‫بسم اهلل الرحمن الرحیم‬

Advanced Production Engineering

Chapter # 4

Artificial Lift

Fall 2021
Artificial Lift Overview

Psurf

The well:
Ph Flows if Pwf > Ph + Psurf

Dies if Ph + Psurf  Pwf

Pwf Pr
 Objectives

Understand the Artificial Lift Concept

Identify the popular types of Artificial

Lift methods

Identify the various Artificial Lift

types applications and limitations

3
Production System

Tubing head Separator

pressure pressure

Outflow
Static pres. = P

Pressure
at Inflow
formation
Pwf
Distance from well
 Basic Principle
• Required when reservoir pressure is not (longer) sufficient to lift fluids to surface due
e.g.

•water production

•reservoir depletion

• Uses alternative sources to lift or lighten fluid column

• Decreases backpressure against reservoir, which increases pressure difference (draw-

down) between reservoir and wellbore.

5
 Artificial Lift Decreases BHP and Increases Rate

Tubing curve #1

PR
Bottomhole pressure

BHP1 Tubing curve #2

w/artificial lift

BHP2

BHP2 < BHP1

q2 > q1
q1 q2 AOF

Flow rate
6
Common Types of Artificial Lift
• Sucker rod pumping (or beam pumping)

• Gas lift

• Electric submersible pump (ESP)

Other Types of Artificial Lift

• Hydraulic piston pumping

• Hydraulic jet pumping

• Progressive cavity pumping (PCP)

 Classification
 Artificial lift is required when a well will no longer flow or when the production rate is
too low to be economic.

ESP

Jet Pump
Mechanical Lift (Pump)
Artificial Lift Sucker Rod
Gas Lift
PCP
Choice of Artificial Lift
Several factors
 Production conditions
 Reservoir data
 Fluid properties
 Economics: capital and operating expenditure
------------------------------------------------------------

 Multiple completions: Insufficient pipe clearances

 Production location
- Offshore platforms
- Deviated wellbores
 Power/Fuel source
Availability, cost, transportation, storage, environmental issues
 Drive mechanisms
Choice of Artificial Lift • Solution gas drive
• High IP’s early
• Low pressure later
Producing conditions
• Water drive
• Increasing water production
• Severe weather
• Heat, cold, dust, wind, snow
• Gas cap expansion
• Changing GOR’s
• Corrosion
• Sour crude, brine, CO2, O2

• Produced solids

BHP
• Sand, paraffin, fines

0
0
q 10
Choice of Artificial Lift BPD
1 10 100 1000 10000 100000
0

2000
Plunger
4000

6000
Depth, ft

8000
Gaslift
10000

12000 Beam
14000
ESP
16000

18000

11
Choice of Artificial Lift
BPD
1 10 100 1000 10000 100000
0

2000

4000 Hyd. Jet

6000
Depth, ft

8000

10000 PCP

12000

14000

16000
Hyd.
18000 Recip.
Choice of Artificial Lift
Rod
Hydraulic
104
Submersible
Barrels of Water Per Day
Submersible

103

Hydraulic Pump
102

Rod Pump
10
10 102 103 104
Barrels of Oil Per Day
13
Choice of Artificial Lift

Relative Ability of Artificial Lift Systems

Operating Type of Lift
Condition Hydraulic
Rod Pump Electric Pump Gas Lift
Pump
Sand Fair Fair Fair Excellent
Paraffin Poor Good Good Poor
High GOR Fair Fair Fair Excellent
Deviated Hole Poor Good Fair Good
Corrosion Good Good Fair Fair
High Volume Poor Good Excellent Good
Depth Fair Excellent Fair Good
Flexibility Fair Excellent Poor Good
Scale Good Fair Poor Fair
Choice of Artificial Lift

Total

Other
ESP 7%
10%

Gas Lift
19%
Rod Pump
64%

15
Choice of Artificial Lift Natural flow (NF)
Beam pumping (BP)

Hydraulic piston pumping (HP)

Jet pumping (JP)

Gas lift (GL)

Electric submersible pumping (ESP)

Pressure

qNF qHP qGL Rate

qBP qJP qEP
 Artificial Lift Systems
Schematic of Pressure Condition in wells Producing with the Down hole Pump or Gas Lift
Gas Lift

18
19
 Gas Lift

Gas lift production is achieved by

continuous injection of gas at the bottom of

the production string.

