Session 5 Surveillance No 5

Gaslift Surveillance
In this section you are going to learn:

-what we mean by surveillance and why it is important for
gas lift
-what types of data are important for gas lift (and which
are not)
-where welltest data comes from, typical problems and
and tips for improvement
-the use of two-pen charts, pressure and temperature
surveys and what they can tell us
©2000 Shell International Exploration and Production

B.V.
1
Importance of Surveillance
Definitions of Surveillance:
Keeping a close watch
Surveillance:
“In terms of production…per unit resource,
there is no more profitable activity than
well surveillance.”
SIPM Field Surveillance EP88-1350, GA Johnson 1988
Surveillance is the starting point for all

work after the initial completion

B.V.
2
How do we turn this information into profit?
Basic Surveillance:
Surveillance is a Process, not a Project

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3
The key to optimization is predicting the effect of

changes.
Basic Surveillance:
Once the process is predictable, surveillance

can become Production System Optimization.
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4
Common problems with surveillance:
•Obscured by design process (big $$)

•Low actual priority
•Lack of immediate visibility
•Hard work
•No end point
•Can always ‘wait until tomorrow’
•Staff changes
•Reduced experience level
•Different requirements field-to-field,
well-to-well

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5
How to fix the surveillance process:
•Create ‘champions’
•Define a simple, understandable process
•Obtain explicit management support for the
process*
•Concentrate effort to create experts
•Use those experts to train other parts of
organization
•Formalize the role of ‘well analyst’ in the field
•Provide useful tools to support the process
•Provide training
•Monitor and review performance of process
with management
•Provide adequate rewards for success
•Improve data quality (e.g. welltests)
Mostly from Artificial Lift Workshop,
* No more ‘trials’! Noordwijkerhout, NL 7/97

B.V.
6
Shell’s Surveillance Strategy:
Support
Process
Champion
Convince Spot
Implement
management Problems
Changes
Well
Create GL Analysts
Team
Improve
Analyze Data & Systems
Wells
Model
Performance
Gas Lift Team
Re-design/re-distribute
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7
Role of Champion is to get process going

and keep it going by:
•Convince management [Use other’s success.]
•Create the Team
•Design rough process
•Provide expertise, training and support
•Provide overview and external focus
Give me two
staff and I’ll
give you 1000%
return on your
investment!
Champion
Senior Production or
Project Engineer
with gas lift experience
Can you name your surveillance Champion?

B.V.
8
Role of Gas Lift Team is to manage the
process by:
•Analyzing and modeling the wells
•Redesigning as necessary
•Optimizing compressor utilization
•Training the Well Analysts
•Maintaining the data
•Keeping cost/benefits indicators
•Co-ordinating wireline operations
Gas Lift Team
Estimated
lift depth
8630’. A 150
bbl/d increase
expected.
Experienced, operations
Shell Offshore 6 (3/crew) / 200 wells staff. Computer
PD Oman 3-5 / 400 wells literate.
Shell Malaysia 2 / 170 wells
Brunei Shell 3 / 450 wells

B.V.
9
Role of Well Analysts is to be the eyes, ears

and hands of the Gas Lift Team by:
•Spotting problems (e.g. heading, low prod.)
•Implementing and monitoring changes
•Improving data
•Monitoring and operating control systems
•Improving implementation of the process
Well heading
Well severely. I will
Analysts increase gas
and you
redesign it.
Experienced lease
operators, based in field.
Shell Offshore-several Surveillance Specialists (role not yet
uniform, but Well Analyst’s role in beam pump fields provides
analog).
PD Oman 5-6 / 400 wells
Shell Malaysia -not yet
Brunei Shell -not yet
B.V.
10
Tools to support the gas lift surveillance

process:
GLUE (Gas Lift User’s Environment)
Windows (or Unix) analysis, design, re-design,
redistribution software
SGAS (Shell Gas Lift System)
Computer assisted operations system to monitor
and control gas lift wells.
Both tools were developed by Shell specifically for gas lift

surveillance, and are commercially available. GLUE is used by
all Gas Lift Teams (~15 OUs). SGAS is used in PD Oman,
Brunei Shell and Shell Malaysia with installations planned in
other areas.

B.V.
11
GL Surveillance Process Tips:

•Don’t assume your welltest data is OK and don’t
assume it is not your responsibility to improve data
quality
•Explicitly define the indicator: Improving gas lift
efficiency is the challenge, but others may be merely
looking at wells off production.
•Model and Analyze all the wells, not just the
‘problem wells’.
•Identify and eliminate well instability first
•Measuring field-wide gains is always very difficult.
Instead, try the “well maintenance” justification, or
use logic (?!), or ask for trust (low $$ expend).
•Keep Production, Facilities and Reservoir engineers
in the process and review loops.
•Use Gas Lift Team and Well Analyst positions as
training opportunities.
•Measure the performance indicators that reflect
variables under the control of the surveillance team
(e.g. total liquid rather than oil).

