Artificial Lift

REDA Pumps: Total Dynamic Head - TDH

Total Dynamic Head

Upon completion of this section, you should be able to:

Explain the concept of Total Dynamic Head.
List the components of TDH.
Calculate the TDH given a set of parameters.
Explain the effect on TDH when using different tubing sizes.
Explain the effect of fluid composition on TDH (i.e. water cut, oil density,
etc)

Total Dynamic Head

TDH is the sum of three basic components:

1) The Net Vertical Lift or net distance which the fluid must be
lifted.

2) The friction loss in the tubing string

3) The wellhead pressure which the unit must pump against.

Components of the TDH

Wellhead Pressure
Wellhead

3
Flow

Ground Level

1
2

Net Vertical Lift

Total Friction Loss

Producing Fluid Level

Pump Set Depth

Flow

Flow

Total Dynamic Head

Net vertical lift is the vertical distance through which the
fluid must be lifted to get to the surface.
The energy required to lift the fluid can be determined by the
equation:
Work (energy) = mgh
Where: m is the mass of the fluid,
g is the acceleration due to gravity, and
h
is the height the fluid is lifted.

Net Vertical Lift

Wellhead

Flow

Ground Level

Note that the vertical lift only

depends on where the fluid level
is.
From the Net Lift stand point, it
makes no difference where the
pump is set.

1
Net Vertical Lift

Producing Fluid Level

Pump Set Depth

Flow

Flow

Net Vertical Lift

Wellhead

Ground Level

Note that even

though the pump is much
lower, the net lift does not
change.
Producing Fluid Level

Net Vertical Lift

Pump Set Depth

Pump Set Depth

Flow

Flow

Total Dynamic Head - Net Vertical Lift

Why is the vertical lift independent

of where the pump is set?

Total Dynamic Head - Net Vertical Lift

What if, instead of lifting the fluid vertically, we move it
sideways? How much work did we do?

None!
If Work (energy) = mgh,
The h is zero if we move sideways so the work must be zero.

Total Dynamic Head - Net Vertical Lift

What about deviated wells?

Net Lift

PFL

Regardless of
where the pump is
set, or the angle,
the vertical lift will
not change.

Net Lift

Total Dynamic Head - Net Vertical Lift

For the purposes of this example, we will assume we are given

a fluid level of 4000 feet from surface (vertical distance).
Net Vertical Lift = 4000 ft
1

Remember if the well is deviated, the total measured distance

from surface could be much greater but, since the work done
in moving the fluid sideways is zero, only the vertical distance
matters.

Total Dynamic Head - Friction Loss

What is friction?

Total Dynamic Head - Friction Loss

Friction is an energy loss (we actually measure it as a

pressure loss) due to viscous shear of the flowing fluid.
In a fluid, molecules are free to move past each other but
there may be a little resistance. This resistance is due to
shear forces which must be overcome.

Total Dynamic Head - Friction Loss

In a single phase fluid, most of the liquid is moving along

together so there is not much shear in the liquid itself and this
friction can usually be ignored.
No
Worries
Excuse me
Sorry
Certainly

Total Dynamic Head - Friction Loss

The walls of the pipe, however, will tend to "stick" to the fluid so
shear forces between the pipe and the fluid can be quite large
and increase as the velocity of the fluid increases.
I want out
of here!

Hey!

Velocity
Profile
(Laminar Flow)

Ouch!

Total Dynamic Head - Friction Loss

The amount of friction present can be represented by a "friction

factor" - f . Given f we can calculate the pressure loss from
the following:

f v
P =
2 gcd

Where P = pressure loss

= fluid density
v = fluid velocity
gc = gravity constant
d = pipe diameter

Total Dynamic Head - Friction Loss

Assume the flow rate is not zero but is some constant value. What happens
to the friction as the pipe diameter increases?

f v
P =
2 gcd

Total Dynamic Head - Friction Loss

As the pipe diameter increases, the P decreases as can be seen in the

equation. But something else also happens. What is it?

f v
P =
2 gcd

Total Dynamic Head - Friction Loss

As the pipe diameter increases, the velocity, v, decreases by

the square of the diameter change so it is reduced drastically.
These two factors make an increase in pipe diameter have a
large impact on decreasing the frictional pressure losses.

Total Dynamic Head Friction Losses

So how do we calculate friction loss?

f v
P =
2 gcd

Total Dynamic Head Friction Losses

Fortunately, there are many charts available for determining

friction as we do not need to use these equations. A very useful
chart for our purposes follows:

Friction Loss

Total Dynamic Head - Friction Losses

This is how to use the chart:

Say, for example, we have a total tubing length of 6500 feet and
we want to produce 5000 bpd. We have both 2 7/8" tubing and
3.5" tubing in stock. What will the friction be?

Friction Loss

200

First, find the flow rate

on the X axis and move
up to the correct tubing

5000

Friction Loss

2-3/8

2-7/8

73

5000

3-1/2

Total Dynamic Head - Friction Losses

Since we have 6500' of tubing:

For 3 1/2", Friction = 73*6.5 = 475 feet of loss

If we can use 3 1/2" tubing, this will allow us to use a smaller

pump and motor which will reduce cost.

Total Dynamic Head - Friction Losses

Is bigger tubing always better?

No

potential problems due to solids in suspension (sand).

Unfortunately the best teacher here is experience.

Total Dynamic Head - Wellhead Pressure

Wellhead pressure is sometimes called "Surface Pressure",

"Back Pressure" or even "Flowline Pressure". Actually the most
accurate term is "Tubing Discharge Pressure" since this is the
pressure at the discharge of the tubing from the well.
The Tubing Discharge Pressure is the resistance at the surface
the pump must overcome. Some components could be;
separator, heater treater, long flow lines etc.

