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Gas well performance

Instructor: Tahir Mammadov Tahir Mammadov

Subject: Gas and Gas-Condensate Reservoir Engineering

Department: Petroleum Engineering
 Tahir Mammadov

CONTENT
Introduction
Static & following BHP
Basic Energy Equation
Calculation of static BHP
Calculation of following BHP
Adjusting for liquid production
Gas-liquid flow in wellbore
Flow regimes

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 Tahir Mammadov

INTRODUCTION-1
Surveillance of gas wells is increasing interest as the economic importance of natural gas continues to
grow .
The ability of a gas reservoir to produce for a given set of reservoir conditions depends directly on
the flowing BHP ( Pwf )

The ability of this reservoir to deliver a certain quantity of gas depends

 the inflow performance relationship
 flowing BHP
The flowing BHP on its part depends on:
 separator pressure
 configuration of the piping system 3
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INTRODUCTION-2
The conditions can be mathematically expressed as:

q=gas flow rate

C=a numerical coefficient, characteristic of the particular well
pR =shut-in reservoir pressure
pwf=flowing bottom-hole pressure
n=a numerical exponent, characteristic of the particular well
psep=separator pressure
Δpfl=pressure drop in flowline
Δpch=pressure drop in surface choke
Δptb=pressure drop in well tubing
Δpres=pressure drop in other restrictions, such as subsurface safety valves, valves, fittings, and etc

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STATIC & FLOWING BHP

Static or flowing pressure at the formation must be known in order to predict the productivity or
absolute open flow potential of gas wells
Preferred method: to measure the pressure with a BHP gauge
It is often too expensive to measure static or flowing BHPs with BH gauges.

It can be estimated from wellhead data (gas specific gravity, surface P and T, formation T, and well depth)

Calculation
Static (shut-in) pressure amounts to evaluating the pressure difference equal to the
weight of the column of gas

In the case of flowing wells, the gas column weight and friction effects must be
evaluated and summed up

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STATIC & FLOWING BHP BY PERMANENT GAUGE

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BASIC ENERGY EQAUTION

Steady-state flow, this energy balance can be expressed:

Or

ΔP due to kinetic ΔP due to Mechanical

energy effects friction effects work

v=specific volume of fluid, cu ft/lbm

ρ=density of the fluid, lbm/cu ft
p=pressure, psia
u=average velocity of the fluid, ft/sec
α=correction factor to compensate for the variation of velocity over the tube cross section
(α ranges from 0.5 for laminar flow to 1.0 for fully developed turbulent flow. A value of 0.90 is usually satisfactory for practical gas flow
problems).
Z=distance in the vertical direction, ft
f=Moody friction factor, dimensionless
D=inside diameter of the pipe, ft
L=length of the flow string, ft (for a vertical flow string, L=Z)
ws=mechanical work done on or by the gas (Ws=0)
g=accelaration due to gravity, ft/sec2
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gc=32.17=conversion factor, lbm ft/lbf sec2
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BASIC ENERGY EQAUTION

 The kinetic energy expression (second term) is neglected in pipeline flow calculations.
 If no mechanical work is done on the gas (compression) or by the gas (expansion through a turbine or
engine), the term ws is zero

Simplification

Or

#
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BASIC ENERGY EQAUTION

The density of a gas at a point in a vertical pipe at pressure p and temperature T can be written:

##

ρ=density of gas, lbm/cu ft

γg=specific gravity of gas at standard conditions (air=1)
p=pressure, lbf/sq in
Z=gas deviation factor
R=gas constant , 10732 cu ft psia/lb-mole 0R
T=absolute temperature. 0R
Velocity of gas flow ug at a cross section of a vertical pipe may be found:

###

ug=gas velocity, ft/sec

m=mass flow rate. lbm/sec
D=inside diameter of flow channel, ft 9
 Tahir Mammadov

BASIC ENERGY EQAUTION

Combining equations #,## and ### and employing petroleum engineering units, the general vertical flow equation:

*
Assuming a constant average temperature in the interval of interest:

Cannot be easily integrated because of the interdependence of variables z, p and T