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12
This purpose of this questionnaire
is to:
1) stimulate dialog within the
Asset on the topic of surveillance
Surveillance Qualitative Evaluation
2) form a basis for a qualitative
estimate of the success of the
Platform _________________
current surveillance process and
Date_____________________ its remaining potential.
Contact(s)________________ __________________ ________________
Evaluator(s)_______________ __________________ ________________
Platform facts (Monthly Avg.)

# of Wells _________ Gas Lift_______ Flowing _____ Gas______
# of surv. operators ___________ # of prod Eng._____
Gross Fluids __________ BOPD ________ MMCFPD __________
Total Gas Lift Inj Rate (MMCF) __________
1) Does the platform have a Surveillance Plan? (Y/N) If yes, what does it
consist of?_________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2) Does the platform have a Depletion Plan by field (Y/N) by reservoir (Y/N) by
well (Y/N)?
% wells w/Depletion plan __________
% production w/ depletion plan______
Last Update ___________
Who is responsible for updating ?___________
3) Does the field perform routine well tests? (Y/N)

% wells w/current (<1 month old) well test __________
% production w/ current (<1 month old) well test_____
% sum of well tests to sales Gas ________Oil _________Gross _________
4) Does the platform perform routine traverse surveys (Y/N)

% wells w/Surveys (<1 year old) ___________
% production w/ Surveys (<1 year old) ___________
Who is responsible for interpreting surveys? ___________________

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13
5) Does the platform perform routine BHP surveys? Static (Y/N) Build up (Y/N)
% wells w/static surveys (<1 year old) __________
% production w/ static surveys (<1 year old) ______
% wells w/build up surveys (<1 year old) _________
% production w/ build up surveys (<1 year old) ____
Who is responsible for interpreting BHP surveys _________________
6) Do you calculate IPRs on your wells? (Y/N)

% wells with IPRs curves (<1 year old) ______________
% production with IPRs(<1 year old) ________
Who is responsible for checking IPR vs theoretical IPR or
comparative IPR? _______________
7) Do you perform WinGLUE evaluations on your wells? (Y/N)

% wells with WinGLUE evaluations ______________
% production with WinGLUE evaluations ________
Who is responsible for performing/interpreting WinGLUE evaluations
____________
8) If you have gas wells, do you perform PROSPER model on your wells? (Y/N)
% wells with PROSPER model ______________
% production with PROSPER model ________
Who is responsible for performing/interpreting the PROSPER model ______
9) Do you perform fluid sampling on wells? (Y/N)

For what use? PVT / sand / water-cut / other (state) ________
How frequently? _____________/per well
Who is sample data reported to? ________________
10) Do you perform shake outs on wells? (Y/N)
11) Do you have wells that head? (Y/N)

% wells that head __________
% production that head _______
List specific well names
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
How often checked? __________/well/month
Who is responsible for diagnosing and correcting heading
problems? ________________

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14
12) Are all the wells lifting off the bottom value? (Y/N)
% wells lifting off bottom __________
% production lifting off bottom _____
How is lift depth determined? _____________
% wells with lift depth checked within last 6 months ____________
% production with lift depth checked within last 6 months ___________
Who is responsible for correcting lift depth problems _______________
13) Are well rates controlled by choke? (Y/N)

% wells not wide open _____________
% production not wide open ________
Who is responsible for choke change decisions? ________________
14) Do you have any back pressure problems with your wells? (FTP>Separator
pressure + 50 psi) (Y/N) If yes, which wells.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
15) Do all your wells have target gas lift rates? (Y/N)
% wells at target gas lift rate (within +/- 15%) ________
% production. at target gas lift rate (within +/- 15%) ________
How are targets rates determined ___________________________________
________________________________________________________________
% wells with target rates determined within last 6 months ______________
% production with target rates determined within last 6 months _________
Who is responsible for determining target gas rates? __________________
16) What is the total gas compression? ____________________mmscfd

What is the total gas compression capacity? _____________mmscfd
What is the downtime for compression system? _____________%
17) What is the lost production for a 6 hour loss of compression?

