Abstract
The paper aims to discuss various issues pertaining to gas lift system and instabilities in low producer wells along with the necessary measures for addressing those issues. The effect of various parameters such as tubing size, gas injection rate, multi-porting and gas lift valve port diameter on the performance analysis of integrated gas lift system along with the flow stability have been discussed in the paper.
Field X is one of the matured offshore fields in India which has been producing for over 40 years. It is a multi-pay, heterogeneous and complex reservoir. The field is producing through six Process Complexes and more than 90% of the wells are operating on gas lift. As most of the producing wells in the field are operating on gas lift, continuous performance analysis of gas lift to optimize production is imperative to enhance or sustain production.
121 Oil wells and 7 Gas wells are producing through 18 Wellhead platforms to complex X1 of the field X. Out of these 121 oil wells, 5 are producing on self and remaining 116 with gas lift. In this paper, performance analysis of these 116 flowing gas lift wells, carried out to identify various problems which leads to sub-optimal production such as inadequate gas injection, multi-porting, CV choking, faulty GLVs etc. has been discussed. On the basis of simulation studies and analysis of findings, requisite optimization/ intervention measures proposed to improve performance of the wells have been brought out in the paper.
The recommended measures predicted the liquid gain of about 1570 barrels per day (518 barrels of oil per day) and an injection gas savings in the region of about 28 million SCFD. Further, the nodal analysis carried out indicates that the aforementioned gas injection saving of 28 million SCFD would facilitate in minimizing the back pressure in the flow line network and is likely to result in an additional production gain of 350 barrels of liquid per day (65 barrels of oil per day) which adds up to a total gain of 1920 barrels of liquid per day (583 barrels of oil per day). Additionally, system/ nodal analysis has also been carried out for optimal gas allocation in the field through Integrated Production Modelling. The analysis brings out a reduction in gas injection by 46 million SCFD with likely incremental oil gain of ~100 barrels of oil per day.
The Gas Lift Method of Pumping Oil Wells