Current trends in hydrocarbon production are driven by improved oilfield management with various control and optimization strategies. These strategies rely on the efficiency of monitoring equipment which is used to obtain real-time oil and gas production rates with sufficient spatial and temporal resolution. Consequently considerable efforts have been put in the development of reliable flow measurement techniques dedicated to real-time monitoring of hydrocarbon flow rates without separation of the phases.Multiphase metering at an upper limit of gas volume fraction (mostly above 95% GVF) is referred to as wet gas metering. Usually the metering of a wet gas flow is performed using standard dry gas meters which are supplemented by additional corrections in order to account for the impact of a liquid phase. These correction algorithms use explicit information on the measured fractions of oil, water and gas and can either be based on empirical correlations or employ mechanistic flow models. In contrast, issues related to installation effects of various components (such as pressure/temperature gauges and ad-hoc sensors) cannot usually be handled using simple flow models and should be assessed using extensive experimental analysis.As a general solution, more fundamental physical background is put into the design and development of a new generation of a wet gas meter. The usage of general flow models both on micro and macro scales reduces uncertainty relevant to empirical modelling and promises more robust flow metering performance. In this work, the issues related to the optimal salinity sensor location have been studied via computational fluid dynamics. In particular, different variants of sensor placement scenarios have been analyzed in order to identify the location, which will have the maximum water volume fraction to achieve as high sensitivity as possible.
This paper describes a new concept for sand monitoring in multiphase flow regimes and presents results from a thorough test programme, run in a dedicated sand probe test rig at Norsk Hydro's Research Centre at Herøya. The sand probe has been developed as a result of the need for sensors that ean give real quantification of the sand content in oil and gas as well as multiphase flow. This type of probe requires no on-site calibration, and has in principle no lower limit on the smallest detectable sand concentration. This sand monitor is based on measurements of change in resistance in thin, corrosion resistantsensing elements, as these are eroded by the sand. The probe is manufactured with typically four sensing elements which together will cover the whole internal pipe diameter. L%e system has been tested under both bubble and slug flow. All tests clearly demonstrate the probe response's linear dependence on sand concentration, and that the probe can measure the sand content regardless of turbulence level. INTRODUCTION The production of sand and solids in oil and gas can represent a major problem in terms of erosion and damage to production equipment. Sand production can also lead to a degradation or, in the worst ease, a collapse of the reservoir. This sand probe has been developed as a result of the need for sensors that ean measure the sand content accurately both in oil and gas as well as multiphase flow. The CarOcean sand probe is particularly beneficial in situations with low gas/liquid ratios, where accurate quantification of sand with traditional acoustic methods has proven to be difficult. This article presents data from a 9 month test programme run in a new, dedicated test rig at the Norsk Hydro Research Centre at Herøya, Norway. The purpose of the tests was to qualify this new type of sand probe, and to develop a computer model to be used for quantitative analysis of the sand content in the flowing medium. The test programme was divided into three parts An initialtest performed in water, a qualifying test in oil and finally, a test in pure gas phase. The data from the gas tests in annular flow were still under analysisat the time when this article was prepared, and will therefore be published later. Four parameters were focused on during thetest programme:Mixture velocityGrain sizeGas-Liquid RatioProbe positioning A large number of data were analyzed during the course of the test programme, to ensure that thederived formula was as accurate as possible. Due to limited space, this article can only present a small fraction of the data.
This paper was sebc+ed for presentation by an SPE ProgramCommittes following rewew of mlormsfiin contained m an abstract submhted by the author(s). Contents of the paper, as LWS9sntsd, fWe nd teen rsviswed by ths Sccisly d Petrolaum Engmesm and ara subjsct to correction by tha author(s). The material, as presentsd, does not nsceasarily reflact any position of the SWety of Petroleum Engineers, its officers or rnambars, Papsm presented at SPE msafings am $"b]acf to pubficstion rewew by Ed!torial CommNsss of the Society of Petroleum Engineers. Permission to copy is restrwted to an aMracf of not more than 300 words, Illustrations msy not be coplad, The abstract should contain mnspwuous aclmowledgmsnt of where and by whom the paper IS presented, Wrte Librarian, SPE, P. 0, Box S33S26, Rwhardscm, TX 750S3-3S3S, U. S. A., fax 01-214-952-9435. AbstractThis paper describes the use of an erosion based on-line sand monitoring system, both for topside and subsea applications.
The production of sand particles in oil wells can result in severe problems with regard to erosion in valves or bends as well as possible collapse of the reservoir, and filling up of separators. This paper will discuss the erosion based sand monitoring system, and how this has helped the Tordis field operator to operate within optimized, but safe production limits to avoid these problems. The system has operational experience from the last seven years and field data will be presented. The paper will also show data from laboratory tests. And a new temperature and pressure gauge which is included with the probe is also discussed. Finally, the latest erosion correlation model developed together with the Norwegian oil company Norsk Hydro will be discussed. This model gives the correlation between the probe erosion and other critical components in the system, e.g. bends. INTRODUCTION The production of sand and solids in oil and gas can represent a major problem in terms of erosion damage. Sand production can also lead to a degradation, or in the worst case, a collapse of the reservoir. Unexpected breakdown of the reservoir and water breakthrough can occur, resulting in increased sand content of the well fluid. Process equipment could also fill up due to the settling of sand. In addition to the safety and production technical aspects of unwanted/uncontrolled sand production, the active use of proper on-line sand monitoring equipment will also have a cost reducing impact since piping tolerances with respect to erosion may be reduced. Sand control has in the past been sought mainly through downhole techniques like screens/gravel packs. A gravel pack will, however, limit the production capacity from the reservoir, and it has also been seen to fail with drastic consequences. In addition, the cost of a gravel pack operation can make it desirable to seek other solutions. The system presented in this article allows continuous monitoring of the status of sand production and erosion in any type of well, and will serve both as a safety device, and as a tool for optimizing and controlling the oil/gas production. An on-line sand monitoring system can also lower capital expenditures. By reducing the production system tolerance with respect to erosion. During testing before a well is put into normal production, and at later stages, maximum sand free rate (MSFR) tests with on line sand monitoring can be performed to establish the maximum acceptable production rates. However, downhole conditions can change over time resulting in sand production. This leads to a requirement for continuous sand monitoring. This paper describes experience from use of an erosion based sand detection and monitoring system. Due to the high sensitivity of the device, any significant sand concentration in the produced fluid/gas will be detected. In addition, the erosion rates read directly from the probe elements can, using direct correlations, be used to quantify the erosion in the piping system itself.
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