US 12,000,244 B2
Determining efficiencies of wellbore pressure control valves
Mohammed Alatigue, Dammam (SA); Anton Tarihoran, Udhailiyah (SA); Nahr M. Abulhamayel, Udhailiyah (SA); Abdulrahman Aljughayman, Udhailiyah (SA); and Abdulaziz Al Lajam, Udhailyah (SA)
Assigned to Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Dhahran (SA)
Filed by Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Dhahran (SA)
Filed on Jan. 31, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/589,404.
Prior Publication US 2023/0243239 A1, Aug. 3, 2023
Int. Cl. E21B 34/16 (2006.01); E21B 34/08 (2006.01); E21B 43/12 (2006.01); E21B 47/06 (2012.01)
CPC E21B 34/16 (2013.01) [E21B 34/08 (2013.01); E21B 43/12 (2013.01); E21B 47/06 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
identifying results of manufacturer tests performed by a manufacturer of a pressure control valve (PCV) configured to control flowrate of a fluid through a pipeline, wherein the manufacturer tests correlate quantities of the fluid that the PCV allows to flow through the pipeline at respective open positions of the PCV;
after installing the PCV in a flowline downstream of a production tree disposed within a hydrocarbon gas production wellbore to control hydrocarbon gas flowrate through the production wellbore, performing operational tests on the PCV to measure quantities of the hydrocarbon gas that the PCV allows to flow through the flowline at the respective open positions of the PCV, wherein performing operational tests on the PCV comprises:
(a) setting the PCV to an open position;
(b) measuring a flowing wellhead pressure (FWHP) of the production wellbore at the open position of the PCV;
(c) measuring a hydrocarbon gas flowrate through the flowline at the open position of the PCV;
(d) measuring a condensate rate through the flowline at the open position of the PCV;
(e) determining a condensate to gas ratio (CGR) by dividing the condensate rate by the hydrocarbon gas flowrate; and
(f) determining a choke size at the open position of the PCV based on the FWHP, the hydrocarbon gas flowrate and the CGR at the open position of the PCV;
comparing the results of the manufacturer tests with results of the operational tests; and
based on a result of the comparing, determining an operational condition of the PCV.