SPE 87278
Analysis of Gas Lift Installation Problems
Mazin Zain Al Abdin – QGPC, Doha, QATAR
Copyright 2000, Society of Petroleum Engineers, Inc.
th
This paper has been selected for presentation at the 9 Abu Dhabi International Petroleum
Exhibition and Conference held in Abu Dhabi, U. A. E., 15-18 October 2000.
This paper has been selected for presentation by the ADIPEC Program Committee following
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as presented, have not been reviewed by the ADIPEC and are subject to correction by the
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Abstract
GAS Lift is an important mean of artificial lift method being
used for most of the producing wells of two major QGPC
offshore oil fields. This was best-suited method to keep and
extend the plateau production rate as much as possible. By
means of a variety of field examples, this paper describes how
quickly the trouble shooting action is required before gas-
lifting problems arise.
The proper analysis of a gas lift installation can become
extremely important in determining whether or not it is
performing satisfactorily. The general opinion and accepted
practice in most cases have been to wait until some type of
trouble develops before analyzing a gas lift installation.
Preferably, the gas lift installation of each well should be
analyzed while it is performing satisfactorily. Not only will
this show whether or not the installation has been properly
designed, but provide valuable information for future
reference in the event of trouble. Where improvement appears
possible, design changes may then be made with complete
confidence. If this information is not obtained, and the tubing
and gas lift valves are pulled because of some trouble, a
change of design, including such things as valve spacing,
valve pressure, and type of gas lift valve would still involve
some guess work. There are many ways of analyzing gas lift
installation problems. These can be divided into surface and
subsurface methods. Surface observation methods include
backpressure, total injected and produced gas volume as well
as operating gas injection pressure and its behavior analysis.
Subsurface methods include flowing pressure/temperature
survey analysis. Nodel analysis can also used as an effective
tool for evaluating the gas lift valves performance.
Introduction
Gas Lift in general and as a system can be the source of many
problems, but gas lifting installation problems have become a
very important issue in QGPC and in the oil industry. A gas
lift installation is designed to unload and work down to the
operating valve for continuos production in order to achieve
the maximum production rate as shown in the typical
performance curve for a gas lift well (Figure-1). In order to
maintain this maximum rate and get maximum revenue, we
must keep a gas lift installation operating correctly and
efficiently. Continuos observation of surface indications of
the well performance is necessary. Such observations and
monitoring include the continuos analyzing of well tests, gas
input volumes, and casing/tubing pressure charts as well as
flowing and static bottom hole pressures and flowing
characteristics.
In order to properly evaluate the efficiency of the continuos
flow of the well by gas lifting, it is necessary to analyze the
installation performance on a regular basis. When the
installation problems arise and cause decline in production,
the problem should be properly analyzed and solved.
An improvement of oil production could be made by bringing
the well back to maximum production rate. This paper
describes and analyzes the problems associated with the gas
lift well installations which as such are not performing as
required, to get the maximum production rate. The useful
main tools utilized to determine the trouble spots in the
installation of gas lift well are:
1- Well head pressure recorder.
2- Subsurface pressure and temperature surveys.
2 MAZIN ZAIN AL ABDIN
Gas Lift System
The flow path of a typical modern gas-lift system consists of
the reservoir, perforations, tubing string, Side Pocket
Mandrels which contain gas lift valves, wellhead regulator,
surface piping, fluid separation facilities, compressor and gas
injection pipelines in addition to injection and production
control. Lift gas is injected into the casing annulus where it
passes through downhole gas lift valves. Produced fluid and
gas, along with injected gas, then flows into the separator.
Produced oil is pumped to storage while injected and
produced gas is returned to the suction side of the
compressor. After the gas is recompressed, the rotative cycle
is completed. Make up gas from another gas producing well
is normally being used for compressor start up. The typical
general gas lift system is shown in (Figure-2).
