Multiphase Flow 2006 Conference

27th to 28th March

The Marcliffe at Pitfodels
Aberdeen

A COST EFFECTIVE WAY TO BOOST PRODUCTION AND RECOVERY

FROM THE OIL AND GAS FIELDS
Sacha Sarshar and Najam Beg
Caltec Ltd. UK
Abstract

1- Introduction

The gradual depletion of the reservoir

pressures in both oil and gas fields reduce
production. A pressure boosting system is
therefore highly desired to maintain
production and increase total recovery from
the fields.

The production from many oil and gas fields

is reduced as the field ages and the
reservoir pressure declines. This problem is
further aggravated in the case of satellite
fields and those which are located in deep
waters because of the added length of the
pipelines transporting the well fluids to a
production or process station.

There are a variety of boosting systems, all

of which help to reduce the back pressure
on the producing wells , while delivering the
well fluids at the pressure dictated by the
downstream transport and process system.
In selection of the boosting system factors
such as the economics, space requirement
and weight issues, complexity of the system,
power requirements, operation costs and
maintenance costs play an important role.
This paper introduces a relatively simple
system for boosting production based on the
use of jet pump technology. The key factor
which affects the attractiveness of these
systems is the maximum use of the
available energy in each field or on
platforms. In oil production, a number of
patented systems under the name of The
Wellcom System use jet pump technology
and utilize the energy available from
sources such as high pressure (HP) wells,
HP gas or HP liquid phase.
This paper discusses the key features of
these systems with reference to some
recent field applications.

There are also specific demands by the

process systems in term of the optimum
operating pressure. This is often dictated by
the characteristics and the operating range
of the gas compression system, the capacity
of the separators in terms of the gas flow
rate capacity, and the amount of water they
can process as the watercut increases.
The production therefore reaches a stage
that unless a pressure boosting system is
added the production from the field or part of
the field becomes severely restricted and
could lead to the seizure of production and
premature abandonment of many producing
wells.
There are a variety of ways or production
boosting systems by which the production
can be increased or maintained at an
economic level. The boosting systems can
be installed downhole, subsea or at surface
where the operators prefer. This is because
of the relative ease of access and the lower
capital and operation costs involved in
surface mounted systems.
There are a variety of options and systems
which may offer similar benefits in terms of

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Multiphase Flow 2006 Conference

27th to 28th March

The Marcliffe at Pitfodels
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boosting the pressure of the produced fluids

or the reduction in the back pressure on the
producing wells to achieve the desired level
of boost in production.
The selection of the suitable production
boosting system is generally made based on
a number of factors which include the
economics and the constraints imposed by
the platform or the specific field conditions.
Some of the common constraints are the
available space, and weight constraints in
the case of offshore platforms, the power
available, and the complexity of the system
which is of concern for unmanned satellite
fields or in subsea and down-hole
environments.
The production boosting system which is the
subject of this paper relates to the use of jet
pumps or eductors which offer a number of
benefits. Whilst many operators may be
familiar with this technology, they may not
be aware of the variety of ways by which
this device can be used and it is hoped that
this paper introduces some of the novel
solutions which could be highly cost
effective and attractive for many field
applications.
2- What is the jet pump and how it
works?
Jet pumps are simple devices with no
moving parts which use energy from a high
pressure (HP) fluid to boost the pressure of
a low pressure (LP) fluid. Jet pumps are
also known as eductors, ejectors or gas jet
compressors.
The key components are a nozzle, a mixing
tube and a diffuser as shown in figure1.
As the HP fluid passes through the nozzle,
its velocity is increased substantially and
part of its potential (pressure) energy is
converted to kinetic energy (velocity). As a
result, the pressure downstream of the

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nozzle drops significantly. It is at this point

where a low pressure fluid can be
introduced. The high energy HP fluid carries
the LP fluid through the mixing tube where
transfer of energy between the HP and LP
fluids takes place. The mixture then passes
through a diffuser where the velocity is
gradually reduced and further pressure
recovery takes place. The pressure at the
outlet of the jet pump is in an intermediate
level between that of the HP and LP fluids.
The amount of the increase in the LP
pressure is mainly dependant on the
following factors;

The HP to LP pressure ratio

The LP to HP flow ratio
The discharge to LP pressure ratio.
Fluids properties such as viscosity
(liquid phase) and density etc.

