No. 1998.
054
Performance of Multiphase Systems with Heavy Crude Oils
R. Gonzalez, PDVSA-Production, Caracas, Venezuela; J.L. Trallero, PDVSA-INTEVEP,
Los Teques, Venezuela; V. Santoro, PDVSA-Production, Caracas, Venezuela; and
M.A. Jimenez and J. Colmenares, PDVSA-INTEVEP, Los Teques, Venezuela
Abstract
Multiphase pumping systems has been evaluated for handling
the heavy and extra heavy crude oil production from the
Arecuna and Bare fields in the Orinoco Belt, Venezuela. The
system is mainly controlled by the upstream and down stream
flowing conditions referred to the pump, specifically by the
flow patterns. Hence, the proper design and safe operation of
multiphase pumps and associated flow systems, requires of a
complete thermo hydraulic study. With this insight, the future
industry installations will be simpler and less expensive.
The main objective of this work is to study the performance
of multiphase pumps with heavy oils. Suction and discharge
pressures, motor and pump temperature, active and reactive
pump motor power, current consumption, pump data acquisi-
tion and control, failure summary, and investment and mainte-
nance costs are among the topics that will addressed.
Additionally, the effects of the flow pattern of heterogeneous
mixtures of oil/gas/water in the whole production system: i.e.,
from horizontal wells all through individual well flow lines,
multiport selector valve, general production lines, multiphase
pumps and large diameter long pipeline connecting the pump
to the main process station will be analyzed and simulated.
A dominant flow pattern is found: slug flow which consist
of alternating heavy crude oil slugs and gas pockets. The
hydraulics of the flow lines are affected by the operational
variables (oil, water and gas flow rates), fluid properties (den-
sities, viscosities, surface tension and amount of diluent) and
geometry (pipe diameter and inclination angle). The steady
state response of the system wellhead-main process station
was simulated with commercially available simulators. Real
measured properties were used and the flow variables were
acquired with a data acquisition system. Evaluation method-
ology and their results are discussed and some recommenda-
tions are given for future installations.
Introduction
Multiphase pumping technology for heavy oil in the Orinoco
Belt is underway since 1995, when the first twin screw pump
was installed. The pump receives all produced reservoir fluids
plus the injected diluent from different wells at very low pres-
sures (3060 psi) and they are boosted up to 700 psi. The
1
compress production is transported throughout a pipeline to
the separation-dehydration plant.
The application of the multiphase pumping technology has
been concentrated in developing new heavy and extra heavy
oils fields where the well locations are generally far from
existing flow and processes plants. The new stations replace
the traditional flow stations were the produced fluids are gath-
ered, gas is separated from the liquid, the liquid is pumped to
main stations while the gas is sent to compression plants. The
traditional production concept requires large capital invest-
ments (pumps, tanks, separators, etc.) and are spread over
large areas. Additionally, this stations has the inconvenience to
keep the produce oil in the production area.
Up to now, two multiphase pump sizes have been tested
where both are twin screw type pumps. The first one handles
54 MBEPD while the second 110 MBEPD with a gas volume
fraction in the range of 7585% both at 60 psi. The liquid
phase is approximately a 50% blend of heavy oil and diluent
(light oil) with an average API gravity oil of 16 and low
water cuts. The smaller pump shows a better performance, and
it was decided to use intensively this size.
The hydraulic performance of the multiphase pump is
mainly affected by the presence of large gas pockets, poor
cooling capabilities and inefficient pump operation when slug-
ging conditions are present at the entrance of the pump. For
the mechanical point of view, the weakest parts are the
mechanical seals while the largest operational risk rest over
the screws.
Background
In 1995, at the flow station Arem1, in the Arecuna field
located in the hart of the Orinoco Belt (85 km SW from El
Tigre, Edo. Anzoategui, Venezuela), the first multiphase pump
for heavy oil applications was set in operation (see Figure 1).
The pump, a twin screw type with a capacity of 54 MBEPD at
60 psi, was selected to handle 5,500 BPD of liquid and 750
MCFD of gas at 30 psi with a electric power consumption of
550 kW (737 HP). The pump was able to handle a larger flow
rate: 12,500 BPD of liquid (11,500 BPD of 16API gravity oil
and 1,000 BPD of water) and 950 MCFD (41 MBEPD) at 50
psi with an average gas volume fraction of 76%.
 A second pump, similar to the one in the Arecuna field, was
set in operation in 1996 at the Bare field (30 km west of
Arecuna field). The pump performed similar to the first one in
Arecuna. Along 1996, three new units with the same design
