08 System Analysis

VIETNAM OIL AND GAS GROUP
PETROVIETNAM UNIVERSITY
CHAPTER 8
SYSTEMS ANALYSIS
Lecturer : MSc Luong Hai Linh

Email : linhlh@pvu.edu.vn
Tel : +84 834 081 666
Learning Outcomes 8
• Understand how to determine total pressure losses

across the system.
• Know the components causing pressure drop in the
production system.
• Considering the change of the inflow and outflow
characteristics, in particular the production rate when
changing the components causing pressure losses.
© 2019 – Petrovietnam University (PVU)
Luong Hai Linh, MSc Petroleum production system 2

Contents
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Reservoir Pressure Drop
8.3 Systems design and Forecast

8.1 Introduction

8.1 Introduction
Gas Sales
Flowing Wellhead
Pressur e Hor izontal Flowline
Separator
Stock Tank
Vertical or Inclined
Tubing
Intake
Flow Through
Porus Media
P, K, IPR
Figure 8.1 Production system

8.1 Introduction
System analysis for petroleum production systems

❖ Analyze the performance of the system taking into
account all of its components

❖ Figure out potential problems associated with the
production system
❖ Analyze the behavior of the system in response to any

changes of a component

8.1 Introduction
Locations of various nodes
3 2 1A
1
4
1B
N ode Location R em arks
1 Separator
2 Surface Choke Functional
3 Wellhead
4 Safety Valve Func tional
5 5 Restriction Func tional
6 Pwf
7 Pwfs
8 Pr
1A Gas Sales
1B Stock Tank
6 7 8
Figure 8.2. Locations of various nodes

Luong Hai Linh, MSc Petroleum production system
8.1 Introduction
❖ Individual components analysis is adequate when

components don’t interact with each other
❖ In two phase flow, pressure drop is function not only of
flowrates but also of pressure level at the component
❖ This creates an interdependence between each
component
❖ Individual component analysis is no longer applicable
❖ A new tool is necessary- Nodal analysis

8.1. Introduction
Fundamentals of the NA method
* Always consider a component in the relationships with the

others
* Pressure and Pressure Losses across different
components of the system are of primary interests
* The performance of a system can be analyzed via one or

more NODEs

8.1 Introduction
Video 1: Difference Pressure

8.1. Introduction
Figure 8.3 Nodal Analysis

8.1 Introduction
Figure 8.4 Nodal Analysis- Inflow section
PInode (q) = Pr - ISPc(q,P) (8-1)

❖ The inflow pressure at the node represents the

pressure the inflow section can deliver the flowrate q at
the node.
8.1 Introduction
Figure 8.5 Nodal Analysis – Outflow section
P0node (q) = Ps + OSPc(q,P) (8-2)

❖ The outflow pressure at the node represents the

pressure the outflow section requires to produce the
flowrate q up to the separator.

8.1 Introduction
❖ The equilibrium point is the point at which the inflow

section is capable of delivering the flowrate at a pressure
enough for the outflow section to flow the fluids up to the
separator P0node (q) = PInode (q) (8-3)
Figure 8.6 Simple Production system

8.1 Introduction
Figure 8.7 Nodal Analysis – Node = Perforations

8.1 Introduction

8.1 Introduction

8.1 Introduction

8.1 Introduction
Figure 8.11 IPR and OPR – Node = Perforations

8.1 Introduction
Figure 8.12 Nodal Analysis – Node = reservoir boundary

8.1 Introduction
❖ Example:
Perform a Nodal analysis for the following well:
- IPR: Vogel with q(max)= 5000 stb/d and P(r)=
4500 psig.
- Separator pressure= 450 psig.
- The pressure drop at the flowline and the
production string is given in the following table.

8.1 Introduction
Figure 8.13 The pressure drop at the flowline, production string

8.1 Introduction
Figure 8.14 The caculation summary

8.1 Introduction
Figure 8.15 IPR and OPR with various node selection


Possible Pressure Losses
P8 Gas Sales
Pwh
P6
Separator
Psep
P5 Stock Tank
P DSV
P4
P USV P1 = (Pr - Pwfs) = Loss in Porus Medium

P2 = (Pwfs - Pwf) = Loss across Completion
P3 = (P UR - PDR) = Loss across Restriction
P7 P4 = (P USV - PDSV) = Loss across Safety Valve
P5 = (Pwh - P DSC) = Loss across Surface Choke
P6 = (P DSC - Psep) = Loss in Flowline
P7 = (Pwf - Pwh) = Total Loss in Tubing
P DR P8 = (Pwh - Psep) = Total Loss in Flowline
P3
PUR
Pwf Pwfs Pr
P2
P1
Figure 8.16 Possible pressure losses

Luong Hai Linh, MSc Petroleum production system
Video 2: Oilfield Production

* Inflow to the node:

P(R)-P(upstream components)=P(node) (8-4)
* Outflow from the node:

P(set)+P(downstream components)=P(node) (8-5)
. At any point in time t during the production process, the

average reservoir pressure and the separator pressure are

given as constants.