Figure 2 shows some typical performance

curves based on the above parameters in
gas
production
applications.
The
performance in this case is presented by the
dimensionless ratio of the discharge to LP
pressure (Pd/ Plp). Ideally both HP and LP
flow should be of the same type, i.e. Both
gas and both liquid phase. There are,
however, applications where gas or liquid is
the motive (HP) flow, while the LP flow is of
a different phase or a mixture of the two.
These are discussed in more detail when
their applications are outlined.
Jet pumps are simple passive devices and
are easy to operate, with low capital cost
and practically no operation cost. One of the
main attractions of these devices is that in
most cases the energy used from the HP
source is the energy which is available and
is often wasted, if not used by the jet pump.
The examples of field applications outlined
in this paper are typical and are a good
proof of the use of the available energy.
Jet pumps are not new and date back to mid
ninetieth century. Their use in the oil and

Multiphase Flow 2006 Conference

27th to 28th March

The Marcliffe at Pitfodels
Aberdeen

gas industry dates back to early 1930s .It

was during this period that their applications
down-hole was developed and led to
numerous patents between 1930 and 1980.

The examples of field applications in recent

years and key features of such systems in
gas applications are highlighted in other
technical papers. See reference 1.

Further development work and field trials

have led to an increase in their applications
in the oil and gas industry in the past ten
years.

This paper focuses on oil production

applications where multiphase flow, a
mixture of gas, oil or water may be involved.
4- Applications in oil production

3- Jet pump
production

applications

in

gas

In gas production applications, jet pumps

can be used in a wide range of applications
which include the following;

Boost production from LP gas wells.

Boost production from a group of
manifolded wells.
Revival of dead wells or wells with
erratic flow behavior because of the
liquid build-up in the wells.
Boost the pressure of LP gas from
the process system
Boost the pressure of very low
pressure (LLP) gas which is usually
flared.
De-bottleneck compressors and
extend their range of operation.
Down-hole, to assist in well revival
and removal of liquid build-up in
wells.

The motive flow could be from a variety of

sources which include;

HP wells
HP gas from downstream of
compressors
Gas lift gas
Gas from a high pressure pipeline
which transports gas from a HP
source
HP liquid phase, although this
application is limited to specific
exceptional cases

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In addition to oil production applications,

there are many cases when the produced
gas contains some liquid phase in form of
oil, condensate or water.
In gas production, if the amount of the
produced liquid is small and below 1% to
2% by volume of the HP or LP gas, the
effect on the jet pump could be minimal and
no separation of the liquid phase may be
necessary. Figure 3 shows an example of
the effect of some liquid produced with the
LP gas and confirms that the effect on the
performance of the jet pump becomes
significant beyond the above said limit.
The liquid content in the LP gas flow is
often presented by the gas volume fraction
(GVF), which is the ratio of the volumetric
flow rate of the produced gas divided by the
total volumetric flow rate of the combined
gas and liquid phases at the operating
pressure and temperature.
The significance of the effect on the
performance of the jet pump is also affected
by the ratio of the HP/LP pressures and the
LP/HP gas flow ratio. It is for this reason that
a firm global number or limit can not be
specified and the said 1% or 2% is only
approximate. If the amount of the liquid
reaches the limit that affects the
performance of the jet pump significantly in
gas production applications, the separation
of the liquid phase may become necessary.

Multiphase Flow 2006 Conference

27th to 28th March

The Marcliffe at Pitfodels
Aberdeen

In oil production applications, both HP and

LP flow are usually of multiphase nature and
for this reason a different approach is
needed to maximize the benefit gained from
the jet pumps.
The systems for oil production applications
were developed extensively by Caltec and a
number of patents were registered during
the late 1990s. These systems were also
given the trade name of the WELLCOM
system, which is short for the well
commingling system.

