Subsea Engineering

Yutaek Seo
Multiphase flow regimes

• Multiphase flow patterns depend on the gas and liquid

properties, velocities, and the angle of inclination of the flowline

• There are four back flow regimes:

1. Slug flow
2. Stratified flow
3. Dispersed bubble flow
4. Annular flow
Flow regime for near horizontal flow

• One of the most challenging aspects of dealing with multi-phase

flow is the fact that it can take many different forms.
Stratified flow

• Stratified flow occurs at low flow rates in horizontal or

downward inclined pipes, the liquid and gas separate due to
gravity (gravity dominates over mixing)
- At low gas velocities, the liquid surface is smooth.
- At higher gas velocities, the liquid surface becomes wavy.
- Most downwardly inclined pipes are in stratified flow.
Slug flow

• Hydrodynamic slug flow occurs for near horizontal flow at

moderate velocities. Waves on the liquid surface may grow to
completely bridge the pipe. When this happens, alternating
slugs of liquid and gas flow through the pipeline.
- It is an unsteady, alternating combination of dispersed bubble flow
(liquid slug) and stratified flow (gas bubble).
- Slug flow also occurs in near vertical flow. The slugs in vertical
flow are generally smaller than those in horizontal flow.
- It occurs for all angles of inclination, though more likely for
upwardly inclined pipes than downwardly inclined.
Dispersed bubble flow

• Dispersed bubble flow occurs at high flowrates in liquid

dominated systems, the flow is a mixture of liquid and small
entrained gas bubbles (mixing dominates over gravity)
- For vertical flow, dispersed bubble flow can occur at moderate
liquid rates when the gas rate is low.
- The flow is steady with little fluctuation.
- It occurs at all angles of inclination.
- It occurs frequently in oil wellbores.
Annular flow

• Annular flow occurs at high flowrates in gas dominated

systems. Liquid flows as a film around the circumference of the
inner pipe wall. The gas and entrained liquid droplets flow in the
center of the pipe
- The liquid film thickness is basically constant for vertical flow but is
asymmetric for horizontal flow.
- As velocities increase, the fraction of entrained liquid increases.
- Annular flow exists for all angles of inclinations .
Flow regime in vertical pipe

• The flow regimes occurring in vertical are similar to those in

horizontal pipes, but one difference being that the there is no
lower side of the pipe which the densest fluid ‘prefers’. One of
the implications this has is that stratified flow is not possible in
vertical pipes.
• Bubble flow: The liquid is continuous, with the gas phase existing as
randomly distributed bubbles. The gas phase in bubble flow is small
and contributes little to the pressure gradient except by its effect on the
density.
• Slug flow: Both the gas and liquid phases significantly contribute to the
pressure gradient. The gas phase in slug flow exists as large bubbles
and is separated by slugs of liquid. The velocity of the gas bubbles is
greater than that of the liquid slugs, thereby resulting in a liquid holdup
that not only affects well and riser friction losses but also flowing
density.
• Churn flow: The liquid slugs between the gas bubbles essentially
disappear and at some point the liquid phase becomes discontinuous
and the gas phase becomes continuous. The pressure losses are
more the result of the gas phase than the liquid phase.
• Annular flow: This type of flow is characterized by a continuous gas
phase with liquid occurring as entrained droplets in the gas stream and
as a liquid film wetting the pipe wall.
 Flow regime map for horizontal pipe

• Depict the transitions between the flow patterns.

• The superficial gas velocity (Vsg ) is on the X-axis and the
superficial liquid velocity (Vsl) is on the Y-axis.
• The flow pattern is also dependent on:
- the angle of inclination,
Vsl
- pipe diameter,
- fluid composition,
- pressure and temperature.

