Frictional Pressure Losses of Fluids Flowing in Circular Conduits: A Review

Abstract

Fluids are pumped through circular conduits in various operations in the petroleum industry. These fluids may be Newtonian or non-Newtonian, clean or proppant-laden, polymer-based or surfactantbased, single-phase or multiphase, drag-reducing, and others. They are pumped through straight and coiled tubing under laminar-or turbulent-flow conditions. Calculation of frictional pressure losses for these circumstances is crucial for the success of the operation.A simple Darcy-Weisbach (Darcy 1857) equation is widely used to calculate frictional pressure losses in pipes. However, a unique term, friction factor, has to be determined. Enormous numbers of correlations are available to determine the friction factor. These correlations vary in complexity and applicability and have their own positive and negative features. In addition, several parameters included in the correlations have to be identified, and they vary from one correlation to another. The task at hand is determining the proper correlation. Estimating the friction factor is not an easy task, and it can be very confusing. Inaccurate estimation may lead to erroneous results and failure of operations.This study provides a comprehensive review of the frictionfactor correlations and presents how to select the most-suitable correlation for specific conditions. It discusses the parameters involved in friction-factor calculation and how to define them. The authors compare and question the applicability, accuracy, and limitations of each correlation to propose the most-accurate ones. An innovative, user-friendly, and step-by-step code using the most widely used and accurate correlations can then be developed to predict the friction factor. The present study is an effort to simplify the friction-factor challenge. It aims at providing the mostaccurate friction-factor correlations to overcome the complexity faced when calculating frictional pressure losses. In conclusion, it summarizes the state of the art in the field of fluids and hydraulics in the oil and gas industry.ST and CT. CT has been extensively used in different applications in the oil and gas industry because of its numerous advantages over conventional ST. These applications include solids and sand washing (Pursell 1992), well unloading (Gu 1995), CT