The main gas lift parts of the system considered in this paper
are surface and subsurface installations. The surface
installation include the wellhead casing control to regulate
the gas injection and wellhead tubing control to monitor the
production and gas lift valve performance. The subsurface
installations used for unloading the well for continuos gas
lifting are the gas lift valves, located in the tubing string,
sized and spaced according to the overall design. The typical
gas lifting well completion is shown in (Figure-3). The
method of operation and type of installation depend largely
on the type of valves used. The valves are distinguished by
their sensitivity to the casing and/or tubing pressure needed to
open and close them. Knowledge of mechanical operation of
gas lift valves is required in order to understand why the
valve operates badly under certain conditions in a well. There
are many diagnostic tools available to assist evaluating gas
lift installation performance. These tools can be used
individually or collectively to give a picture of what is
happening downhole. The techniques to be considered are
two-pen recorder charts and flowing pressure and/or
temperature surveys.
Gas Lift Problem Areas
Gas lift problems are usually associated with three areas:
inlet, outlet and downhole problems as shown in (Figure-4).
The inlet problems are related to gas injection facilities such
as pipeline size restrictions, small/large choke size and
high/low gas injection pressure and rate. The pipeline size
should be enough to handle the quantity of gas required for
injection. The choke size should be suitable to pass the
quantity of gas required. The gas injection pressure and rate
should be according to downhole gas lift valves design and
production optimization.
The outlet problems are related to fluid production. The
backpressure should be kept to a minimum since the
transmitted pressure to the bottom of the hole reduces the
differential into the wellbore thereby reducing production.
The valves at the tree and header should be fully open without
SPE 87278
obstructions in the pipeline from the wellhead to the
separator. This condition can sometimes prevent the well
from fully unloading, or cause heading. The separator
pressure should be maintained as low as possible.
The downhole problems are related to gas lift valves
performance/efficiency. A passing gas lift valve is a typical
example. Such valve does not close at the stipulated drop in
the casing injection pressure and as such a problem are loss
of the dome pressure, valve stem stuck in open position due to
corrosion/mechanical failure and erosional wash out across
the stem /seat. Another example associated with the gas lift
valve problem is the failure of a gas lift valve to open at a
stipulated pressure. This problem is basically caused due to
an excessive pressure in the dome, a situation which can
result due to an ingress of external pressure into the dome at
the time of tubing test.
Gas Lift Valves
The schematic view of a typical subsurface gas lift valve used
for gas lift is shown in (Figure-5).
The dome is charged with gas prior to installing the valve to
the tubing string. The dome pressure is chosen in such a
manner so as to cause the valve to open at specific
combination of casing pressure (Pc) & tubing pressure (Pt).
When the gas lift valve is installed in a tubing string and
placed in a well, the bellows are subjected to forces caused by
the dome (F1), casing (F2), and tubing (F3) pressures. When
the forces acting to open the valve exceed those acting to
close it, the valve opens, allowing gas to flow through an
orifice in the valve and into the tubing. (Refer to Figure 5).
Closing Force F1 = Pd. A1
Opening Force F2 = PC. (A1-A2) (Casing)
Opening Force F3 = Pt. A3 (Tubing)
Valve Closes when F1 larger than (F2+F3) and Opens
when (F2+F3) larger than F1.
The standard gas lift valves used by QGPC are the gas
injection and fluid – operated valves. The gas injection
pressure operated valve is a pressure regulator controlled by
the injection (casing) gas pressure applied to the outside of
the bellows. A schematic of a typical pressure operated gas
lift valve installed in the tubing string is shown in (Figure.6).
Nitrogen is normally injected inside the dome and maintains
the valve in the closed position until casing pressure is
elevated to the valve opening pressure. The valve remains in
the open position allowing gas to pass from the casing to the
tubing, until casing pressure is reduced to the valve closing
pressure. The other type of gas lifted valves is fluid-operated
SPE 87278 ANALYSIS OF GAS LIFT INSTALLATION PROBLEMS
valve. A schematic of a typical fluid operated gas lift valve
installed in a tubing string is shown in (Figure.7) The port is
exposed to the casing pressure and the bellows is exposed to
the tubing pressure. The tubing pressure is acting to open the
valve and the casing pressure is acting on the seat area to help
open the valve. The fluid operated gas lift valve design is
especially suited for dual completion.
