Production Control Chokes

• Types
• Reasons
• Basics of Operations
• Application

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 Rough schematic of an adjustable
choke

Adjustable Restriction
“Needle and Seat” for
this type of choke.

A choke is a restriction in a flow line

that causes a pressure drop or
reduces the rate of flow. It
commonly uses a partially blocked
orifice.

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 Most Common Chokes
• Positive:
– Fixed orifice
– Shut in well (or divert flow) and disassemble
choke housing to change the restriction or “flow
bean”
• Adjustable
– Provides variable orifice size through external
adjustment without choke disassembly.

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Variable Chokes - good for
bringing wells on gradually.

Prone to washouts from high

velocity, particles, and even
droplets or bubbles in severe
cases.

Solutions - hardened chokes

(diamond and carbide), chokes in
series, dual chokes.

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Beans are fixed (non adjustable) orifices – ID size is in 64ths of an inch.
This type of choke is used on wells that require almost no adjustments to flow.

ID

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 Choke Uses
• Control Flow – achieve liquid lift
• Maximize use – best use of gas (lift?)
• Protect equipment – abrasion and erosion
• Cleanup – best use of backflow energy
• Control circulation – holds a back pressure
• Control pressures at surface (during flow)
• Control injection – on injection line

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 What Happens as Choke Provides a Pressure Drop and What
Happens to the pressure?

Energy from pressure drop is lost in:

• Increased velocity (from gas expansion)
• Vaporization (flashing) of light (short carbon chain)
hydrocarbon liquids to gas
• Vaporization of water
• Cavitation
• Heat production (usually liquid friction)

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 Detriments
• Flashing – hydrocarbon light ends lost (value lost)
• Cavitation – erosion of surfaces in and around choke
• Erosion– solids, droplets and bubbles in high velocity flow
• Freezing – expansion of gasses cools the area – refrigeration
principle

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 Pressure around the choke

Inlet or well
pressure, P1

Pressure drop through the

orifice

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, P2 9
 VENA Contracta Phenomenon

P
r P1
e
s Delta P
s
u P2
r Recovery
e

Distance Flow Traveled

The consequences of the low pressure region in the choke can lead to severe problems with
cavitation and related flashing (vaporization).
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 Problems
• The larger the difference between the inlet
and outlet pressures, the higher the potential
for damage to the internals of the choke.
• When delta P ratio (i.e., (P1-P2)/P1) rises above
0.6, damage is likely. Changes in choke type,
materials of construction, or choke
arrangement may be needed (multiple chokes
in series for high pressure drops?)

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Cavitation During Liquid Flow

Ultra low pressure region in and immediately below

choke causes bubble to form from vaporizing liquid,
Recovery of pressure causes bubble to collapse; i.e.,
cavitation

Imploding The rapid collapse of the bubbles causes high

bubbles and velocity movement of liquid and damage around
shock waves the site.

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Pressure recovery line
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Flashing During Liquid Flow

Vaporization of light ends, but no significant damage in

this region since pressure recovery not above vapor
pressure, hence bubbles don’t collapse.

Pressure recovery occurs downstream, damage

location?
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 Freezing
• Expansion of gas (and solutions containing
gas) cools the surroundings. Can form an ice
plug and block flow.

P1 T1
Press
Temperature
dP Freezing Pt
T2 P2
Recovery
Recovery

Distance Traveled
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Measurements used in Choke Calculations

P1 is inlet
pressure

dP is press
Flow rate through the
drop thru
choke
the choke

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 Calculations
• delta P = P1 – P2
• delta P ratio = delta P/P1

• These values are use to measure the capacity

and recovery of the choke

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 Throttling Methods
• Needle and seat
• Multiple orifice
• Fixed Bean
• Plug and Cage
• External Sleeve

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 Needle and Seat
• Simplest and least expensive adjustable
• Best for pressure control
• High Capacity

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 Multiple Orifice
• Quick open and close
• Good rate and pressure control
• An in-line instrument – not usually used on
the wellhead

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 Fixed Bean
• Best when infrequent change needed
• Used mostly on trees

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 Plug and Cage
• High capacity
• Good control

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 External Sleeve
• Superior Erosion Resistance
• Minimizes Body Erosion

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 Choke Sizing
• Control the flow – maximize production
• Minimized vibration damage
• Minimize erosion damage

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 Choke Selection
• Based On:
– Application (lift, deliquifying the well, erosion
control, solids production prevention, etc.)
– Rate or flow and range of flow rate
– Presence of solids
– Maximum velocity
– Total pressure drop

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 Choke Selection (continued)
• Fluid – liquid, gas, or GOR of mix.
• Pressure – both pressure drop and total
pressure
• Temperature – range of acceptable
temperatures during service
• Occurance and timing of solids in flow
• Droplets, bubbles
• Scale and organic deposit potential

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 How would you set a choke with
minimum monitoring equipment?
• One way is by measuring temperature at the
surface……
– Producing a well at maximum rates means lifting
more liquids. Using the high heat capacity of
liquids (3 to >10x most gas heat capacities), the
max lift in a well would be achieved very near the
maximum wellhead temperature.

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 Choke Sizing
• Cv = coefficient value
– Number of gallons of water per minute that will
pass through a restriction with a pressure drop of
1 psi at 60oF.
– Used as the “flow capacity index”
– Does not correspond to a specific throttling
method.

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 George E. King Engineering
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 George E. King Engineering
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Choke Choke Size Bore Diam Choke Coefficient
Calculation (inches) (inches) MCF/D/PSIA
Example
4/64 0.0625 0.08
6/64 0.0938 0.188
Note: for
accuracy – the 7/64 0.1094 0.261
upstream press
must be twice 8/64 0.1250 0.347
downstream
press. 9/64 0.1406 0.444
10/64 0.1563 0.553
12/64 0.1865 0.802
16/64 0.2500 1.470
24/64 0.3750 3.400
32/64 0.5000 6.260
Example: a well is flowing through a 10/64 choke at 2175 psig WHP.
What is the dry gas flow rate? (This is a very rough estimate!)
2175 psig = 2190 psia. Choke coeff. for 10/64 = 0.553
Gas rate = 2190 x 0.553 = ~1200 mcf/d
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 Choke Operations
• Problems with Erosion
• Solutions

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Erosion is damage caused by impingement of particles, droplets, bubbles and even
liquid on any solid surface at high velocity.

To reduce erosion, slow down the velocity.

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Erosion in a positive of bean choke
from micron sized fines and high
velocity gas flow.

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 Typical flow patterns (and erosion)
in a bean choke.

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 Advanced corrosion is often
in the exit end of the choke
from higher gas velocities
after gas has expanded.

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Erosion at the exit flange

JPT, March 1998

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The velocity profile and pressure drop across a choke with a large pressure drop – opportunity
for erosion is very high.

JPT, March 1998

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One solution to the problem is to take the pressure drop in series and hold a slight
backpressure. For example, a 1000 to 0 psi pressure drop produces a 68 fold expansion in gas
volume, while a 1500 to 500 psi pressure drop produces a 3 fold gas volume expansion.

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JPT, March 1998
 Choke Conclusions
• Production chokes help unload and produce
the well through pressure management.
• Choke setting requirements change as
pressure drops, rate changes and fluid
composition varies.
• Good production engineering requires regular
design and setting checks for production
chokes.

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