A Method for Computing Pressure Drop in the Pipe of Flowing Oil Wells

1932 ◽  
Vol 98 (01) ◽  
pp. 401-437
Author(s):  
K.B. Nowels
Keyword(s):  
Pressure Drop ◽  
Oil Wells

Analysis and Prediction of Fluid Flow Behavior in Progressing Cavity Pumps

2017 ◽  
Vol 139 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eissa Al-Safran ◽  
Ahmed Aql ◽  
Tan Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Flow ◽  
Pressure Drop ◽  
Single Phase ◽  
Flow Behavior ◽  
Specific Capacity ◽  
Oil Wells ◽  
Thermal Recovery ◽  
Experimental Database ◽  
Dimensionless Groups ◽  
Study Results

A progressing cavity pump (PCP) is a positive displacement pump with an eccentric screw movement, which is used as an artificial lift method in oil wells. Downhole PCP systems provide an efficient lifting method for heavy oil wells producing under cold production, with or without sand. Newer PCP designs are also being used to produce wells operating under thermal recovery. The objective of this study is to develop a set of theoretical operational, fluid property, and pump geometry dimensionless groups that govern fluid flow behavior in a PCP. A further objective is to correlate these dimensionless groups to develop a simple model to predict flow rate (or pressure drop) along a PCP. Four PCP dimensionless groups, namely, Euler number, inverse Reynolds number, specific capacity number, and Knudsen number were derived from continuity, Navier–Stokes equations, and appropriate boundary conditions. For simplification, the specific capacity and Knudsen dimensionless groups were combined in a new dimensionless group named the PCP number. Using the developed dimensionless groups, nonlinear regression modeling was carried out using large PCP experimental database to develop dimensionless empirical models of both single- and two-phase flow in a PCP. The developed single-phase model was validated against an independent single-phase experimental database. The validation study results show that the developed model is capable of predicting pressure drop across a PCP for different pump speeds with 85% accuracy.

scholarly journals Expert solution for effects of input parameters on multiphase flow correlations

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed A. Abd El-Moniem ◽  
◽  
Ahmed H. El-Banbi ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Expert System ◽  
Pressure Drop ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Oil Wells ◽  
Gas Wells ◽  
Oil And Gas Production ◽  
Input Parameters ◽  
Bottomhole Pressure ◽  
Selection Of

Oil and gas production represents an essential source of energy. Optimization of oil and gas production systems requires accurate calculation of pressure drop in tubing and flowlines. Many empirical correlations and mechanistic models exist to calculate pressure drop in tubing and flowlines. Previous work has shown that some correlations provide more accurate results under certain flow conditions, PVT data, and well configurations than others. However, the effects of errors in input data on the selection of which correlations to use have not been investigated. This paper studies different multiphase flow correlations to determine the effects of their input parameters on (1) the accuracy of calculated pressure drop and (2) the selection of best correlation. A database consisting of 33 oil wells and 32 gas wells was selected, and a commercial software was used to build different well models. A total of 715 well models were constructed and used to investigate the effects of errors in correlations inputs on both the calculated bottomhole pressure and the selection of best correlation(s). The methodology was based on perturbing the values of the selected input parameters and calculating the new predicted bottomhole flowing pressure. Then, the effects of error in input parameters on how the calculated bottomhole pressure was different from observed data were quantified. The effect of this error in input parameters was also checked against the algorithm that selects the best correlation(s). It was found that errors in input GOR have the greatest effects for oil wells, while gas specific gravity and the tubing roughness are the most effective parameters for gas wells. The results were integrated into a rule-based expert system. A new set of data, consisting of 220 cases from 10 new oil wells and 10 new gas wells, was used to validate the expert system. The expert system was found to predict the best correlation(s) with a success rate of 80%, and it also identifies the input parameters whose error would affect the value of calculated bottomhole pressure significantly. Finally, the rules of the expert system were programmed into a VBA-Code to ease its use.

scholarly journals Gas–Liquid Two-Phase Upward Flow through a Vertical Pipe: Influence of Pressure Drop on the Measurement of Fluid Flow Rate

Energies ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 2937 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tarek Ganat ◽  
Meftah Hrairi
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Flow ◽  
Pressure Drop ◽  
Friction Factor ◽  
Relative Error ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Liquid Flow ◽  
Liquid Flow Rate ◽  
Oil Wells ◽  
Fluid Flow Rate ◽  
Vertical Pipe

The accurate estimation of pressure drop during multiphase fluid flow in vertical pipes has been widely recognized as a critical problem in oil wells completion design. The flow of fluids through the vertical tubing strings causes great losses of energy through friction, where the value of this loss depends on fluid flow viscosity and the size of the conduit. A number of friction factor correlations, which have acceptably accurate results in large diameter pipes, are significantly in error when applied to smaller diameter pipes. Normally, the pressure loss occurs due to friction between the fluid flow and the pipe walls. The estimation of the pressure gradients during the multiphase flow of fluids is very complex due to the variation of many fluid parameters along the vertical pipe. Other complications relate to the numerous flow regimes and the variabilities of the fluid interfaces involved. Accordingly, knowledge about pressure drops and friction factors is required to determine the fluid flow rate of the oil wells. This paper describes the influences of the pressure drop on the measurement of the fluid flow by estimating the friction factor using different empirical friction correlations. Field experimental work was performed at the well site to predict the fluid flow rate of 48 electrical submersible pump (ESP) oil wells, using the newly developed mathematical model. Using Darcy and Colebrook friction factor correlations, the results show high average relative errors, exceeding ±18.0%, in predicted liquid flow rate (oil and water). In gas rate, more than 77% of the data exceeded ±10.0% relative error to the predicted gas rate. For the Blasius correlation, the results showed the predicted liquid flow rate was in agreement with measured values, where the average relative error was less than ±18.0%, and for the gas rate, 68% of the data showed more than ±10% relative error.

Two-Phase Vertical Flow in Oil Wells - Prediction of Pressure Drop

1974 ◽  
Vol 26 (08) ◽  
pp. 927-938 ◽  
Author(s):  
G.L. Chierici ◽  
G.M. Ciucci ◽  
G. Sclocchi
Keyword(s):  
Pressure Drop ◽  
Oil Wells ◽  
Vertical Flow ◽  
Two Phase
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