深井大尺寸环空气液两相流动规律数值模拟研究

Numerical Simulation of Gas-Liquid Two-Phase Flow Pattern in Large Annulus of Deep Well

  • 摘要: 深层和超深层油气井井身结构复杂且部分井眼尺寸较大,钻进过程中容易遇到异常压力,导致安全作业窗口变窄。当发生气侵时,井筒环空内会形成气液两相流,传统的基于常规尺寸流型转化理论的压井方法容易超出窄窗口,导致涌漏交替,从而错过最佳压井时机。为解决这一问题,基于VOF模型开发了一种适用于大尺寸环空气液两相流动的数值模拟方法,并采用文献数据验证了其准确性。在水力当量直径196.8 mm环空内进行的气液两相流动模拟中,识别出泡状流、弹帽流、段塞流和搅拌流等4种流型,分析了其特征,并据此绘制了气液两相流流型图,建立了流型转化判据,揭示了环空尺寸对流型转化的影响规律。研究结果表明,与常规尺寸环空相比,大尺寸环空中泡状流的范围扩大,且在泡状流与段塞流之间存在过渡流型——弹帽流,各流型转化边界均有不同程度的右移。由于常规尺寸环空更容易发生气泡聚并形成泰勒泡,压井操作困难,因此,根据常规尺寸环空流型转化判据为大尺寸环空设计的压井参数往往偏大。相比之下,基于新判据设计的压井参数能够更好地适应窄窗口和大尺寸井眼的压井需求,提高了压井的效率和安全性。

     

    Abstract: In deep and ultra-deep oil and gas wells, abnormal pressure is often encountered while drilling due to their complex casing program and larger borehole sizes, which results in a narrowed safe operating window. When gas intrusion occurs, a gas-liquid two-phase flow forms in the annulus of the wellbore. Conventional well killing methods based on flow pattern transition theories of conventional annulus sizes are prone to exceeding this narrow window, leading to alternating influx and loss and therefore the optimal well killing timing is missed. To address this issue, a numerical simulation method for gas-liquid two-phase flow in large-size annulus was developed using the volume of fluid (VOF) model and was verified with literature data for accuracy. In the simulation of gas-liquid two-phase flow in an annulus with a hydraulic equivalent diameter of 196.8 mm, four flow patterns including bubble flow, cap bubble flow, slug flow, and churn flow were identified and analyzed. A gas-liquid flow pattern map was created, and criteria for flow pattern transitions were established, revealing the influence of annulus size on flow pattern transitions. The results indicate that compared with conventional annulus size, the range of bubble flow expands in larger annuli, with a transitional flow pattern, namely cap bubble flow occurring between bubble and slug flows. The boundaries for flow pattern transitions shift to the right to some certain degree. In conventional annulus size, bubble coalescence and the formation of Taylor bubbles are common, making well killing operations more challenging. Consequently, well control parameters designed for large annuli tend to be bigger. On the contrary, the well control parameters designed based on the new criteria meet the requirements of well killing better in narrow windows and large borehole sizes, thereby improving the efficiency and safety of well killing operations.

     

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