Continuous Flow Gas Lift Design

By Jack R. Blann

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2/9/2008 2
 Petroleum Engineering Handbook

Gas Lift appears as Chapter 12 in:

Volume IV
Production Operations Engineering
Edited by Joe Dunn Clegg

Chapter 12 was Co-authored by:

Herald W. Winkler, and
Jack R. Blann
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 Two Types of Continuous Flow
Gas Lift Design

z Design for Normal Wells.

z Winkler Design for High gas Injection rates.

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 Iranian Gas Lift Well
In Agha Jhari Field

Produced:
Natural Flow = 37,000 B/D
Gas Lift = 43,000 B/D

Had 26 mandrels and valves

to +3000 ft.

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 Libyan Gas Lift Well

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 Production Manifold in Libya

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 Libyan Gas Lift Tests

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 API Design Technique
• Continuous Flow Installation Design Based on
Constant Decrease in Operating Injection-Gas
Pressure for Each Succeeding Lower Gas Lift
Valve
z All Gas Lift Valves have same port size.
z There is a constant decrease in the operating
injection pressure for each succeeding lower
valve.
z Port size that allows the injection-gas
throughput for unloading and operating the well.
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 API Design Technique
z This installation design method is
recommended for gas lift valves with small
production-pressure factors.
z When the ratio of the port area to the
bellows area is low, the decrease in the
injection gas pressure between gas lift
valves, based on additional tubing effect
pressure for the top valve, is not
excessive.
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 Injection-Pressure Operated Gas Lift
Valve

Production Pressure
factor =
Ratio of Area of Port to
Area of Bellows

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 Gas Lift Valve Specifications

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 API Design Technique
z The effect of bellows-assembly load rate on the
performance of the valves is not considered in
the installation design calculations.
z Safety factors included in these calculations
should allow sufficient increase in the operating
injection gas pressure, which is necessary to
provide valve stem travel for adequate
injection-gas passage through each successively
lower unloading valve without interference from
upper valves.
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 API Design Technique
z Selection of a constant injection- gas
pressure decrease, or drop, in the surface
operating injection pressure for each
succeeding lower gas lift valve should not
be arbitrary, as proposed in some design
methods.
z The pressure decrease should be based on
the gas lift valve specification to minimize
the possibility of upper valves remaining
open while lifting from a lower valve.
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 API Design Technique
z The additional tubing-effect pressure for
the top gas lift valve is a logical choice for
this decrease in the operating injection-
gas pressure between valves.

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 API Design Technique
z Closing or reopening of an injection-
pressure-operated gas lift valve is partially
controlled by the production pressure
effect, which is equal to the production
pressure factor for the valve multiplied by
the difference in flowing production
pressure at the top valve depth.

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 API Design Technique
z The flowing pressure at an unloading-
valve depth changes from the transfer
pressure, (PptfD)min, To a higher flowing–
production pressure after the next lower
valve becomes the operating pressure

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 API Design Technique

z The additional tubing-effect pressure is

the difference between (PptfD)min, and the
maximum flowing-production pressure at
the unlading valve depth, (PptfD)max, after
the point of gas injection has transferred
to the next lower valve.

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 API Design Technique
z As the unloading gas lift valve depths
increase , the distance between valves
and the difference between (PptfD)min, and
(PptfD)max decrease.
z Although the additional tubing-effect
pressure decreases for lower valves, the
injection-gas requirement for unloading
increases with depth.

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 API Design Technique
z An increased stem travel, or stroke, is
usually needed for the lower valves to
generate the larger equivalent port area
necessary for the higher injection–gas
requirements with the lower pressure
differentials that occur across these
deeper valves.

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 API Design Technique
zA constant decrease in the operating
injection-gas pressure equal to the
additional tubing effect pressure for the
top valve allows a a greater increase in
the injection gas above initial opening
pressure for lower gas lift valves.

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 API Gas Lift Design

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 Gradient Curve

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 Gradient Curve

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 API Design Technique
z When the injection-gas pressure significantly
exceeds the flowing- production pressure, an
arbitrary increase in injection-gas-pressure,
∆Pio can be added to the initial production-
pressure effect for the top valve for
calculating the spacing and the initial opening
pressures of the unloading gas lift valves

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 API Design Technique
z The total decrease in the injection-gas pressure
is distributed equally between each successively
lower gas lift valve rather than having a sizeable
pressure drop across the operating gas lift valve
or orifice-check valve
z This reduces the possibility of multipoint
injection through the upper unloading valves by
ensuring that the valves remain closed after the
point of gas injection has transferred to the next
lower valve,

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 API Design Technique
Determination of Valve Depths
z Because the final injection gas pressure is
not known until the installation is
designed, a pressure difference of 100 to
200 psi between the unloading PioD and
PpfD traverses is assumed for locating the
deepest valve depth.

