FLOWLINE PIPING DESIGN BY API 14E

Initial condition:
Shut-in wellhead pressure Psi 5,500 psig 5,515 psia
Gas flowrate Qg 15 MMscfd 15 MMscfd
Condensate flowrate Qd 50 bbl/MMcf 50 bbl/MMcf
Gas relative density Sg 0.65 0.65
Condensate relative density Sl 0.8 0.8
Flowing tubing pressure Pf 4,500 psig 4,515 psia
Flowing temperature Tf 120 oF 580 oR
Compressibility factor Z 0.91 0.91

Depletion condition:
Flowing tubing pressure Tf 1,500 psig 1,515 psia
Gas flowrate Qg 10 MMscfd 10 MMscfd
Condensate flowrate Qd 20 bbl/MMcf 20 bbl/MMcf
Produced water flowrate Qw 1500 bbl 1,500 bbl
Produced water relative density Sw 1.08 1.08
Compressibility factor Z 0.81 0.81

Empirical constant (Solid free: 100 for continuous and 100 100
Equivalent length of flowline 50 ft 50 ft

Gas Liquid ratio at initial condition Ri 20,000 ft3/bbl

Mixture density (initial) Romi 17.7 lbs/ft3
Liquid relative density at depletion Sld 1.05
Gas liquid ratio at depletion Rd 5,882 ft3/bbl
Mixture density at depletion Romd 11.5 lbs/ft3
Erosional velocity at initial condition Vei 24 ft/s
Erosional velocity at depletion Ved 29 ft/s
minimum pipe cross-sectional area required atAi 5.04 in2/1000bbl/day

3.78 in2
minimum pipe cross-sectional area required aAd 3.24 in2/1000bbl/day
5.50 in2
inside pipe diametr (initial) Di 2.19 in
inside pipe diametr (depletion) Dd 2.65 in

Minimum required pipe diameter (inside) IDreq 2.65 in

Molecular weight of air 29 lbs/lb mol

Molar volume of air at standard condition 379 ft3/lb mol
weight of water barrel 350 lbs/bbl
water density

pipe selection option

Nominal line size, in Schedul Inside diameter, inch Maximum working pressure, psig
3" XXS 2.3 in 6090 psig 58.42
4" XXS 3.15 in 5307 psig 80.01

3" met by shut-in pressure but not by ID

4" met by ID but not by shut-in pressure

Weight flow of gas (initial) 8.63 lbs/sec

weight flow of condensate (initial) 2.43 lbs/sec
Total weight flow of wellstream (initial) 11.07 lbs/sec 39,835 lbs/hr

Weight flow of gas (final) 5.76 lbs/sec

weight flow of condensate (final) 0.65 lbs/sec
Weight flow of water (final) 6.08 lbs/sec
Total weight flow of wellstream (initial) 12.48 lbs/sec 44,932 lbs/hr

initial volume flow 0.6 ft3/sec

final volume flow 1.1 ft3/sec

Thus the final conditions control the maximum velocity

Velocity (for 3") 37.5 ft/sec

Velocity (for 4") 20.0 ft/sec

The velocity for 3" pipe, but not for 4" exceeds the erosional velocity of 29 ft/sec

Initial Wi 39,765 lbs/hr

final Wf 46,658 lbs/hr

Moody friction factor

initial 3" 0.019 0.019
initial 4" 0.0196 0.0196
fianl 3" 0.02 0.02
final 4" 0.0196 0.0196

pressure drop per 100 ft

initial 3" 8.84 psi/100ft
initial 4" 1.89 psi/100ft
fianl 3" 19.72 psi/100ft
final 4" 4.01 psi/100ft

Since the line is only 50 ft long, the toatal pressure drop would not be critical in most cases and probably would not influence line size selection
 12409 S l P+ 2. 7 RS g P
ρm=
198. 7 P+ RTZ

