Calculation of Gas free liquid level

Coal-Seam water level monitoring in CBM production is generally complicated by violent

degassing and foaming that can occur in monitoring wells when the critical pressure is achieved
(Ref: Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology, University of Montana, 2002).
The liquid column in most wells are aerated by the gas which is produced from the coal seams.
The gas flows up through the liquid column and vents at the surface of the well into the flow line
to the separator. If the gas production is small, the height of liquid column is increased very little
by existence of gas bubbles. However, if gas is produced in considerable amount, liquid column
can be aerated as much as five times of gas free liquid column. (Ref: Acoustic Determination of
Producing Bottomhole Pressure by Echometer).

From the work done by Walker, and further research of Gilbert a method was published to
determine gas free liquid column without waiting for fluid to get stabilized after closing the
casing annulus valve for a long period of time. In this method, casing valve is closed and a shot
for water level is taken. After waiting for few minutes (depending on wells ability to increase
casing annulus pressure by some significant amount) another shot is taken, which in turn
produces dp/dt gradient (Change in casing pressure with time). This gradient along with depth of
well (bottom-most perforation in CBM wells) calculates height of foam and gas-free liquid level
for the well as per the extrapolation derived from Gilberts Chart (1952).
Our Software, which is used to analyse liquid level on daily basis has ability to calculate gas free
liquid level and hence can be used to calculate foam height and gas free liquid level.