Defining the Gas lift Installation problems
The design objective of Gas Lift installation is to control the
vertical fluid gradient so as to give the desired production
rate. The design is constrained by the limitations of gas
injection pressure, available gas volumes, the nature of the
produced fluids, the well’s inflow performance and the tubing
size. Installation design calculations are divided into two
parts. The first part is the determination of the gas lift valve
depths, and the second part is the calculation of the test-rack
opening pressures of the gas lift valves. The test rack set
opening pressures are calculated after the valve depths
because the operating pressure and temperature during
unloading is based on these valve depths. The installation
problems effect into the following: -
One) Bring a well into production and reach the deepest
possible injection depth in the most economical way.
Two) Tailor the amount of gas injected at the deepest
possible depth.
Three) Obtain the required optimum amount of oil
production.
There are numerous ways of controlling the gas injection and
fluid production. A choke is simply installed on the injection
gas line and sized to pass the desired volume of gas into the
tubing string. When producing wells are completed or re-
completed, the casing/tubing annulus is left full with
completion or workover (kill) fluid. This fluid must be
removed, down to the depth of the desired operating gas lift
valve by a process called Unloading, before a well can be
placed on gas lifting. Also, whenever a gas-lift well is stopped
for a period of time, the fluid level in the production string
will rise to the level, which can be supported by the shut-in
bottom-hole pressure. When a gas-lift well is placed back on
production, the well must be re-started, by a process called
kick off, to resume gas-lift injection from the desired
operating gas-lift valve. Care in unloading a gas-lift well is
extremely important since more gas-lift valves are damaged
at this time during the life of the well. Preventing excessive
pressure differentials across gas-lift valve reduces the chance
for valve failure due to sand and liquid cutting.
The unloading process is as follows: (Figure- 8)
Static Condition
As an example four-gas lift valves located in the string are
3
fully open. The well is full with kill fluid all the way to the
surface.
Start Unloading Operations
Injection gas is applied slowly through a choke to the
annulus. Immediately the kill fluid will start coming out of
the tubing string. As gas is continuously applied to the
annulus a gradual increase in casing pressure is required to
keep fluid moving out the tubing string. Valve number 1 will
eventually uncovered and gas is then injected into the tubing
string.
Lowering of Fluid Column
Gas will be continued into the casing annulus and the liquid
in the casing annulus will continue to be lowered until valve
No .2 is uncovered and then gas will be injected through it.
Unloading Operations Continued
Gas is continuously injected until valve no.3 is reached and
the same event is repeated until valve no.4 is reached. At
some point during the unloading process, the bottom hole
pressure will be lowered to the extent that fluids will start
feeding in from the formation.
Flow Condition Stabilized
The fluids in the tubing string will start being a combination
of U-tube fluid from the annulus and produced fluid from the
formation. This will tend to slow the unloading process until
the operating valve is reached. The casing pressure will be
stabilized and the well will be placed on production.
Gas Lifting Installation problems Analysis
There is a natural tendency to increase gas injection when a
well is not making its required production and to leave the
installation alone when the well flow appears reasonable. In
many of these instances, considerable improvement can be
made both in the rate of production and in the injection gas
usage by a brief analysis of the gas lift installation.
The following list summarizes the various measurements used
to analyze a gas-lift installation.
1- Recording surface pressure in tubing and casing
Recording the surface tubing flowing and casing gas injection
pressures can be done with two pen recorders. These
recorders will record on a chart any change in surface tubing
flowing and casing gas injection pressures. A change in the
recorded pressure will usually be significant and frequently
will indicate some physical change in the system. Increased
flowing tubing pressure indicates increase restriction in the
flow line or an increase well pressure from the well flowing
or from gas injection. Decreased tubing pressure indicates a
drop in supply gas pressure or volume. A change in the
casing gas injection pressure indicates gas lift valve
performance.