Increasing the production from low pressure

(LP) oil wells can be achieved by allowing
the wells to produce at a lower flowing well
head pressure (FWHP). The HP, motive
flow for the jet pumps could be supplied
from one of the following sources;

HP wells
HP oil phase which its pressure is
boosted for export or long distance
transport
HP water (Injection water)
HP gas

It is the source of the HP, motive flow which

dictates the design and the configuration of
the solutions described below.
5 - Options for the boosting systems
If HP oil wells are available, the system
shown in figure 4 could be suitable. In this
case a compact separator is used to
separate the HP gas and liquid phases. The
separated liquid phase is then used as the
motive flow for the jet pump and the
separated gas phase by-passes the jet
pump and is combined with the flow
downstream of the jet pump, using a
commingler. This patented solution is
named The Wellcom System. The total
flow from the selected LP wells is fed to the
jet pump as the LP flow. This solution is

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simple and effective when the HP/LP

pressure ratio is relatively high (above 3 to
1) and the amount of gas produced from the
LP wells is relatively low (low GOR wells).
Figure 5 shows the typical performance for a
range of conditions. The amount by which
the FWHP of the LP wells can be reduced is
dependant on the HP/LP pressure ratio and
the flow ratio of the HP and LP fluids. The
amount of the free gas produced from the
selected LP wells also affects the
performance of the system.
If the amount of LP gas produced is high,
the Wellcom system may not be very
effective and an alternative system named
The Dual WELLCOMsystem may be
used. This system is shown in figure 6 and
shows that the gas and liquid phases of both
HP and LP wells are separated and two jet
pumps are used. A gas-gas jet pump is
used for the gas phases and a liquid- liquid
jet pump is used for the liquid phases. The
use of HP gas in this case helps to improve
the efficiency and the performance of the
total system. The flow from the outlet of the
two jet pumps can be combined to allow the
total flow to be transported via a single
production line.
Table 1 shows the comparison of the two
boosting systems when the volume of the
LP gas is significant or the gas oil ratio
(GOR) of the LP wells are relatively high.
The performance is in this case can be
shown by the ratio of the discharge pressure
to the LP pressure (Pd/Plp). The difference
between the two systems in Table 1 is
shown by the achievable discharge pressure
in each case.
The use of HP wells may not be practical in
all cases as either such wells may not exist,
or if they do exist, their high pressure may
not be sustainable long enough to justify
their use. In such cases an alternative
patented system named The Wellcom
Boost may be used.

Multiphase Flow 2006 Conference

27th to 28th March

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Figure 7 shows the flow diagram for the

Wellcom Boost system. The selected LP
wells are manifolded and the flow passes
through a compact separator to separate the
gas and liquid phases. The separated LP
gas phase is then fed to a jet pump to boost
its pressure.
The HP gas used as the motive flow for the
jet pump could be from any sustainable
source which could be HP gas wells or the
HP gas which is usually used as lift gas.
Alternatively, the HP gas from the outlet of
the existing compression system can be
used.
The separated LP liquid phase may be
boosted by a jet pump if a source of HP
liquid phase is available. The source of HP
liquid could be HP oil or HP water (injection
water). If, however, none of these is
available, the liquid phase could be boosted
by using a single phase (liquid) boosting
pump as shown in figure 8.
The choice of the pump is important in this
case as the separated LP liquid phase is not
fully stabilized and could carry some free
gas. The best suitable pump is a pump
which can handle a small amount of free
gas without affecting its performance or its
operation.
The
so
called
positive
displacement (PD) pumps are therefore
suitable in such applications as they can
tolerate free gas.
It is worth noting that the Wellcom Boost
system in this case performs the duties of
the multiphase pumps which are designed
to handle the entire multiphase LP well
fluids. The main difference between the two
systems becomes clearly apparent when the
nature of the LP flow is further investigated.
In most cases the volumetric flow rate of
the LP gas produced with oil is very high
compared with that of the liquid phase at the

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operating pressure and temperature. The

