Modeling Gas Lift Through Concentric

Tubing Using Pipesim 2015

 Creating the well model

 To model the GL using concentric tubing injection, the

following steps are to follow:
– Create the well model without the concentric tubing.
– To model the concentric tubing, insert an engine keywords at TD
of the concentric tubing.
– To model the gas injection, two methods may be used:
• Insert another engine keywords at the same depth (TD of the concentric
tubing), this allow the simulation of pressure loss through the tubing.
• Insert as gas lift valve (this allow the use of sensitivities using different tasks,
and also enable the use of gas lift tasks).

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 Engine keywords customization – Concentric tubing engine keywords.
 In downhole equipment, after selecting the right
engine keywords, the following keywords may be
used:
– PIPE: to define the type of the engine keywords.
– FLOWTYPE: to define the flow through the annulus
(between the production tubing and the concentric tubing)
– AID: to define the annulus internal diameter, which is the
concentric tubing external diameter.
– AOD: to define the annulus external diameter, which is the
production tubing internal diameter.
– Other keywords may be used if needed, and they can be
checked using Pipesim help, looking for the keyword
“PIPE”.

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 Engine keywords customization – Gas injection engine keywords.
 In downhole equipment, after selecting the right
engine keywords, the following keywords may
be used:
– INJGAS: to define the type of the engine keywords to
be and injection gas point.
– IDCT: to define the inside diameter of the concentric
tubing or coil used for injection.
– RATE: to define the rate of injection.
– SIP: to define the surface injection pressure.
– Other keywords may be used if needed, and they
can be checked using Pipesim help, looking for the
keyword “INJGAS”.

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 Gas lift valve

 The “INJGAS” keyword may be replaced by

a gas lift valve, which will enable the use of
gas lift tasks and doing sensitivities on GL
parameters.
 The GL valve need to be put at the same
TD as the “PIPE” engine keywords (TD of
the concentric tubing).

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 Method confirmation

 This method can be confirmed by

checking two parameters:
1. The annulus ID and OD.
2. Gas is correctly injected at the injection
point

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 Limitations of the proposed method
 Using the keyword “INJGAS” instead of a gas lift valve will not enable the use of
the gas lift tasks and no automatic sensitivities can be done on the “INJGAS”
parameters.
 Using a gas lift valve instead of “INJGAS” keyword will not enable the right
calculation of the pressure loss through the concentric tubing.
 This method cannot model gas lift injection through concentric tubing when it’s TD
is bellow the production tubing TD, as the engine keywords “GASINJ” and gas lift
valves can only be placed at the tubing level.
 The last limitation can be bypassed by modeling the casing/liner as tubing, and
modeling the production tubing using an engine keywords, and using the same for
concentric tubing (creating a telescopic completion)