Gas-lift simulation using Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics

Resumo

Oil reservoir production reduces over time as the pressure decreases, posing a challenge to maintaining economically desired production rates. We can use artificial lift methods to address this issue, considering the characteristics of the production system, such as reservoir and fluid properties or surface facility constraints. Here, we focus on the gas lift technique, which involves injecting compressed gas into lower sections of the tubing through valves installed along the pipeline. As the gas aerates the oil, it decreases the effective density of the fluid, making it easier to reach the surface. It is suitable for offshore installations and not limited by the well depth, allowing continuous or intermittent lift to restore productivity. However, fewer studies use particle-based methods such as the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics method (SPH). It is a Lagrangian mesh-free method, and we can use this method to simulate multiphase flows. Therefore, we chose it to reproduce a simplified gas lift test case that involves a two-dimensional two-phase flow within a vertical pipe that contains oil, and we inject high-pressure gas into the system through a horizontal valve. The main objective is to verify if the SPH method can reproduce the phenomena associated with gas lift operations.