Application of Guo's four-phase flow model to two-phase and three-phase flow wells

Abstract

This study is intended to investigate the applicability of Guo's four-phase flow model to two-phase and three-phase flow wells under different conditions and improve its accuracy. Two hundred and eight data sets were used to calculate the bottomhole flowing pressure (BHFP) from the known wellhead flowing pressure (WHFP) by Guo's four-phase flow model and six other multiphase flow correlations (Duns and Ros (modified), Hagedorn and Brown, Fancher and Brown, Beggs and Brill, and Duns and Ros (original)). Then, modifications were tried and evaluated in order to improve the model's accuracy. These modifications are improving the tuning factor, inclusion of gas compressibility factor (Z), solution gas-oil ratio (R[subscript s]), and oil formation volume factor (B[subscript o]), and incremental calculation of pressure losses. Then, the modified Guo's models based on different combinations of modifications were compared against the other six multiphase flow correlations. In the comparison, it can be seen that the average absolute error of Guo's model modified with the Z factor tuning for gas flow rate is better than the other modified Guo's models and multiphase flow correlations except Duns and Ros (modified) correlation and Duns and Ros (original) correlation. Therefore, the modified model proposed in this study may be used with high accuracy.