One commonly used method for determining oil and gas production velocities is to limit production rates based on the American Petroleum Institute Recommended Practice 14E (API RP 14E). This guideline contains an equation to calculate an “erosional” or a threshold velocity, presumably a flow velocity that is safe to operate. The equation only considers one factor, the density of the medium, and does not consider many other factors that can contribute to erosion in multiphase flow pipelines. Thus, factors such as fluid properties, flow geometry, type of metal, sand production rate and size distribution, and flow composition are not accounted for. In the present paper, a method is presented that has been developed with the goal of improving the procedure by accounting for many of the physical variables including fluid properties, sand production rate and size, and flowstream composition that affect sand erosion. The results from the model are compared with several experimental results provided in the literature. Additionally, the method is applied to calculate threshold flowstream velocities for sand erosion and the results are compared with API RP 14E. The results indicate that the form of the equation that is provided by the API RP 14E is not suitable for predicting a production flowstream velocity when sand is present. [S0195-0738(00)00203-X]

Issue Section:
Technical Papers
Keywords:
gases, oil technology, multiphase flow, velocity, pipeline processing, sand, erosion
Topics:
American Petroleum Institute, Erosion, Fluids, Multiphase flow, Sands, Flow (Dynamics), Particulate matter, Density, Geometry
1.
API Recommended Practice for Design and Installation of Offshore Production Platform Piping Systems, API RP 14E, 1991, American Petroleum Institute, Fifth Edition, Washington, DC, Oct.
2.
Salama, M. M., 1998, “An Alternative to API 14E Erosional Velocity Limits for Sand Laden Fluids,” presented at the 1998 Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, TX, OTC 8898.
3.
Jordan, K., 1998, “Erosion in Multiphase Production of Oil and Gas,” Corrosion 98, Paper No. 58, NACE International Annual Conference, San Antonio, TX.
4.
Salama, M. M., and Venkatesh, E. S., 1983, “Evaluation of Erosional Velocity Limitations in Offshore Gas Wells,” 15th Annual OTC, Houston, TX, May 2–5, OTC No. 4485.
5.
Bourgoyne, Jr., A. T., 1989, “Experimental Study of Erosion in Diverter Systems Due to Sand Production,” presented at the 1989 SPE/IADC Drilling Conference, New Orleans, LA, SPE/IADC 18716.
6.
Svedeman, S. J., and Arnold, K. E., 1993, “Criteria for Sizing Multiphase Flow Lines for Erosive/Corrosive Service,” paper presented at the 1993 SPE Conference, Houston, TX, SPE 26569.
7.
McLaury, B. S., 1993, “A Model to Predict Solid Particle Erosion in Oilfield Geometries,” Master’s thesis, The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK.
8.
Shirazi, S. A., McLaury, B. S., Shadley, J. R., and Rybicki, E. F., 1995, “Generalization of the API RP 14E Guideline for Erosive Services,” J. Pet. Technol. (Distinguished Author Series), pp. 693–698.
9.
Edwards, J. K., McLaury, B. S., and Shirazi, S. A., 1998, “Supplementing a CFD Code with Erosion Prediction Capabilities,” Paper FEDSM98-5229, ASME FED Summer Meeting Proc., Washington, DC, June 21–25.
10.
Forder
,
A.
,
Thew
,
M.
, and
Harrison
,
D.
,
1998
, “
A Numerical Investigation of Solid Particle Erosion Experienced Within Oilfield Control Valves
,”
Wear
,
216
, pp.
184
–
193
.
11.
Weiner, P. D., and Tolle, G. C., 1976, “Detection and Prevention of Sand Erosion of Production Equipment,” API OSAPER Project No. 2, American Petroleum Institute, Texas A&M Research Foundation.
12.
Tolle, G. C., and Greenwood, D. R., 1977, “Design of Fittings to Reduce Wear Caused by Sand Erosion,” API OSAPER Project No. 6, American Petroleum Institute, Texas A&M Research Foundation.
13.
Wang, J., Shirazi, S. A., Shadley, J. R., and Rybicki, E. F., 1996, “Application of Flow Modeling and Particle Tracking to Predict Sand Erosion Rates in Elbows,” ASME FED-Vol. 236, pp. 725–734.
14.
Eyler, R. L., 1987, “Design and Analysis of a Pneumatic Flow Loop,” M.S. thesis, West Virginia University.
15.
Bikbiaev
,
K. A.
,
Krasnov
,
V. I.
,
Maksimenko
,
M. I.
,
Berezin
,
V. L.
, and
Zhilinskii
,
I. B.
,
1972
, “
Main Factors Affecting Gas Abrasive Wear of Elbows in Pneumatic Conveying Pipes
,”
Chemical Petroleum Engineering
,
8
, pp.
465
–
466
.
16.
McLaury, B. S., Wang, J., Shirazi, S. A, Shadley, J. R., and Rybicki, E. F., 1997, “Solid Particle Erosion in Long Radius Elbows and Straight Pipe,” Paper 38842 presented at SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, San Antonio, TX, October 5–8.
17.
McLaury, B. S., Shirazi, S. A., Shadley, J. R., and Rybicki, E. F., 1995, “Parameters Affecting Flow Accelerated Erosion and Erosion-Corrosion,” Corrosion 95, Paper No. 120, NACE International Annual Conference, Orlando, FL.
18.
McLaury, B. S., Shirazi, S. A., Shadley, J. R., and Rybicki, E. F., 1999, “How Operating and Environmental Conditions Affect Erosion,” Corrosion 99, Paper No. 34, NACE International Annual Conference, San Antonio, TX.
Copyright © 2000
 by ASME
You do not currently have access to this content.