but different capacities were ordered (one of 110 MBEPD and
two of 88 MBEPD) and installed in the multiphase flow sta-
tion Arem2 on the same Arecuna field. In December 1996, a
mechanical failure (shaft fracture of the driver screw) in the 88
MBEPD pump causes a fire that destroyed most of the pump
station Arem2. In 1997, two new 54 MBEPD pumps were
acquired with an improve design: a recirculation valve to
adjust dynamically the pumping capacity from 2754
MBEPD and a lubrication system for the mechanical seals.
The pumps were installed in the rebuilt station Arem2 in July
1997, and after 45 days of continuous operation, one of them
broke down due to a fracture of the driver screw caused by
fatigue while the other has 7 months of failure free operation.
Actually there are three multiphase flow stations in contin-
uous operation, two of them with a single 54 MBEPD pump
(Bare10 and Arem1) and the other, Arem2, with three
units installed (two 54 and one 110 MBEPD) where only two
pumps are in operation (one 54 and one 110 MBEPD). Arem-
1 was the first multiphase flow station installed in the Arecuna
field.
Multiphase Installation
Description
The multiphase flow installations have in general a production
network that feeds a set of pumps, and then a pipeline through
which the total production reaches the main process station. In
Figure 2 it is shown a typical multiphase flow station. The pro-
duction network is made of well production flow lines, field
multiport selector valves (MSV), general production lines and
test lines. Produced fluids from each well are directed to the
field MSV through a flow line. A single MSV can manifold as
many as eight flow lines through it simultaneously. Two lines
leaves a MSV: a general production line and a test line. The
first one carries all the production that reaches the valve while
the second is used only for well testing purposes. The produc-
tion area may have several field MSV where all general pro-
duction lines are connected to a production manifold at the
multiphase flow station. From the production manifold, the
reservoir fluids are guided to the suction head manifold of the
multiphase pumps and is distributed evenly among the pumps.
Finally, the pressurized production is transported by a mul-
tiphase pipeline to a near process station. The multiphase
pipeline can be shared by a other stations either multiphase or
conventional.
The main evaluation process is underway at the station
Arem2 which is outlined schematically in Figure 3. This sta-
tion has been sized to hold five pumps where only three units
has been installed so far. There are three independent suction
heads in order to take into account the influence of the flow
pattern at suction of the pump. The first suction head is line up
2
with two 54 MBEPD pumps. The second suction head is simi-
lar to the first one while the third only serves a single pump of
110 MBEPD. In normal conditions, the first and third suction
heads operate at full capacity while the second one does at
half of is capacity. That means an installed capacity of 272
MBEPD with 54 MBEPD of backup capacity. The actual pro-
duction handled by Arem2 is 44 MBPD of liquid and 6.5
MMSCFD of gas. The liquid flow rate is split into three parts:
22 MBPD of 9.2API formation oil coming from 47 produc-
ing wells, 20 MBPD of a 24API medium oil used a diluent
injected either at the wellhead or bottom of the well, and 2
MBPD of formation water.
In the Arem2 upstream production network, all wells are
help to produce with artificial lift methods. Progressive cavity
pumps (PCP) is the dominant producing method (70%), fol-
lowed by electro submersible pumps (ESP, 19%) and finally
sucker rod pumps (SRP, 11%). Diluent is injected downhole
for ESP pumps and at the wellhead for PCP and SRP. The
diluent is supply to Arem2 and sent to each location through-
out a distribution manifold followed by 4" transmission lines
which reach the diluent MSV. From there, the diluent is trans-
ported to the well using 2" lines.
Well production lines are between 4"6 of diameter with
length in the range of 0.13.3 km. There are seven field MSV
and two production manifolds which collect the production
through seven general production lines of 10 inches diameter
and lengths between 0.96.7 km as can be seen in Figure 4.
The well test lines are either 6" or 8". All this testing lines are
gathered into two MSV in Arem2. Each well is tested with a
fully instrumented gas/liquid separator which is able to mea-
sure the flow rates of oil, water and gas. In the near future, two
multiphase flow meters will be installed in series with the sep-
arator.
Downstream of the multiphase pumps, the total production
is sent to two different process stations: Ared4 and Bed10
(see Figure 5). To Ared4, located in the same Arecuna field,
14 MBPD of liquid are been pumping (7 MBPD of 9.2API
gravity oil, 6 MBPD of diluent and 1 MBPD of water) and 2.5
MMSCFD of gas using a 12" diameter and 7 km long pipe
line. The rest of the production, 30 MBPD (15 MBPD of
9.2API gravity oil, 14 MBPD of diluent and 1 MBPD of