Vsg
• Flow regime maps are useful tools for getting an overview over
which flow regimes we can expect for a particular set of input
data. Each map is not, however, general enough to be valid for
other data sets.
• For very low superficial gas and liquid velocities the flow is
stratified. As the velocities approach zero, we expect the pipe to
act as a long, horizontal tank with liquid at the bottom and gas
on top.
• If we increase the gas velocity, waves start forming on the liquid
surface. Due to the friction between gas and liquid, increasing
the gas flow will also affect the liquid by dragging it faster
towards the outlet and thereby reducing the liquid level.
• If we continue to increase the gas flow further, the gas
turbulence intensifies until it rips liquid from the liquid surface so
droplets become entrained in the gas stream, while the
previously horizontal surface bends around the inside of the
pipe until it covers the whole circumference with a liquid film.
• The droplets are carried by the gas until they occasionally hit
the pipe wall and are deposited back into the liquid film on the
wall.
• If the liquid flow is very high, the turbulence will be strong, and
any gas tends to be mixed into the liquid as fine bubbles. For
somewhat lower liquid flows, the bubbles float towards the top-
side of the pipe and cluster.
• The appropriate mix of gas and liquid can then form Taylor-
bubbles, which is the name we sometimes use for the large gas
bubbles separating liquid slugs.
• If the gas flow is constantly kept high enough, slugs will not
form because the gas transports the liquid out so rapidly the
liquid fraction stays low throughout the entire pipe.
• It is sometimes possible to take advantage of this and create
operational envelopes that define how a pipeline should be
operated, typically defining the minimum gas rate for slug-free
flow.
Flow regime map: Horizontal vs. vertical pipe

• Similar flow regime maps can be drawn for vertical pipes and
pipes with uphill or downhill inclinations.
Three- and four-phase flow

• Three phase flow is most often encountered as a mixture of

gas, oil and water.
• The presence of sand or other particles can result in four phase
flow, or we may have three-phase flow with solids instead of
one of the other phases.
• Sand has the potential to build up and affect the flow or even
block it. If we keep the velocities high enough, the sand is
quickly transported out of the system, and we can often get
away with neglecting the particles in the flow model.
• Instead, it is only taken into account in considerations to do with
erosion or to establish minimum flow limits to avoid sand
buildup. The three-phase flow our simulation models have to
deal with are therefore primarily of the gas-liquid-liquid, and
sand is only included – if at all - indirectly.
 Three-phase flow regime

• It may be more convenient to illustrate three-phase flow as

shown in three dimensions.
Vsg It becomes 1 for pure gas flow
if the water content is Vsg  Vso  Vsw
zero, our operation
point will be located
somewhere on a line in
the gas-oil plane

three-phase flow
Vsw
Vsg  Vso  Vsw

Vso
Vsg  Vso  Vsw The gas fraction is zero for pure liquid
(oil-water) flow
Multiphase flow modeling

• 3-phase vs. 2-phase flow

- Most production flowlines have 3 phases (gas, oil, and water)
- Simulators can use 2-phase models with a mixed liquid stream
using averaged properties for the oil and water.
- The use of 2-phase models generally gives acceptable results
unless
: emulsions are present,
: flow rates are low enough to cause stratification of all three phases.
- 3-phase models are typically used in gas-condensate systems
- 3-phase flow modeling requires considerably more computing
time because of the added complexity
Flowline pressure drop in multiphase flow

• The maximum allowable pressure drop in a pipeline is

constrained by its required outlet pressure and available inlet
pressure. In addition, the pressure in a pipeline must always be
less than the maximum allowable operating pressure.
• Allowable pressure drop is a function of the parameters of the
flow system. No fixed criteria exist for determining the maximum
pressure drop for a pipeline design.
• The flowline pressure gradient consists of three elements:

1. Friction
2. Elevation changes (can be + or -)
3. Fluid acceleration (can be + or -)
Steady state production flowline pressure drops

• Rules of Thumb for Frictional Pressure Drops

- Gas or Gas Condensate Production Flowline: 10-20 psi per mile
- Oil Production Flowline: 50-250 psi per mile
- Note: Hydrostatic head needs to be accounted to determine the
total pressure drop
- Conservative estimate for production flowlines (with only reservoir
energy to promote flow): the pressure drop at maximum flowrate
should be about 1/3 of the difference between the initial FWHP and
the required arrival pressure at the host.
• Flowline capacity can be limited by ∆P or by EVR (erosion
velocity ratio)
Single phase steady state flow in pipes

dp τ wπD du
  ρg c sin θ  ρ u
dx A dx

Where
P = pressure τw = wall shear stress
D = pipe diameter A = internal cross sectional area
ρ = fluid density gc = gravitational constant
u = velocity in x direction
Tow-phase homogeneous flow pressure
gradient equation

dp
dx
 τ wg
Pg
A
 τ wl l  α g ρg  αl ρl g c sin θ 
P
A
d
dx

α g ρg u sg2  αl ρl u sl2 

 [shear effects between gas and liquid]