The injected gas is mixed with produced

fluid, decreases the flowing gradient in the

production string and thus lowers the

bottom-hole flowing pressure.

20
 Gas Lift

A Typical Layout of a Well and the Surface Facilities in a Field Producing by

Continuous Gas Lift
 Gas Lift Advantages

 Flexibility in handling a wide range of production rates

 Relatively good solids-handling capabilities

 Suitability for producing high GLR wells

 Can be used in deviated wells

 Can be run and retrieved without having to pull tubing

 Relatively low profile surface wellhead equipment

 Can easily manage high bottom hole temperature or corrosive environments

22
 Gas Lift Disadvantages

 Must have a source of gas

 Need compression and gas treatment facilities

 Generally lower energy efficiency than other lift methods (15-20%)

 Not efficient in lifting small fields or a small numbers of wells if gas

compression equipment is required

23
 Flowing Gradient

 For a given flowing wellhead pressure, the required bottom-hole

pressure can be calculated as:
ptf  ptrav  pwf

where Δptrav is the pressure traverse .

 Δptrav is a function of the flow rate, the GLR, the depth, and the
properties and composition of the fluid.
 Cont.

 The previous equation can be written in terms of the flowing pressure gradient in
the well. Thus: dp
ptf  H  pwf
dz

where dp/dz is considered constant.

 However, it is not constant throughout the depth of the well.

Cont.
 GL Rate
q l GLR 2  GLR1   q g

𝑞𝑙 = 𝐿𝑖𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑑 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑜𝑖𝑙 + 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑆𝑇𝐵/𝐷

𝑆𝐶𝐹
𝑞𝑔 = 𝐺𝑎𝑠 𝑖𝑛𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒
𝑑𝑎𝑦
𝐺𝐿𝑅1 = 𝐼𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝐺𝑎𝑠 𝐿𝑖𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑑 𝑅𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜 𝑏𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑔𝑎𝑠 𝑖𝑛𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑆𝐶𝐹/𝑆𝑇𝐵
𝑆𝐶𝐹
𝐺𝐿𝑅2 = 𝐹𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝐺𝑎𝑠 𝐿𝑖𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑑 𝑅𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜 𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑔𝑎𝑠 𝑖𝑛𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
𝑆𝑇𝐵

GLR is different from GOR when the water is present

 Example

Suppose the well producing with oil rate of 400 STB/d and water rate of 400
STB/d is in a reservoir where H=8000 ft and GLR=300 SCF/STB. If the
indicated bottomhole pressure is 1500 psi, what should be the working GLR,
and how much gas should be injected at the bottom of the well? Would it be
possible to inject (instead) at 4000 ft and still produce the same liquid rates?
What would be the GLR above this alternative injection point?
 Solution

Using gradient curves, at 8000 ft and GLR=300 SCF/STB, The

required flowing bottomhole pressure is found to be 1900 psi. Since
the indicated pressure is 1500 psi, then again from gradient curves
the required GLR would be 450 SCF/STB. Therefore:

qg  ql  GLR2  GLR1   800  450  300   1.2 105 SCF/d

 Solution

Now for alternative option, we can write:

dp  dp 
ptf  H  pwf  100    4000  4000   0.3  1500
dz  dz a

where 0.3 is the pressure gradient for GLR=300 SCF/STB curve

(from gradient curves) between depth of 4000 and 8000 ft. (dp/dz)a
is the pressure gradient above the injection point. Solution of the
above equation gives: dp  
   0.05 psi/ft
 dz a
 Solution

 The resulted flowing gradient is not possible, it is not found in

any gradient curve, because no fluid in this well can provide
such a low flowing gradient.
 Some Aspects

 The basic objective of gas-lift design is to “equip our wells in such manner as to compress a

minimum amount of gas to produce a maximum amount of oil”.