ratio of the produced LP gas is often quoted
as the gas volume fraction (GVF) described
earlier. This value is often in excess of 90%
and if the LP well is also gas lifted, the GVF
could exceed 95% or higher.
This means that the flow rate of the LP gas
is in most cases in excess of 9 times that of
the liquid phases and in some cases could
even exceed 20 or more when the GVF
exceeds 96%.
Separating the gas phase from the LP
multiphase mixture in this case reduces the
flow rate of the fluids handled by the booster
pump and the duty requirement of the
booster pump is reduced dramatically. This
also means that the power requirement for a
booster pump handling mainly the liquid
phase is only a fraction of that demanded by
multiphase pumps which handle the total
gas and liquid phases. This also implies that
in many cases the power required by the
booster pump in the Wellcom Boost system
could typically range between 15 to 50 KW,
while the equivalent multiphase pump power
requirement would be in the range of 150 to
500 KW or more. This major difference in
the duty and power requirement makes the
liquid booster pump relatively small and of
low cost compared to the multiphase
pumps. The gas-gas jet pump in this case
performs a highly beneficial duty of reliving
the booster pump from handling the gas
phase.
The amount by which the back pressure on
the LP wells can be reduced is in this case
primarily dictated by the HP gas pressure
and the amount of the HP gas available for
the jet pump, as the duty of the booster
pump can be specified to almost any
practical level desired.
Ideally, a maximum amount of increase in
production is desired. But this is mainly
dependant on the above said pressure ratio
and flow ratios of the HP and LP fluids. The

Multiphase Flow 2006 Conference

27th to 28th March

The Marcliffe at Pitfodels
Aberdeen

increase in production is also dependant on

the productivity characteristics of the LP
wells.
The productivity characteristics of the wells
are generally presented as the PI, or the
productivity index. The PI is the amount of
the increase in oil production per every psi
drop in the back pressure on the well and is
often quoted in units of bbl/day /psi.
Therefore for a well with a PI of 5
bbls/day/psi, if the flowing well head
pressure is reduced by 100 psi, an increase
in production of 500 bbls/day is achieved.
Figure 9 shows the comparison of two
cases, with wells having different PI values.
This results in a different amount of increase
in production for the same level of drop in
the back pressure on the producing wells.

6- Key components of the Wellcom

system
The key components of the above described
systems are:

The compact separator

The jet pumps
The commingling spool
The booster pump, in the case of
the Wellcom Boost system

- The compact separator

creates high g forces to effect separation.

This separator is different from the
hydrocyclones which are usually suitable for
downstream separation duties such as
treating oily water.
Hydrocyclones are not generally efficient
under fluctuating flow conditions. The flow
fluctuations are typical characteristic of
multiphase flow through pipelines. I-SEP, in
contrast, is more tolerant to flow
fluctuations, and is therefore suitable for
upstream process and separation duties.
The unit is very compact with no moving
parts and requires no active control. Its foot
print is small and ranges from 300X300 mm
to 950X950 mm for flow rates ranging
between 1000 to 60,000 barrels per day
(bbl/d) depending on the operating pressure
and the gas volume fraction of the mixture at
the operating conditions.
I-SEP is suitable for a variety of separation
duties including:

Gas liquid separation

De-gassing oil or other liquids with
dissolved gas
Removing liquids from wet gas
Sand separation
De-bottlenecking gravity separators
Bulk oil-water separation
Multiphase metering
Well testing, in combination with HISEP knock out vessel

The function of the compact separator is to

separate the gas and liquid phases of the
HP or LP fluids. Naturally a conventional
gravity separator can be used for this
purpose. But gravity separators are bulky
and in addition to high cost, occupy a large
space.

Further details of this separator are given in

a separate technical paper. See reference 2.
Figures 10 and 11 show the pictures of this
unit in two separate applications including
the primary gas liquid separation and degassing liquids.

Caltec has a compact separator, named ISEP which can be used in this and many
other separation applications. I-SEP is a
dual involute cyclonic separator which

Fluctuations in the multiphase flow and flow

regimes such as the slug flow affect the
performance of all separators including the
I-SEP and any other compact separator. To
overcome this problem, I-SEP is designed to

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favor the purity of the separated liquid

phase. This feature results in the carry-over
of some liquid in the separated gas phase.
The liquid carry-over could be a few percent
to up to 15% of the total liquid phase
depending on the severity of the flow
regime.
The separated gas phase with the
associated liquid carry-over then enters a
compact knock-out vessel; named HI-SEP.
HI-SEP enables the carry-over liquid to be
separated from gas, allowing gas to be free
of liquids. The separated carry-over liquid
phase can be combined with the liquids from
the liquid outlet of I-SEP using a commingler
described below.
The combination of I-SEP and HI-SEP
enables gas and liquid phases to be
separated with an acceptable level of purity
required by the down stream process or
boosting system. Figure 12 shows the
arrangement of the I-SEP and HI-SEP
operating as a combined unit.
-

The booster pump

The booster pump is mainly used as part of

the Wellcom Boost system when no other
source of high pressure liquid phase is
available, so that a jet pump can be used.
The introduction of the booster pump adds
some degree of complexity to the boosting
system which is otherwise very simple and
does not have any moving or complex parts.
For this reason the pump selected should be
highly reliable with minimum maintenance
and a good track record. This pump should
ideally be able to handle some free gas as
perfect separation of gas and liquid phases
can not always be guaranteed. This applies
particularly to start-up conditions or some
transient conditions. To meet this particular
requirement, positive displacement pumps
such as the twin screw type or Moino type
could be selected.

