In the paper, the investigation results of periodical gas-lift flows in vertical pipes using experiment method are presented. The experiment facilities consist of flow measurement equipment, gas and fluid supplier facilities, tubing system. To study the influence of medium physical and dynamical characteristics on the process efficiency, two liquid-gas systems are used, namely, water-air and spindle oil-air. | Vietnam Journal of Mechanics, VAST, Vol. 30, No. 2 (2008) , pp. 89 -98 EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS OF GASLIFT PROCESS Duong Ngoc Hai Institute of Mechanics, VAST Nguyen Duy Thien Electric Power University, Nguyen Van Canh Oil-Gas Joint Venture Vietsovpetro Abstract. In the paper , the invest igation results of periodical gas-lift flow s in vert ical pipes using experiment method are presented. The experiment facilities consist of flow measurement equipment , gas and fluid supplier facilities, tubing system. To study the influence of medium physical and dynamical characteristics on the process efficiency, two liquid-gas systems are used, namely, water-a ir and spindle oil-air. The objects of investigation are to obtain data from tests conducted in some conduits and to analyse the influence of system physical, geometrical and etc. parameters such as: initial liquid height in the conduits, gas inj ected volume, conduit diameter, conduit configuration and etc. on the considered process. Key words: conduit; two phase gas-liquid mixtures; liquid slug , periodical gas-lift . 1. INTRODUCTION A big part of crude oil wells in the world is being produced using gas-lift techniques (see [2, 3, 6, 9]). Gas lift, known as continuous and periodical (intermittent) lift, is realized by injection of high pressure gas in well, in order to create the necessary flowing bottom hole pressure to produce the desired rate of crude oil. Continuous gas-lift is accomplished by constant gas injection in order to create the rising hydrocarbon stream. As the reservoir depletes, reservoir pressure reaches the value at which continuous gas injection does not efficiently lift liquids to the surface and the better option is periodical injections. Very little works has been published on the topics. Brill et al. ( 1967) reported the results of wide range of intermittent gas-lift tests conducted in 31. 3-38 .1 mm diameter experimental wells. Neely et al. (1974) conducted field test and correlated the average
