Experimental investigation of gas-brine liquid flow in horizontal pipeline

Abstract

Abstract: Pipelines that are transporting fluids of different salinity in different pressurized conditions are met with different behaviors of flow. Flow behavior of two-phase gas–liquid system in simulated horizontal pipeline conditions are investigated experimentally with three different brine salinity concentrations comparable to the reservoir fluid properties within the Malay Basin. A test facility in total length of 80-feet was designed and configured for data acquiring of flow regimes which were observed via a 1.5-in diameter and a 7.5-feet long transparent acrylic pipe. A flow regime map where the transition of flow pattern from stratified to intermittent to mixed is proposed as the superficial gas velocity and superficial liquid velocity increase at increasing brine concentration. There is a combination flow pattern presumed to be the combination of plug flow, slug flow and thin annular. When the brine salinity increases, the pressure drop of the system increases. The lowest pressure drop in the form of percentage for brine concentration of 1000, 15,000, and 30,000 ppm at brine superficial velocity of 3.0 m/s were 57.1, 50, and 42.9% respectively. Pressure drop experimental results from this study were compared with previous mathematical correlations. Results also indicate that water holdup increases when water input fraction increases. Graphic abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]