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Measuring Shotgun Choke Performance

Choke performance is important to control production rates and protect equipment. There are two types of chokes: positive and adjustable. Flow through chokes can be sonic or subsonic depending on pressure ratios. Pressure and temperature changes are calculated differently depending on single-phase or multiphase flow. Empirical models are used to predict flow rates for different fluid types flowing through chokes. Sachdeva's model is commonly used for multiphase flow but the accuracy can be improved by using different discharge coefficients.

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Júlio César Nascimento
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92 views18 pages

Measuring Shotgun Choke Performance

Choke performance is important to control production rates and protect equipment. There are two types of chokes: positive and adjustable. Flow through chokes can be sonic or subsonic depending on pressure ratios. Pressure and temperature changes are calculated differently depending on single-phase or multiphase flow. Empirical models are used to predict flow rates for different fluid types flowing through chokes. Sachdeva's model is commonly used for multiphase flow but the accuracy can be improved by using different discharge coefficients.

Uploaded by

Júlio César Nascimento
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
  • Choke Performance
  • Sonic and Subsonic Flow
  • Single-Phase Liquid Flow
  • Single-Phase Gas Flow
  • Subsonic Flow
  • Sonic Flow
  • Multiphase Flow
  • Sachdeva's Model
  • Reference

Chapter5

CHOKEPERFORMANCE

Placingachokeatthewellheadmeansfixingthewellhead pressureand,thus,theflowingbottomholepressureand productionrate. Foragivenwellheadpressure,bycalculatingpressurelossin thetubingtheflowingbottomholepressurecanbe determined. Chokeisusedto: 1 limitproductionratesforregulations. 2 protectsurfaceequipmentfromslugging. 3 avoidsandproblemsduetohighdrawdown. 4 controlflowratetoavoidwaterorgasconing. [Link](1)positive (fixed)chokesand(2)adjustablechokes.

SonicandSubsonicFlow
Pressuredropacrosswellchokesisusuallyverysignificant. Thereisnouniversalequationforpredictingpressuredrop acrossthechokesforalltypesofproductionfluids. Differentchokeflowmodelshavetobechosenbasedonthe gasfractioninthefluidandflowregimes,thatis,subsonicor sonicflow. Whenfluidvelocityinchokereachestosoundvelocityin fluid,velocitydoesntincreaseforbiggerpressuredrop.i.e velocityoffluidcantbebiggerthansoundvelocityinfluid. Whetherasonicflowexistsatachokedependsona downstreamtoupstreampressureratio. Ifthispressureratioislessthanacriticalpressureratio,sonic (critical)flowexists.

Contd
Ifthispressureratioisgreaterthanorequaltothecritical pressureratio,subsonic(subcritical)flowexists. Thecriticalpressureratiothroughchokesisexpressedas:

Thevalueofthekisabout [Link],the criticalpressureratiois about0.55fornaturalgas.

SinglePhaseLiquidFlow
Whenthepressuredropacrossachokeisduetokinetic energychange,flowratecanbeexpressedas:

Thisequationcanberewriteas:

Contd
ThechokedischargecoefficientCDcanbedeterminedbased onReynoldsnumberandchoke/pipediameterratio.

SinglePhaseGasFlow
Pressureequationsforgasflowthroughachokearederivedbased onanisentropicprocess. Thisisbecausethereisnotimeforheattotransfer(adiabatic)and thefrictionlossisnegligible(assumingreversible)atchokes. Inadditiontotheconcernofpressuredropacrossthechokes, temperaturedropassociatedwithchokeflowisalsoanimportant issueforgaswells,becausehydratesmayformthatmayplugflow lines. Undersubsonicflowconditions,gaspassagethroughachokecan beexpressedas:

SubsonicFlow

TheReynoldsnumberfordeterminingCD isexpressedas:

Gasvelocityundersubsonicflowconditionsislessthanthe soundvelocityinthegasattheinsituconditions:

SonicFlow
Undersonicflowconditions,thegaspassageratereachesits maximumvalue. Thegaspassagerateisexpressedinthefollowingequation foridealgases:

ThechokeflowcoefficientCD isnotsensitivetotheReynolds numberforReynoldsnumbervaluesgreaterthan106. Thus,theCD valueattheReynoldsnumberof106 canbe assumedforCD valuesathigherReynoldsnumbers.

