Field Scale Well Test

The concept of LAGL is validated in this study using a 2,788 ft

deep test well, located at the Petroleum Engineering Research &
Technology Transfer Laboratory (PERTT Lab) at Louisiana
State University. The experiments to validate the applicability of
LAGL unloading are performed by the injection of a gas-liquid
two-phase fluid mixture in the annulus. This allows the
evaluation of the maximum injection pressure required to bring
the injected fluids to the bottom of the well.
Different gas and liquid flow rates are evaluated, and the results
are presented here.
The second set of the experiments carried out aims to evaluate if
the basic concept of the LAGL (e.g., injection of gas-liquid
mixtures during unloading), which is expected to lower the
injection pressure during the unloading operation. For each
experiment, the entire well was initially full of water (to
simulate formation or completion fluids). The inflow line is kept
closed during the experiment and the gas injection line was used
to inject the gas-liquid mixture in the inner annulus. The outflow
line is connected to the gas-liquid separator. For each 16
experiment, constant-actual-volumetric flow rates (e.g.,
volumetric flow rates at pressure and temperature of the
injection lines) of water and natural gas are injected in the inner
casing. Table 2.1 presents the experimental test matrix. All tests
ended when the gas-liquid mixture reached the GLV at the
bottom of the well. The tests ended at this stage because the
moment the gas-liquid mixture to reach the GLV is when the
injection pressure should be the highest
during the unloading operation.
Natural gas and water were the fluids used in all experiments.
After water and gas flow
through the well, these fluids were separated downstream to the
outflow line in a vertical separator.
The natural gas was vented out to the flare, and the water re-
circulated to the storage tank. The
experiments were performed in 2011 (prior to the author’s
arrival at LSU), during a partnership
between LSU and Shell Production Company. In 2014, Shell
and LSU signed a new project and one of the main roles of this
project was to analyze the data obtained during the 2011 project.