________________ (% of total production)
18) Do you perform calibrations (including plate inspections and re-sizing)

on gas lift meters? Totalizer (Y/N) individual meters (Y/N)
Describe general: procedure
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
% wells with current year orifice meter calibrations ________

% production with current year orifice meter calibrations _______

B.V.
15
Who is responsible for orifice meter calibrations? ____________________ Last
time orifice meters calibrated ___________
19) Do you perform calibrations on chart recorders? Totalizers (Y/N)

individual recorders (Y/N)
% wells with current year recorder calibrations ________
% production with current year recorder calibrations _______
Last time recorders calibrated ___________
20) Do you perform mass balance on master gas lift meter and individual
meters?(Y/N)
What is the ratio of the master meter to the sum of individual meters?______
If not derived from chart recorders,
Do you calibrate THP and CHP instruments? (Y/N)
THP instrument at ____% of max range
Expected accuracy % _________
Date of last calibration? ____________
CHP instruments at ___% of max range
Expected accuracy % __________
Date of last calibrations __________
21) Do you have any problems with paraffin problems? (Y/N) If yes, list the
well names
____________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
22) Are your wells on a routine program for controlling paraffin? (Y/N) If yes
list the program type and typical frequency or amount of treatment? ______
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
How do you know if the program is doing any good?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
23) Are operating parameters established for your wells? (Y/N) If so, what are
the parameters. ____________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Do you record these daily? (Y/N) If yes, where _________________________
Who is responsible for decision making on wells deviating from these
parameters? _________________________
What kind of data do you collect on a routine basis, (Daily/Weekly/Monthly)
and where do you keep the data?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
B.V.
16
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
How do you use this data?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
24) Do you hold formal well reviews? (Y/N) If yes, who attends. _____________
_________________________________________________________________
When was the last formal well review held?____________________________
How do you keep track of action items from the reviews?_________________
25) Do you have any other wells with routine problems? (Y/N) If yes, what
are the problems________________________________________________
26) Do you have any problem areas/opportunities? (Y/N) If yes, please list.
_________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
27) When someone mentions surveillance to you, what specific activities do

you perform and what % of your time is spent doing them?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
28) What would you do if production was 200 BOPD> what you had been
averaging?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
29) What is the economic limit for your wells?

__________ BOPD/well/day
__________ MCFD/well
When last determined? _________________
Who is responsible for determining? ________________
30) What is the typical per unit costs of operations?

Oil handling $______/bbl, Water handling $ ________/bbl,
Gas handling $______/mscf , Fixed operating cost $_______well/day

B.V.
17
Summary:
Since gas lift can quietly get inefficient, gas lift
surveillance should be proactive. Don’t wait until
a well goes off production. Review each well plus
the system itself several times a year.
Since there are no mechanical connections to the
lift system in the well, spend time and money to
gather quality information on the performance
of each well. The proper use of this information
will find inefficiencies and make money.
Industry examples (in and out of Shell) show the
systematic optimizing of gas lift operations
produce 5-15% gains in oil production at little
cost -- the lowest cost per barrel of any oil in a
field.
Inefficiency continues without a process to
combat it. Surveillance should be a process not a
project.

B.V.
18
Necessary Data for Gas Lift
So what data do we need to have for gas

lift?
Mechanical information including:

Tubing and production casing sizes.
Tubing obstructions that will limit pulling and
running valves.
Depositions like scale or paraffin that will
limit wireline work or will change the ID of
the tubing in flow friction calculations.
What valves are installed in each mandrel.
This includes make, model, port size, set
pressures and choke size and the mandrel
depth.
Depths of perforations.
Directional survey.

B.V.
19
Reservoir information including:

A static bottomhole pressure. Needed for
determining kickoff depth and inflow
performance.
Either an estimate of inflow performance or a
measured flowrate.
A FBHP at a measured flowrate is helpful in
determining the inflow performance.
It is frequently helpful to know the expected
formation GOR to compare with
measurements.

B.V.
20
Welltest data: What is it used for?
1) Allocating final field/unit fiscal (LACT -

Lease Allocation Custody Transfer)
measurements back to individual wells for
proper royalty/tax payments.
Focus of data collectors, support staff and

accounting
2) All decisions involving the operation,

remediation, planning, (re-)design,
abandonment, optimization, of the wells and
production facilities
Primary tool of Production Engineers, Reservoir

Engineers, Geologists, Technical Managers,
Production Superintendents, etc.
Who is your welltest data quality champion?
Become a champion of welltest data quality.

