High-Viscosity Oil Multiphase Pipe Flow
Hong-Quan Zhang, Cem Sarica and Eduardo Pereyra
The University of Tulsa
Heavy oil, extra heavy oil and bitumen make up about 70% of the world's total oil resources of 9 to 13 trillion bbls. Many recent large development projects have been targeting heavy oil. The high viscosity of heavy oil poses great challenges for its production and transportation through wells and pipelines. Experimental results show that the high-viscosity oil multiphase flow behavior is significantly different from the low viscosity oils. Most of the available mechanistic multiphase flow models were developed based on low-viscosity oil experimental results. When compared with high-viscosity oil data, these models displayed significant differences.
In this paper, previous experimental findings on high-viscosity oil multiphase pipe flow behavior are reviewed and compared with low-viscosity oil experimental results. These include flow pattern, pressure gradient, holdups, slug characteristics, oil/water mixing, core annular flow, gas-lift effect, and film distribution. Modeling approaches, such as that of Zhang et al. (2003) model, are summarized. Individual closure relationships are analyzed based on experimental measurements and observations. These closure relationships include slug length, slug liquid holdup, slug translational velocity, interfacial shear, wetted wall fraction, liquid entrainment fraction in gas core, oil/water dispersion and inversion, emulsion viscosity, etc. Finally, future experimental needs and modeling issues are discussed.
See more of this Group/Topical: 1st International Conference on Upstream Engineering and Flow Assurance