Numerical simulation of flow through a wellbore for horizontal wells

Abstract

An understanding of flow in long horizontal wells can be an important aspect of reservoir management. In view of this, a comprehensive study was undertaken for a pipe with a diameter of 0.022 m and two perforations; one on the upper surface and the other on the lower surface with 0.006 m diameter and 180° phasing. The flow variations have been related to geometric and operating parameters. To better understand wellbore flow, Computational Fluid Dynamics CFD simulations (ANSYS CFX-13) have been used to simulate the flow at the wellbore to calculate the pressure drop, wall shear stress and turbulence kinetic energy etc. Using RNG k ε − model to predict the flow behavior of turbulent pipe flow with the radial flow through perforations in the pipe wall. Comparison CFD results with the other researchers agree with them in relation to the behavior of wall shear stress, pressure drop etc.

Numerical Study of flow-through the perforations for angle perforation 180° and 90° in horizontal wellbore

“…The result showed that the pressure drop due to acceleration was significant and equal to 30% of the total pressure and friction pressure drop due to perforation was neglected. Abdulwahid et al [11] provided a numerical simulation model of a pipeline flow with two perforations, one on the upper and one on the lower surface. Using ANSYS to analyse the overall pressure drops, the static pressure, and the average wall shear stress distribution of a horizontal well with a diameter of 22 mm and a length of 1 m. There are two perforations with perforation diameters of 0.006 m and 0.003 m. It is used the RNG (k-ε) model in the plane of symmetry model.…”

Effect of Shape and Parameters of Perforation in a Vertical Wellbore with Two Perforations (without Porous Media) on Pressure Drop

“…To validate the present study, the research of Abdulwahid et al [13] is used. They used CFD to simulate a perforated pipe.…”

“…Abdulwahid et al [13] analyzed the total pressure, static pressure and wall shear distributions along 1m of horizontal wellbore and diameter of 0.022 m, with two perforations, which the diameter for perforations is 0.006 m and length is 0.003 m, using ANSYS FLUENT and RNG k-ε model in a symmetry plane. Farajpourlar et al [14] studied the major and minor pressure losses, depending on Bernoulli's principle in a single phase gas flow for vertical pipe (with and without perforation) through three images; hydrostatic, frictional and kinetic.…”