Guidelines & Recommended Practices

Selection of Artificial Lift Systems

for Deliquifying Gas Wells
Prepared by Artificial Lift R&D Council
Status
Document written and edited
Chair: Cleon Dunham, cleon@oilfieldautomation.com
Team: Not applicable
Comments: Not applicable
A.7 Annex 7 Recommendations to Collect Good Information
The recommended practice to collect good information of operation, surveillance,
and optimization of gas wells is to use a state-of-the-art production automation
system and have this system operated by trained personnel who are dedicated to
its use on a continuous basis.
This topic is fully covered in Chapter 15 of Gas Well Deliquifcation, Second
Edition, by James F. Lea, Henry V. Nickens, and Mike R. Wells. Chapter 15 on
Production Automation is by Cleon Dunham and Greg Stephenson. There is
no need to repeat the information from that document here. The following table
summarizes the key recommendations in that chapter.

Topic
Automation
Equipment

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Instrumentation is at the heart of any automation
system.
It must support accurate measurements, control, and
optimization.

Instrumentation

428

This is not the place to save money.

Buy reliable, accurate instrumentation.

Electronic flow
measurement

432

Use electronic flow measurement for all cases where

gas flow measurement must be accurate; for example
for any custody transfer application.

Controls

434

Control equipment must be reliable.

RTUs and PLCs

440

Acquire RTUs and PLCs that are specifically designed

for each application, type of artificial lift system, etc.
Do not try to use one general RTU or PLC for all
applications.
Consider variable speed drives when needed to
effectively control pumping systems.

Recommendations to Collect Good Information

Topic
Host systems

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Use one host system that can communicate with and
support all different forms of RTUs, PLCs, and
applications.
This is the place to standardize on one system.

Communications

444

Insist on reliable communications that can transmit

information at the needed speed.
Where possible use wireless communication to reduce
installation and maintenance costs.

Data base

450

Most real-time databases (on the production

automation system) have relatively limited storage.
Consider supplementing this with a data historian (see
below).

Other

453

Where pertinent, consider integration of the automation

system with other systems for well analysis, artificial lift
system design and optimization, etc.

General Applications

455

General applications are part of most generic

automation systems.
They are essential but not sufficient to meet the needs
for a production automation system.

User interface

455

The user interface should be the same as or very

similar to the window interface from Microsoft, since
more people are familiar with it and find it easy to use.

Scanning

456

The scanning system collects information from the

wells, artificial lift systems, and facilities.
It must collect the amount of information required, at
the desired frequency.

Alarming

456

Automation systems are designed to produce alarms.

However, many systems produce so many alarms that
people cant make effective use of them.
The alarm system must be flexible so it can produce
important alarms without generating so many as to
create noise.

Reporting

459

The Operator must be able to design reports to meet

his/her needs.
Reports should support internal calculations,
averaging, summaries, sorting, etc.

Trending and

461

Trend plots of variables vs. time must permit plotting of

one or more measured or calculated variables on a
plot, for any desired duration.

plotting

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Graphs must also provide x vs. y plots.

Displays

462

The display processor must support static displays,

generic displays (e.g. a display for a type of well that
can be used for any well of that type), and dynamic
displays where the user can enter data, commands,
etc.

Data historian

464

Most automation systems have relatively limited data

storage capabilities.
A data historian can store vast amounts of data, over a
long period of time, and permit rapid access to the
information.

Unique Applications
for Gas Well
Deliquification

465

For a production automation system for gas well

operations, the system must provide unique services
for each type of artificial lift system, in addition to the
general applications listed above.

Plunger lift

465

There are several ways to monitor and control plunger

lift wells.
The automation system should support all of the
proven methods so the Operator can choose the one
best suited to his/her wells.

Sucker rod

471

Modern sucker rod pumping systems use rod pump

controllers (PRCs) to monitor and control the pumping
units.
The automation system must support the functions of
the several different types of RPCs, correct
information from them, and support the functions of
sucker rod monitoring, control, problem diagnosis and
analysis, design, and optimization.

