GRADIENT PRESSURE CALCULATION USING THE BEGGS AND BRILL METHOD

Step 1: Predict the flow regime

Eq. (1.1) though (1.4) from (Michael J. Economides, A. Daniel Hill, Christine Ehlig-Economides, 2009),
page 170.

2
m
FR
c
u
N
g D
= (1.1)
o
m sg sl
u u u = + (1.2)

| |
0 0 0
2 2
( ) 5.614 ( )5.614
86400 86400
4 4
l w w w l w w
sl
Q Q B Q B q Q B Q B
D D A
u
t t
+ +
= = =

(1.3)

2
86400
4
g g g
sg
q B Q
D A
u
t
= =

(1.4)
Where
u
m
= mixture velocity, ft/s
g
c
= 32.17
u
sg,
u
sl
= superficial velocity of gas, liquid, respectively, ft/s
D = tubing inner diameter, in
q
l
= oil flow rate, STB/day
q
g
= gas flow rate, ft
3
/sec
A = cross-sectional area of the pipe, ft
2

B
o
, B
g
, B
w
= oil, gas, water formation volume factor, ft
3
/scf, 86400 = seconds/day
Eq.(1.5) from (B.C.Craft - M.Hawkins - , 1991), page 37
For p s p
b

- ( )
1.175
0.5
0
0
0.971 0.000147 1.25 460
g
s
B R T

(
| |
( = + +
|
(
\ .

(1.5)




Eq. (1.6) from (Ahmad, 2006), page79
o
( ) 0.0125 0.00091 460
1.4 10
18.2
API T
s g
P
R

(
| |
( |
\ .

= + (1.6)
Where
R
s
= solution gas, scf/STB
T = Temperature,
0
R
P = System pressure, psia

g
= gas specific gravity at P,T

o
=

oil gravity, API
Eq. (1.7) from (Beggs, 2003), page 79
-
0.0283
g
Z T
B
P
= (1.7)
Where
Z = gas compressibility factor
Theses Equations below from (Ahmad, 2006), page 42
2
2
168 325 12.5
677 15 37.5
pc g g
pc g g
T
P


= +
= +

;
pr pr
pc pc
P T
P T
P T
= =
Eq.(1.8) from (Beggs, 2003), page 78
o (1 )
B D
pr
Z A A e CP

= + + (1.8)


( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
r
0.5
r
6
2
20.723 1
r
2
r
r
(0.715 1.128 0.42 )
1.39 0.92 0.36 0.101
0.32
0.066
0.62 0.23 0.037
0.86
0.132 0.32log
p
p pr
pr
pr pr pr
T
pr
p
p
p
T T
A T T
P
B P T P
T
e
C T
D e
(

+
=
(
= + + (

(

=
=

Where
P
pc
= pseudo critical pressure
T
pc
= pseudo critical temperature
P
pr
= pseudo reduced pressure
T
pr
= pseudo reduced temperature
Eq. (1.9) from (Ahmad, 2006) , page 96, Marhouns Correlation:
3 2 5
0.497069 0.862963 10 0.182594 10 0.318099 10
w
B T F

= + + + (1.9)

a b c
s g o
F R = (1.10)

0.74239
0.323294
1.20204
a
b
c
=
=
=

Eqs. (1.10) though (1.14) From (Michael J. Economides, A. Daniel Hill, Christine Ehlig-Economides,
2009), page 161 to 162

sl
l
m
u
u
= (1.11)
0.302
1
316
l
L = (1.12)
2.4684
2
0.0009252
l
L

= (1.13)
1.4516
3
0.1
l
L

= (1.14)
0.738
4
0.5
l
L

= (1.15)


The flow regime are given by the following:

Step 2: Determine Liquid Holdup
Eq (1.15) to (1.23). From (Michael J. Economides, A. Daniel Hill, Christine Ehlig-Economides, 2009)
page 162 to 164

l lo
y y = (1.16)
o
with the constraint that
b
l
lo c
FR
lo l
a
y
N
y y

=
>
(1.17)
o
( ) ( )
3
1 sin 1.8 0.333sin 1.8 C u u ( = +

(1.18)

