NATURAL AND GAS-LIFT IN SAGD PRODUCTION WELLS

R.M.BUTLER S.BHARATHA C.T.YEE

this article begins on the next page

THE PETROLEUM SOCIETY

PAPER
97-111
Natural and Gas-lift in SAGD
Production Wells
R.M. Butler, S. Bharatha, C.T Yee
GravDrain Inc.
This paper is to be presented at the 48th Annual Technical Meeting of The Petroleum Society in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, June 8 - 11,
1997. Discussion of this paper is invited and may be presented at the meeting if filed in writing with the technical program chairman prior
to the conclusion of the meeting. This paper and any discussion filed will be considered for publication in CIM journals. Publication rights
are reserved. This is a pre-print and subject to correction.
ABSTRACT
operation of
the
SAGD
process.
In
many
SAGD
projects,
the early performance
of
the
process
has
been
severely
Adequate lifting of produced fluids is
an
important
issue
limited by inadequate lifting. When this occurs the produced
for SAGD producers.
It is often necessary to
evaluate
the
oil tends to be replaced by water rather than gas and steam,
natural
lift
capability
of
the
SAGD
process
for
given
and a steam chamber either does not form or is confined to
.ft
producer well design and modify the design
if
self-flowing
only the upper part of the reservoir.
capability of the well is a requirement.
If the steam chamber pressure is sufficiently high in
This
paper
describes
the
methodology
for
calculating
relation to the depth of the reservoir, it may be possible to
pressure,
temperature
and fractional
vaporization
of
water
achieve natural lifting of produced fluids in a SAGD project
pro
files along SAGD producers, leading to
the
development
without the use of a pump. While this mode of operation is
of
a
computer
program
RISEWELL
to
perform
such
very convenient, it is clearly not feasible for deep reservoirs
calculations.
Sample
calculations
using
the
program
the high
operating
required to produce
natural
indicate unstable flow regimes for low fluid flow rates
lift would then result in poor oil-steam ratio making
SAGD
implications of this instability for lift
gas injection and steam
not viable for such reservoirs. Even for shallow reservoirs,
production into the well to enhance lifting
capability
are
the producer has to be designed appropriately to render
it
discussed in relation to the example used
for
the
sample
self-flowing and it is necessary
to
perform
pressure
drop
calculations.
calculations to aid well design.
INTRODUCTION
This
paper
describes
the
development
of
a
computer
The analysis of fluid flow in producing wells
of
the
program
RISEWELL
for
the
flow
analyses
of
SAGD
Steam-Assisted
Gravity
Drainage
(SAGD)
process
is
producers.
In
this
program,
pressures,
temperatures
and
fractional water vaporization profiles
along
the
well
are
necessary for evaluating the natural lift capability of
the
process and for well design. The lifting of produced fluids at
calculated
using
momentum
and
energy
balance
principles
an adequate rate is of prime importance for the
successful
combined
with
heat
transfer
equations
and
experimental

THE PETROLEUM SOCIETY

PAPER 97-111

Natural and Gas-lift in SAGD

Production Wells

A.M. Butler, S. Bharatha, C.T. Yee

GravDrain Inc.

This paper is to be presented at the 48th Annual Technical Meeting of The Petroleum Society in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, June 8 - 11,
1997. Discussion of this paper is invited and may be presented at the meeting if filed in writing with the technical program chairman prior
to the conclusion of the meeting. This paper and any discussion filed will be considered for pUblication in CIM journals. Publication rights
are reserved. This is a pre-print and is subject to correction.

ABSTRACT

Adequate lifting ofproduced fluids is an important issue

for SAGD prodlfcers. It is often necessary to evaluate the
natural lift capability of the SAGD process for given
producer well design and modify the design if self-flowing
capability ofthe well is a requirement.
This paper describes the methodology for calculating
pressure, temperature and fractional vaporization of water
profiles along SAGD producers, leading to the development
of a computer program RISEWELL to perform such
calculations.
Sample calculations using the program
indicate unstable flow regimes for low fluid flow rates. The
implications ofthis instabilityfor lift gas injection and steam
production into the well to enhance lifting capability are
discussed in relation to the example used for the sample
calculations.
INTRODUCTION

