Gas Lift

Gas Lift Concept

Density Reduction
Reducing Flowing Bottom Hole Pressure Improving The Gas To Liquid Ratio Increasing The Mixture Velocity Changing Flow Regime

Reducing Liquid Holdup

Reducing Wellhead Pressure

Advantages of Gas Lift System

Low Cost Design to Lift Different Rate Injection and Producing Rate Controlled at Surface Sand Production Doesnt Affect G.L. Equipment Not Affected by Wellbore Deviation Operating Costs are Relatively Low Gas Compressor Easily Inspected and Maintained

Limitation Of Gas Lift System

Gas Availability

Source of High Pressure Gas

Treat or Dry the Gas Before use. Heavy oil (Gas will be channel)

Gas Lift System

Types of Gas Lift
Continuous Flow Tubing Flow
Annular Flow

Intermittent Flow
Low Reservoir Pressure

Tighter reservoir (low Pwf)

Gas Lift Design Methods

1. Continuous Flow Design

Graphical Method
Unloading line method

2. Intermittent Design

Fallback method
Percent load Method

Fluid operating valve

Gas Lift Design

Continuous Flow Design

Design Parameter
Out flow Curve

Injection Gas Gradient

Water Gradient

Temperature profile

Factors That Affect Outflow Performance

Fluid Characteristics
Well Configuration

Wellhead Back Pressure

Pipe Roughness

Fluid Velocity

Outflow Correlation
Duns and Ros (Large diameter tubing, high GLR, low & mist flow rates)

Orkiszewski
(Slug flow, moderate liquid volume fractions) Griffith and Wallis (High liquid volume , low GLR)

Outflow Correlation, Continue

Beggs and Brill
(Small diameter from 1 to 1.5 in)

Hagedorn and Brown

H&B, Duns and ROS preferred with mist flow

Gas Gradient
gas density(Ib/Ft3 ) G-grad.(Psi/Ft) pgas =SG. pair PV= (m/Mw)*RT Pair (m/V)= Pair= Pgas= S.G*
Mw*P RT 28.97*P RT 28.97*P RT Where: P =Pressure , Psi R= 10.73 T=Teperature RO) 460+T)

= 144 (in2/ft2( PV=nRT (n=m/Mw)

Gas Gradient Chart

Graphical Method Design

WHP OP

AFE = (Pmax-Pmin)X (B/A)

P max

V1
Operating valves

Water Grad=0.45

V2 V3

Whisky valves

V4 V5

Gas Grad

Continuous GLD Equations

AFE = (Pmax-Pmin)X (TEF) POL PBT PVO
= Pg-

A=1-(AV/AB) B=(AV/AB) TEF=(B/A)

Pv @ 60 F Pv @ Well Temp 1 1+0.00215(Tv-60)

AFE

= POL (A)+PTM(B) = PBT/ A

PSurf = PVO* Ct

Ct= Ct=

Continuous Design Using Unloading Line Method

Unloading line PD=PWH+0.2(Pg-PWH) Disadvantage gives large number of valves
WHP

PD

OP

Design of Intermittent Lift Installation

Percent Load Method
Gas Pressure Gradient Percent Load Line (60% of Gas Pressure) Pbt (Nitrogen Charged Valve) Psp (Spring Loaded Valve) Pvo (Valve Opening Pressure in Tester)

Decrease Set Pressure of Bottom Valve 25-30 psi (Flagging the bottom valve)

Design of Intermittent Lift Installation

Percent Load Method
WHP 60 % line OP

Percent load line= 60% of gas line

PBT = Pg (A) + Pp(B) PVO = PBT/ A
Pp1 Pp2 Pp3 Pp4 Pp5 Pg1 Pg2 Pg3 Pg4 Pg5

PSurf = PBT* Ct
A Psp = Pg (A)+ Pp(B) PVOsur = Psp/ A

Where R=B

A=1-R

Design of Intermittent Lift Installation

Fallback Method
Spacing Factor Gradient (Unloading Gradient) Function of Production Rate and Tubing Size Gas Pressure Gradient Valve Closing Pressure Gradient

Temperature Correction
Decrease Set Pressure of Bottom Valve 25-30 psi (Flagging the bottom valve)

Design of Intermittent Lift Installation

Fallback Method
WHP 60 % line Closing pre = - 100 of OP OP

Pvc1

PSurf = Pvc* Ct
Pvc2

A
Pvc3 Pvc4 Pvc4

Design of Intermittent Lift

Fluid Operating Valve

Casing Operating

Fluid Operating

Fluid Operating Valve Design

AFE = (Pmax-Pmin)X (TEF) POL PBT PVO
= Pg-

A=1-(AV/AB) B=(AV/AB) TEF=(B/A)