( ) ( )
1 ln
e f g
l l vl FR
C d N N = (1.19)
Where a, b, c, d, e, f, and g depend on the flow regime and are given in Table 7-1, C must be >0.
Eq. (1.19) from (Michael J. Economides, A. Daniel Hill, Christine Ehlig-Economides, 2009), page 156
4
1.938
f l
vl sl
N u

o
= (1.20)
Where
f
vl
N = Liquid velocity number


o = Surface tension, dynes/cm

TABLE 7.1 - BEGGS AND BRILL EMPIRICAL
COEFICIENT FOR HORIZONTAL LIQUID HOLDUP
Flow Pattern a b c
Segregated Flow 0.98 0.4846 0.0868
Intermittent Flow 0.845 0.5351 0.0173
Distributed Flow 1.065 0.5824 0.0609
BEGGS AND BRILL EMPIRICAL
COEFFICIENTS FOR C
Flow Pattern e f g h
Segregated uphill 0.011 -3.768 3.539 -1.614
Intermittent uphill 2.96 0.305 -0.4473 0.0978
Distributed uphill no correction: C=0: =1
All patterns downhill 4.7 -0.3692 0.1244 -0.5056

If the flow is transition flow, the liquid holdup is calculated particularly:

( ) ( )
A segregated interment
l l l
y y By = + (1.21)
o
3
3 2
; 1
FR
L N
A B A
L L

= =

(1.22) (B.C.Craft - M.Hawkins - , 1991)

Step 3: Determine Pressure Gradient by Beggs and Brill method
Eqs.(1.22) through (1.23) and (1.25) though (1.28) from (Michael J. Economides, A. Daniel Hill,
Christine Ehlig-Economides, 2009), page 163 to 164.
Pressure lose by friction

2
,
2
tp m m
c Fric
psi
ft
f u
dp
dz g D

| | | |
| |
\ . \ .
= (1.23)
o
( )
1
m g g g l l l l l
= + = + (1.24)
Eq. (1.24) from (Beggs, 2003), page 81.

0.0433
g
g
P
ZT

= (1.25)
o
s
tp n
f f e = (1.26)



( )
( ) ( ) ( )
2 4
ln
0.0523 3.182ln 0.8725 ln 0.01853 ln
x
S
x x x
=
+ + ( (

(1.27)
With
2
l
l
x
y

= (1.28)
If 1 1.2 x < s , then:

( ) ln 2.2 1.2 S x = (1.29)
The steps calculate f
n
:
Eqs.(1.28) through (1.29) from (Michael J. Economides, A. Daniel Hill, Christine Ehlig-Economides,
2009), page 163.

Re
m
m m
m
u D
N

= (1.30)
o
( )
1
m g L L l
= + (1.31)
Eqs. (1.31) though (1.34) from (Beggs, 2003), page 81

4
10
C
g
g
B
A e

| |
|
\ .

= (1.32)
Where:
g
= gas density at P, T, cp
g
= density of gas, gm/cc


( )
( )
1.5
9.4 0.02
209 19
g
g
M T
A
M T
+
=
+ +
(1.33)

986
3.5 0.01
g
B M
T
= + + (1.34)
2.4 0.2 C B = (1.35)
Eq.(1.35) from (Michael J. Economides, A. Daniel Hill, Christine Ehlig-Economides, 2009) , page 57


28.97
g g
M = (1.36)
Where
M
g
= gas molecular weight
Eq,(1.36) though (1.37) from (Boyun Guo,Ph.D - William C.Lyons, Ph.D - All Ghalambor, Ph.D, 2007),
chapter 4 page 47
If
Re
2000
m
N <
Re
16
m
n
f
N
= (1.37)
If
Re
2000
m
N > f
n
can be determined from Chens equation:

1.1098
Re Re
1 5.0452 7.149
4 log log
3.7065 2.8257
m m n
N N f
c c
( | |

= + ( |
`
|
(
\ . )
(1.38)
Where:
c = relative roughness of pipe wall,
D
o
c = .
o = absolute roughness of pipe wall, in
D = tubing inner diameter, in
Eqs.(1.38) through (1.39) from (Michael J. Economides, A. Daniel Hill, Christine Ehlig-Economides,
2009), page 164.
Pressure lose by elevation

sin ,
m
c PE
psi
ft
dp g
dz g
u
| | | |
| |
\ . \ .
= (1.39)
Pressure gradient total:
,
1
PE Fric
k
psi
ft
dp dp
dz dz dp
dz E
| | | |
+
| |
| | | |
\ . \ .
| |
\ . \ .
=

(1.40)

m sg m
k
c
u u
E
g P

= (1.41)