 Oil production by gas lift can be controlled by changing gas volumes, injection depth, wellhead

pressure, and tubing size.

 In conventional gas-lift arrangements, gas is compressed into the casing at the surface and

flows from the annulus into the tubing through a single gas injection valve close to the bottom

of the well.

 The conventional injection valve is merely an orifice to restrict and control the passage of gas

from the casing to tubing.

32
 Pressure of Injected Gas
 From the mechanical energy balance, ignoring changes in kinetic energy
and the friction pressure drop in the casing (i.e. relatively small gas flow
rates) and changing into oilfield units:
inj dp 1 H

surf
 
 144 0
dH  0

From the real gas law:

28.97 p

ZRT
 Cont.

 The gas constant R is equal to 10.73 psi.ft3/lb-mole-ºR.

Substituting and integration using average value of Z and T
results in:

0.01875 H inj ZT
pinj  psurf e
 Example
If gas of γ=0.7 is injected at 8000 ft and if psurf=900 psi, Tsurf=80ºF
and Tinj=160ºF, calculate the pressure at the injection point, pinj.
 Example Solution
Trial and error is required for this calculation. Assume that pinj=1100
psi. From gas gravity we can find that ppc=668 psi and Tpc=390ºR,
and therefore:


 900  1100  / 2
 1.5

p pr 
668 
  Z  0.86

T pr 
 80  160  / 2  460
 1.49 
390 

0.018750.78000/0.86580 This agrees well with

Therefore: p inj  900e  1110 psi the assumed value.
 Pressure Diagram for a Gas-Lift Well

 The gas-lift diagram, relates IPR of the

well, gas-injection depth, gas-injection

rate, surface injection pressure, and

production rate.
Pressure Profile of Gas Lift Operation

38
 Some Aspects

 Wellbore flowing pressure is determined by the pressure traverse in the tubing above and
below the injection point.

 The wellbore flowing pressure can be expressed as

P wf = Pwh+ Gav*Dov+ Gbv* (Df-Dov)
where
Dov= depth of injection valve (ft).
Df= depth of formation, mid-perforation(ft) ,
Gav= average pressure gradient above injection point, a function of the gas rate injected (psi /ft) .
Gbv= average pressure gradient of flowing formation fluid below the point of injection (psi/ft).

39
 Some Aspects

 Two parameters, the injection depth and the flowing pressure gradient above the injection

point, may be varied independently by the designer in a given well.

 The ability to control the bottom-hole flowing pressure and production rate in a gas-lift well

thus amounts to the ability to control the depth of injection and the flowing pressure gradient.

 The injection point may be selected at any depth up to a maximum determined , primarily, by

the maximum possible surface-injection pressure.

 For a given surface injection pressure, there is a depth where the casing pressure equals flowing

tubing pressure. *** This point is referred to as the pressure balance point.
 Some Aspects

 Injection valve is located a short distance above the balance point, so that the pressure drop
across the valve plus the casing pressure are equal to the tubing pressure at that depth.

 The size of the orifice in the injection valve is selected to give a 50 to 100 psi pressure drop.
 Surface-injection pressure depends on the gas compressor rating. It is usually in the range of
700-1100 psia. Unless the gas rate is very high, or the casing/tubing annulus is small, gas
density governs the pressure gradient in the annulus.

 The flowing gradient in the tubing, is controlled by the gas injection rate. Increasing injection
rate increases the gas-liquid ratio in the tubing, and up to a certain limit, decreases the
flowing gradient. Beyond this limit, the flowing pressure gradient is increased by larger gas-
liquid ratios.
41
 Some Aspects

 Expressing the interrelations between the variables governing gas-lift production as

a gas lift diagram is essential to all methods used to design and control gas-lift
performance.

 Whether displayed graphically or expressed as a set of equations, the following

elements are the essence of gas-lift engineering:

1. reservoir inflow performance (IPR)

2. approximate flowing gradient in the production tubing below the injection point
3. surface-gas-injection pressure
4. gas gradient in the casing
5. amount of injected gas
6. approximate flowing gradient in the production tubing above the injection point
 Some Aspects

 The pressure traverse can be calculated using conventional pipe flow calculations where the
annular cross section area is translated to an apparent (effective) radial pipe cross section.

