ABSTRACT

The "slug capturing" method developed by Issa & co-workers is based on the numerical solution of the two-fluid model equations using fine meshes (unlike existing methods employing much coarser ones) to enable the resolution of inherent flow instabilities that would otherwise be averaged out. The method had been extensively validated in the past against laboratory experimental data for hydrodynamic slugging. Here, more validations are presented both for hydrodynamic and severe slugging and the results are compared against independent experimental measurements. It is then applied to a real 20 inch diameter, 15 km long oil and gas pipeline operating at a pressure of 96 bar to simulate the initiation of hydrodynamic waves/slugs and their complex interaction with terrain undulations in the pipeline.

Keywords:
correlation, upstream oil & gas, initiation, production monitoring, reservoir surveillance, slug flow, pipeline transient behavior, hydrodynamic instability, equation, calculation
Subjects:
Well & Reservoir Surveillance and Monitoring, Pipelines, Flowlines and Risers, Production logging, Pipeline transient behavior
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2011. BHR Group 2011 Multiphase 15
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