NATURAL GAS ENGINEERING

CHAPTER 5 GAS WELL PERFORMANCE

CONTENTS

5.1
5.2
5.3

Gas Well Performance

Static Bottom-hole Pressure(static BHP)
Flowing Bottom-hole Pressure(flowing BHP)

LESSON LEARNING OUTCOME

At the end of the session, students should be able to:

Determine static bottom-hole pressure(static BHP) using
different methods
Determine flowing bottom-hole pressure(flowing BHP) using
different methods

Gas Well Performance

Figure (5.1) Gas Production Schematic

Gas Well Performance

Referring to Fig.(5.1), ability of a gas reservoir to produce
for a given set of reservoir conditions depends directly on the
flowing bottom-hole pressure, Pwf.
The ability of reservoir to deliver a certain quantity of gas
depends on
the inflow performance relationship (IPR)
flowing bottom-hole pressure (FBHP)
Flowing bottom-hole pressure depends on
Separator pressure

Configuration of the piping system

Gas Well Performance

These conditions can be expressed as:
(8.1)
(8.2)

Static and Flowing Bottom-Hole Pressures

The static or flowing pressure at the formation must be
known in order to predict the productivity or absolute open flow
potential (AOF) of gas wells.
Preferred method is a bottom-hole pressure gauge (downhole pressure gauge).

However, Static BHP or Flowing BHP can be estimated from

wellhead data (gas specific gravity, well head pressure, well
head temperature, formation temperature, and well depth.)

Figure (5.2) Deliverability test plot

Basic Energy Equation

In the case of steady-state flow, energy balance can be
expressed as follows:
(8.3)

OR
(8.4)

Basic Energy Equation

Figure (5.3) Flow in pipe (After Aziz.)

Basic Energy Equation

udu
Second term (
) kinetic energy is neglected in pipeline flow
calculations. 2g c
If no mechanical work is done on the gas (compression) or by
the gas (expansion through a turbine), the term ws is zero.
Reduced form of the mechanical energy equation may be
written as:
(8.5)

OR
(8.6)

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Basic Energy Equation

All equations now in use for gas flow and static head
calculations are various forms of this Equation.
The density of a gas ( g ) at a point in a vertical pipe at
pressure p and temperature T may be calculated as:

(8.7)

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Fig.(5.4) Compressibility
factor for natural gases

12

Fig.(5.5) Moody Friction Factor Chart

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Basic Energy Equation

The velocity of gas flow ug at a cross section of a vertical pipe
is

(8.8)

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Basic Energy Equation

General vertical flow equation assuming a constant average
temperature in the interval of interest is

(8.10)

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Basic Energy Equation

Sukker & Cornell, and Poettmann assumed gas deviation

factor varies only with pressure. But accurate in relatively
shallow wells.
A more realistic approach is that of Cullender & Smith.
They treated gas deviation factor as a function of both
temperature and pressure.

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Static Bottom-Hole Pressure

Average Temperature and Deviation Factor Method
The Equation is:
(8.20)

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Example (1)
Calculate the static bottom-hole pressure of a gas well having a
depth of 5790 ft. The gas gravity is 0.60 and the pressure at the
wellhead is 2300 psia. The average temperature of the flow
string is 117oF.(Use Average Temperature & Deviation Factor
Method).
Solution

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First trial

Second trial

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Exercise 1
1.
Calculate the static bottom-hole pressure of a gas
well having a depth of 8570 ft. The gas gravity is 0.63
and the pressure at the wellhead is 2800 psia. The
average temperature of the flow string is 124oF.Use
average Temperature and Deviation Factor method.
=672 psia,

=358 R

2.
Calculate the static bottom-hole pressure of a gas
well having a depth of 9230 ft. The gas gravity is 0.66
and the pressure at the wellhead is 3100 psia. The
average temperature of the flow string is 119oF. .Use
average Temperature and Deviation Factor method.
=672 psia,
=358 R
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Cullender and Smith Method

This is a more realistic approach that gas deviation factor is a
function of both temperature and pressure.
(8.25)

Define

(8.26)

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Cullender and Smith Method

Which, for the static case, reduces to

(8.27)
(8.29)

For the upper half,

(8.30)

For the lower half,

(8.31)

Static bottom-hole pressure at depth Z in the well is finally given by

(8.32)
Where Its is evaluated at H = 0, Ims at Z/2 and Iws at Z.