The jet pumps

Jet pumps, described earlier, are the key

components of the above said boosting
systems. Their simplicity, ease of operation,
low cost and reliability make them a highly
attractive and beneficial component of the
Wellcom system. It is these units which
enable energy from an existing high
pressure source to be used to reduce the
back pressure on the LP wells
-

pressure. It simply provides the same duty

as a Tee piece, but with a better efficiency
and a lower loss of pressure.

The commingler

A commingler is a simple device which

enables the two streams (gas and liquid
phases) to be combined effectively without
the loss of pressure. The main function of
this unit is to cope with minor differences in
the pressure of one stream, without allowing
the stream with the higher pressure to
restrict the flow from the stream with a lower

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These pumps can be of fixed speed or

variable speed if an added level of flexibility
is needed. A by-pass and re-circulation
system is often introduced to assist with
start-up conditions or extreme turn-down
conditions. A variety of pumps with good
track records are available for this
application. Figure 13 shows a typical PD,
twin screw pump used in such applications.
This pump is capable of handling up to 7000
bbl/d with a pressure boosting capacity of 7
bar. Pumps which have a much larger
capacity are also available in the market.
7 Modularization
The complete system can be housed in a
single skid with an approximate foot print
ranging between 2X2 to 3.5X3.5 meters.
The height of the skid could be up to 4.5
meters when the knock out vessel HI-SEP is

Multiphase Flow 2006 Conference

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included in the system. The skid can be

designed to suit the requirements and the
constraints of the site and can be split into
two or more units if there are any restrictions
on the lifting tonnage capacity.
Figure 14 shows a Wellcom skid
operation offshore Malaysia

in

8- How to measure the increase in

production
The simplest way to estimate the increase in
production as a result of using any of the
above boosting systems is to measure the
new reduced flowing wellhead pressure
(FWHP). By knowing the productivity index
(PI) of the wells, the increase in production
can be calculated by multiplying the PI with
the difference between the FWHP pressures
before and after installing the boosting
system.
In cases when the PI values are not known
or the values available are not accurate or
reliable, the solution shown in figure 15 can
be adopted.
This solution involves linking the outlets of
the existing test separator to the inlet of the
Wellcom boosting system. This simple link
with the test separator enables the flow from
the selected LP wells to be diverted to the
test separator for measurement of flow rates
at the reduced FWHP which the Wellcom
system enables the wells to flow. The link
between the Wellcom system and the
existing test separator allows any well to be
diverted to the test separator. This allows
the true PI to be calculated under the
reduced FWHP.
It is worth noting that normally the test
separators can be only operated at the
manifold pressure as the outlet lines of the
test separators are normally linked back to
the existing production train which operates

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at a higher pressure than that offered by the

Wellcom system.
The above solution brings about a further
effective way to revive LP wells and wells
which suffer from excessive build up of
liquids in the well bore. The well revival
system using the existing test separator is
shown in figure 16. In this case a dedicated
jet pump on the gas outlet line of the test
separator can boost the pressure of the LP
gas. A small booster pump can boost the
pressure of the LP liquid phase. This
arrangement enables the fluids from the
outlet of the test separator can be diverted
back to the normal production line, while the
LP well is allowed to operate at a
significantly lower FWHP.
The significantly reduced flowing well head
pressure will in most cases help to increase
the velocity of the fluids flowing through the
well bore and this added velocity will, in turn,
help to remove the liquids accumulated in
the well to achieve the desired well revival.
The amount by which the FWHP can be
reduced in this case depends also on the
pressure and flow rate of the HP gas used
as the motive flow for the jet pump. The
booster pump in this case can be supplied
with a similar boosting capability that the
gas-gas jet pump can offer. In some
applications the booster pump may not be
needed as the produced liquid phase can be
diverted to the second stage separator
which normally operates at a significantly
lower pressure.
9- The economics of the boosting system
The simplest way to assess the economics
of using any of the above described
boosting systems is to calculate the pay
back period needed for the recovery of the
capital invested in installing the system from
the added revenue. With the operating cost
of these systems next to none, the pay back