❖ The Two Essential Principles
 There is ONLY ONE value of pressure at a node

(physical point).
 The flow rate coming into a node is equal to the flow rate
going out of that node (mass conservation).


❖ TUBING SIZE SELECTION

❖ FLOWLlNE SIZE EFFECT
❖ EFFECT OF STIMULATION
❖ SYSTEMS ANALYSIS FOR WELLS WITH
RESTRICTIONS
❖ EVALUATING COMPLETION EFFECTS
❖ NODAL ANALYSIS OF INJECTION WELLS
❖ EFFECT OF DEPLETION
❖ RELATlNG PERFORMANCE TO TIME
❖ ANALYZING MULTIWELL SYSTEMS

8.2.1 Tubing size selection :

• One of the most important components in the production
system is the tubing string. As much as 80 percent of the
total pressure loss in an oil well can occur in moving the
fluids from the bottom of the hole to the surface.
• A common problem in well completion design is to
select a tubing size based on totally irrelevant criteria,
such as what size tubing is on the pipe rack or what size
has been installed in the past.

8.2.1 Tubing Size selection :

• There is an optimum tubing size for any well system.
Tubing too small will restrict the production rate because
of excessive friction loss, while tubing too large will
cause a well to load up with liquids and die.
• To isolate the effect of tubing size. The wellhead pressure
will be considered constant in the following example. This
might be the case for a short flowline discharging into a
fixed separator pressure.


❖ The expressions for inflow and outflow are:
Inflow
pr – Δpres = pwf (8-6)
Outflow
pwh – Δptubing = pwf (8-7)
pmode = pwf


❖ The performance of well is severely restricted by the
outflow performance or piping system.
Figure 8.17 Tubing size selection




❖ The performance of this well is severely restricted by
the outflow performance or piping system.
Figure 8.18 Producing capacity (from Dale 2002)

8.2.2 Flowline size effect :

• The large effect of wellhead pressure on the pressure
drop in the tubing was illustrated in the previous.
• This is caused by the fact that at lower average pressure
in the tubing the increased volume of the gas decreases
liquid hold up and, thus, the hydrostatic pressure


Figure 8.19 Tapered strings(from Dale 2002)

Figure 8.20 Effect of upper string me (from Dale 2002)


❖ A common cause of low producing capacity in many
wells, especially for wells with long flowlines, is the
excessive flowline pressure drop.
❖ Many operators have a tendency to use any size pipe
that is convenient or, in some cases, tie tow or more wells
into a common, small flowline.
❖ This can be very detrimental, especially for gas lift wells,
because the flowline pressure drop increases as the gas

rate increases.

8.2.3 Effect of stimulation :

❖ The systems analysis approach can be used to estimate
the improvement in well capacity due to fracturing or
acidizing.
❖ Even though the reservoir capacity may be increased
considerably by stimulation; in some cases the wells
actual producing capacity increase may be small due to
restrictions in the outflow.
❖ Large sums of money are often wasted on workovers

because the wrong component of the well system is
changed.

Figure 8.21 Effect of stimulation (from Dale, 2002)

❖ The following example illustrates the effect of stimulating a
well and how the benefits of an effective stimulation can
be nullified by small tubing.
❖ The present flow efficiency can be calculated from the
t0 tests if the bottomhole pressures for each test are
determined using vertical curves or correlations.

Figure 8.22 Effect of stimulation (from Dale 2002)

8.2.4 Systems analysis for wells with restrictions :

The analyses performed previously were based on well that
had no restrictions in the outflow segment. Many wells will
be equipped with surface chokes, and most offshore weIls
and located in urban areas will be equipped subsurface
safety valves.
a. Surface chokes
b. Subsurface safety valves.


a. Surface chokes
• Most flowing welIs and some artificial lift welIs will be
equipped with surface chokes to control the producing
rate, the downstream pressure or pressure surges.
• The location have a considerable effect the well's
producing capacity, especially if the well has a long
flowline.


