Development of New Geothermal Wellbore Holdup Correlations Using Flowing Well Data
An ability to predict both the quantity of fluid that can be produced and its thermodynamic state (pressure, temperature, enthalpy, gas content, salinity, etc.) is essential for estimating the total usable energy of a geothermal resource. Numerical reservoir simulators can be utilized to calculate the thermodynamic state of the fluid at the underground feed-zone(s) at which the fluid enters the wellbore. The computation of the well-head fluid properties from a given underground state (or vice-versa) requires the use of a wellbore simulator. The fluid flow in the wellbore is not amenable to strict analytical treatment. Depending upon the relative amounts of gas and liquid, a variety of flow patterns can occur in the pipe. At small gas loadings, bubble flow takes place. An increase in gas flow rate can result in slug, churn or annular flow. Existing methods for treating two-phase flow in a wellbore require use of empirical correlations for action factor and for liquid hold-up.
- Research Organization:
- DOEEEGTP (USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Geothermal Tech Pgm)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- OSTI ID:
- 893490
- Report Number(s):
- INEEL/EXT-04-01760; SAIC-03/1037
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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