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 API Design Technique
Determination of Valve Depths
z The assumption of PioD-PpfD = 100 to 200
psi should ensure calculation of the
operating valve depth.
z The static bottomhole pressure, PwsD and
temperature, Twsd are usually referenced
to the same depth, which is the lower end
of the production conduit, Dd.

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 API Design Technique
Determination of Valve Depths
z Calculate the maximum unloading GLR
based on the maximum injection gas rate
available for unloading and the maximum
daily design total fluid rate.

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 Well Information
z Tubing size = 2 7/8 –in. OD
z Tubing Length, У = 6000 ft.
z Max. Valve Depth, Dv(max) = 5970 ft.
z Static bottomhole pressure at Dd , Pwsd = 1800 psig at
6000ft.
z Daily production rate = 800 STB/D
z Water Cut = 50%
z Formation GOR = 500 scf/STB
z Oil Gravity = 35o API
z Gas Gravity Уg = 0.65
z Produced-water specific gravity, Уw= 1.08
z Bottomhole temperature, Twsd=170oF at 6000ft.
z Design unloading wellhead temperature, Twhf = 100oF.
z Load-fluid pressure gradient, gls = 0.46 psi/ft.
z U-Tubing wellhead pressure, Pwhu = 100 psig.
z Flowing
2/9/2008
wellhead pressure, Pwhf = 100 psig. 30
 Well Information
z Static fluid level = 0 ft.
z Surface kickoff injection-gas pressure, Pko = 1000 psig.
z Surface operating injection-gas pressure, Pio = 1000
psig.
z Maximum unloading injection-gas rate, qgiu = 800
Mscf/D.
z Operating daily injection-gas rate, qgi = 500 Mscf/D.
z Wellhead injection-gas temperature, Tgio = 100oF
z Assigned valve-spacing pressure differential at valve
depth, ∆PsD = 50 psi.
z Test rack valve temperature, Tvo = 60oF.
z Assigned minimum decrease in surface operating
injection-gas pressure between valves, ∆Pio = 20 psi.
z Minimum distance between valves, Dbv(min) = 150 ft.
z Gas lift valves : 1.5 inch O.D. nitrogen charged with Ab =31
2/9/2008
0.77 in2, and sharp edged seat.
 API Design Technique
Step 1:
Calculate Maximum Unloading GLR
Rgiu =qgiu / qlt
Where
qgiu= maximum unloading injection rate,
Mscf/D,
qlt = total liquid daily production rate,
B/D, and
Rgiu = maximum unloading GLR, scf/STB
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 API Design Technique
Calculate Maximum Unloading GLR

Rgiu =qgiu / qlt

= 800,000 scf/D / 800 STB/D
Rgiu = 1000 scf/STB

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 API Design Technique

Step 2: Determine flowing Production

pressure, Ppfd at Dd

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 Gradient Curve

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 API Design Technique

Step 3:Calculate the

unloading-flowing-
pressure-at-depth
gradient, gpfa above
point of gas injection,
gpf .

gpfa = 900-100 / 6000

gpfa = 0.1333 psi/ ft.

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 API Design Technique

Step 4
Calculate the operating injection gas pressure at the lower end of the
production conduit.
where:
z Pio = injection-gas pressure at surface, psia
z PioD = injection-gas pressure at depth, psia
z e = Napierian logarithm base = 2.718….
z γg = gas specific gravity (air = 1.0), dimensionless.
z D = true vertical depth of gas column, ft.
z bar T = average gas column temperature, °R
z bar z = compressibility factor based on gas column average
pressure P and temperature, T, dimensionless.

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 API Design Technique

Step 4
PioD = 1154 psig at 6000 ft.
ggio = (1154 – 1000) / 6000 = .0257psi/ft

Since Piod - Ppfd = 1154 – 900 = 254 psi

Exceeds 200 psi, the maximum valve depth
of 5970 ft can be attained.

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 API Design Technique

Step 5:
Calculate the unloading gas lift valve
temperature at depth gradient, gTvu .

Bottomhole temperature,
Twsd =170oF at 6000ft.
Design unloading wellhead temperature,
Twhf = 100oF at surface.

gTvu = (170 – 100) / 6000 = 0.0117oF/ft.

