Multiphase Flow Fundamentals

Multiphase Flow Fundamentals

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Multiphase Flow Fundamentals
• Slip and liquid Hold Up QL Vsl
– Liquid Hold up: the in-situ L  
QL  QG Vm
liquid volume fraction
– No Slip (Homogenous Flow):
gas and liquid phases travel
at the same velocity

• Slip Flow: Gas and liquid

phases travel at different
velocities,
•the gas slips past the liquid AL
HL 
phase and AP
•the liquid phase is “held HG 
AG
 1 HL
up” in the pipe AP
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Multiphase Flow Fundamentals
Slip and Steady-State Flow
• While gas and liquids travel at different velocities, this does not
necessarily means transient flow
• For Steady-State Flow, liquid does not accumulate in the pipe
but maintains the same rate IN & OUT.
• Mass Balance on liquids phase:
– Mass rate (lb/sec) is constant  L QL   L AP H L v L
• Volume Balance on liquid phase:
– Volumetric flow rate (ft3/sec) is constant QL  vL AL  vL AP H L

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Multiphase Flow Fundamentals

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Key Multi-Phase Flow Parameters

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Key Multi-Phase Flow Parameters

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Key Multi-Phase Flow Parameters

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Key Multi-Phase Flow Parameters

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Example: Liquid Hold-Up

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Flow Regimes

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Flow Regimes

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Flow Regimes

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Flow Regimes

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Flow Regimes

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Flow Regimes

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Flow Pattern Maps

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Flow Pattern Map Based on Velocities

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Duns and Ross Flow Regime Maps

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Example: Estimate Flow Regime

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Example: Estimate Flow Regime

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Effect of Inclination on Flow Maps

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Factors Affecting Flow Pattern

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Type of Fluids

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Type of Flow

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Exercise

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Multiphase Flow in Oil Wells

Multiphase flow is much more complicated than single phase flow

because of the variation of flow regime (or flow pattern). Fluid
distribution changes greatly in different flow regimes, which
significantly affects pressure gradient in the tubing

Four flow regimes have been identified in gas-liquid two-phase

flow. They are bubble, slug, churn, and annular flow. These flow
regimes occur as a progression with increasing gas flow rate for a
given liquid flow rate

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Liquid Holdup
• In multiphase flow, the amount of the pipe occupied by a phase is
often different from its proportion of the total volumetric flow
rate. This is due to density difference between phases.
• The density difference causes dense phase to slip down in an
upward flow
• Thus, liquid ‘‘holdup’’ is defined as

VL yL = liquid hold-up, fraction

yL  VL = volume of liquid phase in the pipe segment, ft3
V V = Volume of the pipe segment, ft3

Liquid holdup depends on flow regime, fluid properties, and pipe size and
configuration. Its value can be quantitatively determined only through
experimental measurements.
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Homogeneous-Flow Models
Assuming no slip of liquid phase, Poettmann and Carpenter (1952) presented a
simplified gas-oil-water three phase flow model to compute pressure losses in
wellbores by estimating mixture density and friction factor

   p = pressure increment, psi

 K  h 

p        = average mixture density, lb/ft3

   144 h = depth increment, ft
 
f2F = Fanning friction factor for two phase flow
 1   2
 qo = oil production rate, stb/day
2 D = tubing inner diameter, ft
 f 2 F qo2 M 2 1 = mixture density at top of tubing, lb/ft3
K
7.4137 x1010 D 5 2 = mixture density at bottom of tubing, lb/ft3
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Homogeneous-Flow Models
Mixture Density
M

Vm
M  350.17 o  WOR w   GOR air g
Vm  5.615Bo  WORBw   GOR  Rs 0.0283ZT / P 

o = oil specific gravity, 1 for fresh water

WOR = producing water oil ratio, bbl/stb
w = water specific gravity, 1 for fresh water
GOR = producing gas oil ratio, scf/stb
air = density of air, lbm/ft3
g = gas specific gravity, 1 for air
Vm = volume of mixture associated with 1 stb of oil, ft3
Bo = formation volume factor of oil, bbl/stb
Bw = formation volume factor of water, bbl/stb
Rs = solution gas oil ratio, scf/stb
P = reservoir pressure, psia
T = reservoir temperature, oR
Z = gas compressibility factor at P and T
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Homogeneous-Flow Models
If the fluid properties are not available, correlations can be used to
determine them

