Some of the proven correlations available are Woelfin, Rønningsen, Pal & Rhodes, and etc.įigure 2: Pressure Drop against Water Volume FractionĪs shown in Figure 2, the calculated pressure drop of a pipeline considering emulsion can be as high as 7 times (21 bar vs 3 bar).
SYNERGI VS PIPESIM SOFTWARE
Besides laboratory data, the software contains correlations to predict the emulsion viscosity. The most accurate way is to allow the software to calculate the pressure based on emulsion viscosity obtained via laboratory study. With the aid of software, a flow assurance engineer will be able to determine the operating envelope of the transporting pipeline. The stability of emulsion can be affected by various factors, such as water volume fraction, temperature etc. The phase inversion point depends on fluid sample and is different for each production fluids.įigure 1: Fluid Relative Viscosity against Water Volume Fraction Figure 1 illustrates the effect of water volume fraction on viscosity. After this phase inversion point, viscosity of the fluid reduces with increasing water volume fraction. Phase inversion is the point where water becomes the continuous phase and oil is dispersed in it. Theoretically, viscosity of the fluid increases when water volume fraction increases until phase inversion point. The following types of emulsions are usually found in transporting pipeline: Since pipeline pressure calculation is one of the principal aspects of the pipeline design, it is crucial to consider the possibility of emulsion formation using hydraulic and flow assurance studies.Įmulsion occurs when one type of liquid is dispersed as droplets in the other continuous phase of immiscible liquid. This is a costly problem to oil production companies, as it causes production loss and decline in revenue. Failure to predict fluid viscosity and pressure drop accurately may lead to the under sizing of a subsea pipeline. The major impact due to formation of stable emulsion is the increase in fluid viscosity, which can cause a high pressure drop in the pipeline. The immiscible mixtures of oil and water in the pipeline may result in the formation of emulsion. Conventional method of Enhanced Oil Recovery (i.e.The % amount of water will become increasingly significant as the oil field ages. Water flowing out from the reservoir naturally.The presence of water in the transporting pipeline may be due to the following: During oil production, most pipelines are transporting a substantial amount of water together with crude oil and gas.
0 kommentar(er)