P: wetted perimeters for gas and liquid

ρ : density
α : mass fraction
gc : gravitational constant
u : velocity l : liquid
τ : shear stress g : gas
θ : inclination angle x : distance
p: pressure
Frictional losses

• In multiphase flow, frictional losses occur by two mechanisms:

friction between the gas or liquid and the pipe wall, and
frictional losses at the interface between the gas and liquid.

• The friction calculations, therefore, are highly dependent on the

flow regime, since the distribution of liquid and gas in the pipe
changes markedly for each regime.
Elevation

• Elevation "losses" can be major factor in vertical flow and flow

through hilly terrain

• The liquid holdup must be determined to calculate elevation

effects

• Holdup in each flow regime has its own sensitivity to operating

variables
Acceleration

• Acceleration losses are only significant for annular flow and

slug flow; and especially for liquid to gas phase changes

• Typically, acceleration is usually less than 1% of the total drop

• In slug flow, acceleration of the liquid in the slug front can

produce significant pressure losses
Uncertainty in pressure drop calculations

• Due to the complexity of multi phase flow, uncertainties

associated with pressure drop calculations are significantly
greater than those in single-phase flow, and can have errors in
excess of ± 20%.

• These errors will be increased if the terrain is rugged, the fluid

properties are not fully defined or if the velocities are particularly
high or low.

• The uncertainty is a result of the fact that many pressure drop

methods are empirically based and are therefore only valid for
the range of conditions over which they were derived.
Pipeline wall roughness

• The relative roughness is defined as the absolute pipe

roughness (which can be thought of as the surface-to-peak
height of protrusions on the metal surface divided by the pipe
diameter. The Moody chart gives the Fanning friction factor as a
function of Reynolds number and relative roughness.
• A new steel pipe is usually assumed to have an absolute
roughness of about 0.0018 inch. In a 10-inch pipe, that converts
to a relative roughness of about 0.0002. An aged, corroded pipe
will have a much rougher surface. There can be a factor of
about two between the pressure drop between new and aged
pipe. Since flow rate is roughly proportional to the square root
of pressure drop, the new smooth pipe could have a capacity
40 percent greater than the corroded pipe.
Slip between gas and liquid phases

• Under most pipe flow conditions, the liquid moves more slowly
than the gas because it is more dense and viscous.

• Both phases would move through the pipe at the same velocity
if there were no slip between the gas and liquid.
Liquid holdup

• Liquid holdup is the amount of liquid contained in a multi phase

pipeline at particular flow conditions. Pipeline liquid holdup is a
factor of major importance for operability of a pipeline.
• Differences in holdup at different flow conditions represent the
liquid that will be swept out of the line during an increase in flow
rate.
• The holdup at a particular time will be produced as a liquid slug
when the line is pigged.
• These aspects affect slug catcher sizing and peak onshore
liquid processing requirements
Liquid holdup formation

• The liquid phase is normally carried though the line by drag

forces exerted by the gas phase.
• In upward sloping sections of the pipeline this drag must
overcome both frictional and gravitational forces - this causes
liquid to accumulate in these sections so as to reduce the flow
area for the gas, increasing the drag to the level required to
carry the liquid uphill.
• The accumulation of liquid in uphill sections means that the use
of a representative topography for a pipeline is vital in predicting
liquid.
• Below a certain gas flow rate (which is different for each
pipeline and is often referred to as the “sweep velocity”) the
holdup rapidly increases as the gas velocity is further lowered.
In this region the holdup appears to depend far more on gas
velocity than upon the amount of liquid in the fluids.
• Above the sweep velocity the holdup only slightly decreases as
gas velocity is further increased. In this region the hold-up
appears to be mostly dependent upon the amount of liquid in
the fluids.
Liquid holdup variable sensitivities