1.2048 where T is in situ temperature in oF. The

 p 10 0.0125API  two-phase friction factor f2F can be
Rs   g  0.009T 
18 10  estimated from a chart recommended by
1.2 Poettmann and Carpenter (1952). For easy
 g 
0.5
 coding in computer programs, Guo and
Bo  0.9759  0.00012 Rs    1.25T  Ghalambor (2002) developed the following
   o  
correlation to represent the chart:

f 2 F  101.444 2.5 log Dv 

1.4737 x10 5 Mqo
Dv 
D

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Guo – Ghalambor Model


b
N  bM 2 0.0765 g q g  350 o qo  350 w q w  62.4 s q s
144b p  phf  
1  2bM 
ln 
144 p  M   N 2 M
c a

 144 phf  M   N 
2 4.07Tav q g
2 N
5.615qo  5.615q w  q s
  144 p  M   144 phf  M  b
x  tan 1    tan 1   
  a cos   d 2 e L 4.07Tav q g
  N   N 
Tav q g
c  0.00678
A= cross sectional area, ft2 A
DH= hydraulic diameter, ft
d
0.00166
5.615qo  5.615qw  qs 
fM = Moody factor A
g = gravitational constant, 32.17 ft/s2 f
e M
L = conduit length, ft 2 gDH
P = pressure, psia cde
Phf = wellhead pressure, psia M
cos   d 2 e
qg = gas production rate, scf/d
c 2 e cos 
qo = oil production rate, bbl/d N
qs =sand production rate, ft3/d cos   d e
2 2

qw = water production rate, bbl/d

Tav = average temperature, oR
g,o,w,s = sp. gr. of gas, oil, water, and solid
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Guo – Ghalambor Model

The Darcy–Wiesbach friction factor (fM) can be obtained from

Moody diagram or based on Fanning friction factor (fF ). The
required relation is fM = 4fF

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Example
For the following data, estimate bottom-hole pressure with the Guo–
Ghalambor Model
Total measured depth, ft 7000
The average inclination angle, deg. 20
Tubing inner diameter, in. 1.995
Gas production rate, MMSCFD 1
Gas specific gravity 0.7
Oil production rate, stb/d 1000
Oil specific gravity 0.85
Water production rate, bbl/d 300
Water specific gravity 1.05
Solid production rate, ft3/d 1
Solid specific gravity 2.65
Tubing head temperature, oF 100
Bottom hole temperature, oF 224
Tubing head pressure, psia 300
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Example

A, in.2 3.124
D, ft 0.16625
Tav, oR 622
COS () 0.9397
Drv 40.9088
fM 0.0415505
a 0.0001713
b 2.894
c 1349785.1
d 3.8943
e 0.0041337
M 20447.044
N 6.669 E+09
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P , psia 1682
Example (Poettmann-Carpenter)
• For the following given data, calculate bottom-hole pressure

Total measured depth, ft 5000

Tubing inner diameter, in. 1.66
Gas specific gravity 0.65
Liquid production rate, stb/d 2000
Oil gravity 30oAPI
Water cut, % 25
Water specific gravity 1.05
GLR, scf/stb 1000
Tubing head temperature, oF 100
Bottom hole temperature, oF 150
Tubing head pressure, psia 500

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Example (Poettmann-Carpenter)

