Liquid loading

Liquid loading is a phemonenon when the gas phase does't provide sufficient transport energy to lift the liquids out of the well.

The minimum gas velocity to remove the liquid equation:

$v_g = 1.593 \sigma^{1/4} \frac{({\rho_L-\rho_g})^{1/4}}{\rho_g^{1/2}}$

where

$v_g$ gas velocity ft/sec

$\sigma$ surface tension, dyne/cm

$\rho_L$ liquid density lbm/ft3

$\rho_g$ gas density lbm/ft3