Improvements for Flow Correlations for Gas Wells Experiencing Liquid Loading

Abstract

Abstract Improvements to pressure traverse (predictions) using simple modifications to a two phase flow program (Gray1,2 correlation) for gas wells producing some liquids have been discussed in this paper. The Gray correlation was found to be the best of several initially tested. Improvements in pressure traverse predictions with modifications are shown compared to a set of high quality data. The absolute average error between the measured data and calculated data for fifteen wells was reduced from about 28 % to about 22% using suggested modifications or improvements. Modifications tested included modeling downhole condensation or vaporization of water, a correction for water density, use of a regression technique to minimize error in a program that was written to allow input constants to help adjust predications to measurements, and adding multiphase flow regimes in the two phase flow program. Also, some suggestions for future work to improve correlations for liquid loaded gas well pressure profile predications are discussed.