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 API Design Technique

Step 6
Dv1 = depth of top valve, ft
Pko = surface kick-off or average field injection-gas pressure
(optional), psig
Pwhu = surface wellhead U-tubing (unloading) pressure, psig
∆PsD = assigned spacing pressure differential at valve depth, psi
where
gls = static-load (kill) fluid pressure gradient, psi/ft
ggio = injection-gas pressure at depth gradient, psi/ft

Step 6:
Dv1 = (1000 - 100 – 50) / (0.46 -.0257)
Dv1 = 1957 ft.
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 API Design Technique
Step 7
Calculate the minimum flowing-production
pressure, (PpfD1)min, the injection-gas
pressure, PioD1, and the unloading gas-lift
valve temperature, TvuD1, at the top valve
depth by multiplying the appropriate
gradient by the valve depth, Dv1, and
adding to the appropriate surface values
(where n = 1 for top valve):
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 API Design Technique

Step 7.
Calculate the minimum flowing-production
pressure, (PpfD1)min, injection-gas pressure,
PioD1, and the unloading flowing temperature,
TvuD1 at Dv1 of 1,957 ft as described on previous
slide:
z (PpfD1)min = 100 + 0.1333 (1,957) = 361 psig
z PioD1 = 1,000 + 0.0257 (1,957) = 1,050 psig
z TvuD1 = 100 + 0.0117 (1,957) = 123 °F

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 API Design Technique
Step 8
• Calculate the depth of the second gas-lift
valve, Dv2, where n = 2 on the basis of the
assigned minimum decrease in surface injection-
gas pressure, ∆pio, for spacing the gas-lift valves
and the PioD-traverse.
• A valve spacing differential of around 20 to 30
psi will usually be sufficient for most 1.5-in. OD
gas-lift valves. However, 1-in. OD valves with
large ports may require a higher, ∆pio. This can
be checked by calculating the additional
production-pressure effect, ∆Ppe1, after the valve
depths are calculated for the assigned ∆pio.
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 API Design Technique
Step 8
(PpfD(n-1))min+gls(Dbv)=[PioD(n-1)-(n-1)∆Pio]- ∆PsD +ggio(Dbv)

Solve For Dbv:

Dbv = PioD(n-1) – [(n-1)∆Pio]- (PpfD(n-1))min - ∆PsD / (gls –ggio

and
Dv(n) = Dv(n-1) + Dbv

The decrease in surface injection-gas pressure for

calculating Dv2 is ∆Pio, and for Dv3 is 2 (∆Pio), and for Dv4
is 3 (∆Pio), and this procedure continues for each
succeeding lower valve.

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 API Design Technique
Step 8
Solve For Dbv:
Dbv = PioD(n-1) – [(n-1)∆Pio]- (PpfD(n-1))min - ∆PsD / (gls –ggio

Dbv = 1050 - 0 - 361 – 50 / (0.46 – 0.0257) = 1472 ft.

and
Dv(2) = Dv(n-1) + Dbv

Dv(2) = 1957 + 1472 = 3429 ft.

Repeat steps 7 and 8 for each valve location until reaching

maximum depth
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 API Design Technique

z The calculated valve spacing for the sixth

valve, Dv6 , would exceed the maximum
valve depth, Dv(max) , of 5,970 ft. Because
an orifice-check valve will be placed in the
bottom wireline-retrievable valve mandrel,
no test-rack valve setting information is
required. This completes the valve spacing
calculations.

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 API Design Technique
Graphical Representation

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 API Design Technique
Determination of Gas-Lift Valve Port Size and
Calculation of Test-Rack Opening Pressures.

The gas-lift valves port ID and test-rack opening

pressure calculations follow:

Step 1. Determine the port size required for the gas-lift

unloading valves and the operating orifice-check valve
orifice ID. The upstream injection-gas pressure, P1, is
based on PoD5 of the last unloading valve corrected to
the orifice-check valve depth of 5970 ft:

P1 = 1,068 + 0.0257 (5,970 – 5,762) = 1,073 psig at

5,970 ft
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 API Design Technique
Determination of Gas-Lift Valve Port Size
and Calculation of Test-Rack Opening
Pressures.
Step 1 (Continued)
z The downstream flowing-production pressure,
P2, is equal to the minimum flowing-production
pressure at 5,970 ft.
z P2 = 100 + 0.1333 (5,970) = 896 psig at 5,970
ft
z ∆Pov = 1,073 – 896 = 177 psi across the orifice-
check valve

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 API Design Technique
Determination of Gas-Lift Valve Port Size and
Calculation of Test-Rack Opening Pressures.
Step 1 (Continued)
From the Thornhill / Craver correlation, the required
equivalent orifice size is near 14/64-in.; therefore, the
next largest gas-lift valve port ID is 1/4-in. This size is
sufficient for all of the upper unloading valves because
they have a higher injection-gas operating pressure and
a greater differential pressure between PioD and
(PpfD)min.