Figure 8.23 Surfaces chokes (from Dale 2002)

❖ These chokes are usually located at the wellhead but in

same cases they may be located near the separator.
❖ The analysis wiII assume that the choke is sized such that
critical flow wiII exist, that is, upstream pressure twice the
downstream pressure.
❖ The following well is to be equipped with a surface
choke operating in critical now.


b. Subsurface safety valves
• Analysis of the effect of a SSSV in the tubing can be
conducted in essentially the same manner as illustrated
previously.
• The SSSV will be operating in subcritical flow, the
pressure drop across the valve must be calculated


❖ SSSV is convenient to choose the node pressure as the
pressure just downstream of the SSSV, since the
equation pressure drop across the SSSV depend on
upstream conditions of pressure and temperature. The
inflow and outflow expressions are:
Inflow:
pr - Δpres - Δptubing below – Δpsssv = pnode (8-8)
Outflow:
psep + Δpflowline + Δptubing above = pnode (8-9)


Figure 8.24 Subsurface Safety valve effect(from Dale 2002)

8.2.5 Evaluating completion effect :

• Nodal system analysis is a convenient method to use in
comparing various well completion schemes, such as
perforating density and total perforated interval.
• Methods for caIculating the pressure drop across the
completion were presented earlier for open hole,
perforated, and gravel pack completions.


❖ As was discussed earlier, the completion pressure drop,
may be included in the reservoir pressure drop
component, or it may be isolated to compare effects of
various completion methods.
❖ If the completion effect is combined with the reservoir
effect, the system analysis would be identical to the
examples presented earlier, where Pwf was selected as
the node pressure.

❖ A different inflow curve would result for each completion
scheme, such as number of perforations used.


Figure 8.25 Effect of perforating density (from Dale, 2002)

The pressure drop occurring across the gravel for
various flow rates can be calculated as a function of the
number of perforation, perforation size, perforation
length, and gravel permeability.
Figure 8.26 Gravel-pack analysis, producing capacity

(from Dale, 2002)

❖ The pressure drop available for overcoming the gravel
pack's resistance lo flow for rates lower than the
maximum system rate can be read from figure
Figure 8.27 Gravel-pack analysis, system pressure drop (from

Dale, 2002)
8.2.6 Effect of depletion :

❖ As the pressure in a reservoir declines from depletion
both the inflow and outflow conditions can change.
❖ It is very Iikely that the outflow conditions will also
change with depletion or time, especially in the case of
naturally flowing well.
❖ The producing gas/oil ratio will increase in any reservoir
in which the pressure declines below bubble point
pressure, and the water cut will increase with time or

depletion

❖ Before any development planning or economic
calculations can be performed. It is necessary to be able
to predict producing rate of a well or field as a function of
time.
Figure 8.28 Effect of depletion (from Dale, 2002)

❖ The effect of changing reservoir conditions on the
producing capacity of a well is considered in this section.
Relating this changing performance to time will be
discussed subsequently.
Figure 8.29 Future gas well performance (from Dale, 2002)

8.2.7 Relating performance to time :

❖ Methods for calculating the producing capacity of a
well as a function static reservoir pressure were
presented in the previous section.
❖ These calculations will be more accurate if a
mathematical reservoir model other than the material
balance model is used.
❖ This will also increase the accuracy of the outflow
calculations, since producing gas/oil ratios and water cuts

will be more accurate.


❖ Oil wells may have be worked over or placed on artificial
lift, or gas wells may require installation of a compressor
when certain producing capacities can no longer be met.
Figure 8.30 Determining producing capacity (from Dale, 2002)


❖ This type of information also needs to be known as a
function of time to facilitate development planning or to
make economic evaluations.
Figure 8.31 Field producing capacity (from Dale, 2002)


❖ A general procedure for developing a relationship among
cumulative production, reservoir pressure, producing
capacity and time will be described in this section.
Figure 8.32 Performance versus time (from Dale, 2002)


❖ Using the following cumulative production versus
pressure data, determine when the oil-producing capacity
to the well will decline to 150 STB/day.
Figure 8.33 Reservoir performance (from Dale, 2002)

8.2.8 Analyzing multiwell systems :

❖ Some of the changes that couId be considered are:
1. Working over individual wells.
2. Placing some weIls on artificial lift.
3. Adding new wells to the system.
4. Shutting in some of the existing wells.
5. Changes in producing characteristics with time.
6. Effect of surface line sizes.
7. Installation of pumps or compressors.