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Cullender and Smith Method

Calculation procedure
First: to solve for an intermediate temperature and pressure
condition at the mid point of the vertical column;
Second: Repeat the calculations for bottom-hole condition.
-A value of Its is first calculated from Eqn 8.27 at surface
conditions.
-Then, Ims is assumed(Its=Ims at first approximation) and pms is
calculated for the mid point conditions.
-Using this value of Ims , a new value of Ims is computed.
-The new value of Ims is then used to recalculate pms .
-This procedure is repeated until successive calculations of pms
are within the desired accuracy (usually within 1 psi difference).
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Cullender and Smith Method

-The Cullender and Smith method is the most
accurate method for calculating bottom-hole
pressures.
-This method is generally applicable to shallow
and deep wells, sour gases, and digital
computations.

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Example (2)
Calculate the static bottom-hole pressure for the gas well of
Example 1 using the Cullender and Smith method.
Depth of the well=5790 ft.
Gas gravity = 0.60
Pressure at the wellhead = 2300 psia.
Temperature at well head=74oF
Average temperature of flow string=117F
Ppc =672psia
Tpc=358R

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Example (2)
(a) Determine the value of z at wellhead conditions and compute
Its.
Solution

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(b) Calculate Ims for intermediate conditions at a depth of 5790/2

or 2895 ft, assuming a straight line temperature gradient. As a
first approximation, assume
Ims = Its = 178
Then, from Eqn 8.30,
(8.30)

(8.27)
(8.30)

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Since the two values of Pms are not equal, calculations are
repeated with Pms=2477 psia.

This is a check of the pressure at 2895 ft.

(c) Calculate Iws at bottom-hole conditions assuming, for the first
trial, Iws = Ims = 191. Then, from Eqn 8.31,

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Repeating the calculation,

(d) Finally, using Eqn 8.32,

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QUIZZ
Exercise

1.Calculate static bottom-hole pressure using the following data

given:
Depth of the well=7900 ft.
Gas gravity = 0.65
Pressure at the wellhead = 2800 psia.
Temperature at well head=74oF
Average temperature of flow string=117F
Ppc =672psia
Tpc=358R
Take initial pressure 3100 psia for your trial and error
calculation.

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QUIZZ

Home Work(2)
1.Calculate static bottom-hole pressure by
using thefollowing data given in example 2.
Take tubing head pressure to be 3400 psia.
Use Cullender and Smith method.

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Flowing Bottom-Hole Pressure

Flowing bottom-hole pressure of a gas well is the sum of the
flowing wellhead pressure, the pressure exerted by the weight
of the gas column, the kinetic energy change, and the energy
losses resulting from friction.
As kinetic energy change is very small, it is assumed zero.
For the situation of no heat loss from gas to surroundings
and no work performed by the system.
(8.33)

This equation is the basis for all methods of calculating

flowing
bottom-hole
pressures
from
wellhead
observations.
The only assumptions made so far are single-phase gas flow
and negligible kinetic energy change.
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Average Temperature And Average

Gas Deviation Factor Method
Assumptions in the average temperature and average gas
deviation factor method are:
1. Steady-state flow
2. Single-phase gas flow, although it may be used for condensate
flow if proper adjustments are made in the flow rate, gas
gravity and Z-factor
3. Change in kinetic energy is small and may be neglected
4. Constant temperature at some average value
5. Constant gas deviation factor at some average value
6. Constant friction factor over the length of the conduit

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Equation for Average Temperature and Deviation

Factor method
(8.39)

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If Fanning friction factor is used, use the

following equation.

(8.40)

Moody friction factor = 4 * Fanning friction factor

35

Equation 8.39 is to be applied when Moody

Friction factor is used.

Equation 8.40 is to be applied when Fanning

Friction factor is used.

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Example (3)
Calculate the flowing bottom hole pressure of a gas well from
the following surface measurements: Use Average temperature
and Deviation Factor method.

Solution
Using Eqn 8.39,

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First trial

Guess, Pwf = 2500 psia

At 1.0 atm and 121.5oF.

Viscosity at average pressure:

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The Reynolds number is given by

From the Moody friction factor chart, or by applying Jain Eqn

Then,

Pwf = 2543 psia

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Second trial

There is no appreciable change in z for this trial; (first z

value=0.825, and 0.825 again in second trial) ,so, first trial is
sufficiently accurate.

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Thank You

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