Pressure Loss in the Wellbore

Lecture Outcomes
At the end of this lecture, students should be able to:
Identify the major components of pressure losses in the
wellbore
Explain the origin and applicability of common industry
multiphase flow correlations
Define slip and liquid hold-up

Introduction
For the vast majority of wells, the major part of

pressure loss in the production system is the

wellbore

Particular care must be therefore be taken to

understand and model this pressure drop

correctly.

Introduction
Pressure loss in the wellbore may also be called
outflow or tubing performance or vertical lift
performance (VLP)
It is used in conjunction with pressure drop in
the reservoir or inflow performance relationship
(IPR) for well performance prediction (flowrates
and pressures)

Introduction

Figure 1: IPR and VLP curves

Note that it may be incorporated into reservoir models as vertical lift

performance (VLP) curves or tubing hydraulic tables

Wellbore Fluid Fundamentals

Flow up the wellbore can be laminar or turbulent, single or multiphase,

vertical or inclined

Multiphase flow is complex and cannot be described completely by

equations

Models rely on correlations to allow calculation of pressure loss

The dominant component is hydrostatic head (gravity pressure loss)

The secondary component is resistance to flow (friction pressure loss)

The minor component is kinetic energy change (acceleration pressure

loss)

Wellbore Fluid Fundamentals

Figure 2: A schematic of a wellbore

Wellbore Fluid Fundamentals

Noted that the top and the bottom of the wellbore are often called nodes:

The top nodes is the depth of the wellhead (where the pressure is termed
well head or tubing pressure = Pwh or WHP or THP)

The bottom node is the depth of the reservoir (or well face), usually chosen
as top perforations or top open hole (= Pwf).

Pwf stands for pressure at the well face and not flowing pressure (at zero
flow, Pwf = static reservoir pressure, PR). This is usually chosen as the
solution node for well performance prediction (i.e. inflow and outflow
intersection)

Wellbore Fluid Fundamentals

Guidelines for magnitudes of these pressure components
are as follows:
For oils, acceleration term is usually negligible and
gravity term is a minimum of 80% of the total
For low GOR oils (or high water cut wells), gas volumes
are small and the gravity term is typically 95% or higher
For volatile oils and gas-condensates (GORs usually
2000-5000), the friction term may be up to 40%
For high rate gas wells, friction can be significant (up to
60 %)

Gravity Term
For most wells, this is dominant pressure loss component and
therefore is must be calculated correctly.
Calculation of the gravity term requires:
determination of oil, water and gas densities at element (Pav , Tav)
calculation of phase volumes and areas at element (Pav , Tav)
calculation of mixture density at element (Pav , Tav)
where:
mix = [lb/cuft]
HTVD = [ft TVD]
Pgravity = [psi]

Gravity Term

The above calculation assumes that the liquid and gas phases are
flowing at the same velocity in the wellbore.
In reality the gas phase will move faster due to buoyancy forces,
giving rise to a slip velocity:
slip velocity = gas velocity liquid velocity
The consequence of slip is a change in the areas of each phase
(the effective liquid area increases).
The slip-corrected liquid area is termed liquid holdup (HL):

Gravity Term

The correction from %L to HL by accounting for slip is determined by

multiphase flow correlations

Note that the no-slip density represents the minimum P gravity case
and is a useful diagnostic

Slip is determined by finding the velocities of each phase which is

dependent on flow distribution

Determination of slip is highly complex and depends on a number of

parameters

These parameters are often grouped together in the form of flow regime
maps

Exercise
Consider two cases of the same amount of gas (20%) distributed
differently in the liquid phase

In which case would the slip be highest and why?

Which fluid parameter is most influential in determining the
distribution?

Multiphase Flow
Correlations
Multiphase flow correlations are used to calculate no slip mixture density and phase
areas and then correct for effect of slip and holdup.
Determination of slip is a two step process:
1. Detect flow regime
2. Apply appropriate holdup correlation
Flow regime maps are used to find the distribution at every element of the pressure
loss calculation along the wellbore.
For oil wells, single phase liquid or bubble flow exists at the bottom of the well.
As pressure falls below bubble point and gas volumes expand, flow is dominantly slug.
Mist flow is rare for oil wells, except very near surface if large gas volumes are present.