water) and 4 MMSCFD of gas is transported to Bed10 sta-
tion using a 20" diameter and 29.7 km long pipe line followed
by a short section of 12" diameter and 4.2 km long pipe. The
station Bed10 is located in the Bare field.
Multiphase Pump Production
Performance
The operation of the rebuilt Arem2 multiphase flow station
relies on a fully automatic control system. The system allows
a better monitoring of the process, control of the flow vari-
ables and real time data acquisition. The multiphase process
variables are:
 Pump.
Suction and dischard pressure.
Temperature of the pumped fluids.
Windind motor temperature.
Reactive and active power consumption.
Current consumption.
Pressure of the diluent system.
Status of the diluent valve located at the suction of the
pump.
Flow pattern at the inlet.
General.
Average liquid and gas total production from well test-
ing data and measurement at the process station.
Pressure of the well tests.
Alignment of the MSV.
A brief description of the performance of the main flow
variables is given as follows.
Suction and Discharge Pressures
The arrangement of independent suction heads has contrib-
uted to an even distribution of the produced fluids to each
pump. The suction pressure varies between 4580 psi depend-
ing on the amount of gas handled by the pump. When all the
produced gas is directed to the pump, the inlet pressure rises
continuously up to a stable value about 80 psi because the
actual volume flow rate exceeds the pump capacity and the
gas requires to be compressed. Removing some gas from the
inlet of the pumps, drops the intake pressure from 8045 psi.
This increases the total production in about 20% due to the
reduction in the wellhead pressure. The extracted gas is
directed to a gas/liquid separator in Arem1 station and them
to a flare system.
On the other hand, the discharge pressure is affected the
amount of gas handled by the pump. For high suction pres-
sure, when all produced gas is directed to the pipeline, the dis-
chard pressure reaches 490 psi while it drops to 380 psi when
some gas has been diverted. Figure 6 shows the inlet and out-
let pressure trends for the multiphase pump.
Motor and Pump Temperature
The pump temperature varies between 3555C depending on
time of the day (average 40C). The highest temperature is
observed from 9 a.m.3 p.m. and the lowest during night time
(8:00 p.m.6:00 a.m.). The temperature looks independent of
the pump pressure performance. Figure 7 indicates a typical
pump temperature cycle.
For large gas pockets, the pump temperature increases. An
automatic system flush the pump screw with diluent when the
pump temperature is larger than 65 C.
Windind motor temperature remains within 6080C,
which is below of the critical protection value: 120C.
3
Active/Reactive power and current.
The pump performance shows a cyclic behavior as can be
observed in Figure 6. Typical figures of the active/reactive
power and current consumption are display in Table 1 where
the process conditions are: QL = 44 MBPD (40 MBPD of oil
16API and 2 MBPD of water) and QG = 1.9 MMCFD (65
MBEPD). The larger (smaller) the inlet pressure, the larger
(smaller) the power and current consumption. Less inlet pres-
sure means less gas through the pipeline.
The maximum power and current consumption are detected
between 68 a.m. while the minimum are between 24 p.m.
The current consumption is about 2830% of the design
value whereas the power range is between 5060%.
Pump failure summary
In a six year evaluation period, 16 repair jobs have been
done in 4 out of 5 operating pumps, accumulating 4.6 years of
operation. That means an average of 3.5 repair jobs per year
(0.7 repair/pump-year) or 3.5 months of continuous operation
per pump. Here it is excluded the two 88 MBEPD brand new
pumps that were damage by fire late 1996.
The most frequent failures are classified as follows:
Failure Percent of Occurrence
Mechanical seals 50%
Fracture screw 25%
Bearings 12.5%
Pump-motor coupling 12.5%
A summary of the types and frequencies of repair job per-
formed by type of pump up to February 1998 is given in Table
2.
Production System Simulation
Within the scope of a global evaluation of the station Arem2,
a simulation study was done both upstream (from producing
wellheads to the pump suction, i.e., the production network)
and downstream (from pump discharge to the process station)
of the multiphase pump.
Hydraulics of the production network was investigated
after establish the topology of the network, pipe lengths and
pipe diameters. Each well was tested using a production sepa-
rator and total production was measured at the process station.
Produced fluid properties (oil density and viscosity, water cut
and water density and gas specific gravity) were measured at
different locations along the network. Laboratory analysis
shown heterogeneity in the oil phase properties along the well
production flow lines. The injected diluent requires of a mini-
mum of pipe length in order to form an homogeneous oil
