A Comparison of Existing Multi Phase Flow

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THE SPE IMAGE LIBRARY SPE 2553

A Comparison of Existing Multiphase Flow

Methods for the Calculation of

Pressure Drop in Vertical Wells

2553

Espanol, J.H.,

Superior Oil Co.,

Holmes, C.S.,

Cities Service Oil Co. and

Brown, K.E.,

U. of Tulsa, Members AIME

Copyright 1969 American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and

Petroleum

Engineers, Inc.

This paper was prepared for the 44th Annual Fall Meeting of theSociety of petroleum Engineers of AIME, to be held in Denver, Colo.,

Sept.

28-Oct. 1, 1969. Permission to copy is restricted to an

abstract of not more than 300 words. Illustrations may not be copied.

The

abstract should contain conspicuous acknowledgment of where and by

whom the

paper is presented. Publication elsewhere after publication in the

JOURNAL

OF PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY or the SOCIETY OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERS JOURNAL

is

usually granted upon request to the Editor of the appropriate journal

provided agreement to give proper credit is made.

Discussion of this paper is invited. Three copies of any discussion

should

be sent to the Society of Petroleum Engineers office. Such discussion

may

be presented at the above meeting and, with the paper, may be

considered

for publication in one of the two SPE magazines.

ABSTRACT

The estimation of pressure drop for

multiphase flow in a vertical pipe is one of the

more complex problems in oil field practice.

The most successful solutions to this

problem involve trial and error calculations in

subdivided sections of flow patterns. No

two methods yield identical results for a

given set of flow conditions as the

multiphase flow problem is extremely difficult

to analyze. Fortunately the introduction

of the computer in the petroleum industry


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THE SPE IMAGE LIBRARY SPE 2553

has enhanced the investigation of the

multiphase flow problem. Rapid computation

provides a means for comparison of individual

methods and an instrument for the

development of new correlations.

Three of the best correlations were chosen

and evaluated; the Hagedorn and Brown, Duns

and Ros, and Orkiszewski methods. The

accuracy of these new correlations wasdetermined against multiphase flow pressure drop

data from 44 wells. The best solution which

was both general and gave satisfactory

accuracy for all possible ranges of well

conditions was determined. The method of

Orkiszewski was found to be most accurate

for engineering design usage and was the

only correlation which could evaluate a

three phase flow condition when water is

simultaneously being produced with the

gas-oil mixture.

INTRODUCTION

Accurate prediction of the pressure drop

to be encountered during the multiphase flow

of fluids in a vertical well is desired for

good engineering data. The lack of reliable

pressure drop data and experimental flow

apparatus for correlation data gathering

represent the inherent problems of

obtaining a general multiphase flow model.

During multiphase flow in vertical tubing

at least four distinct regimes of flow are

identifiable. These are usually described

as the bubble, slug, transition, and mist

flow regions. Figure 1 illustrates the

geometrical configuration of the four regions

of flow. Bubble flow consists of a

continuous liquid phase with little free gas

present. As greater quantities of gas evolve

from the liquid phase, the gas bubbles

agglomerate, forming slug-like gas pockets

characteristic of the slug flow region. As

still greater amounts of gas are released,the transition flow region forms in which

droplets of liquid become entrained in the

gas pockets. The gas pockets become

distorted and approach a continuous gas form.


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A Comparison of Existing Multi Phase Flow

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