Contd
Gasvelocityundersonicflowconditionsisequaltosound velocityinthegasundertheinsituconditions:

TemperatureatChoke: Dependingontheupstreamtodownstreampressureratio, thetemperatureatchokecanbemuchlowerthanexpected. ThislowtemperatureisduetotheJouleThomsoncooling effect,thatis,asuddengasexpansionbelowthenozzle causesasignificanttemperaturedrop.

Contd
Thetemperaturecaneasilydroptobelowicepoint,resulting inicepluggingifwaterexists. Eventhoughthetemperaturestillcanbeaboveicepoint, hydratescanformandcausepluggingproblems. Assuminganisentropicprocessforanidealgasflowing throughchokes,thetemperatureatthechokedownstream canbepredictedusingthefollowingequation:

Thisequationneedsatrial&errorsolutionsinceZoutlet isa functionofTdn .

MultiphaseFlow
Whentheproducedoilreachesthewellheadchoke,the wellheadpressureisusuallybelowthebubblepointpressure oftheoil. Chokebehavesdifferentlydependingongascontentandflow regime(sonicorsubsonicflow). Critical(Sonic)Flow whengasbubblesareaddedtoanincompressiblefluid, aboveacriticalflowvelocity,themediumbecomesincapable oftransmittingpressurechangeupstreamagainsttheflow. empiricalchokeflowmodelshavebeendevelopedas:

Subcritical(Subsonic)Flow(Sachdevas multiphasechokeflow)

Thepolytropicexponentforgasiscalculatedusing:

Thegasspecificvolumeatupstream(VG1)canbedetermined usingthegaslawbasedonupstreampressureand temperature.

Contd
Thegasspecificvolumeatdownstream(VG2)isexpressedas:

Thecriticalpressureratioyc canbesolvednumerically.(tiral &errormethod). Theactualpressureratiocanbecalculatedby:

If(ya <yc ),criticalflowexists,andtheyc shouldbeused(y= yc). Otherwise,subcriticalflowexists,andya should beused(y=ya ).

Contd
Thetotalmassfluxcanbecalculatedusingthefollowing equation:

Themixturedensityatdownstream(m2)canbecalculated usingthefollowingequation:

Oncethemassfluxisdetermined,massflowratecanbe calculatedusingthefollowingequation:

Contd

Liquidmassflowrateisdeterminedby:

Attypicalvelocitiesofmixturesof50150ft/sflowing throughchokes,thereisvirtuallynotimeformasstransfer [Link],x2 =x1 canbeassumed. Gasmassflowrateisdeterminedby:

Sachdevas model
[Link] chokemodelcanbeimproved byusingdifferentdischargecoefficientsfordifferentfluid typesandwelltypes. [Link] condensatewells,adischargecoefficientofCD=1.08should beused. [Link]=0.78shouldbeusedfor predictinggasratesofoilwells. [Link]=1.53shouldbeusedfor predictingliquidratesofgascondensatewells.

Reference
PetroleumProductionEngineering,AcomputerAssisted Approach;BoyunGuo,[Link],AliGhalambor; ElsevierScience&TechnologyBooks;2007.

CHOKE PERFORMANCE Chapter 5
• Placing a choke at the wellhead means fixing the wellhead  pressure and, thus, the flowing bottom‐hole pressure and  pr
Sonic and Subsonic Flow • Pressure drop across well chokes is usually very significant.  There is no universal equation for
Cont’d • If this pressure ratio is greater than or equal to the critical  pressure ratio, subsonic (subcritical) flow exist
Single‐Phase Liquid Flow • When the pressure drop across a choke is due to kinetic  energy change, flow rate can be express
Cont’d • The choke discharge coefficient CD can be determined based  on Reynolds number and choke/pipe diameter ratio.
Single‐Phase Gas Flow • Pressure equations for gas flow through a choke are derived based  on an isentropic process. • This
Subsonic Flow • The Reynolds number for determining CD is expressed as: • Gas velocity under subsonic flow conditions is le
Sonic Flow • Under sonic flow conditions, the gas passage rate reaches its  maximum value. • The gas passage rate is expres
Cont’d • Gas velocity under sonic flow conditions is equal to sound  velocity in the gas under the in situ conditions: Temp

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