Oil & Gas

From exploration to distribution

Week 3 V15 Production : Flow assurance
From the well head to the process
Isabelle Rey-Fabret

W3V15 - Flow assurance p. 1

IFPEN - IFP School 2015 / TOTAL SA 2015 / IFP Training 2015

Introduction
In this session, we will explore the sedimentary basins where geologists search for oil and
gas fields.
In the previous sessions, we focused on the design of the subsurface part of the field.
In this lesson, lets see how the fluid is transported from the well head to the processing
facilities. This part of the production system design is performed during a flow assurance
study.

Dynamic behaviour of the fluid in the flowlines

First of all we will describe the dynamic behaviour of the fluid to be transported in the
flowlines including the description of the flow and the slugging phenomenon. Then, we will
explain the risks of deposits in the pipes, and their possible solutions.
Lets now describe the dynamic behavior of the fluid in a pipe. We will consider that the fluid
is composed of 2 phases, liquid and gas. The liquid phase includes a mixture of oil and
water.
When flowing together in the same pipe, these 2 phases interact. Different behaviors of the
fluid can be observed, depending on both the gas velocity and the liquid velocity. Lets focus
on the example of a fluid flowing in a horizontal pipe.
If the velocity of the liquid is low, both liquid and gas are separated. The flow is segregated.
It is a stratified flow.
With a higher liquid velocity, the gas is partially mixed with the liquid. The flow is alternately
a slug of liquid, a big bubble of gas in the liquid and small bubbles of gas in the liquid. The
flow is intermittent.
In the case of high liquid velocity, the flow is dispersed: small bubbles of gas are mixed in the
liquid phase.
Finally, a high gas velocity generates an annular flow. The phases are segregated, and the
liquid flows around the gas.
The fluid behaviour depends on many parameters describing the fluid and its properties, the
geometry of the pipe, .

For example, the previous cartography is very different when plotted for a vertical pipe.
The description of the flow is important for a good understanding of the dynamic behaviour
of the effluent in the flowlines, and consequently, of the production rate.
W3V15 - Flow assurance p. 2
IFPEN - IFP School 2015 / TOTAL SA 2015 / IFP Training 2015

Deposits
Dynamically, the fluid can be unstable, and generate big slugs. The slugging phenomenon:
the behavior of the fluid in the flowline changes from time to time, due to the periodic
accumulation of liquid at the down point. It is a non-stationary flow.
Such a phenomenon is detrimental for production because of the high variations of pressure
it generates.
Now, lets focus on the deposit risk. It mainly depends on temperature and pressure
conditions of flow, and can generate plugs in the pipe or deposits along the walls of the well.
It includes hydrates, wax, asphaltene, or emulsions. Consequently, the surface available for
the fluid to flow is drastically reduced. In extreme cases, the flow can be stopped.
Such phenomena can occur all along the route of the fluid, from the reservoir to the
separator.

How can we avoid such deposits? By managing both fluid temperature and pressure. For
example, we can insulate or heat the line to maintain the temperature sufficiently high, and
we can control the pressure in the line.
Flow assurance issues are highly critical in the case of offshore fields. This particular case will
be explained in the lesson dedicated to offshore development projects.

W3V15 - Flow assurance p. 3

IFPEN - IFP School 2015 / TOTAL SA 2015 / IFP Training 2015

W3V15 - Flow assurance p. 4

IFPEN - IFP School 2015 / TOTAL SA 2015 / IFP Training 2015