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This chapter explores combining various aspects of flow in wellbores with that in the reservoir to gain a holistic understanding of the coupled system. Accordingly, we will explore systems analysis with flow-after-flow tests, temperature profiles in gas lift wells, steam/water flow and surface metering, and wellbore solids deposition. In doing so, we will provide two field examples that probe flow assurance issues with coupled wellbore, reservoir, and surface-network models.

The systems or Nodal™ analysis as practiced today is rooted in Gilbert’s (1954) pioneering work. Studies of Mach et al. (1979), Brown (1984), and Brown and Lea (1985) laid the foundation of modern systems analysis. In conventional systems analysis, a steady-state two-phase model is used to simulate the wellbore flow behavior, and Vogel’s (1968) empirical correlation or its variations describe the reservoir’s inflow performance. This approach has served the industry quite well. Many texts (Beggs 1991; Brill and Mukherjee 1999; Economides et al. 2012) have elucidated this approach, and so we will not repeat it here. Instead, we provide some insights that will improve flow simulation in both the reservoir and the wellbore.

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