Production Optimization Using NODAL” Analysis H. Dale BeggsTotal System Analysis |. INTRODUCTION “The general procedure fr applying total system or pal analysis toa procacing well was deseribed in Chapter 1 |fwas pointed out that methods must be available to cal- ‘culate the relationship between pressure drop and flow ‘rie forall of the component in the system. The total ‘Siem, ilvsrating the various components, was shown in Figre 1-1, which is reproduced as Figure 4 “The syscm analysis procedure requies int selecting «anode and calculating the node pressure, stating at the ‘facd or constant pressures existing in the system, These ‘Gael pressures are usually and either Poa OF Py- TH ‘node may be selected at any point in the system, and ‘he most cornmonly selected points are shown in Figure 42 “The expressions fr the flow into the node ad forthe ‘low ut ofthe node can be expressed as Infiow Pas Splupsteam components) = Pas ‘Oufom Pan + Spidownsteamn components) ~ Pa ‘As was stated earlier, I most cab Pran = fl 200 Poms = Pap 8 Pan, The (WO enteria which must Be met 1. Flow into the node equals flow oat ofthe node 2. Only one pressure ean exist atthe nade fora given ow rat. Finding the flow rate and presure that satisfies the previous requirements can be accomplished. graphically by ploting node pressure venus flow rae, as described {in Chapter 1. The intersection of the inflow an! outflow {curves occurs at the rate that satisfies the requirement ‘thatthe inflow rate equals the outflow rte, This rate wil be the producing capacity forthe system fora particular ‘set of components. To ievestigate the effect of changes {many ofthe components on the producing capacity, new Inflow oc cutlow curves canbe generated foreach change. 1 change is made i ap inflow oe upstream cormponent ‘aly. the outflow curve will ot change. and will here- fore not require recalculation. Conversely. ifthe only change made isin a downstream coraponent, the inflow will emain unchanged, This allows isolation of the ef- fect of a change is any component on the total system capacity. This method can be used for determining if ‘exsting systems are perforning property aad also for designing new systems, Possible applications of nodal analysis are listed in (Chapter 1, Examples of several ofthese applications wil bbe presented i this chapter, which wall llustate the flexibility of the method. Many ofthe problems will be ‘worked using the prepared pressure waverse curves for the piping system performance, but the same solution procedures would apply ifthe calculations were made bby a computer. The simplest production system will be ‘considered fist a an introduction 1 the application ro- cedures. More complex and realistic systems will then ‘be considered ‘The examples in this chapter will be restricted 1 flow= ing wells, either oll or gas. Ina subsequent chapter. the application of systems analysis to artificial lift wells wll be presented,134 Production Optimization Using Nodal Analysis fe APa=(Pan Pere) —od + SALES LINE Loss IN POROUS MEDIUM LOSS ACROSS COMPLETION RESTRICTION SAFETY VALVE = SURFACE CHOKE = iN FLOWLINE TOTAL LOSS iN TUBING et FLONLINE Py =(Py-Pet) Fig. 41. Possibe pressure losses in complete system @.2 NODE LocanoN SEPARATOR SURFACE CHOKE WELLHEAD SAFETY VALVE RESTRCTION Pwr Paws Pa Gssas STOCK TANK Fig. 42. Locaton of varous nooks: