Advanced Artificial Lift Methods

Advanced Artificial Lift Methods PE 571

Introduction

Prepared by Dr. Nguyen

Advanced Artificial Lift Methods

Review
Pressure Drop in a Production System

Prepared by Dr. Nguyen

Advanced Artificial Lift Methods

Review
Single Phase Liquid IPR and OPR

Prepared by Dr. Nguyen

Advanced Artificial Lift Methods

Review
Single Phase Liquid IPR and OPR
The flowrate value at which a specific well flows for a set of operational
conditions using only the energy stored in the compressed reservoir fluids is
called natural equilibrium flowrate

Prepared by Dr. Nguyen

Advanced Artificial Lift Methods

Review
Single Phase Liquid IPR and OPR

Prepared by Dr. Nguyen

Advanced Artificial Lift Methods

Review
Single Phase Liquid IPR and OPR

Prepared by Dr. Nguyen

Advanced Artificial Lift Methods

Review
Single Phase Liquid IPR and OPR

Prepared by Dr. Nguyen

Advanced Artificial Lift Methods

Review
Single Phase Liquid IPR and OPR

Prepared by Dr. Nguyen

Advanced Artificial Lift Methods

Review
Darcys Law - IPR

Prepared by Dr. Nguyen

Advanced Artificial Lift Methods

Review
Darcys Law - IPR

Prepared by Dr. Nguyen

Advanced Artificial Lift Methods

Review
IPR Vogel and Fetkovich

Prepared by Dr. Nguyen

Advanced Artificial Lift Methods

Review
IPR Vogel and Fetkovich

Prepared by Dr. Nguyen

Advanced Artificial Lift Methods

Review
Future IPR

Prepared by Dr. Nguyen

Advanced Artificial Lift Methods

Review
OPR

Prepared by Dr. Nguyen

Advanced Artificial Lift Methods

Review
OPR

Prepared by Dr. Nguyen

Advanced Artificial Lift Methods

Review
OPR

Prepared by Dr. Nguyen

Advanced Artificial Lift Methods

Review
IPR vs. OPR

Prepared by Dr. Nguyen

Advanced Artificial Lift Methods

Review
Stability
Stable equilibrium: small disturbance around the equilibrium point, the system
will move back to the equilibrium condition.
Unstable equilibrium: If the disturbance is large enough, the system will move
towards another equilibrium point or loose the equilibrium permanently

Prepared by Dr. Nguyen

Advanced Artificial Lift Methods

Review
Stability

Fluctuations on the Pwh,

qsystem < qsteady state

Prepared by Dr. Nguyen

Advanced Artificial Lift Methods

Review
Stability

Prepared by Dr. Nguyen

Advanced Artificial Lift Methods

Review
Stability

Prepared by Dr. Nguyen

Advanced Artificial Lift Methods

Review
Stability

Prepared by Dr. Nguyen

Advanced Artificial Lift Methods

Review
Stability

Prepared by Dr. Nguyen

Advanced Artificial Lift Methods

Review
Stability

Prepared by Dr. Nguyen

Advanced Artificial Lift Methods

Review
Stability

Prepared by Dr. Nguyen

Advanced Artificial Lift Methods

Review
Stability

Prepared by Dr. Nguyen

Advanced Artificial Lift Methods

Review
Stability

Prepared by Dr. Nguyen

Advanced Artificial Lift Methods

Review
Stability
Several techniques might be used when the system reaches to the unstable
point such as:

If the well has an artificial lift installed it can be put into production to help

the well overcome the unstable point. After that if the artificial lift is not
required we can leave the well under natural flow.

If the well does not have an artificial lift installed, we can do several things:

Agitation, swab, gas injection, nitrogen injection

Prepared by Dr. Nguyen

Advanced Artificial Lift Methods

Review
Stability Tubing Heading

High reservoir pressure

Small PI
Big tubing string

Prepared by Dr. Nguyen

Advanced Artificial Lift Methods

Review
Stability Tubing Heading

Prepared by Dr. Nguyen

Advanced Artificial Lift Methods

Review
Stability Tubing Heading
If the fluctuations are small then the well will produce a steady state flowrate.
If the fluctuations are large, the production in this well will cycle with time. This is
called the tubing heading.
Tubing heading is characterized by pulsating well head pressure (EX: caused by
slug flow) and constant casing pressure. It occurs mostly in wells fitted with a
packer during the final stage of life. During this period, liquid is lifted through a
portion of the tubing and then falls back resulting a cycle flow.
Under these conditions, the production test data from this well are very difficult to
match the IPR and OPR simulations.

Prepared by Dr. Nguyen

Advanced Artificial Lift Methods

Review
Stability Tubing Heading
Very high PI
Big tubing string

Prepared by Dr. Nguyen

Advanced Artificial Lift Methods

Review
Stability

Prepared by Dr. Nguyen

Advanced Artificial Lift Methods

Review
Stability Casing Heading

Prepared by Dr. Nguyen