phase. This distance is called mixing length and could be as
large as 30% of the pipe length. Diluent injection rate was also
gathered. Gauge pressure were record sequentially at the well-
head, field MSV and production manifold. Topography data
was not available for the time of the simulation. PipePhase
was selected as the simulation tool. The flow was considered
isothermal due to the minor changes in the produced fluid
temperature along the network. Beggs-Brill-Moody with
experimental viscosity data was the correlation that provides
better results. An average error of 5.2% with a maximum devi-
ation of 10% were found. Slug flow was the dominant flow
pattern.
Downstream of the pumps in Arem2 there is a pipeline
through which the total production is transported to Bed-10
station. This line was simulated under steady state condition
even though the flow is naturally in a transient condition.
Topography, average total liquid production, GOR and WLR,
pressure drop for the full pipe and average fluid properties
were the input data for the simulations. The match between
the pressure drop measurement and the simulation was good.
The pipe line capacity for different production scenarios was
also investigated. Slug flow was the dominant flow pattern
were the flow was most of the times laminar or transition.
During 1998, new production data per well using mul-
tiphase meters and an equip gas-liquid separator will be col-
lected. At the same time it will be recorded continuously the
pressure and temperature profiles along both production net-
work and pipeline. The topography of the network will be also
available. With this new data, a reservoir simulators will be
historically matched and coupled with a production optimizer
software. In this way the production forecast for Arem-2 will
be updated and reviewed accordingly to the drilling program
for this field. The transient behavior will be studied with two
different transient simulators and it will be matched with the
pump performance.
Supervision, Monitoring and Control of
Automated Systems
The station Arem2 is equipped with a set of instruments and
controls which allow the operator to follow up in real time the
pump performance. Among the different parameters and sta-
tus conditions it can be mentioned the following ones:
Pressure and temperature at the inlet and outlet of the
pump.
Electric motor performance.
Automatic pump starter.
Diluent injection control system to regulate the internal
pump temperature.
Inlet and outlet valve status.
Security and protection systems.
Pressure release system at inlet and outlet of the pump.
Fire detection system.
By pass of the production to a safety pit.
Electric motor protections.
Mechanical pump protections.
The control and security system has been very efficient
along its 8 months of life. This system was triggered when the
54 MBEPD pump failed in July 1997 due to a fracture of the
4
driver screw. Hence, it was avoided a potential fire in the sta-
tion similar to the one that happened at the very late of 1996.
For well testing, there is an automatic system that requires
the alignment of the field MSV with the MSV at the mul-
tiphase flow station as is indicated in Figure 8. The equipment
is a fully instrumented and controlled gas/liquid separator.
The liquid flow rate is measured with a mass flow meter and
the gas flow rate with a vortex meter. A water cut monitor
installed in the liquid leg reads the water liquid ratio. Figure 9
shows an scheme of the gas liquid/separator as well as the dif-
ferent control variables. The separator will be complemented
with two multiphase meters in series commercially available.
Investment and Maintenance Cost
The installation costs of the multiphase flow station under
evaluation is about 4.8 MMUS$ for a capacity of 31 MBPD of
16API oil (16 MBPD of 9.2API heavy oil and 15 MBPD of
24API oil diluent) and 4.5 MMSCFD (185 MBEPD) of gas.
Materials and equipment represents 75% of the total invest-
ment.
Along the total evaluation period, the maintenance costs
has been 400 MUS$. That is, an average of 80 MUS$per
pump or 87 MUS$a year for five pumps.
Conclusions
1. Multiphase pumping has proved to be an adequate, effi-
cient, simple and economical method for handling heavy
crude oil and its associated gas.
2. Twin screw pumps were evaluated and were able to oper-
ate with a GVF as high as 80% and an oil with a gravity
of 16API.
3. Multiphase pumps have been capable to deal with liquid
flow volumes greater than the design ones.
4. Pump operation is affected by the instantaneous liquid
and gas flow rate when the flow pattern is slug flow.
5. The power consumption is 60% of the power design in a
54 MBEPD capacity pump.
6. Well production increases when the suction pressure of
the multiphase pump is lowered.
7. The evaluated production scheme is very efficient when
the proper controlling and monitoring system are
installed.
 Inlet Ave. Ave. Current Ave. current
pres s ure active reactive range (Amp)
(ps i) pow er pow er (Amp)
(kw ) (kw )
70- 80 450 340 75 - 88 75
45 - 50 380 287 70 70