The analysis of fluid flow in producing wells of the

Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) process is
necessary for evaluating the natural lift capability of the
process and for well design. The lifting of produced fluids at
an adequate rate is of prime importance for the successful

operation of the SAGD process. In many SAGD projects,

the early performance of the process has been severely
limited by inadequate lifting. When this occurs the produced
oil tends to be replaced by water rather than gas and steam,
and a steam chamber either does not form or is confined to
only the upper part ofthe reservoir.
If the steam chamber pressure is sufficiently high in
relation to the depth of the reservoir, it may be possible to
achieve natural lifting of produced fluids in a SAGD project
without the use of a pump. While this mode of operation is
very convenient, it is clearly not feasible for deep reservoirs
- the high operating pressure required to produce natural
lift would then result in poor oil-steam ratio making SAGD
not viable for such reservoirs. Even for shallow reservoirs,
the producer has to be designed appropriately to render it
self-flowing and it is necessary to perform pressure drop
calculations to aid well design.
This paper describes the development of a computer
program RISEWELL for the flow analyses of SAGD
producers. In this program, pressures, temperatures and
fractional water vaporization profiles along the well are
calculated using momentum and energy balance principles
combined with heat transfer equations and experimental

f, the specific enthalpies h.., hlJ and hug> latent heat L,

correlations for pressure drop in multi-phase pipe flow.

Sample calculations are presented to illustrate the use of the
program for the design of producers in SAGD projects.

saturation relations for water and the heat loss rate per unit
length q appearing in (1) to (4) are required; these are
provided below.

BALANCE OF MOMENTUM AND ENERGY

MIXTURE DENSITY

The calculations are based on the fundamental principles

of balance of momentum and energy for pipe flow. Consider
the multi-phase flow of water, oil and gas through a deviated
producer well of constant cross-sectional area (not
necessarily circular) as shown in Figure 1. Let s denote the
arc length measured along the centre line of the well,
increasing along the fluid flow direction. Although the fluid
flow in SAGD wells is not strictly steady owing to slow
changes in the temperatures, pressures and flow rates with
time at a well cross-section, the assumption of steady flow
will be made to simplify the equations and is not expected to
result in serious errors. Balance of momentum, ignoring
inertia effects, applied to the control volume of length ds (see
Figure 1) leads to the following differential equation (el Eq.
(A-I) on p. 616 of Beggs and Brill l ):

ap = _P
as"

gsin9 _ 't W
AI

In tenns of the liquid holdup HI (volume fraction of

liquid), the mixture (water, oil and gas) density
may be
expressed in the fonn

Pm

(5)

The calculation of the mixture density depends upon

empirical correlations obtained by several authors for liquid
holdup in two-phase flow of liquid and gas. These
correlations take account of the slip between the liquid and
gas phases and will be discussed later on.
Since liquid here stands for water and oil phases, some
assumption on the slip between the water and oil phases is
necessary before the correlations for liquid holdup can be
used here. It will be assumed that there is no slip between
the water and oil phases i.e., the phase velocities of water
and oil are equal. Let Vsw and VSIJ denote the superficial
velocities (volumetric flow rate divided by total crosssectional flow area) of water and oil, respectively. Because
of the assumption of no slip, the liquid density PI may be
written in the fonn

(1)

where 't is the mean shear stress at the wall exerted along the
direction opposite to that of flow. The shear stress 't
appearing in (1) is usually expressed in tenns of the Fanning
friction factorlin accordance with the equation

P
(2)

(v.nr + v.,,)

(6)

The water and oil densities in kglm3 are calculated from the
equations given on pp. 487 - 488 of Butler:

where Vm is the mixture velocity (total volumetric flow rate

divided by flow area). It should be noted that many
American authors use the notation I for the quantity 4f in
terms of the notation here. Using (2) in (1), the momentum
balance may be written in the fonn

~~ =-Pm(gsin9 + 2~m2)

(V...P" + V.'" Po)

-..:......:.,,...-"--~;.:.

1-

P ..

= 1001.7 -O.l6I6T-0.00262T\

(7)

=(PO)IS-C +9.6-0.64T

(8)

Po

where T is the temperature in C and (Po)IS'C is the density of

oil at 15C in kglm 3, calculated from the API gravity of the
oil by the equation

(3)

where Dh = 4Af lW is the hydraulic diameter.

1415
)(999)
( Po ) IS-C -_ ( 1315+'
API
.

An energy balance, ignoring kinetic energy, for the

control volume of length ds in Figure 1 leads to the
following differential equation:

:s[m"..(h.. + xL) + moho +m.., A{.]=-q-m,gsin9.

(9)

The gas phase density Pg appearing in (5) is calculated

from

(4)

PI'

The balances (1) and (4) only constitute a framework for

flow analyses and are not by themselves adequate to
calculate pressure, temperature and fractional vaporization
profiles along the well. In order to do these calculations,
suitable equations for the mixture density
friction factor

= Psi +

M(p-psl)
RT

(10)

where T is the absolute temperature and P.fl is the saturation

pressure of water at the temperature T. The relation between
PSI and Twill be given in a later section - see (63) and (64).
The dry gas density in (10) is based on the ideal gas equation

Pm'