 For quick design calculations, the friction component is usually ignored and the gas pressure
gradient in the casing is approximated by the weight of a static gas column. For further
simplification the gradient is assumed constant, giving a linear pressure traverse. The surface
and down-hole pressures can be related by a simple equation,

Pdownhole= Psurface(1+H/40,000)
Where
p = casing/tubing annulus pressure (psia).
H = the distance from the surface to the gas-lift valve (ft).
43
 Point of Injected Gas

 If the developed equation for calculation of injected gas pressure is

expanded as Taylor series and if common fluid properties for a natural gas
and reservoir are considered such as γ = 0.7 , T  600R , Z  0.9 :

 H inj 
p inj  p surf 1  
 40000 
where the pressures are in psi and Hinj is in feet.
 Cont.
 However, this is equation is only useful for first design
approximation. More accurate designs need computer programs
that consider the actual annulus geometry and accounts for both
friction and hydrostatic pressure components.

 The pinj in the production tubing must be reduced by an additional

100 to 150 psi for the pressure drop across the gas-lift valve. The
value of this pressure drop will be supplied by the manufacturer.
 Cont.

 The point of gas injection, Hinj, would create two zones in the
well: one below, with a flowing pressure gradient (dp/dz)b, and one
above, with a flowing pressure gradient (dp/dz)a. Thus:

 dp   dp 
pwf  ptf  H inj     H  H inj   
 dz a  dz b
Cont.
 Example

Suppose that the well at a depth of 8000 ft and a GLR=300 SCF/STB

drains a reservoir with an IPR given by:
q l  0.39  p  pwf 
1. What should be the surface gas injection pressure if the gas-lift
valve is at the bottom of the well and pinj - Δpvalve = pwf =1000 psi?

(The average reservoir pressure is 3050 psi for ql=800 STB/d, as can
be calculated from IPR)
 Example

2. What should be the point of gas injection

for a production rate of 500 STB/d? The
gradient curve for the tubing is given in the
below for ql=500 STB/d with 50% water and
50% oil. The given TPR indicates that
(dp/dz)b=0.33 psi/ft for GLR=300 SCF/STB
between H=5000 and 8000 ft. use

Δpvalve=100 psi.
 Solution
1. The surface gas injection pressure will be (note that the down-
hole gas injection pressure is equal to wellbore flowing pressure, pwf
plus pressure drop across the injection valve, Δpvalve):

 H inj   8000 
p surf  p inj 1    (1000  100) 1    915 psi
 40000   40000 
 Solution

2. For ql=500 STB/d, IPR gives the flowing wellbore pressure as:

ql 500
pwf p  3050   1770 psi
0.39 0.39

The injection point must be where the pressure between the injected
gas and the pressure in production string must be balanced. Thus:
 H inj  dp
p surf 1    pvalve  pwf  (8000  H inj )
 40000  dz
 Solution
 H inj 
 915 1    100  1770  0.33 8000  H inj 
 40000 
 H inj  5490 ft

Finally, the pinj at Hinj is:

 5490 
p inj  915 1    1040 psi
 40000 

Inside the tubing the pressure is 940 psi, since Δpvalve=100 psi.
 Solution

Using the given gradient curve, it is easy to find that the intersect
between p=940 psi and Hinj=5490 is at GLR=340 SCF/STB.
Therefore the gas injection would be:
q g  q l GLR 2  GLR1   500  340  300   2 104 SCF/d
 Some Aspects

 If the injection point is unspecified, the casing pressure traverse may be extended until it
intersects the pressure gradient in the tubing below the injection point, thereby
establishing the pressure balance point.

 The flowing gradient below the injection point can be calculated from multiphase flow
correlations or estimated from gradient curves. if available, for flow of the given reservoir
fluid at the particular rate assumed in the diagram.

