Liquid Accumulation in Gas-Condensate Pipelines – An Experimental Study

Abstract

In slightly upwardly inclined pipes with low liquid flow rates there exists a region were the holdup increases almost like a discontinuity with decreasing gas flow. To predict this transition region accurately is of great importance for design and operation of gas-condensate pipelines. The multiphase flow models have to little extent been tested in this respect. In this paper we present recent experimental data from a series of three-phase flow experiments focusing on how the pipe inclination, the gas density and the water cut affect the onset of transition to high holdup. The data have been compared to OLGAS 2000 predictions.