talgatovich Kaipov ◽  
Dmitry Sergeevich Pruglo
Keyword(s):  
Volume Fraction ◽  
High Viscosity ◽  
Production Optimization ◽  
Gas Content ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Production Monitoring ◽  
Oil Rim ◽  
Phase Separator ◽  
High Viscosity Oil ◽  
Gas Volume

Abstract Production monitoring is essential not only for fiscal applications, but also for production optimization and efficient reservoir management. So, production measurements must be both accurate and frequent enough, revealing a consistent trend of well operating parameters. This is especially important for reservoirs of complex geology, like oil rim reservoirs in poorly consolidated sandstone formations with presence of aquifer and gas cap drive. Production monitoring can be implemented with different technologies, accuracy of monitoring is however affected by different factors like gas content, viscosity and temperature of produced fluids. Paper presents pragmatic approach and analysis of applicability of different measurement technologies: compact two-phase separator and two different multiphase metering technologies applied at oil wells of Tazovskoye field operated by LLC "Meretoyakhaneftegaz", which production conditions are very challenging due to high gas volume fraction of the produced fluid, high viscosities and low temperatures.

scholarly journals Nonlinear Modeling and Experimental Characterization of Twin-Tube Hydraulic Adjustable Damper: Effects of Cavitation On Hysteretic Behavior

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiang Zhang ◽  
Xiaosun Wang ◽  
Yousheng Yang
Keyword(s):  
Volume Fraction ◽  
High Reliability ◽  
Nonlinear Modeling ◽  
Hysteretic Behavior ◽  
Gas Content ◽  
Oil Viscosity ◽  
Damping Force ◽  
Oil Emulsion ◽  
Gas Volume Fraction ◽  
Gas Volume

Abstract The hydraulic adjustable damper has attracted wide attention due to its superiorities of low energy consumption, fast response, strong durability, high reliability and simple structure. However, there has been no published detailed analysis about the effects of cavitation on the hysteresis of the hydraulic damper damping output. Furthermore, the existing damper models with simplified assumptions for the cavitation have not been completely studied. Therefore, a nonlinear model of twin-tube hydraulic adjustable dampers ( twin-tube HAD ) is proposed with an emphasis on the cavitation properties. Polytropic change in the gas content, seal friction, oil viscosity and the gas-oil emulsion flowing through orifices or valves are taken into consideration in the model. The cavitation form of twin-tube HAD valve is studied in depth and the dynamic cavitation number of hydraulic oil is formulated as a function of the gas volume fraction, then the damping force is characterized by the gas volume fraction. The model proposed in this paper can be used for accurately analytical investigation and it is useful in reducing damage from cavitation in similar nonlinear equipment. The mathematical model is validated by comparison against experimental results carried out on HONDA-EG8-RH twin-tube HAD in damper test facilities .

Stability Criteria of the Steady Flow of a Liquid Containing Bubbles Along a Nozzle

2001 ◽  
Vol 123 (4) ◽  
pp. 836-840 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Crespo ◽  
J. Garcı´a ◽  
J. Jime´nez-Ferna´ndez
Keyword(s):  
Bubble Dynamics ◽  
Volume Fraction ◽  
Flow Instability ◽  
Functional Dependence ◽  
Bubble Diameter ◽  
Critical Value ◽  
Stability Criteria ◽  
Flow Through ◽  
Gas Volume Fraction ◽  
Gas Volume

The steady cavitating flow through a converging-diverging nozzle is considered. A continuum model is assumed with the Rayleigh-Plesset equation to account for the bubble dynamics. A similar problem has been studied previously by Wang and Brennen, and they found that if the upstream gas volume fraction of the bubbles exceeds a critical value there is flashing flow instability. In the present work, a perturbation analysis is made introducing a small parameter, ε, that is the ratio of the initial bubble diameter to the length scale of the nozzle. As a result of this analysis, the critical value of the upstream void fraction is calculated as a function of the several parameters appearing in the problem, and turns out to be very small and proportional to ε3. A correlation is proposed giving explicitly the functional dependence of this critical value.