Table 1: Representative Values for Active/Reactive Power and Current for the Multiphase Pump

Pump Ins tallatio n Operatio n Repair Repair Frequenc y Continous

Capacity Time Time Times Type Operation
Time
(MBEPD) (years ) (year) (months )
(Rep/year)

54 2.6 2.25 6 MS, S, 2.66 4.5

B&C
0.6 0.13 1 S 7.69 1.5
0.6 0.6 --- --- --- 7.2
1.4 0.92 5 MS, S 5.43 2.2
&B
110 1.25 0.7 4 MS, S 5.72 2.0
&C
Total 6.45 4.6 16 21. 5 17. 4

Average 3. 5 3. 5

Table 2: Multiphase Pumps Repairs (Mechanical seals = MS, Screw = S, Bearings = B & Coupling = C)

5
 PLC
Punta de Mata
Jose
Maturn
Anzoategui

Anaco

San Tom
El Tigre Monagas

Hamaca
Arecuna
Field

Figure 1: Ubication of the Arecuna Field

ARED-2
10 x 8.5 Km
8 x 8.5 Km

MULTIPORT
SELECTOR MULTIPHASE 12 x 9 Km
VALVE PUMP
BARED-10
10 x 5 Km 20 x 30 Km
6 x 1 Km

8 x 5 Km
BARE
FIELD
MULTIPHASE
METER

HORIZONTAL ARECUNA
WELLS FIELD

Figure 2: Multiphase Flow Scheme

6
 DILUENT SYSTEM M
16
MANIFOLD

16 M
MANIFOLD

16 AREM - 1

10

GRAVE

MOTOR 5 4 3 2
1
PUMP
M
16

M 16

COB
ARED - 2

M MOTORIZED
VALVE FLOWCONTROLVALVE

SUCTION DILUENT
CONTROL
VALVE ARED - 4
DISCHARGE RELIEF
VALVE
RELIEFLINES CLOSEPNEUMATICVALVE

DILVENT
SYSTEM

Figure 3: Scheme of the Arem-2 Multiphase Flow Station

197 202 181

MSV -3 188 196
186
182
MSV -7
MSV - 6
174
179 198
183 MSV - 2 AREM - 2
176
To
Process
167 AREM - 1 stations
170
178
184 MSV - 5
189 175 MSV - 1 PM - A
193 177 PM - B
195 173
MSV - 4 169
172 33 114 158 129

127
187 191 185 190 192
17 112
166
168
130
200
180 160 113 159

Figure 4: Arecuna Field Production Network with the Wells, Field, Multiport Select
Valves and Arem-1 and Arem-2 Multiphase Flow Stations

7
 ARED - 1
ARED - 2

e
Lin
d.
Pro
8 x 8.5 Km Production Line
10 x 8.5 Km Production Line

ARED - 4

AREM - 2
16 x 7 Km Production Line

L i n d.
e
Pro
AREM - 1

12 x 7 Km Production Line

20 x 29 Km Production Line

AREM - 3
BED-10

Electric Sub Station

Figure 5: Multiphase Production Lines in the Arecuna field

73.368

58.695

Active Power

44.021 Reactive Power

Discharge Pressure
29.347

14.674 Suction Pressure

0.000
24 16 8 24 16 8 24 16 8 24
08 - 18 - 97 08 - 25 - 97
08 : 00 : 00 08 : 00 : 00

Figure 6: Performance of the Suction and dischArge Pump Pressures and the Active and Reactive Motor Power

8
73.368

Discharge Temperature

58.695

44.021

29.347

Diluent Injection Valve Open

14.674

0.000
24 16 8 24 16 8 24 16 8 24
08 - 18 - 97 08 - 25 - 97
08 : 00 : 00 08 : 00 : 00

Figure 7: Multiphase Pump Temperature Performance

Production

MSV

Instrumented
Wells
Separator

MSV
Production Multiphase
Pumps

Process Stations

Figure 8: Alignment Set-up in Arem-2 for Well Testing

9
 Separator Contrl
Pressure

Vertical
G/L LT LC
Separator

LC
Basic Meters V
U
V

Production
MSV

Diluent Control
Multiphase Pump

Wells

Figure 9: Instrumented Gas-Liquid Separator Used for Well Testing

10