PCP pumping

478

Unique automation applications have been developed

for progressing cavity pumping.
The system must support each of these so the
Operator can choose the best approach for his/her
wells; rod driven pumps, or pumps driven by downhole
electric submersible pump motors.

ESP pumping

487

ESPs are operated with Fixed Speed Drives or

Variable Speed Drives.
Each ESP Company typically provides the ESP
controller that is installed at the surface.
The automation system must support both types of
drives and each type of controller.

pumping

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Topic
Hydraulic pumping

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Hydraulic pumping is little used for gas well
Deliquifcation.
Chapter 15 discusses the automation information
needed for surveillance and control of these units.

Chemical injection

499

Chapter 15 discusses the automation information

needed for surveillance and control of chemical
injection systems.

Gas-lift

500

Gas-lift of gas wells is primarily focused on adding

enough gas to keep the gas flow rate above critical at
all times.
The system must determine the amount of gas needed
for critical flow and then control the injection rate to
meet this need.

Wellhead

509

Chapter 15 discusses the automation information

needed for surveillance and control of wellhead
compression systems.

Heaters

510

Chapter 15 discusses the automation information

needed for surveillance and control of heater systems.

Cycling

511

Chapter 15 discusses the automation information

needed for surveillance and control of cycling systems.

Production

512

Chapter 15 discusses the automation information

needed for accurate allocation of gas production which
is measured at a production station and allocate it back
to individual wells.

513

Other applications can include control of gas well

production to meet specific needs to increase or
decrease gas production rates to meet delivery
demands.

Automation Issues

513

There are several soft issues that must be addressed

for successful automation systems.

Typical benefits

513

It is necessary to identify the anticipated tangible

benefits that can be measured in economic terms.
It is equally important to identify intangible benefits
(e.g. safety, environmental protection, system security,
personnel issues) that are as or more important.

Potential problem
areas

515

There are potential problem areas or pitfalls that must

be avoided through careful design of the system.
Chapter 15 enumerates a number of these.

compression

allocation

Other unique
applications

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Justification

518

The system must be well justified to obtain the buy-in

and support of management and all other stake
holders.

CAPEX

520

Capital expenditures will be required up front on a

project, and over time as equipment must be added,
exchanged, upgraded, etc.

OPEX

521

Operating costs will persist throughout the life of the

project.

Design

522

The system design must consider: (1) the people

needed to design, install, operate, and optimize the
system, (2) the corporate project management
processes that must be followed, and (3) the
technology to be used not too much and not too little.

Installation

525

Installation of the system, including thorough upfront

testing, is essential.

Security

526

Security of both the physical equipment in the field and

the data/information produced by the system must be
addressed.

Staffing

527

At least three teams of people are needed: (1)

Steering Committee, (2) Automation Team, and (3)
Surveillance Team.

Training

530

Each team must be properly staffed and the people on

the teams must be well trained.
This is essential over time as team members change.

Commercial vs. inhouse

532

Few companies build in-house automation systems.

The challenge is to find the best commercial system
and work with the Supplier to meet the needs of the
Operating Company.

Case Histories

533

We can learn from the successes and failures of the

past.

Success stories

533

Most success stories followed the recommendations in

Chapter 15, and continued to follow them over time.

Failures

535

Most failures occurred when companies failed to follow

the recommendations.
Many of the failures occurred not because of
inadequate automation hardware or software, but

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Topic

Systems that

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failure to take care of the soft issues.

537

Some systems have yet to reach their potential.

This is most often caused by failure to follow the
project plan to fully implement the systems, or again, a
failure to address all of the soft issues.

538

The value of gas is high; the costs of staff and services

are high; the negative impact of liquid loading is high.
So, the case for production automation is compelling.

havent reached
their potential

Summary

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