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Gas Well Deliquification Workshop

Sheraton Hotel, Denver, Colorado


February 20 – 22, 2017

Statistical Analysis of Wellbore Trajectory Effect on


Time Liquid Loading is Detected in the Surface
Logan Salewski; Mahmoud Abughaban; Rosmer Brito
Colorado School of Mines
Outline
Introduction
Objective
Available Field Data available
Considered Variables
Statistical Data for Relevant Variables
Basic Definitions
– Cumulative Dogleg
– Normalized Cumulative Dogleg
– Cumulative Dogleg Past the EOT
– Undulations

Analysis Results
Correlation Results
Variable Impact Matrix
Conclusions
Recommendations
Feb. 20 – 22, 2017 2017 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop 2
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Introduction
Liquid loading is phenomena that occurs when actual
velocity of gas is below critical velocity of gas (minimum
gas velocity required to lift liquids from the bottom to the
surface)
– When this occurs liquid accumulates at the bottom of the
well instead of being produced
– Lead to …
• well no longer flowing
• fatigue and wear on downhole equipment
• shorter life expectancy of artificial lift equipment

Source: • shale swelling


SPE-181423
R. Brito
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Objective
• Examine effect of wellbore trajectory and operating
conditions on time liquid loading is detected on the
surface

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What is Liquid Loading?

Source: http://www.petrosol.co/projects.html
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Example of Production Curve (Well 9)
4000
Production Curve of Well 9

3500
Gas Production Rate (MCFD)

3000
Well
2500 Shut-In Well
Shut-In
2000
Artificial Lift
1500 Needed
1000

500

0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
Time (days)

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Data Available
43 horizontal gas wells
– 30 wells with 100% water cut (Company 1)
– 13 wells with varying water cut (Company 2)
Available Production Data
– Gas Production History (MCFD)
– Liquid Production History (BPD)
– Water Cut (percent)
– Tubing Pressure (psi)
– Casing Pressure (psi)
– End of Tubing Location (ft, MD)
– Liquid Loading Onset time (days)
– Water produced at Liquid Loading Onset (BPD)

Available Survey Data


– MD (ft)
– INC. (deg)
– Azimuth. (deg)

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Considered Variables
Relevant Variables No Correlation Apparent
– Wellbore trajectory/Cumulative
dogleg – Higher cumulative dogleg • Angle of toe-down
= Earlier Liquid Loading
wells
– Undulation Amplitude – Larger
undulation amplitude = Earlier • Cumulative dogleg
Liquid Loading
– Wellhead pressure - Higher
taking gravity impacts
pressure = Earlier Liquid Loading into consideration
– Liquid flowrate – Higher liquid
flowrate = Earlier Liquid Loading • Normalized cumulative
– End of Tubing location – Deeper MD dogleg in tubing
EOT = Later Liquid Loading section
– End of Tubing angle – Larger EOT
angle = Later Liquid Loading • Step out ratio
– Water Cut – Higher Water Cut =
Earlier Liquid Loading
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Statistical Data
• Company 1

• Company 2

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Undulation Amplitudes
• Undulations are the sumps or humps in the well
• The amplitude of these undulations was considered as
a factor on performance

Source:http://www.aogr.com/magazine/cover-story/developing-tools-
practices-for-artificial-lift-applications-critical-in-hor
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Cumulative Dogleg

Source: 2007 Oil and Gas


journal, Aug 7 P 39
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Normalized Cumulative Dogleg

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Normalized Cumulative Dogleg
Past End of Tubing
• Normalized Cumulative Dogleg is calculated using the
same methodology past the end of the tubing

EOT

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Undulation Amplitudes 30 Wells
Undulation Amplitudes Against Time of Liquid Loading Onset
Separated by Liquid Flowrates at Liquid Loading Onset
1600
Low liquid flowrate <2 bpd
Liquid Loading Onset time (days)

1400
Medium liquid flow rate 2<x<5 bpd

High liquid flow rate > 5 bpd


1200

1000

800

600

400
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400
Undulation amplitude (ft)
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Cumulative Dogleg Past End of
Tubing 30 Wells
Normalized abs value cumulative dogleg past EOT impact on liquid
loadingimpact on liquid loading onset time separated by tubing
pressure
1600
Median Cumulative Low tubing pressure <250 psi
Dogleg 21.5
Liquid Loading Onset time (days)

1400 Medium tubing pressure


deg/1000 ft 250<x<300 psi
High tubing pressure 300 psi<
1200

Median LLO 894


1000 Days

800

Wells Outliers
600
because of
high pressure
400
10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Cumulative Dogleg (deg/1000 ft)
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Cumulative Dogleg Past End of
Tubing 30 Wells
Normalized Absolute Value Cumulative Dogleg Past EOT Impact on
Liquid Loading Onset Time Separated by Liquid Flow Rate at Liquid
Loading Onset
1600
Liquid Loading Onset Time (days)

Median Cumulative Low liquid flow rate <2 bpd


Dogleg 21.5
1400 Mediume liquid flow rate 2<x<5 bpd
deg/1000 ft
High liquid flow rate > 5 bpd
1200

Median LLO 894


1000
Days

800

600

400
10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Cumulative Dogleg (deg/1000 ft)
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Cumulative Dogleg Past End of
Tubing 13 Wells
Normalized Cumulative Dogleg Past EOT Impact on Liquid Loading
Onset Time Separated by Tubing Pressure
60
Median Low liquid flowrate <75
Cumulative bpd
Liquid Loading Onset Time (months)

