Calculation of Bottomhole Pressure in Two-Phase Wells Using Beggs and Brill Method: Sensitivity Analysis

Abstract

This paper presents a comprehensive workflow for calculating the pressure profile and liquid hold-up in two-phase wells using the Beggs and Brill method. The workflow includes estimation of velocities, flow regime transition and liquid hold-up calculation, potential energy gradient, frictional pressure gradient, and pressure gradient. Sensitivity analyses are performed to investigate the impact of gas-oil ratio, flux, borehole pressure, and fluid densities on the pressure profile and liquid hold-up. The analyses show that an increase in the gas-oil ratio is translated as a downward displacement of the flow regime transition, while increasing the flux at constant GOR increases the frictional energy differential pressure and displaces the flow regime conversion from intermittent to distributed. Increasing the borehole pressure displaces upwards the transition between flow regimes. Density changes have little effect on the frictional energy profile and a slight effect on the jump observed for the liquid hold-up. The workflow presented provides an accurate determination of the impact of various parameters on the pressure profile and liquid hold-up in two-phase wells using the Beggs and Brill method.