 Similarly, the flowing gradient above the injection point can be calculated from correlations
or estimated from a gradient curve using the gas-liquid ratio in a mixture of reservoir fluid
plus the injection gas.
 Example I
Estimating Wellbore Flowing Pressure and Continuous Production Rate with a Given Injection Depth

A gas-lift study is performed for the wells of a sandstone formation in the Campus Basin. An appraisal

well is representative of the wells in the field for gas-lift design purposes. The relevant well data are

given in the table. Estimate the continuous production rate from a single well when injecting gas at

900psia surface pressure and the injection valve is just above the perforations. Calculate the

injection depth required to produce the well at a rate of 200 STB/D. The estimated pressure drop in

the gas-injection valve, Δpv is 100 psi. For design purposes, gas pressure in the annulus is

represented by a straight line equation from the surface to 8000 ft.

55
Example I

56
 Solution I
The tasks in this example are concerned with pressure conditions in the annulus and in the

tubing below the gas injection point. When injecting at 8000ft. the flowing bottom-hole pressure

equals approximately the flowing pressure in the tubing at the injection point. It is, therefore.

related to the annulus pressure by

Pwf = Pannulus – Pvalve

so

The production rate is then calculated from the IPR as

q=0.2(pr-pwf) = 0.2(2650 –980) = 334 STB/D. 57

 Solution I

 To produce the well at a rate of 200 STB/D the required bottom-hole pressure, calculated from

the IPR, is pwf= 2650 -200/0.2 = 1650 psia.

 Expressing the tubing pressure at the injection point in terms of Pwf and tubing flowing

gradient, and the annulus pressure in terms of annulus gas pressure gives, ( assume Gbv= 0.39

psi/ft)

900(1 + Dov/40,000) -100 = 1650 -0.39(8000 -Dov)

 Solving for Dov the injection depth is

The tubing pressure at the injection point is then

1650 -0.39(8000 -6449) = 1045 psia 58

 Some Aspects
Considering the pressure conditions in the annulus and in the tubing below the
injection point are not sufficient to confirm the feasibility of gas-lift production. it
is also necessary to verify the conditions in the tubing above the injection point, as
shown in next example.

This pressure traverse in tubing corresponds to a particular gradient curve that

matches two points on the pressure traverse: the wellhead pressure and the tubing
pressure at the injection depth.

Knowing the reservoir GOR and the required tubing GOR allows calculation of the
gas needed for injection.

59
 Matching of Pressure Conditions above the Injection Point to a Gradient Curve

 Figure illustrates a quick manual procedure for matching pressure conditions in the tubing above
the injection point to a gradient curve. The matched gradient curve determines the required gas-oil
ratio in the tubing.

60
 Power Requirement for Gas Compressors

 The horsepower requirement can be estimated from the following

equation:
 p 0.2 
HHP  2.23 104 q g  surf   1
 pin  

where pin is the inlet compressor pressure.

 Example
Suppose that the gas injection rate is 1.2×105 SCF/d, psurf is 1330
psi, and the compressor inlet pressure, pin, is 100 psi. Calculate the
horsepower requirements.

Solution
  1330 
0.2

HHP  2.23 10  1.2 10  
4 5
  1  18.4 hhp
 100  
 Example II
Gas Injection Rate to Maintain a Particular Production Rate

Complete the pressure diagram for the well explained in last example and determine the amount of
injected gas needed to produce the well at a rate of 200 STB/D. Estimate the per-well power
requirement for compression with a compressor suction pressure of 65 psia. A quick estimation of
compression power requirements can be obtained from the relation

_
P = 2.23 x 10 4*qg* [(P2/P1)0.2–1]

Where
P = power (HP).
qg= gas rate (scf/D)
P1= compressor inlet pressure (psia),
P2=: compressor outlet pressure (psia)
63
 Solution
The gradient curve and the corresponding gas-liquid ratio can be identified by matching a gradient curve to
the two known pressure points in the tubing:
1. wellhead h=0, p=200psia
2. injection point h= 6449 ft, p = 1045 psia

The gradient curve of GLR= 1000 scf/STB matches the two points. The injection gas-liquid ratio is then
calculated as the difference between the obtained flowing GLR and the formation GLR. that is,
1000 -600 = 400 scf/STB.