Multiphase Flow 2006 Conference

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period can be simply calculated by dividing

the capital cost by the daily revenue from
the added production rate.
Field experiences to date have proven that
in gas production applications, the pay back
period is very short and ranges between a
minimum of ten days to a few weeks (see
ref.1).
In the case of the oil applications, because
of the higher capital cost, the pay back
period could be a matter of a few months in
most cases. It is worth noting that the pay
back period is in part also dictated by the PI
of the LP wells, which is outside the control
of the operator and the suppliers of any
boosting system.

10- Benefits of the Wellcom System

The main benefit of any production boosting
system is the increase in production which it
offers. In addition, these systems could also
lead to an increase in the total recovery from
the field, as shown in figure 17. Typical
amounts of the increase in production range
from 100 bbl/d to 1000 bbl/d. With the price
of oil assumed at $50/bbl of oil, the revenue
related to this range of the increase in the
low rate of oil is $1.8 million to $18.2 million
per annum.
The benefit which the Wellcom system
offers is the maximum use of the energy
which is available and in many cases is
wasted if not used by the Wellcom system.
This feature leads to other benefits such as
lower cost, simplicity, ease of operation,
compactness and use of significantly less
power in comparison with other boosting
systems such as multiphase pumps or other
boosting systems which involve the use of
conventional separators, compressors and
booster pumps.

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Naturally the Wellcom system relies on an

available source of energy, in form of HP
wells, HP gas or HP liquid phase. If such
sources do not exist, then there is little
choice other than relying on other types of
boosting systems despite being less cost
effective or attractive.
The high price of oil and gas has played a
significant role in encouraging the operators
to invest in production boosting systems and
accept some of the added complexities,
operation costs and maintenance costs
which some of the more complex boosting
systems such as downhole electric
submersible pumps (ESPS) have. The
ESPs are however in most cases used
when the production pressure is so low that
there is insufficient energy to transport the
well fluids through the well bore to surface,
irrespective of the FWHP required. Even in
such cases the use of the Wellcom system
could still be economical and beneficial.

11- Conclusions
In the nineteen seventies to nineties when
the price of oil was low and in the range of
10 to 12 dollars for a period, these were the
prices below which the development of
offshore fields in even shallow waters of the
North Sea were uneconomical!.
The world energy situation has since
changed dramatically and oil and gas are
highly valued and rapidly depleting sources
of energy. The information available from
many parts of the world shows that in some
countries they still flare a substantial volume
of gas because saving and using gas
requires a substantial initial capital
investment.
In the case of oil fields, many fields are
allowed to suffer from restricted production
because the operators do not wish to use
new techniques and solutions which they

Multiphase Flow 2006 Conference

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energy which can be cost effectively used to

allow systems such as the Wellcom or
Wellcom Boost to increase production and
recovery from many fields.

are not fully familiar with and do not wish to

take any risks. Such a conservative
approach and lack of investment has led to
the recovery from many fields to be still kept
at 35%, or below this value, of the total
recoverable reserves from the field. The
boosting systems help to increase the total
recovery from the fields and prevent
premature abandonment of many fields.

12- References
1- A novel application of jet pump
technology to boost production- Field
experience and lessons learned. Sacha
Sarshar & N. Beg, Caltec Ltd,U.K. Offshore
gas processing Technical conference, 22nd23rd February 2006, London

The technology is available to increase

production from most brown fields. The use
of most new production systems requires
some capital investment, some risk or risk
sharing and enthusiasm and support from
the operators to bring the new production
boosting systems to the full status of
maturity and improvement.