Oil specific gravity 0.88

Mass associated with 1 stb of oil, lb 495.66
GLR at wellhead, scf/stb 78.42
Oil formation volume factor at wellhead, bbl/stb 1.04
Volume associated with 1 stb oil at wellhead, ft3 45.12
Fluid density at wellhead, lbm/ft3 10.99
GLR at bottom hole, scf/stb 301.79
Oil formation volume factor at bottom hole bbl/stb 1.16
Volume associated with 1 stb oil at bottom hole, ft3 17.66
Fluid density at bottom hole, lbm/ft3 28.07
Average fluid density, , lbm/ft3 19.53
Inertial force (Dv), lbm/day.ft 79.21
Friction factor 0.002
Friction term 293.12
Pwf, psia 1699
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Separated-Flow Models (The modified Hagedorn–Brown)
• The original Hagedorn–Brown correlation takes the following
form
 

dp g 2 f F  u m2   u m2

   Mt = total mass flow rate, lbm/d
dz g c gc D 2 g c z um = mixture velocity, ft/s
L = liquid density, lbm/ft3
In US field units G = gas density, lbm/ft3
 u 2 
uSL = superficial liquid velocity, ft/s
dp  f F M t2 uSG = superficial gas velocity, ft/s
144    
  m

dz 7.413x10 D 
10 5 2 g c z

  y L  L  1  y L  g
u m  u SL  u SG
The superficial velocity of a given phase is defined as the volumetric flow rate of
the phase divided by the pipe cross-sectional area for flow
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Separated-Flow Models
• Obviously, determination of the value of liquid holdup yL is
essential for pressure calculations. The mH-B correlation uses
liquid holdup from three charts using the following
dimensionless numbers
Liquid Velocity Number Gas Velocity Number

L L
N vL  1.938u SL 4 N vG  1.938uSG 4
 
Pipe Diameter Number

L D = pipe inner diameter, ft

N D  120.872 D  = liquid-gas interfacial tension, dyne/cm
 L = liquid viscosity, cp
Liquid Viscosity Number G = gas viscosity, cp
1
N L  0.15726 L 4
 L 3
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Separated-Flow Models

CN L   10Y
Y  2.69851  0.1584 X 1  0.55100 X 12  0.54785 X 13  0.12195 X 14
X 1  logN L   3

Once the value of parameter (CNL) Is

determined, it is used for N vL p 0.1 CN L 
calculating the value of the group 0.575 0.1
N vG pa N D

where
p is the absolute pressure at the location where pressure gradient is to be calculated, and
pa is atmospheric pressure. The value of this group is then used as an entry in the second
chart to determine parameter (yL/ψ). We have found that the second chart can be
represented by the following correlation with good accuracy

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Separated-Flow Models
yL
 0.10307  0.61777log  X 2   6   0.91163  4.82176 X 3  1232.25 X 32

 22253.6 X 33  116174.3 X 34
 0.63295log  X 2   6  0.29598log  X 2   6
2 3

 0.0401log  X 2   6
4
N vG N L0.38
N vL p 0.1 CN L  X3 
X  N D2.14
0.575 0.1
N vG pa N D

y 
Finally, the liquid holdup can be calculated by yL    L 
 

2.2 x102 mt
The Reynolds number for multiphase flow can be calculated by N Re 
D Ly L G1 y L 

where mt is mass flow rate. The modified mH-B method uses the Griffith correlation for
the bubble-flow regime. The bubble-flow regime has been observed to exist when

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Separated-Flow Models

G  LB • which is valid for LB ≥0.13. When

usG the LB value given by the equation
G 
um is less than 0.13, LB =0.13 should be
 um2  used
LB  1.071  0.2218 
D

Neglecting the kinetic energy pressure drop term, the Griffith correlation in U.S.
field units can be expressed as

dp  f F mL2 where mL is mass flow rate

144  
dz 7.413x1010 D5  L yL2 of liquid only

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Separated-Flow Models
• The liquid holdup in Griffith correlation is given by the following expression

  
2 
1 u u u
yL  1  1  m  1  m   4 sG 
2 us  us  us 
 

The Reynolds number used to obtain the friction factor is based

on the in situ average liquid velocity, that is

2.2 x102 mL
N Re 
D L

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Multiphase Flow in Pipes

– Multiphase Flow
• Liquid Holdup

• Superficial liquid and gas velocities

• Flow Patterns (Regimes)

• Pressure Drop Components (friction, acceleration, head)

• Pressure Traverse Calculations

– PVT Calculations

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Multiphase Flow in Pipes
Production System

Oil Water Free Gas Gas in Oil Gas in Water

Fluids Properties are functions of in-situ Pressure & Temperature

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