4 MAZIN ZAIN AL ABDIN
2- Measurement of gas volume
Injection gas volume to be measured to determine gas-lift
efficiency.
3- Surface temperature readings
Wellhead temperature measurement is required because of the
effect of temperature on the operating characteristics of most
gas lift valves.
4- Visual observation of surface installation
Some factors that can be determined by visual observation of
the surface installation as are long flowline, high separator
backpressure, and restriction in wellhead and flowlines, gas
freezing and restriction in gas injection lines causing low
injection pressure and volume.
5- Well tests for oil and water production
Well test to measure oil and water production provides
important parameters for determining the efficiency of a gas
lift operation.
6- Subsurface static and flowing pressure surveys
The best and most widely used method of properly analyzing
gas –lift installation. Static bottom hole pressure will
determine static fluid level, static gradient. A flowing
pressure and temperature survey, on the other hand, will
locate the point of gas injection, leak in the tubing, valve
failures and multi-point injection. A flowing pressure survey
will also determine the flowing gradient above and below the
point of injection.
7- Subsurface temperature surveys
A flowing temperature survey can locate valve performance
for proper design of gas lift valves.
8- Fluid level determination
Fluid level is required to locate the operating valve.
Methods of Problems Analysis
There are many ways of analyzing continuos flow
installations. These can be divided into detailed and
observation methods. The detailed methods include analysis
of surface recording of casing and tubing pressures,
subsurface flowing pressure and temperature surveys. The
observation methods include surface backpressure, total fluid
recovery, Injection and total produced gas volumes,
temperature of flow lines, operating injection pressure and its
behavior.
The tools used for detail installation problems analysis are as
follows:
1-Two- Pen Pressure Recorder Charts
The two most significant pressures acting on any gas lift
valve are the production pressure and the gas injection
pressure. From the recorded pressures at the surface
(recorded on a two-pen chart), the respective downhole
pressures existing in the tubing and casing can be calculated
SPE 87278
and compared with the operating characteristics of the type of
gas lift valve in service. From this information, it is possible
to estimate the point of operation. Two-pen recorder charts
can be used to optimize surface controls, locate surface
problems, as well as identify downhole problems. The two-
pen recorder connected to the wellhead as shown in (Figure-
9). Chart interpretation can be useful in identifying and
remedying such installation problems.
(See Appendix-1 for more details and examples)
2-Flowing Pressure/Temperature Surveys
In this type of survey, pressure/temperature-recording
instruments are run in the well under flowing condition while
the well is being tested. The pressure/temperature recording
instrument is stopped above and under/ or below each gas lift
valve for a period of time, and records the pressure/
temperature at each valve. Making additional stops between
valve stations can be helpful in plotting and interpreting the
survey data. From this information the exact point of
injection can be determined as well as the actual bottom-hole
pressure and temperature. This type of survey is the most
accurate way to determine a gas lift well’s performance.
(See Appendix-2 for more details and examples)
Problems Analysis by PSM
Production System Models integrate reservoirs, wells,
gathering systems and process constraints into a single model
providing a practical tool for production optimization. The
tool allows analyzing fields as integrated systems enabling the
effects of each component of the systems to be evaluated as a
part of the big picture.
In addition to normal production optimization for the two off
shore fields, the system was used successfully to help solving
gas lift installation problems. Prosper Quick look is a gas lift
diagnostic tool for checking performance of unloading valves
and identifying injection points. Quick look can quickly check
possible causes and identify the correct remedial action.
(See Appendix-3 for more details and examples)
Conclusions
1-The proper analysis of gas lift installation can become
extremely important in determining whether or not it is
performing satisfactorily.
2-The problems discovered and improvements made after
analyzing the installation are:
A- Locating multi-point injection.
B- Valve leaks.
