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Summary. Multiphase flow can occur throughout the production system. The fluids involved in multiphase
flow in the petroleum industry are multicomponent mixtures with complex phase behavior. Petroleum engineers
are faced with the need to predict the relationships between flow rates, pressure drop, and piping geometry for
reservoir fluids produced during the life of a field. This paper reviews the historical development of design
tools used to address these unique multiphase-flow features. State-of-the-art technology is also presented.
lntroduction
Multiphase flow can occur throughout the entire Temperatures can range from 400F [200C] to
production system involved in flowing fluids from oil below the freezing temperature of water. Pipe lengths
and gas reservoirs to processing facilities at the can vary from a few fect to severa! hundred miles for
surface. The production system in this context surface pipe or pipelines and from a few hundred feet
includes the reservoir: the well completion; the to more than 20,000 ft [6100 mj for wells. Piping
tubulars that connect the reservoir to the surface; ali systems often involve significant variations in
surface facilities on land, seabed, or offshore geometry, such as inclination angle, diameter, pipe
platform; and any pipelines that carry produced fluids roughness, and even shape, such as when fluids flow
to other processing facilities. The multiphase flow in the annular space between casing and tubing in a
encountered in producing oil and gas can be any wellbore. Although most vertical piping systems
combination of a natural gas phase, a hydrocarbon involve upflow, it is not uncommon to have
liquid phase, and a water phase. multiphase downward flow in injection wells or
A vast amount of technical information on downcomers connecting offshore platforms to subsea
multiphase flow in pipes is available in the literature. pipelines. Simulating multiphase flow in wells also
Many of these sources are related to other industries requires the ability to predict fluid temperatures in a
and involve different types of fluids. The reference system that undergoes complex heat transfer
list for this paper clearly demonstrates the diversity of phenomena between the reservoir and the surface.
interest in multiphase flow in pipes. In particular, The entire wellbore is surrounded by a huge rock
significant contributions have been made in the volume, much of which may even be frozen, as in
nuclear industry, where a major concern is a possible the case of permafrost in arctic locations.
loss-of-coolant accident in a nuclear reactor. These Engineers in the petroleum industry are faced with
studies involve the transient simulation of two-phase, the requirement to predict the relationships between
single-component (water) fluid flow in piping flow rates, pressure drop, and piping geometry
systems. (length, diarneter, angle, etc.) for the fluids produced
Multiphase flow in the petroleum industry has many from a reservoir over the entire life of the field. The
unique features that create complications not objective of this paper is to review the historical
encountered by other industries. The fluids involved development of design tools used to address the
are multicomponent mixtures whose phase behavior is unique multiphase-flow features of the petroleum
extremely complex. The range of pressures and industry, including an evaluation of the state of
temperatures encountered in production systems is the art.
extremely broad. Pressures can range from 15,000
psia [100 MPa] to near atmospheric conditions. Historical Development
The development of tools to assist engineers in
Copyright 1987 Society of Petroleum Engineers predicting multiphase-flow behavior in wells, and thus
t
BUBBLE SLUG
t t
CHURN
t ANNULAR
FLOW
upward flow are shown in Fig. 1. The occurrence of
slippage between the gas and liquid phases and
complex flow patterns introduced complications that
FLOW FLOW FLOW required development of new concepts.
Fig. 1-Flow patterns for upward vertical tlow. Two different approaches are commonly used to
develop predictive tools for describing complex fluid-
mechanics problems. The emprica! approach involves
properly selecting optimum pipe diameters to connect developing simplified models containing parameters
reservoirs with surface facilities, has followed a very that must be evaluated with experimental data.
logical history. Tracing this history requires a review Correlating variables typically are dimensionless
of three separate but interrelated topics. The first groups determined by performing a dimensional
involves understanding the basic fluid mechanics analysis of the phenomena involved. A classic
required to predict the interactions between the gas example of this for single-phase fluid flow is the
and liquid phases and the pressure drop. In general, Moody4 diagram, in which friction factors are
this involves developing expressions for conservation correlated as a function of Reynolds number and
of mass and linear momentum. Applying pressure- relative roughness for turbulent flows. The empirical
drop equations requires the ability to predict the approach does not address why or how things
physical properties of the gas and liquid phases. Thus happen, but can yield excellent results quickly,
the second topic is phase behavior. Finally, prediction depending on the proper selection of variables and the
of phase behavior also requires the ability to predict quality of data used for the correlation. The second
flowing temperatures of the fluids in a well. approach involves developing physically based
Temperature prediction involves applying the mechanistic models that describe ali important
principie of conservation of energy. The following phenomena. This requires much more in-depth
sections describe the historical development of each understanding and longer-term research.
of these tools, together with a brief description of The first and perhaps only exhaustive dimensional
attempts to evaluate the numerous correlations and analysis of the multiphase-flow-in-pipe problem was
models that have been developed. performed by Duns and Ros. 5 They identified 13
important variables, resulting in I O independent
Early Homogeneous Methods. From an international dimensionless groups that might be important in
perspective, most of the wells discovered in the early describing multiphase-flow behavior. After obtaining
fields were capable of flowing at extremely high flow extensive experimental data, they concluded that four
rates. The degree of turbulence in the wells was of these dimensionless groups were important for
sufficiently high for multiphase fluids to exist as predicting flow pattern and degree of slippage at any
homogeneous mixtures. Thus the gas and liquid location in vertical pipe. The degree of slippage
traveled at essentially the same velocity. Pressure- determines the fraction of pipe volume occupied by
gradient equations, such as Eq. 1, were a logical first liquid, a variable they called "Iiquid holdup." Most
attempt to describe multiphase flow; steady-state subsequent developers of emprica! correlations made
use of Duns and Ros' dimensional analysis.
single-phase-flow equations were modified by
The first attempt to obtain a large quantity of high-
replacing flow and physical property variables with
quality field-scale multiphase-flow data in vertical
mixture variables.
pipes was conducted by Hagedorn and Brown. 6
Using severa! different liquids and three different
dp Pmg sin() mPmVm 2 p111v111dv111
diameters of pipe, they flowed fluids up a 1,400-ft
..... (1)
dl ge Zdg gcdl [427-m] -deep vertical test well. At the time, the
(ALL OIL)
Tubii, Size 4 in. l.D.
Producint Rale !000 Bbls./D,y
Oil AP1 Gmity 35' API
G.as Specific G,avity 11.&5
Aver.11e Flowint Temp. 140' F