AFE

= POL (B)+PTM(A) = PBT/ A

PSurf = PVO* Ct

Dual Gas Lift Installation

Both tubing strings take gas from the same gas source

System allow extra gas to go in one side than other. Results in one or both zones producing at less than optimum Use injection pressure-operated in one side and production pressure operated in the other

Design considerations
Prediction of inflow & outflow - Above BPP. - Below BPP Suitable tubing size - Small size gives high friction losses.
- Large gives excessive gas slippage

Kick off pressure & operating pressure

- operating pressure commonly used.

Design considerations
Temperature
-It is better to use actual survey. If not
Amb WHT Amb WHT

available,

If Not
Unloading depth

* Draw straight line from WHT to BHT, then,

* WHTamb= WHTamb- 0.4(WHT- 80)

- Don't use geothermal gradient.
Geothermal Grad

BHT

Design considerations
Temperature (Cont.
- Temp. is rate sensitive, if - Design temp > actual upper valve will remain open . - Design temp < upper valve will close.

Valve Spacing
- Closer in high rate wells. - Wider in low rate wells.

Valves
- Bellows Type. (Need temperature correction - Spring Type (may not sufficient in high pressure setting

Design considerations
Gas Volume How You Can Calculate Required GV ?
1. Use Nodel analysis to select optimum GLR.
GLR 400 GLR 1000 GLR 700

Press

GLR 500

Q,BPD

Design considerations
2. Required Gas Vol = Design GLR*BFPD- FGOR*BOPD MSCF

Port size
-You can select your port size based on required gas volume (see the following chart) -it is recommended to increase port size as go deeper
Qactual = Qchart/ corr. factor Correction Factor= 0.0544 GT
Where G : Gas Gravity T : Temperature

Design considerations
Gas Passage

unloading
Unloading
It is displacing killing/completion fluid to depth of operating valve.

Kick off
when well is shut , fluid level rise to level equal to res. Press.

opening gas on the well till the well start to produce called
kick off.

Recommended Practices Prior To Unloading Clean the well of mud prior to running G.L. Valves to avoid damage Reverse circulation should not be used (Injection gas pressure operated valves)

Clean injection gas line before connected to the well

Check separator capacity, stock tank liquid valves and connections at wellhead

Unloading procedures
Install two pin chart on recording both annulus and tubing side Open gas on well gradually to minimize velocity across 1st valve to avoid valve cut. Pressure incremental by 50 psi every 8-10 min till pressure reach 400 psi. then pressure incremental 100 psi every 8-10 min.

Unloading procedures )cont.

If you has gas rate controller: then - Use 30 % of design gas for upper two valve - 60 % for next two valves

- Then 90 % for the other , finally 100 %.

You may increase the gas above the design gas just to unload the well.

Unloading procedures )cont.

Casing pressure you will see drop in casing pressure at each valve.

Problems during unloading

Gas couldnt go deeper )couldnt reach valve # 1(?

Well circulating lift gas through valve # 1 ?

Effect of deepening POI

Problem : well has the following data:
Problem : well has the following data:
Production Rate 1000 BFPD WC Pr Pwf Poi V#6 50 %

3000 psi 2500 psi V # 5 @ 6000 Ft TVD @ 6500 Ft TVD

What will be production rate if V # become POI?

Gas Lift System Evaluation

Analysis of Wellhead Data.
Reservoir Performance Pressure & Temperature Flowing Gradient (Gas lift Survey)

Gas Lift Survey Objective

Get Point of Gas Injection Determine Possibility of Deeper POI

Get Valves Leak (Gas passes at more than one point)

Mandrels Plugging Condition Gas Injection Optimization Gas Lift Design Evaluation Select the Type of G.L. System

Gas Lift Survey Procedure

Stop at Surface (Get WHP, WHT) Get Gas Lift and Formation Gradient Stop above and below Mandrels

Stop at Mid Point of Perforation

Gas Lift Survey Examples

3000 2900 2800 2700 2600 2500 2400 2300 2200 2100 2000 1900 1800 1700 1600 1500 1400 1300 1200 1100 1000 900 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000

300 290 280 270 260 250 240 230 220 210 200 190 180 170 160 150 140 130 120 110 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
6000 7000 8000 9000 10000 11000 12000

TVD DEPTH, FT

Temperature F

0
0

200 400 600 800

100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240 260 280 300 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

Gas Lift Survey Examples

Gas Lift Survey Examples

TVD DEPTH, FT
7000 8000 9000 10000 11000 12000 13000

-150 -120 -90

-60

-30

30

60

90

120 150 180 210 240 270 300

Temperature F

Continuous Flow G.L. Redesign

Gas Injection Pressure
Temperature Survey Gas Volume

Production Decline

Gas lift Optimization

Gas Utilization Factor GUF
It is the ratio between net oil divided by injection gas.

