Investigation of the Static Pressure Drop and Production that Occurs due to Flow Patterns in a Perforated Horizontal Wellbore

Abstract

This study examined the intricate interaction between flow patterns and production within a perforated horizontal wellbore. The study precisely assessed the behavior of static pressure drop by utilizing an array of flow regimes encompassing bubble, dispersed bubble, transitional bubble/slug, slug, stratified, transitional slug/stratified wave, and stratified wave. Remarkably, an upward trend in static pressure drop was observed with increasing water phase presence, while the converse was true for the air phase. Besides, the air phase superficial velocity exhibited a direct correlation with the magnitude of pressure drop fluctuations. The liquid production demonstrated a peak during bubble and slug flow regimes, followed by a descent during the transition to stratified and stratified wave flow. This decline can be attributed to mixing pressure drops localized during the perforations. Furthermore, an upward trend in average liquid production was observed with increasing mixture superficial velocity, primarily due to the dominant presence of the water phase. Additionally, the percentage of liquid production was positively associated with the water's superficial velocity when the air's superficial velocity was held constant. While the experimental and numerical results were in agreement for slugs and structured flows, there were discrepancies in the behavior of static pressure for bubbles, small bubbles, and structured waves.