Gas-Lift Workshop

Qatar
February 4 - 8, 2007

Gas Lift Challenges

Mike Johnson
ExxonMobil Production Company

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It may not be used for any purpose other than viewing by Workshop attendees without the expressed written permission of the author(s).

Corporate Separateness
Exxon Mobil Corporation has numerous subsidiaries, many with
names that include ExxonMobil, Exxon, Esso and Mobil. For
convenience and simplicity in this presentation, the parent
company and its subsidiaries may be referenced separately or
collectively as "ExxonMobil."
Abbreviated references describing global or regional operational
organizations and global or regional business lines are also
sometimes used for convenience and simplicity.
Nothing in this presentation is intended to override the corporate
separateness of these separate legal entities. Working
relationships discussed in this presentation do not necessarily
represent a reporting connection, but may reflect a functional
guidance, stewardship, or service relationship.
Feb. 4 - 8, 2007

2007 Gas-Lift Workshop

Significant Challenges Operating Gas Lift

Challenges
Highly deviated, extended reach gas lift wells
SPM Pre-loading
Dual Gas Lift

Feb. 4 - 8, 2007

2007 Gas-Lift Workshop

Highly Deviated Extended Reach Wells

Using high pressure gas lift for deep single point of injection
Have begun running a shallower back up mandrel with a
dummy for unloading wells

7 Production
Tubing

Build angle 1.5 deg per 20

m, EOB ~ 1624 meters
Hold angle 75.2 deg
Gas Lift Mandrel w/
orifice valve @ 6600
meters, MD

1685 meter, 8.5 horizontal section

9.625 casing at
7690 meters, MD

Feb. 4 - 8, 2007

2007 Gas-Lift Workshop

7 liner
9375 meters MD,
2613 meters, TVD
4

Highly Deviated Extended Reach Wells

Challenge: Change valve using wireline tractor or coil tubing
Positive surface indications of valve setting in pocket
Maximum KOT and valve latch/body tolerances for push pull forces
KOT design to assure valve/pocket alignment for setting valve at horizontal angle
with pocket on the high side of the tubing.
Industry experience using CT in horizontal section SPE Paper 60722
7 Production
Tubing

Build angle 1.5 deg per 20

m, EOB ~ 1624 meters
Hold angle 75.2 deg
Gas Lift Mandrel w/
orifice valve @ 6600
meters, MD

1685 meter, 8.5 horizontal section

9.625 casing at
7690 meters, MD

Feb. 4 - 8, 2007

2007 Gas-Lift Workshop

7 liner
9375 meters MD,
2613 meters, TVD
5

Preloading of Side Pocket Mandrels

Reoccurring problems with difficulty or inability to retrieve
dummies and valves from side pocket mandrels. Latches
and valves may be bent or broken off during wireline
operations.
Some equipment may be installed at the rig location rather
than in a shop.
No common or recommended procedure within the
industry to insert the device into the pocket in the shop
prior to running in the well.
Where feasible, we have begun running more live valve
strings on initial completion to reduce number of wireline
jobs required to place well on gas lift.
We need an industry Best Practice for pre-loading side
pocket mandrels.
Feb. 4 - 8, 2007

2007 Gas-Lift Workshop

Shop modified KOT for latching bent valve

Bent Valve in pocket

KOT welded angle

extension to reach
out and go over
bent latch

KOT extension
designed to
straighten latch
during jar down
operation

Valve in pocket bent to 40 deg. angle

Feb. 4 - 8, 2007

2007 Gas-Lift Workshop

Dual Gas Lift

Using High Pressure Gas Lift for single point of injection
Definition: Dual gas lift is defined as
Shear
Valve
using gas-lift
in Orifice
both sides
of afailure
dual
completion
with gasrunning
lift supplied
Consider
a back up mandrel
through same tubing-casing annulus.

Does not include:

If one side is flowing naturally and not equipped
with gas lift valves.
If one side is not a liquid producer (eg: water
injector, gas injector, gas producer).
If one side uses macaroni string for gas lifting.

Challenge: Change valve using

wireline tractor or coil tubing
2007 Gas-Lift Workshop
Feb. 4 - 8, 2007

Dual Gas Lift

Dual gas lift is most effective if the producing zones are similar in reservoir characteristics.
Using High Pressure Gas Lift for single point of injection
Experienced difficulties in wells when one producing string is only about 10 15 % of the other
string.
Shear Orifice Valve failure

Consider running a back up mandrel

GOALS

Inject in both strings simultaneously

CHALLENGES

Very often one side robs all the gas.

Low PI zones have very low flowing tubing pressure with large,
casing and tubing pressure differential, causing gas to go to this
string.
Use of small port size valve helps this problem but not
eliminated totally.

Inject as deep possible in both sides.

Lower producing zones always suffer as top packer needs to be

set above the top zone. Hence, the deepest mandrel is still too far
from the zones.
Use of insert string can improve the injection point in the lower
zone.

Inject in a stable manner.

Severe production heading or fluctuations that may be caused by

unsteady or fluctuating injection at the downhole operating point
can lead to significant inefficiency in gas lift operation.

Inject at optimum rate

Difficult to achieve and maintain the optimum injection rate to

both strings

Challenge: Change valve using

wireline tractor or coil tubing
2007 Gas-Lift Workshop
Feb. 4 - 8, 2007

Dual Gas Lift

Pressure

Using High Pressure Gas Lift for single point of injection

Shear Orifice Valve failure
Consider running a back up mandrel
Gas Lift

Depth

Gradient

Flowing
Gradient
Zone 2
Flowing
Gradient
Zone 1

Best suited if DP1 is very close to DP 2

Pt 2
DP 2
Pt1

Pg OP

DP 1

Challenge: Change valve using

wireline tractor or coil tubing
2007 Gas-Lift Workshop
Feb. 4 - 8, 2007

Packer Depth
Zone 1
Zone 2

10

Dual Gas Lift

Gas Lift Design Practices (trial and error process)
Production Pressure Operated Valves (PPO)
as unloading valves and Injection Pressure
Operated (IPO) as operating valve.
IPO operating valve allows for higher
gas injection rates compared to PPO
valve
Valve closure preserves casing
pressure during shut downs.
Mandrel Spacing
PPO valve mandrel spacing design
spacing for both strings accommodates
either IPO or PPO valve spacing
intervals
Space both strings such that either can
unload the packer fluid from the well.
Unload strings in sequence, lower
productive string first.
Feb. 4 - 8, 2007

Unloading
Valves

Operating
Valves

2007 Gas-Lift Workshop

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Questions?

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2007 Gas-Lift Workshop

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Backup

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2007 Gas-Lift Workshop

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Single Gas Lift Performance

Zone 1

Zone 2

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2007 Gas-Lift Workshop

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Dual Gas Lift Performance

Zone 1

Zone 2

Zone 3

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2007 Gas-Lift Workshop

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Dual Gas Lift Performance

Zone 1

Zone 2
Zone 3
Zone 4
Feb. 4 - 8, 2007

2007 Gas-Lift Workshop

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Dual Gas Lift Performance

Zone 1

Zone 2
Zone 3
Zone 4
Feb. 4 - 8, 2007

2007 Gas-Lift Workshop

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Dual Gas Lift Performance

Feb. 4 - 8, 2007

2007 Gas-Lift Workshop

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