CGE 654

Well
Completion

Artificial Lift

Faculty of Chemical Engineering

Lesson Outcomes:
At the end of this chapter, students should be able to:
Understand artificial lift requirements
Artificial lift techniques
Describe the operational principle, components,
advantages and disadvantages of the main artificial lift
methods/techniques
Selection of artificial lift

Faculty of Chemical Engineering

Artificial Lift
Overview of producing oil from well
Oil or gas reservoir is discovered and assessed,
production engineers begin the task of maximizing
the amount of oil or gas.
Early in its production life, the reservoir pressure may
be sufficient to sustain natural flow.

The reservoir pressure will gradually declines as it

gets older - insufficient for the oil to flow naturally
Some method of lifting the liquids, such as
mechanical pumps, must be used to bring the
oil to the surface.

Faculty of Chemical Engineering

Artificial Lift
Introduction
Artificial lift is a process used on oil wells to increase pressure within the
reservoir and encourage oil to the surface.

Mean to increase the flow of liquids, such as crude oil or water, from a
production well.
When there is insufficient pressure in the reservoir to lift the produced
fluids to the surface, artificial lift is employed to recover more production.
But, often used in naturally flowing wells to increase the flow rate above
what would flow naturally.

Faculty of Chemical Engineering

Artificial Lift

Relative frequency of different types

of artificial-lift methods installed in
the USA in 1992 (data from J.Clegg,
S.Buchan and N.Heln, JPT, December
1993, p1128)

Production from artificial lift

wells for a major
international oil company
Faculty of Chemical Engineering

SoArtificial Lift

Any system that adds energy to the fluid column in

a wellbore with the objective of initiating and
improving production from the well.
(http://www.coscoesp.com)

Faculty of Chemical Engineering

Artificial Lift
Purposes:
To maintain a reduced bottom hole pressure (Pwf) to enable the
desired reservoir fluids to be produced at an acceptable rate
To provide the fluid with the necessary energy to reach the surface
and continue flowing to the surface.

If the appropriate drawdown can be maintained the future

management of the reservoir and completion can be conducted
efficiently.
Faculty of Chemical Engineering

Artificial Lift
Methods of artificial lift:
Pumping systems
Beam Pumping / Sucker Rod Pumps (Rod Lift)
Progressive Cavity Pumps
Subsurface Hydraulic Pumps
Electric Submersible Pumps

Gas lifts - The technique of increasing the flowing life of a well by the
injection of gas into the tubing.
Continuous gas lift
Intermittent gas lift

Faculty of Chemical Engineering

Artificial Lift

Faculty of Chemical Engineering

Artificial Lift
Artificial lift selection criteria
Well and reservoir characteristic
Field location
Operational problem
Economics
Implementation of artificial lift selection techniques

Faculty of Chemical Engineering

Artificial Lift
Artificial lift selection criteria
1. Well and reservoir characteristic
Production casing size
Maximize size of production tubing and required (gross)
production rates
Annular and tubing safety systems
Producing formation depth and deviation
Nature of the produced fluids

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Artificial Lift
Artificial lift selection criteria
2. Field location
Offshore platform design determines the maximum physical
size(limitation) and weight of artificial lift equipment that can be
installed
Climate extreme
On-shore environment
Urban location require minimum of visual and acoustic impact
Remote location min availability of support infrastructure

Distance from the wellhead to the processing facilities

Power source natural gas, mains electricity, diesel generator
Faculty of Chemical Engineering

Artificial Lift
Artificial lift selection criteria
3. Operational problem
Some form of artificial lift (e.g. gas lift ) more tolerance to solids
production (sand) than the other (e.g. centrifugal pump)
Formation of massive organic and inorganic deposit (e.g.
paraffins, asphalthenes, inorganic scales and hydrates) prevent
by treatment with suitable inhibitors & require additional
equipment @ complicated downhole completion required

Faculty of Chemical Engineering

Artificial Lift
Artificial lift selection criteria
4. Economics
Maintenance costs will vary between operating location
depending on the state of the local, service company
infrastructure
The number of wells in the field with that particular form of
artificial lift will influence the operating cost.

Faculty of Chemical Engineering

Artificial Lift
Artificial lift selection criteria
5. Implementation of artificial lift selection techniques
Concern due matching facility constraints, artificial lift
capabilities and the well productivity
Certain environmental and geographical considerations that
may be overriding
Some artificial lift are able to reduce the sand face producing
pressure to a very low value
Wax and formation solid present greater difficulties to some
forms of artificial lift designer

Faculty of Chemical Engineering

Artificial Lift

Faculty of Chemical Engineering

Artificial Lift

Faculty of Chemical Engineering

Presentation:
Monday (22 May 2013)
10-15 minutes
Contents:
- Principle of operation
- Components
- Diagrams
- Applications
- Advantages & disadvantages
- Video
- Etc
Faculty of Chemical Engineering