Flow Characterization in an ESP Pump Using Conductivity Measurements

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sahand Pirouzpanah ◽  
Sujan Reddy Gudigopuram ◽  
Gerald L. Morrison
Keyword(s):  
Volume Fraction ◽  
Petroleum Industry ◽  
Pure Liquid ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Fluid Mixture ◽  
Air Inlet ◽  
Flow Characterization ◽  
Electrical Submersible Pumps ◽  
Flow Medium ◽  
Gas Volume

Electrical Submersible Pumps (ESPs) are used in upstream petroleum industry for pumping liquid-gas mixtures. The presence of gas in the flow reduces the efficiency of ESPs. To investigate the effect of gas in the flow medium, Electrical Resistance Tomography (ERT) is performed on the two diffuser stages in a three-stage ESP which was manufactured by Baker Hughes Company. In an ERT system, the relative conductivity of the two-phase fluid mixture in comparison with the conductivity of pure liquid is measured which is used to obtain the Gas Volume Fraction (GVF) and mixture concentration. The measured GVF and concentration is used to characterize the flow for different flow rates of water and air, inlet pressures and rotating speeds.

A combined 2-D/1-D magma ascent model of explosive volcanic eruptions

2019 ◽  
Vol 219 (3) ◽  
pp. 1818-1835
Author(s):  
Hélène Massol
Keyword(s):  
Volume Fraction ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Volcanic Eruptions ◽  
Gas Content ◽  
Magma Ascent ◽  
Explosive Eruptions ◽  
Shear Stresses ◽  
Order Of Magnitude ◽  
Gas Volume Fraction ◽  
Gas Volume

SUMMARY Explosive eruptions involve the fragmentation of magma that changes the flow regime from laminar to turbulent within the volcanic conduit during ascent. If the gas volume fraction is high, magma fragments and the eruption style is explosive, but if not, the magma flows effusively out of the vent. Gas escape processes depend on how the magma can rupture, and recent experimental studies measured rupture stress thresholds of the order of a few megapascals. It is thus critical to model the gas content and state of stress evolution in the flowing magma within the conduit. We present a new self-consistent model of an explosive eruption from the magma chamber to the surface, based on a critical gas volume fraction. Our model allows to explore irregular geometries below the fragmentation level (2-D). We first compare our model with classical 1-D models of explosive eruptions and find that in the case of straight conduits and fragmented flows, 1-D models are accurate enough to model the gas pressure and vertical velocity distribution in the conduit. However, in the case of an irregular conduit shape at depth, 2-D models are necessary. Despite a certain conduit radius visible at the surface, very different stress fields within the flow could be present depending upon the position and shape of any conduit irregularities. Stresses of the order of more than 1 MPa can be attained in some locations. High tensile stresses are located at the centre of the conduit, while high shear stresses are located at the conduit walls leading to several potential rupture locations. Due to the interplay between the velocity field and decompression rate, similar conduit radius visible at the surface might also lead to very different fragmentation depths with a difference of more than 1500 m between an enlarged conduit shape at some depth and a straight conduit. At depth, different conduit sizes might lead to the same order of magnitude for the mass flux, depending on the conduit geometry.

Physical Testing of a High-Speed Helico-Axial Pump for High-GVF Operation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chidrim Enoch Ejim ◽  
Jinjiand Xiao ◽  
Woon Yung Lee ◽  
Wilson Andres Zabala
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Volume Flow Rate ◽  
Pressure Ratio ◽  
Volume Flow ◽  
Gas Content ◽  
Stable Operation ◽  
Pump Operation ◽  
High Speeds ◽  
Intake Pressure ◽  
Gas Volume

Abstract High-speed rotordynamic pump operation for downhole or surface production is required and also beneficial to handle very high gas volume fraction (GVF) flows. Operating speeds of these pumps can be in excess of twice those of conventional pumps. This study presents results showing a high-speed helico-axial pump (HAP) can operate satisfactorily at intake GVFs up to 98%. The findings increase capabilities of field engineers and operators to boost and maximize production from high gas-content wells. The HAP tested had a housing outer diameter of 4.00-inch and operated at a rotational speed of 6000 revolutions per minutes (RPM). Air and water were the test fluids with the water volume flow rate held constant while the air volume flow rate was varied. The liquid and gas volume flow rates varied from 63 to 143 barrels per day (BPD), and 549 to 3238 BPD, respectively. Intake pressures varied from 14 to 76 psig, with average inlet temperature of 18°C. The corresponding discharge pressures and temperatures were recorded for each test point and observed for stable pump operation. The results showed that the HAP had stable operation during the tests for intake GVF range from 84% to 98%. Pump discharge pressures for this range of high intake GVF varied from 21 to 89 psig. The corresponding differential pressures across the HAP all had positive magnitudes indicating that at such high-speeds, the HAP was still able to add energy to the fluid even with the high gas content at intake. Analysis at fixed intake pressure with varying GVFs showed that the discharge-to-intake pressure ratio decreased with increasing intake GVF. For instance, at 33psig intake pressure, increasing the intake GVF from 84% to 94% decreased the discharge-to-intake pressure ratio from about 1.27 to 1.20, respectively. It was also observed that tightening the clearance between the impeller and diffuser of the HAP increased the discharge pressure compared to when the clearance was loose. Furthermore, ensuring the upstream flow is properly conditioned also improved the stable operation of the HAP. Overall and in conclusion, running a HAP at high speeds in addition to optimizing certain features of the HAP can result in stable pump operation and enhanced pressure boosting in high-GVF flows. This study mainly highlights the importance of operating HAPs at high speeds of up to 6000 RPM. Tightening clearances between rotordynamic components as well as tailored inlet flow conditioning are also additional features that enhance pressure boosting. This architecture opens up opportunities for field operators, and engineering personnel to maximize hydrocarbon production from their very high-gas content field assets, thereby increasing the economic bottomline for the stakeholders.

