Experience with the Vacuum Insulated Tubing VIT Utilization at Gas Fields in the Northern Part of Western Siberia

Evaluating of VIT performance

Statistics, Finite Element Analysis (FEA), Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)

The utilization of Vacuum Insulated Tubing (VIT) is necessitated by the growing oil and gas development in northern regions of the Earth and application of thermal oil recovery methods. Conceptually, VIT consists of two (external and internal) pipes coaxially fixed at the ends, with the annular space filled with thermal insulation including getters (gas absorbers). After the pipes are assembled, air is evacuated from the annular space to create vacuum. Getters are fully activating within vacuumizing. Prior to commercial utilization at Gazprom, the VIT was tested at the Gazprom VNIIGAZ Institute (Russia) on a dedicated thermophysical testing bench. Tests were designed to measure the Coefficient of thermal conductivity (k-factor) of the VIT Vacuum Shield Thermal Insulation. Results obtained during the tests are as follows: with hot air (84…93°C) passing through the tube, the temperature of its external surface remained within the range of 28…35°C, while k-factor was 0.004…0.008 W/(m*K). Gazprom requirements k-factor with max. 0.012 W/(m*K). When VIT successfully passed bench tests, they were approved for utilization in the commercial development of the Bovanenkovskoye field operated by Gazprom. In order to gauge heat flux and effective k-factor of VIT walls at different gas flow rates and fluid temperatures, the design provides for satellite pipes to be installed within the gas well's cement column. At the moment, wellhead soil temperature observations are carried out regularly at VIT-equipped wells. Some gas wells have been monitored for 3 years now. The results of monitoring of 18 well pads (163 wells) the temperature stabilization of the permafrost soil at which is carried out only through the operation of seasonally active cooling systems (without the use of VIT) show temperature increases in the soil along the wellbore. Wells operated with VIT and cooling systems keep freezing temperatures within the cement column throughout the entire annual cycle. For steam injection technologies, may be used theoretically estimation about how temperature of steam decreases from top to bottom of well depending on VIT k-factor and length of VIT string. Such information needs for VIT well design.

Empirical information about VIT utilization