R ft3/barrel gas liquid ration at standard condition R=Qg/Ql

P psia operating pressure
Sg gas specific density (air=1) at standard condition
Sl liquid specific density (water=1) at standard condition
Z gas compressibility factor

W =3180 Qg S g +14 . 6 Ql S l
Qg Mscfd gas flow rate
Ql barrels/d liquid flow rate
W lbs/hr total liquid plus vapor rate

2
0 . 000336 fW
ΔP=
d 5 ρm
i

di inches pipe inside diameter

f Moody friction factor
Input:
operating pressure P 60 psig 74.7 psia 74.7
inlet oil volume 5,000 barrels/d 5,000 barrels/d 5000
0.3249 ft3/sec 0.324943982
oil gravity Rol 40 oAPI 0.825 0.825
pipe inside diameter di 8 in 7.98 in 7.98
0.665 ft 0.665
viscosity u 1.5 cP 0.001 lb/ft-sec 0.001
surge factor 50 % 0.5 0.5

Suction line components

4x 90o elbow 4 9 ft 36 ft
2 x ball valves 2 6 ft 12 ft
1 x tee run 1 9 ft 9 ft
1 x reducer 1 2 ft 2 ft
1 vessel outlet contract 1 12 ft 12 ft
line 50 ft 50 ft 50
Total equivalent line length 121 ft 121
1ft of water colume= 0.434 psi 0.433
water density 62.4 lbs/ft3 62.4 lbs/ft3 62.4
1barrel= 5.6 ft3 5.615
1lb/ft3= 0.0069 lb/in2
gravity acceleration g 32.2 ft/sec2 32.2
=0.066 for triplex ,
empirical constant C single or double
0.066 0.066 acting

a factor representing the reciprocal

of the fraction of the theorical
acceleration head which must be K =2 for crude oil
provided to avoid a noticeble
disturbulance in the suction piping
2 2
pump speed Rp 200 rpm 200 rpm 200

7,500 bbl/d 7500

liquid density 51.48 lbs/ft3 51.49
liquid flow velocity Vl 0.94 ft/sec 1.4
Reynolds number 31,775 47,937
fricion factor f 0.023 0.023 0.023
friction loss/ pressure drop per 100ft 0.038 psi/100ft 0.038
Total friction loss Delta P 0.046 psi 0.046 psi

Pump
Hp=Hvpa Hp 209 ft 209
head of absolute vapor pressure of li Hvpa 209 ft 209 ft
static head Hst 15 ft 15 ft 15 ft
friction head Hf 0.128 ft 0.09 ft
velocity head Hvh 0.01 ft 0.03 ft
acceleration head Ha 9.6 ft 14.4 ft
Total available NPSH NPSHa 5.43 ft 0.48 ft
Checking acceptable unacceptable
NPSH required at operating condition NPSHr 4 psia 4 psia 4

0.3
0.0
0.2

5.6
 0. 012 Q l
V l=
d2 LV l R p C
i h a=
Kg
di inches pipe inside diameter
Ql barrels/d liquid flow rate L ft
Vl ft/sec average liquid flow velocity Rp rpm
C

0 . 00115 fQ 2 Sl
l
ΔP= K
d5
i

g 32.2ft/sec2
Vl ft/sec

Delta P psi/100ft pressure drop per 100ft

f Moody friction factor

ρ l di V l
Re=
μl

ul lb/ft-sec liquid viscosity,

=centipoise divided by 1488, or centistokes times specific gravity divided by 1488
R ft3/barrel gas liquid ration at standard condition R=Qg/Ql
P psia operating pressure
Sg gas specific density (air=1) at standard condition
Sl liquid specific density (water=1) at standard condition
Z gas compressibility factor
Qg Mscfd gas flow rate
W lbs/hr total liquid plus vapor rate
length of suction line
pump speed
empirical constant
a factor representing the reciprocal of the
fraction of the theorical acceleration head
which must be provided to avoid a noticeble
disturbulance in the suction piping
gravity acceleration
average liquid flow velocity