Forty-Seven–Well Case Study: How a Holistic ESP Design for Deep Deviated Wells with Low Flow Rates Achieved Economic Production

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lawrence Camilleri ◽  
Jorge Luis Villalobos ◽  
Pedro Luis Escalona ◽  
Alvaro Correal ◽  
Carlos Reyes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Historical Review ◽  
Substantial Improvement ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Gas Content ◽  
Low Flow ◽  
Flow Rates ◽  
Artificial Lift ◽  
Electrical Submersible Pumps ◽  
Deviated Wells

Abstract The Shaya wells have vertical depths of 11,000 ft and are heavily depleted. They, therefore, require 10,000 ft of lift to achieve the target drawdown. Electrical submersible pumps (ESPs) were deployed, but because of the low flow rates (80 B/D), produced solids, and high free gas content, initial run lives were uneconomical. This 47-well case study demonstrates how a holistic design and operating procedure achieved both the target drawdown and an economical mean time between failure (MTBF). "Learning from history" was the key method as there was sufficient ESP data to determine the root cause of ESP failures based on a combination of dismantle inspection and failure analysis (DIFA) and operating conditions. Moreover, production testing combined with real-time downhole gauge data enabled inflow characterization with both nodal and pressure transient analysis, thereby establishing the well potential and ensuring that the new proposed design was not only reliable but also achieved the targeted drawdown. An additional requirement was to handle both the current low rates and higher rates associated with future waterflooding. A historical review of 9 wells was conducted, followed by a new ESP design that was proposed and installed in 47 wells, which achieved an MTBF of over 940 days, whereas previous designs in the same wells had an MTBF of only 650 days. This substantial improvement was achieved without compromising drawdown as the wells were produced with a flowing intake pressure of approximately 250 psia at setting depths of 9,500 ft. This result is particularly noteworthy when one considers the harshness of the well conditions and, in particular, bottom-hole temperatures of 240°F, fines migration, deviated wells with doglegs above 2.5°/100ft, intake pressures below bubble point and low productivity indices (PIs) of 0.2 B/D/psi. The high depletion combined with low PIs, which resulted in very low flow rates of as low as 50 B/D, was the most challenging factor of this application. Outflow modeling and wellbore hydraulics were also important considerations to limit solid fallback due to insufficient velocity in the production tubing as well minimize heat rise caused by startup transients, which can be long in low-PI wells. ESPs are traditionally best suited to wells with liquid rates providing sufficient cooling for both the motor and the pump as well as short unloading transients during startup. This success story, therefore, provides an important reference for future ESP applications in very low flow rates in deep wells, which are beyond the recommended application envelope of alternative low flow rate artificial lift solutions such as progressive cavity pumps and sucker rod pumps.

scholarly journals Sintering of viscous droplets under surface tension

2016 ◽  
Vol 472 (2188) ◽  
pp. 20150780 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabian B. Wadsworth ◽  
Jérémie Vasseur ◽  
Edward W. Llewellin ◽  
Jenny Schauroth ◽  
Katherine J. Dobson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Surface Tension ◽  
Volume Fraction ◽  
High Viscosity ◽  
Initial Distribution ◽  
Liquid Droplets ◽  
Free Standing ◽  
Gas Volume Fraction ◽  
Trapped Gas ◽  
Viscous Droplets ◽  
Gas Volume