8. Effect of the final outlet pressure.


❖ The gas/liquid raties and water fractions used in
calculating the pressure drops in the piping system to this
point would be those corresponding to the individual
wells, since no commingling of well streams has
occurred.


❖ The concepts discussed for applying total system or
nodal analysis to single wells can also be applied to the
analysis of multiwell systems, including entire fields.
Figure 8.34 Analyzing multiwell systems (from Dale, 2002)


❖ The location of the node for the final analysis must be
selected at a point such that there is no further
commingling of flow streams downstream of node.
❖ Intermediate nodes must be select at any point where
flow stream commingling of flow streams downstream of
node.
❖ A change made in any component in the system would
affect the producing capacity offer total system.


Figure 8.35 Inflow to point A


❖ The analysis must begin at the reservoir pressure
that is independent of rate and end at some final out
pressure that is also independent of rates.
❖ To illustrate the procedure, consideration wilI be given
to either changing the pressure at point D or looping the
surface line between points C and D.


Figure 8.36 Inflow to point B


❖ Moving downstream to the next point at which
commingling occurs, point C the inflow expressions for
the flows coming from points A and B.
pC = pA – ΔpAC or pC = pB – ΔpAC
(8-10) (8-11)


❖ This will result in a relationship between pressure at point
C and the inflow rate into point C as illustrated in figure.
Figure 8.37 Inflow to Point C


❖ The expression for the outflow from point C is:
pC = pD – ΔpCD (8-12)
❖ To determine the effect of these changes on individual

well performance, the pressure at point C corresponding
to an intersection Figure


Figure 8.38 System capacity


❖ The procedure outlined previously will also apply if some
of the wells are under choke control or on artificial lift.
❖ If a well is flowing through a choke in critical flow, the
well's rate will be constant unless the pressure
downstream of the choke is increased to the point al
which critical flow no longer occurs.


Figure 8.39 Oil producing capacity


Effect of tubing size on flow capacity
Figure 8.40 Determination of flow capacity (from Dale, 2002)

❖ The effect of a change in any of the components can be

analyzed by recalculating the node pressure versus flow
rate using the new characteristic of the components that
was changed.
❖ The curves will also be shifted if either of the fixed
pressure is changed which may occur with the depletion
or a change in separation conditions.

Effect of tubing size on flow capacity
Figure 8.41 Effect of tubing size

Effect of flowline size
Figure 8.42 Effect of flowline size (from Dale, 2002)

8.3 Systes design and Forecast
❖ The effect of increasing the tubing size as long as the

tubing is not too large, is to give a higher node or well
head pressure for a given flow rate.
❖ A larger flowline will reduce pressure drop in the flowline.
❖ A more frequently used analysis produce is to select the
node between the reservoir and the piping systems.

Effect of tubing size
Figure 8.43 Effect of tubing size (from Dale, 2002)

❖ If tubing is too large the velocity of the fluid moving up the

tubing may be too low to effectivetly lift the liquids to the
surface.
❖ The fluid velocity is the production rate divided by the
area of the tubing.

Well restricted by piping system
Figure 8.44 Well restricted by piping system (from Dale, 2002)

❖ If too much pressure drop occurs in one component or

module, there may be insufficient pressure drop
remaining for efficient performance of the other modules.
❖ Even though the reservoir may be capable of producing
large amount of fluid if too much pressure drop occurs in
the tubing the well performance suffers.

Well restricted by infow
Figure 8.45 Well restricted by infow(from Dale, 2002)

• In this case, the exercise pressure drop could be caused

by formation damage or inadequate perforation.
• It is obvious from the plot that improving performance of
the piping systems or outfow or placing the well on
artificial lift woud be fruitless unless the inflow
performance were also improved.

Effect of tubing size
Figure 8.46 Effect of tubing size (from Dale, 2002)

Finding optimum tubing size

Figure 8.47 Finding optimum tubing size (from Dale, 2002)

Finding optimum tubing size

❖ As tubing size increased the friction losses decrease
which results in a lower P(inf) therefor a large inflow.
❖ However as a tubing size is further increased the well
begins loading with liquid and the flow becomes
intermittent or unstable as the liquid level in the well
builds the well will eventually die.

Effect of gas rate outflow
Figure 8.48 Effect of gas rate outflow (from Dale, 2002)

Effect of gas injection rate on liquid rate
Figure 8.49 Effect of gas injection rate on liquid rate (from Dale, 2002)
❖ A plot of liquid production rate versus gas injection rate

can be constructed by reading the intersection of the
inflow and outflow curves for various injection rates.
❖ The method can also be used to allocate the injection gas
the available among several well in field producing by gas
lift.

