Subsea Pipeline and Risers

Dasharatha Achani
 MECHOCEAN
Eng. Solutions

Pipeline
Hydraulics

10-Aug-16
10-Aug-16 Page 2 www.mechocean.com Dasharatha Achani
 MECHOCEAN
Pipeline Hydraulics Eng. Solutions

 Sizing for flow

 Fluid properties
 Flow regimes
 Flow fundamentals
 Single Phase Flow
 Multi Phase Flow

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 MECHOCEAN
EXPECTATION Eng. Solutions

 Understand how fluid properties and flowrate influence

diameter sizing
 Understand the basic equations of fluid flow and the methods
of analysis
 Understand the different flow regimes within a pipeline
 Complete an exercise in diameter sizing

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 MECHOCEAN
SIZING FOR FLOW Eng. Solutions

Start
Fluid
composition
Determine fluid
properties Component
Properties

Flow rate,
Select Determine
pressure&
diameter flow regime
temperature

Calculate
Check
max. pressure
secondary
drop in line
conditions

No Is pressure
Yes
drop OK?

No OK Yes End

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 MECHOCEAN
FLUID COMPOSITION Eng. Solutions

 Hydrocarbons (Paraffins, Naphthenes , Aromatics)

 affects the viscosity and boiling temperature
 Produced Water
 Increases with production rate and affects flow and corrosion
 Acid gases (CO2 and H2S)
 Corrosion effective
Other Compounds
 Sulphur, nitrogen and oxygen compounds (corrosion effective)
 Solids (produced sand: causes erosion and blocks the flow)
 Heavy Metals

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 MECHOCEAN
FLUID PROPERTIES Eng. Solutions

Fluid properties required for pipeline design:

Fluid composition gives the fluid properties.

 To predict flow rates for diameter sizing:
• Phase fraction, density, viscosity, compressibility.
 To enable thermal design:
• Heat capacity and thermal conductivity.
 To predict corrosion:
• Acidic gases and compounds of sulphur, nitrogen and oxygen.

To design for gas flow then additional property of

compressibility is required.

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 MECHOCEAN
FLOW REGIME Eng. Solutions

 Mixture of hydrocarbons.
 Single phase flow
• Liquid
• Gas
 Two phase flow
• Sometimes referred to as ‘multi phase flow’.

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 MECHOCEAN
Eng. Solutions

SINGLE PHASE FLOW

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 MECHOCEAN
PIPELINE HYDRAULICS Eng. Solutions

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 MECHOCEAN
PIPELINE HYDRAULICS Eng. Solutions

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 MECHOCEAN
PIPELINE HYDRAULICS Eng. Solutions

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 MECHOCEAN
Eng. Solutions

FRICTION FACTOR
 Laminar flow: Re<2000
16
f 
Re

 Turbulent flow: Re>2300

1
 4 log10 Re f   0.4

f  

Note:
In pipeline hydraulics, f is called the Fanning
friction factor. It is related to f by Moody friction
factor, m=4f

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 MECHOCEAN
PIPE ROUGHNESS Eng. Solutions

Absolute roughness values, k

 clean steel: 0.05 mm
 light corrosion: 0.1 mm
 heavy corrosion: 1 mm
 flexible
• plastic liner (liquid) – 0.005mm to 0.01 mm
• corrugated liner (gas) – D/250
Effect of corrosion
 406.4 mm pipeline: turbulent flow
 clean steel: f = 0.003
 heavily corroded: f = 0.006
 double the pressure drop.

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 MECHOCEAN
MOODY DIAGRAM Eng. Solutions

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 MECHOCEAN
PIPELINE HYDRAULICS Eng. Solutions

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 MECHOCEAN
PIPELINE HYDRAULICS Eng. Solutions

dp  2 fU2 dz
  g
ds D ds

if -but only if- f, ρ, U and D are all constant along the length
of the line
2

s+ds

 2 f U 2
p 2  p1  (length)  g (height difference)
D

Integrate from 1 to 2,
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 MECHOCEAN
PIPELINE HYDRAULICS Eng. Solutions

If the height difference is negligible,

2 f U 2 L
p1  p 2 

 
D
q  D2 4 U
Volumetric flow rate ,
so,
  p1  p 2  2 5 2
1

q   D
4 2   fL 

which implies that q is very sensitive to D: a 10 per cent

reduction in D reduces q by 27 per cent (neglecting the
effect of D on f).