Total Dynamic Head - Wellhead Pressure

"Back Pressure" is also a good term since it implies the correct

location in the discharge of the tubing string. "Flowline
Pressure" can actually be a much lower pressure if a surface
choke is being used to cut back the flow rate from the well.
"Surface Pressure" is just ambiguous.
All these terms are used interchangeably in the industry.

Total Dynamic Head - Wellhead Pressure

Up to this point, we have been calculating everything in terms of

"feet". This is very convenient when sizing a pump.
WHY?

Total Dynamic Head - Wellhead Pressure

For example, given:

Well head pressure =
Water Cut (1.07 sp. Gr.)=
Oil Cut
=

200 psi
60%
?

Total Dynamic Head - Wellhead Pressure

This is the equation to convert from psi to feet but we still need to know the
specific gravity.

Wellhead Pressure*2.31
Wellhead "Feet" = ---------------------------------sp.gr.

Total Dynamic Head - Wellhead Pressure

Petroleum Engineers prefer to use the API gravity because it is a larger

number and easier to "get a feel for". The equations for converting from one
unit to the other are:

Sp.Gr. =

141.5
131.5 + API

API =

141.5
Sp.Gr.

131.5

Total Dynamic Head - Wellhead Pressure

What is the specific gravity of an oil with API=30?

What is the API of fresh water (sp.gr.=1.0)?

Total Dynamic Head - Wellhead Pressure

For our example, use an oil with an API gravity of 30. This means that we are assuming the
oil specific gravity is 0.876.

Sp.Gr. =

141.5
131.5 + 30

= 0.876

Total Dynamic Head - Wellhead Pressure

Next, find the composite specific gravity of the fluid in the well?
The best way to do this is simply to take an "arithmetic average".

Total Dynamic Head - Wellhead Pressure

S p. Gr. =

( fw

Where :

is the water fraction

is the water specific gravity

is the oil fraction

o is the oil specific gravity

)+ ( fo

Total Dynamic Head - Wellhead Pressure

For our example, the composite specific gravity is 0.992

Sp. Gr. = (fw x w) + (fo x o)
Sp. Gr. = (0.60 x 1.07) + (0.40 x 0.876) = 0.992

Total Dynamic Head - Wellhead Pressure

You are now ready to convert the wellhead pressure from [psi] to feet.

Wellhead Pressure*2.31
Wellhead "Feet" = ---------------------------------sp.gr.

Total Dynamic Head - Wellhead Pressure

Using the numbers in our example:

200 psi *2.31 ft/psi

Wellhead "Feet" = ----------------------------- = 465 ft
0.992

Total Dynamic Head

The TDH will be the sum of:

Net Lift,
Friction Loss, and
Wellhead pressure.
We will assume 2 7/8" tubing since it was in inventory:

Total Dynamic Head

Wellhead Pressure = 465 feet

Wellhead

Flow

Ground Level

1
2

Net Vertical Lift

Total Friction Loss = 1300'

Producing Fluid Level

Pump Set Depth

Flow

4000
+1300
+ 465
5,765 ft of TDH

Flow

Total Dynamic Head

So we would need to design a pump with enough stages to

produce 5765 feet of head.
What happens if the composite specific gravity was lower
than we calculated?
(i.e. 0.82 instead of 0.992)

Total Dynamic Head

If this were the case, the wellhead "feet" would have been 563 feet instead of
465 which means we were 92 feet short in our calculations.
The pumps rate would therefore be less than expected.
We would need a pump to deliver 5857 feet of TDH rather than one for 5765
feet.

Total Dynamic Head - determining fluid level

A word of caution when using fluid levels from "Sonic Logs"

to determine net lift...
Sonic Logs estimate the fluid level by making a loud noise
in the annulus (usually a compressed air) and measuring
the amount of time it takes for the sound wave to reflect
back to the wellhead after it hits the fluid level.

Total Dynamic Head

The Sonic level determination only looks at where the fluid level
is and not what the fluid is.
There will be significant variations for:
Gassy wells (foam not solid fluid)
High water cut wells

Oil

Produced Fluid

Total Dynamic Head

Example:
Top of Perforations =
Pump Setting Depth =
Fluid Level (Sonic) =
Water Cut =
Spec. Grav. (Water) =
Oil API Gravity =

8,350 ft
6,900 ft
5,600 ft
70%
1.04
32

What is the Pwf and PIP?

Total Dynamic Head

The crude oil specific gravity is 0.865 and the fluid composite gravity is 0.988.

Oil Sp.Gr. =

Sp.Gr. =

_141.5__
131.5 + 32

0.70 1.04

= 0.865

+ 0.30 0.865

= 0.988

Total Dynamic Head

For the portion above the intake, we assume due to natural separation, that the
fluid is all oil with a specific gravity of 0.865 and this is a reasonable assumption.

PIP

= (6900 - 5600)ft x 0.433 psi/ft x 0.865

= 487 psi

Total Dynamic Head

For the portion below the intake, we assume that the fluid is the same as
produced from the well. That is to say that it is 70% water and the average
specific gravity is 0.988.

= (8350 - 6900) ft x 0.433 psi/ft x 0.988

= 620 psi

Total Dynamic Head

The perforation pressure will be the sum of the pressure at the pump intake
(PIP) and the pressure differential between the pump setting depth and the
perforation depth.

Pperfs = 487 + 620 = 1,107psi

Total Dynamic Head

If we had assumed that the total fluid column in the well were a crude/water
mixture, we would have calculated a perforation pressure of 1,176 psi instead of
1,107 psi. Although this seems like a small difference, this could cause large
errors in the determination of the PI for the well which, in turn, could easily
cause us to oversize a pump.

Pperfs = (8350 - 5600) ft x 0.433 psi/ft x 0.988

= 1176 psi

Questions?