We conduct experiments to investigate the sintering of high-viscosity liquid droplets. Free-standing cylinders of spherical glass beads are heated above their glass transition temperature, causing them to densify under surface tension. We determine the evolving volume of the bead pack at high spatial and temporal resolution. We use these data to test a range of existing models. We extend the models to account for the time-dependent droplet viscosity that results from non-isothermal conditions, and to account for non-zero final porosity. We also present a method to account for the initial distribution of radii of the pores interstitial to the liquid spheres, which allows the models to be used with no fitting parameters. We find a good agreement between the models and the data for times less than the capillary relaxation timescale. For longer times, we find an increasing discrepancy between the data and the model as the Darcy outgassing time-scale approaches the sintering timescale. We conclude that the decreasing permeability of the sintering system inhibits late-stage densification. Finally, we determine the residual, trapped gas volume fraction at equilibrium using X-ray computed tomography and compare this with theoretical values for the critical gas volume fraction in systems of overlapping spheres.

scholarly journals Physical interpretation of probability density functions of bubble-induced agitation

2016 ◽  
Vol 809 ◽  
pp. 240-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frédéric Risso
Keyword(s):  
Probability Density ◽  
Volume Fraction ◽  
Flow Instability ◽  
Liquid Velocity ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Unknown Parameters ◽  
Gas Volume Fraction ◽  
High Reynolds ◽  
Two Parameters ◽  
Gas Volume

A stochastic model is presented for the probability density function (p.d.f.) of the liquid velocity fluctuations generated by high-Reynolds-number rising bubbles. It considers three elementary sources of fluctuations: the potential flow disturbance around each bubble; the average bubble wakes, which are assumed to decay exponentially; and the turbulent agitation resulting from the flow instability, which is assumed to be isotropic, homogeneously distributed all over the flow and statistically independent of the two others. The model reproduces well and explains the characteristics of the experimental p.d.f.s: exponential tails, asymmetry of vertical fluctuations and evolution with the gas volume fraction. The model involves twoa prioriunknown parameters: the volume of the wake and the velocity scale of the turbulent agitation. Because some parts of the probability functions depend only on a single contribution, these two parameters can be uniquely and independently determined from experimental p.d.f.s. This defines an objective method to separate the various kinds of fluctuations and allows one to determine the contribution of each of them to the total agitation.

scholarly journals Effect of Diversion Cavity Geometry on the Performance of Gas-Liquid Two-Phase Mixed Transport Pump

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1882
Author(s):  
Chenhao Li ◽  
Xingqi Luo ◽  
Jianjun Feng ◽  
Guojun Zhu ◽  
Sina Yan
Keyword(s):  
Volume Fraction ◽  
Internal Flow ◽  
Gas Content ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Flow Energy ◽  
Model Liquid ◽  
Abnormal Pressure ◽  
Object Based ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Gas Volume

For the purpose of improving the transport capability of the mixed transport pump, a new self-made three-stage deep-sea multiphase pump was taken as the research object. Based on the Euler-Euler heterogeneous flow model, liquid (water) and gas (air) are used as the mixed media to study the external characteristics and internal flow identities of the mixed pump under different gas volume fraction (GVF) conditions. According to the simulation results, a local optimal design scheme of the diversion cavity in the dynamic and static connection section is proposed. The numerical results before and after the optimization are compared and analyzed to explore the effect of the diversion cavity optimization on the performance, blade load and internal flow identities of the pump. The results show that the head and efficiency are obviously improved when the inner wall of the diversion cavity is reduced by 4 mm along the radial direction. After optimization, under the condition of 10% gas content, the head and efficiency is increased by 3.73% and 2.91% respectively. Meanwhile, the hydraulic losses of the diversion cavity and diffuser are reduced by 9.11% and 4.32% respectively. The gas distribution in the impeller is improved obviously and the phenomenon of a large amount of gas phase accumulation is eliminated in the channel. In addition, the abnormal pressure load on the blade surface is eliminated and the turbulent flow energy intensity is reduced. The average turbulent kinetic energy ( T K ) at i = 0.51 of the first stage impeller passage is reduced by 35%. Finally, the reliability of the numerical method is verified by the experimental results. To sum up, the performance and internal flow identities of the optimized mixed transport pump are improved, which verifies the availability and applicability of the optimization results. This provides a reference for the research and design of a multiphase mixed transport pump in the future.

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