An equivalent orifice size of 12/64-in. to 13/64-in. is

required to pass the operating injection-gas rate of 500
Mscf/D.
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 API Design Technique
Determination of Gas-Lift Valve Port Size and
Calculation of Test-Rack Opening Pressures.
Step2
Record the valve specifications for a l.5-in. OD
gas-lift valve having a 1/4-in. ID port with a
sharp-edged seat where Ab = 0.77 sq. in.

from table:
(Ap/Ab) = 0.064,
(1 – Ap /Ab) = 0.936,
and Fp = 0.068.

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 API Design Technique
Determination of Gas-Lift Valve Port Size and
Calculation of Test-Rack Opening Pressures.

Step 3
Calculate PoD1
PoD1 = PioD1
where
PioD1 = injection-gas pressure at valve depth, psig
PoD1 = injection-gas initial gas-lift valve opening
pressure at valve depth, psig
PoD1 = 1,050 psig at 1,957 ft

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 API Design Technique

Step4
Calculate the test-rack set opening pressure of
the first valve (n = 1), Pvo1, using Eqs. 12.44
and 12.45 or 12.46:
PbvD(n) = PoD(n) (1-Ap/Ab)+ PpfD(n)min +(Ap/Ab)
Pvo(n) = CT(n) (PbvD(n)) / (1- Ap/Ab)
Pvo(n) = 1050 (0.936)+361 (0.064) = 1006 psig.

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 API Design Technique
Step 5
Pvo(n) = CT(n) (PbvD(n)) / (1- Ap/Ab)
for CT1 = 0.876 (Calculated using TvuD1 =
123oF):
Pvo1 = 0.876 (1006)/0.936 = 942 psig at 60 oF
Step 6
Calculate the injection-gas initial opening pressure
of the second gas-lift valve at depth (n = 2),
PoD(n) = PioD(n) – (n-1) ∆Pio
PoD(2) = 1088 – 20 = 1068 psig at 3429 ft.

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 API Design Technique
Step 7
Calculate the maximum flowing-production
pressure opposite top unloading valve
immediately after the point of gas injection has
transferred to the second (lower) valve,
(PpfD1)max. (PpfD1 )max is shown graphically in
Figure and can be calculated using the following
equation:
(PpfD1)max = Pwf + Dv1 [(PoD2 – Pwhf )/Dv2]
(PpfD1)max = 100 + 1957 ((1068 -100)/3429)
(PpfD1)max = 652 psig at 1957 ft.
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 API Design Technique

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 API Design Technique
Step 8
Determine if the assumed decrease in surface injection-
gas pressure, ∆Pio, is sufficient for the required gas-lift
valve port size by calculating the additional production-
pressure effect, ∆Ppe1, at the top valve:
∆Ppe1 = Fp [(PD1D1)max - PD1D1)min ]
∆Ppe1 = 0.068 (652 = 361 = 20 psi.

If ∆Ppe1 is less than or equal to the assumed ∆Pio

proceed with the design. If ∆Ppe1 is greater than the
assumed ∆Pio, then set ∆Pio = ∆Ppe1 and redo the spacing
design. This is a conservative approach and many
operators use actual operating experience to determine
which ∆Pio to use.
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 API Design Technique

z Repeat Steps 6, 4 and 5 for remaining

gas-lift valves:
z An orifice-check valve is recommended for
the sixth valve at 5,962 ft. The orifice ID
should be 1/4-in. to pass sufficient gas to
gas lift the well. A tabulation form for
these calculations is given in table.

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 API Design Technique

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 API Design Technique

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 High Rate Continuous-Flow Installation
Design ( Winkler)
The application of the injection-gas rate throughput
performance for injection-pressure-operated gas-lift valves is
illustrated in the high daily liquid rate continuous-flow
installation design. The importance of valve performance data
for high daily injection-gas rates is shown, and its
unimportance for low injection-gas rate installation designs is
illustrated. Valve performance data is of no value in selection of
the top two unloading gas-lift valves in this installation. For
these two upper valves, an assumed reasonable decrease in
the surface injection-gas pressure of 20 psi for each valve
ensures unloading the well and these upper valves remaining
closed while lifting from a lower valve. When the required daily
injection-gas rate increases for lifting from the third and fourth
gas-lift valves, valve performance information becomes very
important. A pressure vs. depth plot for this continuous-flow
installation
2/9/2008
is shown in the Figure 61
 High Rate Continuous-Flow Installation
Design ( Winkler)