2-The applications and performance of a

novel compact separator in the oil and gas
industry. M.M (Sacha) Sarshar, Dr. N.A.
Beg,
Caltec.U.K.
Second
GCC-EU
advanced Oil &Gas technology. Abu-Dhabi,
UAE, May 21-22, 2001

The
Wellcom
system
offers
many
advantages such as; added simplicity and
ease of operation. It is therefore a relatively
low risk system for those who have not had
any experience of this system in their fields.
It is therefore highly recommended to
assess the availability of the sources of

TABLE 1:

Key Words : I-Sep, compact separator,

separation, Jet pumps, eductors, ejectors
gas jet compressor, WELLCOM, multiphase
pumping, production boosting systems

COMPARING THE PERFORMANCE

WELLCOM SYSTEMS

Case

High Pressure (HP)

OF

SINGLE

Liquid
flowrate
m3/h

Gas
flowrate
sm3/d

GVF

70

100

423069

B-1

70

B-2

70

100

DUAL

Discharge
Pressure

Low Pressure (LP)

Pressure
barg

AND

Pressure
barg

Liquid
flowrate
m3/h

Gas
flowrate
sm3/d

GVF
(%)

75

30

40

221662

90

34

423069

100

30

221662

100

40

30

40

45

Case A: Single WELLCOM system

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(%)

Case B-1 & B-2:

barg

Dual WELLCOM system gas &

liquid jet pumps

10

Multiphase Flow 2006 Conference

27th to 28th March

The Marcliffe at Pitfodels
Aberdeen

Figure 1

: General configuration of a jet pump

Figure 2 : Gas jet pumps performance curves for a range of pressure and flow ratios

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Multiphase Flow 2006 Conference

27th to 28th March

The Marcliffe at Pitfodels
Aberdeen

Figure 3 : Gas jet pump performance under liquid in the LP gas

Figure 4 : The Wellcom system for oil production applications

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Multiphase Flow 2006 Conference

27th to 28th March

The Marcliffe at Pitfodels
Aberdeen

N = (Pd-Plp)
(Php Pd)

Figure 5 : Wellcom system performance at different GVF

Figure 6 : Dual Wellcom system

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Multiphase Flow 2006 Conference

27th to 28th March

The Marcliffe at Pitfodels
Aberdeen

Gas Compressor

Gas Jet Pump

HP Gas

LP
Separation
System

Optional
Commingler

LP Gas
To Pipelines
LP Liquid

Pump

Alternative
liquid line

LP Wells
HP Injection Water

Liquid Jet Pump

Figure 7 : Wellcom boost system

Gas Compressor

HP Gas

LP
Separation
System

Jet Pump

Optional
Commingler

To Pipelines

LP Gas

LP Liquid

Booster Pump

Alternative
liquid line

LP Wells

Figure 8 : Wellcom boost system with booster pump

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Multiphase Flow 2006 Conference

27th to 28th March

The Marcliffe at Pitfodels
Aberdeen

Pressure

Wells characteristics
W1

P1
P2
W2
Q2

Q2a

Q2b

Q1
Q1a

Q1b

Flowrate
Figure 9 : Backpressure reduction versus well productivity

I-SEP

Figure 10 : I-Sep in de-gassing application

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Multiphase Flow 2006 Conference

27th to 28th March

The Marcliffe at Pitfodels
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Figure 11 : I-Sep for gas liquid separation with replaceable internals

DP
P T

Gas

HI-SEP

I-SEP
Compact
Separator

LT

P T

Liquid

Liquid
Figure 12 : A general arrangement of I-Sep and Hi-Sep

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Multiphase Flow 2006 Conference

27th to 28th March

The Marcliffe at Pitfodels
Aberdeen

Figure 13 : A typical PD twin screw pump

Figure 14 : Wellcom boost system skid mounted on platform

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Multiphase Flow 2006 Conference

27th to 28th March

The Marcliffe at Pitfodels
Aberdeen

Test Header

Test
Separator
WBS

Production
Header
Well
Figure 15 : Wellcom boost system (WBS) linked to the test separator

HP gas

Jet Pump

Test
Header

Test
Separator

Well

Production
Header

Booster
Pump

Figure 16 : Well-kickoff by lowering test separator pressure with

gas jet pump and booster pump

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Multiphase Flow 2006 Conference

27th to 28th March

The Marcliffe at Pitfodels
Aberdeen

Areas marked as 1 to 5 in the graph represent

examples of the effect of using the boosting system
in total recovery from the field.

Figure 17 : Wellcom economics in oil production

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