VISCOSITY MEASUREMENTS OF WATER-IN-CRUDE-OIL EMULSIONS UNDER FLOWING CONDITIONS - A THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL APPROACH

The influence of emulsion viscosity on multiphase flow calculations is discussed and illustrated with a simple example. Existing methods for calculation and determination of the effective viscosity of a real hy drocarbon/water system under realistic field conditions have been revi ewed and are discussed in relation to their applicability. An experime ntal method using a high-pressure test wheel for flow simulation is un der development for the specific purpose of measuring rheological prop erties in hydrocarbon gas/water/oil systems under realistic conditions , i.e. pressure, temperature and shear. This method is illustrated by measurements performed on a North Sea crude.