An approach to evaluate Venturi-device effects on gas wells production

• The Venturi effect in gas wells is modeled here.
• Experimental values are reproduced in a commercial process simulator.
• The flow pattern is estimated in a commercial simulator and verified via CFD simulation.
• Numerical evidence indicates that Venturi-devices promote a flow pattern where the pressure drop decreases.
• A Venturi device can increase the gas production in certain types of gas wells.

This paper presents a theoretical analysis of the effect produced by Venturi devices in gas wells. The first part of our methodology consists of performing steady-state simulations to fit experimental and theoretical pressure profiles. These simulations were carried out in Aspen Plus® to reproduce gas production in wells. The results in our case study have indicated that the flow pattern corresponds to a mist type. Then CFD simulations have been used to reproduce the gas–liquid flow through a Venturi device based on ANSYS CFX®. It has been observed that the Venturi increases the gas volume fraction and easy formation of smaller bubbles, which tend to flow in the center of the well. CFD simulations were carried out assuming an Eulerian–Eulerian approach for the bubbles dispersion through the Venturi device. The RNG k–ε model and the homogeneous MUSIG model are used to include the turbulence effect and to represent the bubbles population balance, respectively. Thus the numerical evidence indicates that Venturi-devices promote a flow pattern where the pressure drop decreases and hence it can increase the gas production in certain types of gas wells.