Analysis of Wellbore Flow in Shale Gas Horizontal Wells

The flow behavior of shale gas horizontal wells is relatively complex, and this should be regarded as the main reason for which conventional pipe flow models are not suitable to describe the related dynamics. In this study, numerical simulations have been conducted to determine the gas-liquid distribution in these wells. In particular, using the measured flow pressure data related to 97 groups of shale gas wells as a basis, 9 distinct pipe flow models have been assessed, and the models displaying a high calculation accuracy for different water-gas ratio (WGR) ranges have been identified. The results show that: (1) The variation law of WGR in gas well satisfies a power function relation. (2) The well structure is the main factor affecting the gas-liquid distribution in the wellbore. (3) The Beggs & Brill, Hagedorn & Brown and Gray models exhibit a high calculation accuracy.