• The influence of the major variables on liquid holdup is very

different for each of the flow regimes. As a result, it is
impossible to develop a general holdup correlation that will
apply to all the flow regimes

Slug flow Annular Stratified Dispersed

flow flow bubble flow
Superficial gas Strong Strong Strong Strong
velocity
Superficial liquid Strong Strong Strong Strong
velocity
Gas density Moderate Strong Strong Strong

Pipeline diameter Moderate Weak Weak Weak

Angle of inclination Moderate Weak Very strong None

Liquid properties Moderate Moderate Moderate Weak

Pressure drop and liquid holdup

• In a multiphase pipeline, pressure drop is not always the

maximum at the highest flowrate.
• If a pipeline contains significant "hills and valleys", it is possible
that the highest pressure drop occurs at a lower flowrate. This
is due to increased liquid holdup at lower flowrate.
Steady state multiphase flow modeling

• Most offshore pipelines are sized by use of three design criteria:

available pressure drop, allowable velocities, and slugging.

• Line sizing is usually performed by use of steady state

simulators, which assume that the temperatures, pressures,
flowrates, and liquid holdup in the pipeline are constant with
time. This assumption is rarely true in practice, but line sizes
calculated from the steady state models are usually adequate.
Flow velocity

• The velocity in multiphase flow pipelines should be kept within

certain limits to ensure proper operation.
• Operating problems can occur if the velocity is either too high or
too low. There are guidelines to determining these limits, but
they are not absolute values.
Maximum flow velocity and erosion

• Solids Free Erosion Velocity limits can be determined using API

RP14E, given in the equation below. Ve is the maximum
velocity allowed to avoid excessive corrosion/erosion.
C
V e
 mix
Where,
Ve = erosional velocity (ft/s)
C = empirical coefficient
ρmix = gas/liquid mixture density (lb/ft3), which is defined as

 mix  C L ρL  (1  C L )ρg
Where,
ρmix = liquid density,
ρgas = gas density,
CL = flowling liquid volume fraction (CL = QL / (QL + QG)
• The above equation attempts to indicate the velocity at which
erosion-corrosion begins to increase rapidly.
• This equation is an over-simplification of a highly complex
subject, and as a result, there has been considerable
controversy over its use.
• For wells with no sand present, values of C have been reported
to be as high as 300 without significant erosion/corrosion in
carbon steel pipes.
• For flowlines with significant amounts of sand present, there
has been considerable erosion-corrosion for lines operating
below C = 100.
• Assuming on erosion rate of 10 mils per year, the following
maximum allowable velocity is recommended by Salama and
Venkatesh, when sand appears in an oil/gas mixture flow:
4d
V M
Ws
Where,
VM = maximum allowable mixture velocity (ft/s)
d = pipeline inside diameter, in.
Ws = rate of sand production (bbl/month)
Minimum flow velocity

• The concept of a minimum velocity for a flowline is also

important.
• Velocities that are too low are frequently a greater problem than
excessive velocities.
• The following items may effectively impose minimum velocity
constraints:
Slugging: Slugging severity typically increases with decreasing flow
rate. The minimum allowable velocity constraint should be imposed
to control the slugging in multiphase flow for assuring the production
deliverability of the system.
Liquid handling: In gas/condensate systems, the ramp-up rates may
be limited by the liquid handling facilities and constrained by the
maximum line size.
Pressure drop: For viscous oils, a minimum flow rate is necessary to
maintain fluid temperature such that the viscosities are acceptable.
Below this minimum, production may eventually shut itself in.
Liquid loading: A minimum velocity is required to lift the liquids and
prevent wells and risers from loading up with liquid and shutting in.
The minimum stable rate is determined by transient simulation at
successively lower flow rates. The minimum rate for the system is
also a function of GLR.
Sand bedding: The minimum velocity is required to avoid sand
bedding.
Problem with flow velocities which are too low

• Liquid holdup may increase rapidly at low mixture velocities.

