Production Engineering

PENG 4301

Two-Phase Flow in Wellbores

Phase Diagrams

Reservoir Phase Diagram

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Pressure Losses

Pressure Losses

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 Gas Flow in Wellbores
Equation of Mechanical Energy Balance
Includes:
Potential energy,
friction losses, and
acceleration terms
Only Steady State flow conditions will be addressed
Compressibility of gases makes computations very
complex

Gas Flow in Wellbores

Poettmanns method

Cullender and Smith method

Bottom Hole Flowing Pressure (BHFP) method

Sukkar and Cornell method

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Multiphase Vertical Flow Regimes

Multiphase Vertical Flow Regimes

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 Multi-phase flow in Wellbores
Empirical correlations

Mechanistic models

Gradient Curves known as Pressure Traverse

Curves (PTC)

Two-phases Empirical Correlations

Poettmann and Carpenter
Hagedorn and Brown
Duns and Ros
Orkiszewski
Baxendell and Thomas
Beggs and Brill
Aziz, Govier, and Fogarasi
Hasan and Kabir
Chierici, Clucci, Sclocchi

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 Two-phases Empirical Correlations
Poettman and Carpenter
The first serious experimental attempt
Hagedorn and Brown
The most used and recognized for vertical or near vertical
flow. Holdup was not measured. Used a real well.
Duns and Ros
Vertical flow in laboratory facility; holdup was measured
using radioactive tracers
Orkiszewski
Used Hagedorn & Browns correlation to develop his own
particularly for mist flow

Two-phases Empirical Correlations

Baxendell and Thomas
High flow rates
Beggs and Brill
Useful for deviated and horizontal flow.
Aziz, Govier, and Fogarasi
Accuracy can be compared to the Orkiszewski method. New
theoretical equations for calculating holdup were proposed
Hasan and Kabir
For directional and deviated wells. Results can be compared with
those from Beggs and Brill
Chierici, Clucci, Sclocchi
Modified Orkiszewski method. Worked in fluid property
correlations

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Two-phases Empirical Correlations
Hagedorn and Brown
The most used and recognized for vertical or near
vertical flow. Holdup was not measured. Used a real
well.

Beggs and Brill

Useful for deviated and horizontal flow (horizontal
wellbores and surface flowlines)

Hagedorn And Brown Method

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Hagedorn And Brown Method

Correlation for
viscosity number

4.6

Hagedorn And Brown Method

Holdup Factor
Correlation

4.7

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Hagedorn and Brown Method

Correlation for secondary

correction factor
4.8

Hagedorn and Brown Method

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Hagedorn and Brown Method

Reynolds number

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Computational algorithm flow chart. The
Marching Algorithm

Pressure Traverse Curves

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 Pressure Traverse Curves

References
Petroleum Production Systems, Second Edition, M.J.
Economides et al. Prentice Hall, 2013

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