Various investigators made different simplifying assumptions: substituting average values of z and T
 Rzasa and Katz and Vitter assuming z=constant for the entire flow column and average conditions of T
and P
 Sukker & Cornell and Poettman assuming T=constant and z varies with pressure
These assumptions are accurate in shallow wells, they become more erroneous as depth increases
 Cullender & Smith and Crawford & Fancher (more realistic) assuming z as a function of both T and P

Application: both on gas and condensate wells 10

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STATIC BOTTOM-HOLE PRESSURE

From the surface estimation: calculating the additive pressure exerted by the weight of the static fluid
column.
Condition in the tubing or casing: nonflowing gas well (q=0)

Static well

If q is zero in Equation (*) , then it can be simplified to,

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AVERAGE T & Z FACTOR METHOD

(STATIC BHP)
This method is frequently used due to simplicity.

By averaging T and z during integration, comes:

Or

T=average temperature, ºR (usually arithmetic mean of bottom and wellhead

temperatures, assuming linear T profile)
z=average z factor, value at arithmetic mean T and arithmetic mean P
The Problem of average z & T
The solution of static BHP at given depth is best handled by trial-and error methods. Because, it is a
function of Tts, Tws, pts and pws
1. The calculation proceudre involves guessing a value pws and obtaining a value for z at (pts +pws)/2 and
(Tts+ Tws)/2
2. Above equation is used to obtain a value for pws
3. If the calculated value of pws is within desired initial guess, the procedure ends, if not make another
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guess and continue the trial-and error process
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AVERAGE T & Z FACTOR METHOD

(FLOWING BHP)
Flowing BHP pressure of a gas well is the sum of the flowing wellhead pressure, the pressure exerted by
the weight of the gas column, the kinetic change and the energy losses resulting from friction.
As the kinetic energy change is usual very small (about 0.1%) compared to the other energies and single
phase flow. Equation * may be written:

(1)

(2)

Using equation (2) in (1):

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AVERAGE T & Z FACTOR METHOD

(FLOWING BHP)
Using average values and integrating yields:

pwf=flowing BHP, psi

ptf=flowing WHP, psi

𝑇=arithmetic average of BH and WH temperature, °R

𝑧=gas deviation factor at the arithmetic average temperature and arithmetic average pressure
𝑓=Moody friction factor at arithmetic average temperature and pressure
L=length of flow string string, ft
Z=vertical distance of reservoir from surface, ft
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ADJUSTING FOR LIQUID PRODUCTION

The produced liquid or condensate can be converted to its gas equivalent assuming that it behaves as an
ideal gas when vaporized in the produced gas.
Using the ideal gas law, the gas equivalent of liquid hydrocarbons production is:

or

Using base or standard conditions = 14.7 psia and 520 ºR and a Universal constant of 10.73:

The molecular weight of the condensate is given by:

It is common for some water to be produced as condensate from the gas phase. This water will be fresh
water and should be added to the gas production. The gas equivalent of water production is calculated:

At Pb=14.7 psia and Tb=520 ºR

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GAS-LIQUID FLOW IN WELLS

The equations presented in the previous sections are strictly correct for single phase flow of dry gas in
wells.
BUT, many gas wells produce condensates and water. In these cases some liquid will be travel in the
well with the gas
Two-phase flow problems in wells can be handled by either gravity adjustment or by applying a two-
phase flow correlation.
Example: Hagedorn and Brown, Orkizewski, Beggs and Brill, Grovier and Aziz
Flow regimes
Condition: two-phase flow in vertical well

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FLOW REGIME MAP (AFTER ORKIZEWSKI)

Mist flow: the liquid is entrained as droplets in the gas phase
The gas phase controls the pressure gradient. The pipe wall is coated with a liquid film
Transition flow: there is a change from continuous gas phase to continuous liquid phase.
Gas effects are still significant, but the liquid effects are predominant
Slug flow: the liquid bubbles coalesce and form slugs
Both gas and liquid have significant effects on the pressure gradient
Gas phase is continues
Bubble flow: the pipe is almost completely filled with liquid and free gas phase is present in small bubbles
The pipe is always contacted by the liquid phase and the bubbles have little effect on the pressure gradient
Liquid phase is continues

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NEXT SESSION

Gas gathering & transportation

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