C- Respacing valve to lower operating point
3-One of the first checks on any installation that is not
performing satisfactorily is the injection gas pressure being
utilized in the well head. A low gas injection pressure will
SPE 87278 ANALYSIS OF GAS LIFT INSTALLATION PROBLEMS
explain low production rate or tubing or valves leaking.
4-Semi-closed installation is recommended for most
continuos flow installations. When a packer is used, the
casing is only unloaded initially and when the well is shut-in,
the fluid level in the casing remains constant therefore better
control injection.
5-The large tubing size used for gas lifting increases the
production capacity specially when the flowing density
decreases.
6-The small tubing used for gas lifting decreases the
production capacity but reduces the gravitational effect
associated with lower producing rates.
7-Small port size selection for pressure operated valves is not
recommended due to the following reasons: -
One) Can prevent unloading.
Two) Loss of energy by requiring a higher operating
injection gas pressure than would be required.
Three) More than one valve to pass adequate gas volume
requires lifting the desired producing rate, which results
in inefficient multipoint gas injection.
Four) Port can plug easily, particularly if the casing is
scaly or the well has a deposition problem.
Five) Improper surface control of injection gas.
8- Flowing gradient surveys results define what is occurring
in the system at a given set of conditions. Such predictions
can be made for well performance under a different set of
conditions.
9- When choke installed in the injection gas line, some trial
and error adjustments may have to be made to obtain the
correct size of the choke.
10- The accurate prediction of the flowing production fluid
temperature at valve depth is important in the design and
analysis of many gas lift installations with nitrogen charged
gas lift valves.
11- Two – pen recorder charts can also be used to optimize
surface controls, locate surface problems as well as
identify downhole problems.
Recommendations
1- The new installation of each well should be analyzed
while it is performing satisfactorily.
2- It is essential that the flowing gradient survey must be
initiated under stable flowing conditions and the test
performance must accurately duplicate normal producing
condition
3- A check on total fluid production along with a
measurement of the input and output gas liquid ratios,
and a recording of casing and tubing pressures should be
5
made simultaneously with the pressure survey.
4- Pressure and temperature curves should be plotted on
suitable graph paper to make complete analysis.
5- Pressure and Temperature surveys should be run before
trouble develops in order to have the information
necessary for over-all installation improvement.
6- Fluid operated valves should utilize the smallest port
possible.
7- Prevent continuos passage of liquid through the valves
below the fluid level to avoid damage to the valve seats.
8- Flowing gradient stops should be made directly below
and above each gas lift valve.
9- Direct connection from compressor or distribution point
to each well should be recommended for having more
control in injection and monitoring.
10- The ascertain the accuracy of the two-pen recorder it
should be calibrated periodically by using high resolution
pressure gauges or dead weight tester.
11- The two-pen recorder pressure chart reading should be
interpreted for the underlying causes of fluctuations in
the production pressure and injection gas pressure rather
than just attempting to compare chart patterns from other
wells.
Acknowledgements
The author wishes to thank the Qatar General Petroleum
Corporation and Mr Ahmed A. Al-Siddiqi the Manager,
Reservoir and Field Development for permission to publish
this paper. He also thanks the individuals who contributed to
the practical and theoretical comments related to this paper,
especially Mr. Talib Al-Salat Head of Subsurface Studies for
his continuous support and valuable comments and
instructions.
References
1- Brown K.E: The Technology of Artificial lift
Petroleum Publishing Co. Tulsa
2- Brown K.E: Field Operation Handbook”
OTIS Engineering Corporation
3- Winkler, H. W and Smith: “Camco Gas Lift Manual”
CAMCO Inc., Houston.
3-D.R. Skiner “ Introduction to Petroleum Product “
Volume 2
4- Exxon Product Research Company, Houston, Texas
“Typical Two- Pen Pressure recorder Charts from gas lift
wells”
5- “Gas Lift Production Technology” CAMCO
6- H. Dale Begged “Production Optimization Using
NODAL Analysis”
7- Cravo Norte Block “Well Completion and Artificial Lift
Study”.
8- John Martinez “ Gas Lift Analysis and Troubleshooting”
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