• Water may accumulate at low spots in the line. This may cause
enhanced localized corrosion.
• Low velocities may cause terrain induced slugging in hilly
terrain pipelines and pipeline-riser systems.
• The minimum velocity depends on many variables, including:
topography; pipeline diameter; gas-liquid ratio; and operating
conditions of the line. Roughly a value for the minimum velocity
would be a mixture velocity of 5-8 ft/s
(note: API recommends 10 ft/s to minimize slugging)
Flow in networks

• A basic approach for networks outlined by Gregory & Aziz

(1978) relies on an initial knowledge of the flow from each feed
of a gas gathering system, the details of each flowline section
(construction, topography etc.) and the pressure and
temperature at the outlet (final gathering point).
• Calculations are performed backwards through the system to
ascertain the pressure and temperature at each node.
• This approach may require many iterations to study constraints
and limitations at supply wells and/or the arrival point.
Line sizing

• Unlike single-phase pipelines, multiphase pipelines are sized

taking into account the limitations imposed by production rates,
erosion, slugging, and ramp-up speed. Artificial lift is also
considered during line sizing to improve the operational range of
the system.
• The line sizing of the pipeline is governed by the following
technical criteria:
Allowable pressure drop;
Maximum velocity (allowable erosional velocity) and minimum velocity;
System deliverability;
Slug consideration if applicable.
• Other criteria considered in the selection of the optimum line
size include:
Standard versus custom line sizes;
Ability of installation;
Future production;
Number of flowlines and risers;
Low-temperature limits;
High-temperature limits;
Roughness.
Computational difficulties for pressure drop

• Unknowns:
- Phase holdups
- Pipe Perimeters, Pg and Pl , upon which shear stresses act
- Slip velocity between phases
- Interfacial friction factors

• Challenges & Complexities:

- Steady-state vs. transient flow
- Two vs. three phase flow
- Non-homogeneous flow
- Need closure relationships
Mechanistic models vs Multiphase correlations

• Empirical correlations have been used for many years

- Based on measurements consisting mostly of low pressure, small
diameter pipe
- Extrapolations of correlations to field conditions may result in large
errors

• Mechanistic models
- Developed with experimental data and based on the fundamental
mechanisms of multi phase flow
- Generally proven to extrapolate to field conditions better than the
correlations
Two most common multiphase flow models

• OLGA • PIPESIM
- Multiphase steady-state and - Multiphase steady-state flow
transient flow - Slugging characteristics
- Individual slug tracking - Network analysis module
- Compositional tracking - Well design & production
- Corrosion module performance analysis
- FEMtherm module - Gas lift optimization module
- Multiphase pump module - Pipeline and facilities design
- Wells module and analysis
- Wax module
- Hydrate kinetics module
- Inhibitor tracking module
- Complex fluid module
Transient Multiphase flow simulator

• Steady state simulators assume that all flow rates, pressures,

temperatures, etc. are constant through time. For transient
phenomena, such as slug flow, only average values of holdups
and pressure drops are calculated.
• Transient simulators show the variations in parameters such as
pressure, temperature, and gas and liquid flow rates as a
function of time and can model dynamic phenomena such as
slug flow.
Characteristics of transient multiphase simulators

• Transient simulators more closely model the operation of

pipelines and with more detail than do steady state simulators.
• Transient simulators solve a set of equations for conservation of
mass, momentum and energy to estimate liquid and gas flow
rates, pressures, temperatures and liquid holdups as a function
of time.
• The programs utilize an iterative procedure that ensures a set
of boundary conditions (such as inlet flow rates and outlet
pressures as a function of time) are met while solving the
conservation equations.
Applications for transient multiphase simulators

• The uses for transient multiphase flow simulators include:

- Slug flow modeling
- Estimates of the potential for terrain slugging
- Pigging simulation
- Identification of areas with higher corrosion potential, such as water
accumulation in low spots in the line and areas with highly
turbulent/slug flow
- Startup, shutdown and pipeline depressurizing simulations
- Slug catcher design
- Development of operating guidelines
- Real time modeling including leak detection
- Operator training
- Design of control systems for downstream equipment
Model prediction vs Field data
• 24-in. 110 mile gas flowline
Contact: Yutaek Seo

Email: [email protected]

Thank you