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Fluid flow, in a variety of forms and complexities, is a basic entity that must be dealt with in the production of hydrocarbons. In its rudiments, single-phase gas or oil production and water injection form the core of all flow problems. Therefore, Chapter 1 discusses the mechanical energy balance equation, which relates pressure drop to its various components for single-phase flow. Next, the components of total pressure drop—static, kinetic, and frictional—are discussed. In addition, flows in tubing/casing annuli and horizontal wells, which are of particular interest to petroleum engineers, are briefly discussed.

A simple one-dimensional (1D) analysis of single-phase gas or liquid flow is best made with the aid of a schematic, as shown in Fig. 1.1. The channel, inclined at an arbitrary angle α with the horizontal, shows upward flow of the fluid. We use the industry convention that the vertical axis z is positive in the downward direction. For the present, we consider only the steady-state case and assume that pressure, at any point in the cross-sectional plane normal to flow, remains the same. With these simplifications, we derive the momentum balance equation.

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