50 Dogleg 13.73 High Liquid flowrate 75


(deg/1000 ft) bpd<
Large
40 diameter

30

Median LLO 29
20 months

10

0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Cumulative Dogleg (deg/1000 ft)
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Cumulative Dogleg Past End of
Tubing 13 Wells
Normalized Cumulative Dogleg Past EOT Impact on Liquid Loading
Onset Time Separated by Tubing Pressure
60
Median High tubing pressure 290
Cumulative psi<
Liquid Loading Onset Time (months)

50 Dogleg 13.73 Low tubing pressure < 290


(deg/1000 ft) psi
Large Diameter
40
Median LLO
30 29 months

20

10

0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Cumulative Dogleg (deg/1000 ft)

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Cumulative Dogleg Past End of
Tubing 13 Wells
Normalized Cumulative Dogleg Past EOT Impact on Liquid Loading
Onset Time Separated by Water Cut
60
Median
High water cut >
Cumulative 55%
50 Dogleg 13.73
Liquid Loading Onset Time (months)

(deg/1000 ft) Low water cut <


55%

40 Large Diameter
Median LLO
29 months
30

20

10

0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Cumulative Dogleg (deg/1000 ft)

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Correlation Analysis

Pearson Correlation Coefficients, N = 30

Normalized
Median
Water at EOT Absolute
EOT Tubing
LLO Angle Cumulative
Pressure
dls past EOT

Liquid
Loading
-0.27 -0.0038 0.16 -0.43 -0.50
Onset
Time

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Variable Impact Matrix – Company 1
If 2/3 variables are below median values, well has late liquid loading
If 2/3 variables are above median values, well has early liquid loading
Normalized
Liquid Flow Median tubing Well
Cum Dogleg
Case # Rate pressure Performance
past EOT
(2 bpd ) (219 psi) (894 Days)
(21.5 deg/1000 ft)

Case 1 ↓ ↓ ↓ ↑ Key
Case 2 ↓ ↑ ↓ ↑

Case 3 ↑ ↓ ↓ ↑ ↑= Above Median


value
Case 4 ↑ ↑ ↓ ↓

Case 5 ↓ ↓ ↑ ↑

Case 6 ↓ ↑ ↑ ↓ ↓ = Below Median


value
Case 7 ↑ ↓ ↑ ↓

Case 8 ↑ ↑ ↑ ↓
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Variable Matrix Impact Case Examples
Normalized Absolute Value Cumulative Dogleg Past EOT Impact on
Liquid Loading Onset Time Separated by Tubing Pressure
1600
Low tubing pressure <250 psi
Liquid Loading Onset Time (days)

Medium tubing pressure 250<x<300


1400 psi
Case 5 High tubing pressure 300 psi<

1200

1000

800

Case 4
600

400
10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Cumulative Dogleg (deg/1000 ft)
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Variable Impact Matrix – Company 1
If 2/3 variables are below median values, well has late liquid loading
If 2/3 variables are above median values, well has early liquid loading
Normalized
Liquid Flow Median tubing Well
Cum Dogleg
Case # Rate pressure Performance
past EOT
(2 bpd ) (219 psi) (894 Days)
(21.5 deg/1000 ft)

Case 1 ↓ ↓ ↓ ↑ Key
Case 2 ↓ ↑ ↓ ↑

Case 3 ↑ ↓ ↓ ↑ ↑= Above Median


value
Case 4 ↑ ↑ ↓ ↓

Case 5 ↓ ↓ ↑ ↑

Case 6 ↓ ↑ ↑ ↓ ↓ = Below Median


value
Case 7 ↑ ↓ ↑ ↓

Case 8 ↑ ↑ ↑ ↓
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Denver, Colorado
Company 2
• Between water cut, wellhead pressure, liquid flowrate,
and cumulative dogleg past EOT, if 3 variables were
above median values then Liquid Loading onset time
was below field median
• No clear pattern if two of four variables are above
median values
• Since there were only 13 wells for company 2 there
weren’t enough clear patterns for a variable matrix

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Conclusions

• The main variables impacting liquid loading are


wellbore trajectory, liquid flow rate, tubing pressure,
water cut, and tubing diameter
• Cumulative dogleg past EOT has more significance
than cumulative dogleg in tubing
• EOT location and angle are not as significant as
wellbore trajectory, liquid volume, and tubing
pressure, and water cut to liquid loading
• Company 1 has more than 10 times less liquid
flowrate than Company 2 but a lower cumulative
dogleg and less area past the end of tubing. The
two companies experience liquid loading at the
same time. This means cumulative dogleg past end
of tubing is just as important as liquid flowrate.
• If a majority of impacting variables are above
the median value a well will usually have early
liquid loading onset before the field median
https://www.netl.doe.gov/research/oil-and-gas/project-
summaries/completed-ep-tech/de-fg26-02nt15452-

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Recommendations
• Decreasing the Cumulative Dogleg past the EOT
section will help to increase time before liquid loading
occurs
– Can decrease undulation amplitudes to decrease cumulative dogleg
– Can put tubing deeper into wellbore to decrease MD past EOT section
– Decreasing the tortuosity in wells will increase total production of
wells

• Maintain wellhead pressure at a constant relatively low


pressure
– This will keep the differential pressure in the well high so flowrate is
high
– High gas flowrate will help well maintain critical velocity

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Questions

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the Artificial Lift Research and Development Council (ALRDC), and
the Southwestern Petroleum Short Course (SWPSC), rights to:
– Display the presentation at the Workshop.
– Place it on the www.alrdc.com web site, with access to the site to be
as directed by the Workshop Steering Committee.
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Other use of this presentation is prohibited without the expressed
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author(s) may publish this material in other journals or magazines if
they refer to the Gas Well Deliquification Workshop where it was
first presented.

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