Effect of perforating density on rate
Figure 8.50 Effect of perforating density on rate (from Dale, 2002)

Effect off perforating density on inflow
Figure 8.51 Effect off perforating density on inflow (from Dale, 2002)
Summary
* The nodal systems analysis – flexible method to improve

the performance of many well systems.
* It is necessary to be able to calculate the pressure drop
that will occur in all the system components
* Nodal analysis is a very important tool to design
production systems for steady state conditions.
* It can also help stability problems in wells.


Assessment
1. Calculate the pressure drop that occurs in a 200m

(656ft) section of 100mm (3,94in.) diameter line
pipe when a liquid having a viscosity of 50cp and a
density of 56,18lbm/ft3 flows at a rate of
(a) 3,93.10-3 m3/sec
(b) 2,355.10-2m3/sec

References
1. Production optimization using nodal analysis. Dale

Beggs. Tulsa, Oklahoma. 2003
2. Production systems optimization methods for petroleum
fields. Cheng Seong Khor, Ali Elkamel 2014

END OF CHAPTER 8

08 System Analysis

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VIETNAM OIL AND GAS GROUP

Lecturer : MSc Luong Hai Linh

• Understand how to determine total pressure losses

Luong Hai Linh, MSc Petroleum production system 2

Luong Hai Linh, MSc Petroleum production system 3

Luong Hai Linh, MSc Petroleum production system 4

Figure 8.1 Production system

Luong Hai Linh, MSc Petroleum production system 5

System analysis for petroleum production systems

account all of its components

❖ Analyze the behavior of the system in response to any

Luong Hai Linh, MSc Petroleum production system 6

N ode Location R em arks

Figure 8.2. Locations of various nodes

❖ Individual components analysis is adequate when

Luong Hai Linh, MSc Petroleum production system 8

* Always consider a component in the relationships with the

* The performance of a system can be analyzed via one or

Luong Hai Linh, MSc Petroleum production system 9

Video 1: Difference Pressure

Luong Hai Linh, MSc Petroleum production system 10

Figure 8.3 Nodal Analysis

Luong Hai Linh, MSc Petroleum production system 11

Figure 8.4 Nodal Analysis- Inflow section

PInode (q) = Pr - ISPc(q,P) (8-1)

❖ The inflow pressure at the node represents the

Figure 8.5 Nodal Analysis – Outflow section

P0node (q) = Ps + OSPc(q,P) (8-2)

❖ The outflow pressure at the node represents the

Luong Hai Linh, MSc Petroleum production system 13

❖ The equilibrium point is the point at which the inflow

Figure 8.6 Simple Production system

Luong Hai Linh, MSc Petroleum production system 14

Figure 8.7 Nodal Analysis – Node = Perforations

Luong Hai Linh, MSc Petroleum production system 15

Figure 8.8 Nodal Analysis – Node = Perforations

Luong Hai Linh, MSc Petroleum production system 16

Figure 8.9 Nodal Analysis – Node = Perforations

Luong Hai Linh, MSc Petroleum production system 17

Figure 8.10 Nodal Analysis – Node = Perforations

Luong Hai Linh, MSc Petroleum production system 18

Figure 8.11 IPR and OPR – Node = Perforations

Luong Hai Linh, MSc Petroleum production system 19

Figure 8.12 Nodal Analysis – Node = reservoir boundary

Luong Hai Linh, MSc Petroleum production system 20

Luong Hai Linh, MSc Petroleum production system 21

Figure 8.13 The pressure drop at the flowline, production string

Luong Hai Linh, MSc Petroleum production system 22

Figure 8.14 The caculation summary

Luong Hai Linh, MSc Petroleum production system 23

Figure 8.15 IPR and OPR with various node selection

Luong Hai Linh, MSc Petroleum production system 24

Luong Hai Linh, MSc Petroleum production system 25

P USV P1 = (Pr - Pwfs) = Loss in Porus Medium

Figure 8.16 Possible pressure losses

Video 2: Oilfield Production

* Inflow to the node:

* Outflow from the node:

. At any point in time t during the production process, the

average reservoir pressure and the separator pressure are

Luong Hai Linh, MSc Petroleum production system 28

❖ The Two Essential Principles

 There is ONLY ONE value of pressure at a node