The gas injection rate qg is then

qg= (1000 -600)qo= 400(200) = 80 x 103scf/D
The required compressor power per well is estimated as

P = 2.23 x 10-4*80x103* [(900/65)0.2–1]= 12.34 HP 64

 Impact of Increase of Gas Injection Rate

 Increasing the gas injection rate allows the injection at a lower

point in the tubing without increasing the injection pressure.

 As Hinj increases [with the associated smaller (dp/dz)a] and since

(dp/dz)b remains constant within a smaller interval H-Hinj, then pwf
will necessarily decrease.

 Therefore, larger oil production rates are likely to be achieved with

higher GLR and a lower injection point.
 Cont.
 Similarly, to sustain a production rate while the reservoir pressure
depletes, the flowing bottomhole pressure must be lowered.

 This can be accomplished by lowering the injection point and by

increasing the gas injection rate.

 This has a limit, and it will be addressed later in the current

presentation.
 Increasing Production Rate with Increasing Gas Injection

As demonstrated in figure, wellbore flowing

pressure drops and production rate increases as
more gas is injected.

It illustrates also that a higher gas-injection rate

allows injection at a deeper point without
increasing injection pressure or changing the
pressure traverse in the annulus
67
 Example
Suppose that the well at a depth of 8000 ft and a GLR=300 SCF/STB
drains a reservoir with average reservoir pressure of 3050 psi and an IPR
given by:
q l  0.39  p  pwf 

Where should be the injection point be after the reservoir pressure drops by
500 psi? What should be the gas injection rate to sustain a liquid
production rate equal to 500 STB/d? The needed gradient curve is given.
(Δpvalve=100 psi, psurf = 915 psi, (dp/dz)b= 0.33 as the previous example)
 Solution

Using the given IPR and an average pressure of 3050-500=2550

psi, we have: 500
pwf  2550   1268 psi
0.39

The injection point must be then be obtained from the

solution of:
 H inj 
  100  1268  0.33  8000  H inj 
915 1   H inj  7120 ft
 40000 
 Solution
 7120 
p inj (inside tubing)  915 1    100  980 psi
 40000 

Using gradient curve, at Hinj = 7120 ft and pinj = 980 psi, The GLR
must be equal to 750 SCF/STB. So the gas injection rate will be:
q g  500   750  300   2.25 105 SCF/d

The injection rate is more that 10 times the gas injection calculated
in previous example for this reservoir. The injection point is also
1630 ft lower.
 Control of Production Rate during Reservoir Depletion

 Figure investigates the change in injection depth and gas injection

rate needed to maintain a constant production rate as the reservoir
depletes and the IPR deteriorates.

 The figure explains the advantage of controlling both the injection

depth and the amount of injected gas.

 Controlling these two factors by proper selection and spacing of

continuous gas-life valves. production rate can be adjusted as
needed during the life of a well.

72
 Some Aspects

 The basic assumption applied in last two figures is that a higher gas-liquid ratio in the tubing results
in a smaller pressure gradient. This assumption is correct only up to a limiting GLR.

 From the set of gradient curves, it can be seen that the pressure gradient decreases with increasing
GLR, to a certain limit. Increasing GLR above this limit causes an increase in gradient. The minimum
gradient curve signifies minimum flowing bottom hole pressure and maximum production rate.

 Increasing gas-injection rate , therefore, may increase the production rate to a maximum level
beyond which increasing gas rate results in decreasing production rate.

73
 Some Aspects

 Figure (a) illustrates the general trends observed in gradient

curves as GLR varies. This trend implies that at a given rate
and constant wellhead pressure, the tubing intake pressure
varies with GLR.

 A plot of tubing intake pressure, given in figure (b) , indicates

that for each flow rate in a given tubing size there is a
particular GLR that yields minimum tubing intake pressure ,
we refer to this GLR as favorable GLR.
74
 Some Aspects

 A plot of favorable GLR versus the corresponding rates in a

given tubing size is given in figure (c). Favorable GLR
decreases as oil rate increases. The amount of gas required
to achieve a favorable GLR is indicated also in figure (c).

