Unearthing Classic Field Tests to Benchmark the Latest Generation of Multiphase Flow Models Available to Purchase

There was a time back in the 1970’s and 80’s when published field studies often included enough data that you could reproduce the results for yourself. These studies were helpful in validating and benchmarking multiphase flow simulators which were emerging in the market, increasing confidence in their use. Still today, certain engineers are interested in benchmarks of flow models against measured data. Whereas a number of benchmarks exist for reservoir simulators such as those compiled by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), the same is not true for field-scale multiphase flow simulation in pipes. Eight of these published studies were recently unearthed and some were augmented with newly available topology data. These cases cover a broad spectrum of conditions ranging from wet gas to heavy oil and both onshore and offshore locations. Several multiphase flow models ranging from classic approaches to the latest generation of unified mechanistic models were evaluated against measured holdup and pressure data. Moreover, these benchmark datasets are fully described to allow others to explore and validate simulators and flow models in future work.