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 MECHOCEAN
SECONDARY FACTORS Eng. Solutions

 Erosion
 Waxy crudes

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 MECHOCEAN
EROSION VELOCITY Eng. Solutions

 Erosional Velocity
122. kg / m / s
Ve 


 Ex: For oil density of 800kg/m3 , the erosion velocity is

4.3m/s.

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 MECHOCEAN
WAXY CRUDES - PROBLEMS Eng. Solutions

 Deposition of wax on cooler pipe walls.

 Reduces flow rates
 Cost implications
• Example: 0.1% of 80 000 m3/day (503 x 103 BPD)
= 800 m3/day (503 BPD)
• At $70 per barrel = $35000/day = $M 12.9/year.

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 MECHOCEAN
WORKED EXAMPLE Eng. Solutions

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 MECHOCEAN
WORKED EXAMPLE Eng. Solutions

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 MECHOCEAN
WORKED EXAMPLE Eng. Solutions

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 MECHOCEAN
WORKED EXAMPLE Eng. Solutions

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 MECHOCEAN
WAX DEPOSITION Eng. Solutions

 Consider following options to overcome wax deposition

problems
• Oversizing the line.
• Insulating the line.
• Specifying a pigging regime
• Injection of a wax suppressant.

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 MECHOCEAN
GAS FLOW Eng. Solutions

 Flow equation
P V2
  H  h f  constant
 .g 2.g

 Gas is compressible so as it flows:

• Pressure drops
• Gas expands
• Velocity increases
• Drag increases
 Velocity term important
 Small contribution from elevation effect.
• Due to relatively low density.

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 MECHOCEAN
SINGLE PHASE FLOW SUMMARY Eng. Solutions

 Single Phase liquid flow

• Worked example provided on determining pressure drop in a pipeline.
• Consider secondary factors – e.g. erosion
 Single phase gas flow
• Compressible
 Velocity and density no longer constant.
• Use empirical formulas to relate flow parameters.
• Determine compressibility factor.

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 MECHOCEAN
Eng. Solutions

MULTI PHASE FLOW

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 MECHOCEAN
MULTI PHASE FLOW Eng. Solutions

 What is multi phase flow?

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 MECHOCEAN
MULTI-PHASE FLOW SUMMARY Eng. Solutions

 Mixtures of oil, gas and water.

 Typically found in wellstream.
 Types of Multi-Phase flow
 Stratified, slugs, bubbles, annular mist
Change over life of well
 pressure reduce and compositions change.
 velocities reduce therefore greater risk of slugging.
Implications for corrosion control
 Require specialists to analyze flow

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 MECHOCEAN
DIAMETER SIZING SUMMARY Eng. Solutions

Important issues:

 Understand how fluid properties and flowrate influence

diameter sizing.
 Understand the basic equations of fluid flow and the
methods of analysis.
 Understand the different flow regimes within a pipeline
 Have completed an exercise in diameter sizing.

10-Aug-16 www.mechocean.com Dasharatha Achani

 MECHOCEAN
Questions Eng. Solutions

1. What are the main criteria for diameter sizing?

2. In pipeline hydraulics, by considering a fluid element in
steady inclined flow, derive the fundamental pressure
gradient equation that governs the pressure drop.
3. Write the integrated form of pressure gradient equation for
inclined flow and write the assumptions involved?

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 MECHOCEAN
Questions Eng. Solutions

4. Assume the following data for a pipeline of 28.2km and solve the problem.
Wall thickness = 12.7mm
Oil density 850 kg/m3
Viscosity 0.01 Pa s
Maximum pressure at field 5 MPa
Minimum pressure at shore 1 MPa
Elevation difference between field and shore 100m
Relative roughness 0.001
a) Determine the diameter if the maximum flow rate is limited by laminar flow.
b) Determine the diameter if the maximum flow rate is 100,000 b/d (1b = 0.159 m3)
c) During the life time of pipeline, wax deposition in the pipeline causes 10% reduction in
diameter determined from (b). Discuss the effect of it. Assume the same relative
roughness

Some of available pipe sizes in accordance to API 5L specifications:

10in pipe 12in pipe 14in pipe 16in pipe 18in pipe
OD =273.1mm OD = 323.9mm OD = 355.6mm OD = 406.4mm OD = 457.0mm

10-Aug-16 www.mechocean.com Dasharatha Achani

 MECHOCEAN
PIPELINE HYDRAULICS Eng. Solutions

Some of available pipe sizes in accordance to API 5L specifications:

10in pipe 12in pipe 14in pipe 16in pipe 18in pipe
OD =273.1mm OD = 323.9mm OD = 355.6mm OD = 406.4mm OD = 457.0mm

10-Aug-16 www.mechocean.com Dasharatha Achani