Influence of Radial Flux Inflow Profile on Pressure Drop of Perforated Horizontal Wellbore

Abstract

In this study, the authors have attempted to present five different profiles for a uniform radial influx through a perforated wellbore. The total pressure drop is not only frictional, accelerational and gravitational pressure drops, but also by the inflow pressure drop that is caused by the inflow through the perforation. The inflow through the wellbore model affects the shear stress due to the wall friction. The influence of inflow depends on the flow regime present in the wellbore. Numerical simulations were performed using ansys fluent 14-cfx, where the governing equations of mass and momentum were solved simultaneously, using the two equations of a standard k–ε turbulence model. The results proved that the behavior of wall shear stress followed the shape of the radial inflow, i.e., the shear stress increased with the increase of radial flow and decreased with the decrease of radial flow. It was found that the fluid influx has increased the apparent friction factor along the horizontal wellbore, but in some cases the influx is decreased.