Incremental Gas Utilization Factor GUF It is ratio of incremental oil divided by incremental injection gas. High GUF reflect efficient lift gas.
Low GUF reflect inefficient lift gas.

Maximum GUF: obtained by drawing tangent line from orign to The optimization curve.

Gas lift Optimization

Gas lift Optimization

Economic Curve It constructed by plotting Revenue Vs costs. - Costs include: - Treatment , handling of oil - Compression and processing of gas Economic Injection Rate Limit:
It is the point on the economic curve with slop equal to 1. - Above this point oil gain compansated by cost incremental i.e ROR=0

Optimum Gas Injection Rate:

It is the point on the economic curve with rate of return consistence with the company objectives.

Gas Lift Optimization (cont.)

Gas Optimum Per Field

Constrains which limit the maximum production of the wells, Reservoir or entire field.
Individual well rate may be limited in order to avoid gas/water coning or sand production. Individual well rate may be limited meet the economic criteria (i.e economic limit , Min ROR). Low GUF well may be produced in preference to high GUF to ensure proper areal drainage of specific reservoirs.. Max. offtake of specific res may be limited to ensure proper reservoir management.

Gas Optimum Per Field

Constrains cont.
Max. offtake of specific res may be limited to ensure proper reservoir management. (gas or water injection rate) Max. offtake of specific res may be limited due to water disposal limitation.

Gas Optimum Per Field

So, Two Cases are consider when allocating the gas:
Case 1 :All wells must be kicked off

- Applied when reservoir management exist. Case 2 :Not all wells must necessarily be kicked off and produce, but wells with high GUF will be kick off in preference to wells with a lower GUF.
- applied when maximum oil is the main objective

Case One- All Wells Producing

In both cases it is first necessary to establish the gas lift performance curve for all wells and if possible the economic curve.
The required amount of kick off gas is allocated to all wells The remaining amount of gas is allocated to the rank of decreasing additional GUFS. gas first allocated to wells of high GUF, then allocated to wells of second highest GUF (may be same well)

Case Two- Preferential Wells Kick Off

Well are ranked in term of maximum GUF (see the next fig)

Well with highest max. GUF is the first well to be kicked off
The next additional GUF of this well is then compared with the maximum GUF of remaining wells, If - If the next additional GUF is > the other max GUFs then the gas further allocated to the same well, otherwise -The gas lift allocated to the well with next highest GUF (i.e second well kick off) ----- continue till Continue with comparing the additional GUF of kick off wells with max. GUF of wells not yet kicked off till all gas has been used

Maximum GUF

Gas Lift Equipments

Gas Lift Valves

Bellows Stem

Seat (Port)
Check Valve V-Packing

VALVE Fig

Checks, Latches & Mandrels

Checks (Check Valve)
To prevent back flow from tubing and fill-in the casing annulus

Latches
Screw to the top of the valve provides the neck for wireline tool engagement

Mandrels (Side Pocket)

Running Procedures

Pulling Operation

Whole System Design

Design considerations
All system should be design carefully according field requirements (current &future)
Facilities to
- Avoid high back pressure - Deliver sufficient , clean gas volume

Choose the best correlation

Great -Base case- selecting the best correlation that fit your data
Duns,rose Hag, brawon Beggs , brill

Press

Hag, brwon is the best

Match point

Q,BPD

Sensitivity To Injection Depth

At the base case make sensitivity to injection

depth
UP=1000
UP=1500

Well perf @ 20 wc
UP=1500 UP=1000

depth

Bopd

IG MMSCF

Well loading prediction

Well perf @ 50 wc
WC 50 % well loaded WC 40 %

UP=1500
WC 20 % Base

Press

UP=1000

Bopd

Q,BPD

IG MMSCF

Parameters selection
The upstream (O.P) will be selected based on economic study (additional oil VS additional cost)
Q TOTAL: After calculate the amount of gas required for
every well, Then the total amount of gas can be calculated

Pressure Losses
- Separator to compressor Weymouth equation - Compressor to the well panhandle equation

Horse Power Requirement