天然气工业2026，Vol.46Issue(1)：87-95,9.DOI:10.3787/j.issn.1000-0976.2026.01.008
水平井内柱状柱塞举升气液流动密封特性
Sealing behaviors of gas-liquid flow during cylindrical plunger lift in horizontal wells
摘要
Abstract
Plunger lift technology serves as one of the key methods for ensuring the efficient drainage of liquid loading during the late production stage of horizontal wells in unconventional oil and gas reservoirs.Its core mechanism relies on the plunger to form a solid sealing interface between gas and liquid phases,thereby reducing gas channeling upward and liquid slippage to significantly enhance lift efficiency.The current research has provided a sufficient understanding on the sealing behaviors of gas-liquid flow during plunger lift in vertical wells,but lacks a quantitative description for the dynamic sealing mechanism at the gas-liquid interface in unconventional horizontal wells.This paper investigates the gas-liquid flow sealing behaviors of plunger lift within the 0°–70° well inclination angle range by means of numerical simulation,focusing on gas and liquid leakage behaviors and their impact on liquid carrying capacity.Based on the governing equations of two-phase flow dynamics,a predictive model for leakage rate is developed.In addition,the multi-phase flow mechanisms in the process of plunger lift in horizontal wells are illustrated.The following results are obtained.First,the plunger velocity dominates the leakage mode,with liquid film shear instability being the main cause of liquid leakage under high-speed conditions(>6 m/s).Second,the liquid leakage rate exhibits a non-monotonic trend of increasing firstly and then decreasing with increasing well inclination angle.Third,increased wellbore pressure can suppress gas channeling upward,but intensify liquid leakage.Fourth,the derived theoretical model quantifies the competitive relationship between pressure difference drive and shear drive during the leakage process.In conclusion,the model reveals a non-monotonic variation pattern of well inclination angle with leakage rate,and the leakage rate prediction model is established,which is conducive to guide the structural design of the plungers for horizontal wells and the optimization of plunger system,thereby improving the cyclic drainage rate of plunger in horizontal wells.What's more,the revealed dynamic sealing mechanisms can provide a theoretical basis for the sealing optimization and lift process parameter design of plungers for horizontal wells,and is of important theoretical guidance significance for the efficient production of horizontal wells in unconventional oil and gas reservoirs,as well as the stable production and output increase of gas fields.关键词
柱塞气举/气液泄漏/携液能力/VOF方法/定向水平井/井斜角/两相流Key words
Plunger lift/Gas and liquid leakage/Liquid carrying capacity/VOF method/Directional horizontal well/Well deviation angle/Two-phase flow分类
能源科技引用本文复制引用
白博峰,张宇豪,万华旭,王予,缪云,赵昆鹏..水平井内柱状柱塞举升气液流动密封特性[J].天然气工业,2026,46(1):87-95,9.基金项目
陕西省三秦英才特殊支持计划资助项目、中国石油天然气股份有限公司科研项目"页岩气水平井柱塞运行动态监测方法与评价技术研究"(编号:2024D103-02-04). （编号:2024D103-02-04）
