Study of the effect of water and gas injection on the total pressure gradient in upward-vertical viscous oil flow

Douglas Martins Rocha

Advisor: Prof. Dr. Oscar M. H. Rodriguez

Context

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2

$ Oil

$ Production

$ Transportation

Others

Context

3Multiphasic

Flow

Lifting methods and

transportation

Research

Efficiency

Feasibility

$Production $TransportationFlow

Technology

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Goal

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Multiphase flow study for improve the efficiency of oil lifting and transportation

methods.

Artificial Lifting D

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Atificial Lifiting Methods

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Gas-Lift

Core-Annular-Flow

Art

ific

ial L

ifti

ng

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Atificial Lifiting Methods

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Core-Annular-Flow Gas-Lift

Decrease the frictional component of the total

pressure gradient

Decrease the gravitational component of the total

pressure gradient

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Gas-lift

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Source: (Guet e Ooms, 2006)

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Gas-lift

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Applicable for low to medium flow rates(Re+/- 10000)

Poor efficiency for heavy oil (high viscosity)Gas

-Lif

t

Source: (Guet e Ooms, 2006)

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Core-Flow

9Water Water

OilSource: (Parda e Bannwart, 2001)

Applicable for reducing the frictional component of the pressure gradient

Co

re-f

low

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Core-Flow

10Source: (Joseph et al, 1997)

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Water-Gas-Lift

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Core Flow

GasLift

Water-Gas-Lift

Frictional Component

Gravitational Component

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Water-Gas-Lift

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𝜕𝑃

𝜕𝑧=

𝜕𝑃

𝜕𝑧𝑔

+𝜕𝑃

𝜕𝑧𝑓

+𝜕𝑃

𝜕𝑧𝑎

Source: (Guet e Ooms, 2006)

Core-FlowGas-Lift

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Work strategy

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Investigate (lab tests) the behavior of each technique in vertical upward flow of oil from moderate to high viscosity

Development of a phenomenological model to predict the pattern and behavior of each flow

Validation

MODEL vs EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS

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Work strategy

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Modeling

Experimental tests

Flow pattern: use of high-definition and high speed camera

Volume fraction: quick-closing valves

Pressure drop: differential pressure transducer Valadyne ®

Calibration of flowmeters and Validyne ®

Signal Analysis in LabView ®

Models homogeneously mixing and / or separate phases (Wallis, 1969), (oil / water / gas)

Models liquid/liquid (Bannwart and Rodriguez, 2009) and gas/liquid for comparison

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Infrastructure

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Expected results

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Effective viscosity limit of the mixture (gas lift), above which the gas injection shows less advantageous to reduce the pressure gradient for a given production rate of oil;

Determining the impact of the pattern three-phase flow in reducing the pressure gradient

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References

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GUET, S.; OOMS, G. Fluid mechanical aspects of the gas-lift technique. In: (Ed.). Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics. Palo Alto: Annual Reviews, v.38, 2006. p.225-249. (Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics).

RODRIGUEZ, O. M. H. Forma da Interface e Gradiente de Pressão no Padrão Líquido-Líquido Anular Vertical Ascendente. Tese de Doutorado. Universidade Estadual de Campinas, 2002.

PARDA, V. J. W.; BANNWART A. C. Modeling of vertical core-annular flows and application to heavy oil production. J Energy Resour Technol. ASME. v.123, 2001. p.194-199.

JOSEPH, D. D.; BAI, R.; CHEN, K. R.; RENARDY, Y. Y.; Core-annular flows. Annual reviews. J Fluid Mech, 1997. v.29, p.1-30.

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OBRIGADO!

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