 Figure (d) is a plot of the locus of all minimum tubing intake

pressures versus their corresponding flow rates. As
mentioned before, a minimum tubing intake pressure at a
given flow rate is obtained with the favorable GLR. The locus
line divides the -plane of the graph into two regions. The
region below the line is where intake pressure is less than
the minimum pressure required to sustain flow, and thus
flow in the tubing cannot exist. No matter how much gas is
injected, the tubing intake pressure cannot sink below the
minimum indicated by this line. The region above the line is
where all possible flow situations in the tubing occur, with
or without gas injection. In fact, the intersection between
the IPR of the well and the locus of the minimum intake
pressures (d) gives the point of maximum liquid rate
possible from the particular well.
75
 Some Aspects

 Similar calculations can be made for any stage of

depletion later in the life of the well. The following figures
adds the lime dimension and illustrate the decline of the
maximum rate at each stage of depletion.

 As shown in figure (a), the favorable GLR for a given

liquid rate is independent of reservoir behavior.
Therefore, in spite of depletion, the locus of favorable
GLRs in figure (b) does not change.

76
 Some Aspects

 IPRs shown in figure (b) deteriorate with depletion and

therefore intersect the locus at progressively decreasing
rates. The result is a decreasing maximum liquid rate,
which is plotted versus cumulative production in figure
(c). The injection rate required to maintain maximum
liquid rate as the reservoir depletes is the difference
between the favorable GLR and formation GLR.

 Summarizing the time behavior of a gas-lift system, figure

(d) plots the changes of reservoir GLR, favorable GLR, and
gas injection GLR needed to produce the maximum liquid
rate, versus cumulative production at each stage in the
well's life.

 Figure (d) indicates that, for solution gas-drive reservoirs,

the needed gas injection GLR increases at early stages but
drops rapidly as reservoir GLR increases. 77
 Example III
Calculating Maximum Possible Production Rate by Gas Lift

 Gas lift is one of the artificial lift options considered for the oil field . Data for a typical well in the field are
listed in table below. Two cases of gas-lift production are investigated:

Case 1: An unlimited amount of injection gas is available to produce the well at or near its maximum
production rate.
Case 2: A limited amount of injection gas, 180 Mscf/D, is allocated to each well.
Investigate the performance of a well producing under each case.

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 Solution
Case 1

 The gas-liquid ratios that yield minimum pressure loss in 2 7/8 in. tubing (favorable GLR) are listed
in table E5.9b and plotted versus rate in figure E5.9. With 65-psia wellhead pressure the minimum
tubing intake pressure at 5000 ft is determined from the favorable gradient curve and listed also in
table E5.9b. Plotting Pin from table E5.9b versus q in figure E5.9 gives the locus of minimum intake
pressures.

 The straight-line IPR of the well is also plotted in figure E5.9. The intersection of IPR with the locus of
(Pin)min gives maximum flow rate from this well by means of gas lift.
 Reading from the graph, maximum rate is qmax = 260 STB/D. The favorable GLR corresponding to this
maximum rate is indicated on figure E5.9 as GLR = 3750 scf/STB.

79
 Solution

The required injection rate is calculated as

3
(qg)inj=(GLR -Rs)q = (3750 -400)260 =871 x 10 scf/D =871 Mscf/D

80
Solution

81
 Solution
Case 2

 The GLRs obtained by injecting 180 Mscf/D in addition to 400 scf/STB of reservoir oil are calculated

and listed in table E5.9c. Given 65 psia wellhead pressure, the tubing intake pressure with a flowing

GLR is obtained from the gradient curves and listed versus rate in table E5.9c.

 The Pin values are plotted versus q and form the intake pressure curve in figure E5.9. The intersection

of this curve with IPR defines the flowing conditions for 180 Mscf/D gas injection.

 The intersection is at a rate of 230 STB/D. An interesting observation is that the calculated gas

injection rate in case 1 is 3.5 times higher than in case 2. whereas the production rate is only 10%

higher.
82