Multiphase Flow
Correlations
Most oil wells
would be in
bubble flow
towards the
bottom of the
wellbore and
move to slug
flow towards the
middle and top of
the wellbore.
Slug flow is
usually the
dominant flow
regime.

Flow Regime Map

Flow regime maps use combinations of dimensionless groups for

the gas and liquid phases. These are plotted on the x and y axes
respectively and the intersection determines the flow regime.
The boundaries between the flow regimes are found experimentally.

Flow Regime Map

Note the primary fluid parameters of importance are liquid density
and gas-liquid interfacial tension.
Practical implications of these grouped parameters are:
1. High interfacial tension fluids (bio-degraded oils) will support large
bubble sizes (slug flow)
2. Low interfacial tension fluids (volatile oils) cannot support large
bubbles (mist flow)
3. The correct determination of gas-liquid interfacial tension is critical!

Selection For Flow Correlations

Applying the appropriate holdup correlation depends on flow regime

detection and the emphasis of the experimental work performed in
deriving the correlation.
General comments on the origin and applicability of common
industry correlations are as follows:
Fancher-Brown (1963)

No-slip correlation. Good as a diagnostic

since this give the minimum possible
gravity pressure loss

Griffith-Wallis (1961)

Bubble flow correlation. Adopted by

Hagedorn-Brown and others to
determine bubble-slug flow boundary

Duns and Ros (1961)

Comprehensive work including flow

regime map and derivation of holdup
correlations for each. Best in mist flow
regime

Selection For Flow Correlations

Continue..
Hagedorn-Brown
(original 1965)

No flow regime map used. Experimental work largely in

slug flow regime. Remains one of the best correlations
for slug flow

Hagedorn-Brown
(modified)

Modified to include Griffith-Wallis for bubble flow

detection and to ensure that liquid holdup always
greater than no-slip liquid area

Orkiszewski (1967)

Combined the results of Griffith-Wallis, HagedornBrown and Duns and Ros with velocity determined
boundaries. Can give discontinuities.

Beggs and Brill

(1973)

Correlation derived for horizontal flow and then

modified for angle for deviated wells. Good for pipelines
but usually overpredicts for wells.

Selection For Flow Correlations

Since most oil wells are in slug flow (with some bubble flow towards
the bottom of the wellbore), Hagedorn-Brown (modified) would be
the best choice. Most commercially developed correlations for oil
wells use Hagedorn-Brown as the basis.
Fancher Brown is a no slip correlation and is a useful diagnostic
since it will predict the minimum Pwf (slip will increase Pwf). If a
measured gauge pressure in the wellbore is less than FancherBrown then a data measurement or PVT problem exists.
Beggs & Brill is good for surface flowlines and pipelines but is not
recommended for oil wells, deviated or otherwise.
Duns and Ros is recommended for wet gas or gas-condensate wells
that are dominant in mist flow. The Gray correlation, not mentioned
above, is appropriate for dry gas wells.

Friction Term

The main dependencies of frictional pressure loss are mixture

velocity (or flowrate), pipe diameter and viscosity. It is very sensitive
to gas volumes since this directly affects velocities.
Note that it is inversely proportional to diameter to the fifth power.
The equation for friction pressure loss (per unit length) is as follows:

Friction Term

Friction factor (f) is correlated to Reynolds number (Re) and tubing

roughness () from the Moody Diagram (developed for single phase
flow).

Note that for laminar flow (Re < 2000), the friction factor = 64/Re

Tubing roughness (granularity of the tubing inside wall) is only

relevant in turbulent flow. In laminar flow, roughness has no effect.

Friction Term
Typical values of roughness () are as follows:

Stainless steel / 13% Cr

Mild steel
Corroded tubing/cast iron

For turbulent conditions in multiphase flow, the frictional loss term is

influenced by slip.
Various authors have modified the friction term for bubble, slug and
mist flow.
A two-phase Reynolds number is used accounting for gas and liquid
viscosities.

0.00006 in
0.0006 in
0.01 in

Acceleration Term

This results from kinetic energy losses due to the rate of change of velocity.
It is usually only significant at the top of the wellbore with low flowing
pressures and large gas volumes.
Generally this is negligible for most oil wells.

Question ??

Thank You