2/9/2008 62
 High Rate Continuous-Flow Installation
Design (Winkler)
z Although the flowing-production transfer pressure traverse
method for locating the depths of the valves may require an
additional valve, or valves, in some installations, this design
method has several advantages in wells requiring a high daily
injection-gas rate for unloading. Because the injection-gas
requirement to uncover the next lower valve is reduced, smaller
valve ports can be used and the increase in the injection-gas
pressure to stroke the valve stem is less. The unloading
operations are faster because of the lesser difference in
injection-gas requirement between unloading valves.

2/9/2008 63
 High Rate Continuous-Flow
Installation Design ( Winkler)
z The surface origin and final downhole
termination pressures for the flowing-production
transfer pressure traverse are arbitrary. The
20% in this example for locating the surface
transfer pressure traverse is widely used. The
unloading injection-gas requirements for
uncovering each lower valve increases as the
percentage decreases and decreases as the
percentages increase. The flowing-production
transfer pressure at datum depth should be at
least 100 to 200 psi less than the available
design operating injection-gas pressure at the
same depth
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 Simplified Mathematical Gas-Lift Valve
Performance Model

Because performance equations for specific gas-lift

valves are not available from gas-lift valve
manufacturers, a simplified gas-lift valve
performance computer model was used to
illustrate the calculations in this paper. The
model is based on static force balance equations
and several simplifying assumptions. This
computer model describes qualitatively the
injection-gas rate throughput of unbalanced,
single-element gas-lift valves using the
Thornhill-Craver equation.
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 High Rate Design Data
z Tubing size = 4-1/2-in. OD (ID = 3.958-in.) and Length = 6,000 ft
z Casing size = 8-5/8-in. OD, 44 lb/ft (ID = 7.725-in.)
z Datum depth for bottomhole pressures and temperature, Dd = 6,000 ft
z Bottomhole temperature at Dd, Twsd = 170 oF
z Shut-in (static) bottomhole pressure at Dd, Pwsd = 2,000 psig
z Maximum depth for bottom valve, Dv(max) = 5,900 ft
z Productivity index (gross liquid), PI = 6.3 BPD/psi
z Oil gravity = 35 oAPI (γo = 0.850)
z Gas specific gravity (air = 1.0), γg = 0.65
z Water specific gravity, γw = 1.08
z Water fraction, fw = 0.50 (50%)
z Formation gas/oil ratio, Rgo = 400 scf/STB
z Formation gas/liquid ratio, Rglf = 200 scf/STB
z Assigned minimum daily unloading production rate, qlu = 1,000 BPD
z Design total (oil + water) daily production rate, qlt = 5,000 BPD
z Wellhead U-tubing unloading pressure, Pwhu = 100 psig
z Surface flowing wellhead pressure, Pwhf = 100 psig
z Static load (kill) fluid pressure gradient, gls = 0.468 psi/ft
2/9/2008 66
 High Rate Design Data (Continued)
z Surface operating injection-gas pressure, Pio = 1,400 psig (at wellsite)
z Assigned daily injection-gas rate, qgi = 2,000 Mscf/day
z Unloading wellhead temperature, Twhu = 120oF (basis for calculation of
Pvo)
z Wellhead injection-gas temperature, Tgio = 120oF
z Surface kickoff injection-gas pressure, Pko = 1,400 psig (at wellsite)
z Minimum assigned surface injection-gas pressure decrease between valves,
∆Pio = 20 psi (represents minimum surface injection-gas pressure increase
for stroking gas-lift valve)
z Valve spacing design line percent factor at surface = 20% (fpt = 0.20)
z Minimum transfer-production pressure difference (Piod – Pptd) at Dd, ∆Pptd =
200 psi
z Valve spacing pressure differential at valve depth, ∆PsD = 50 psi
z Minimum distance between valves Dbv(min) = 400 ft
z Gas-lift valve test-rack setting temperature, Tvo = 60 oF
z Gas-lift valves: 1.5-in. OD wireline-retrievable, unbalanced, single-element,
nitrogen-charged bellows with Ab = 0.77 in.2, Blr = 600 psi/in., and square
sharp-edged seat.

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 Valve Performance – First Valve

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 Valve Performance – First Valve

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Winkler High Rate Gas Lift Design

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 Continuous Flow Gas Lift Design

As Presented in
2007 SPE PRODUCTION
ENGINEERING HANDBOOK

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