B.V.
21
Welltest data: How good is it?
Should be +/-10%, but it is too often not [reference:
test reject rate, multiphase (real-time) meter trials,
preventive maintenance schedules, meter factors.]
Common Welltest Data problems (This is not a

complete list!):
•Too long between tests
•Manifold valves leak into production header
•Manifold valves leak from production header
•Oil in water
•Oil in gas
•Water in oil
•Orifice meters not sized properly, bypass flow
•Dp cells on meters not calibrated
•Liquid meters not calibrated
•Liquid meters out of range
•Meters not inspected
•Wellhead ‘shakeouts’ not representative
•Well tested at different backpressure from normal
production
•Well tested at different lift gas rate from normal
production
•THP or CHP gauge not calibrated
•THP or CHP gauge not in proper range
•Test separator purge time too short
•Test duration too short (test not representative)
•Wrong well switched to test
•Wrong well recorded as on test
•Measurements not actually taken [true!]
B.V.
22
How welltest numbers are gathered and generated.
Liquid rate
The test separator has its either 1 liquid meter, or 1 oil
and 1 water meter. Many times the water outlet is shut-
off so that a single meter measures total liquids.
The water cut in a single meter system is determined
by a sample, usually taken at the wellhead . Up to
three samples are taken to improve the accuracy.
WC=W / (O+W) or
O = (Liquids)*(1-WC)
Water
Oil

B.V.
23

Gas rate:
The test separator has its own gas meter which
measures total gas from the test separator, TG.
The lift gas meter measures lift gas being injected, LG.
To find the formation gas, you subtract, TG-LG = FG
The GOR is determined by FG / O.
TG
FG = TG - LG
LG

B.V.
24
Typical orifice gas meter:
dP cell:
Pressure
increase Pressure
upstream reduction
downstream
Pressure taps
Orifice plate
Orifice meters read low if damaged, cut or plugged

because the pressure drop through them is reduced.
B.V.
25
Gas:
Inspecting an orifice gas meter requires depressuring
the meter.
On a well, this requires shutting-in the well. As a
result, this is neglected in many (most) cases.
On a test separator, this will require taking only this
vessel out of service. As a result, this meter can be
inspected often.
What would the expected result on FG be if the test
separator gas meter read correctly, but the lift gas
meter read lower than the actual rate?
FG = TG - LG
When could this be a problem?

B.V.
26
Pressures:
The flowing tubing pressure must be upstream of the
production choke.
The CHP must be downstream of the injection
choke/valve.
The test separator pressure is used to tune the
production pressure models.
The GL supply pressure is used to read the LG rate.
Test
FTP Separator
CHP
GL Supply
B.V.
27
Tips & Tricks for improving Quality
•Welltests should last long enough to be

representative (if unstable, then over several cycles).
Where scheduling of test separators are critical, look
into using WELLDONE software.
•Gas rates are particularly prone to measurement
error and often ruin otherwise useful analysis.
Periodic inspection and repair of the gas meters (too
often neglected out of ignorance of the data’s
impact) are all that is required in most cases.
•Manifold pressures should be recorded and used
with FTPs to look for bad data. FTP<mainifold =
impossible. FTP>>manifold = plugged
chokes/flowlines or very high rates.

B.V.
28
•The FTP on the well should be identical (as close

as possible) between its welltest and normal
production. Have this verified. If not, you can get
an idea of the induced error by multiplying a typical
well PI by the difference in pressure between tests.
For example, a 200 bbl/d well with a PI = 2 and a
20 psi diff in backpressure = (20 * 2) = 40 bbls/d,
40/200 = .2 = 20% error. This error is a significant
part of the meter factor in some locations.
There is probably a master meter for lift gas. Find

out its meter factor by dividing its reading by the
sum of the lift gas meters.
If the facilities allow it, route the well flow

through two test separators (some locations have a
test separator and a test treater). Compare the
readings.

B.V.
29
•Ask when was the last time the lift gas meter
orifice plates were inspected. If > 2 years, push for
inspection of a statistically significant number of
them.
If you have a well that recently quit making liquid

but had been on gas lift, route lift gas to it and then
through the test separator. Compare the readings
which should be identical.
Find out the meter factors used for gas and oil.
Compare with theoretical or measured PVT. If
more than a 0.1 difference between the actual meter
factor and the ideal one [from mf = (1-water
fraction in oil)/Bo@separator ] then you may have
excess error.

B.V.
30
If you have CAO (real-time measurement and

control system), you can get some software that
will optimize well duration, let you know when
the vessel is purged and if the well was
stabilized during testing (the software from
SIEP* is called WELLDONE).
If you have CAO, you can get real-time

production rates from your field (the
surveillance dream). This is done with software
converts minor pressure drops already in the
wellhead flow into liquid rates (contact SIEP*).
*ContactCL (Cleon) Dunham with SIEP at 31

70 311 3481, or via e-mail.

B.V.
31
Two-pen charts record the casing and tubing

pressures on a well. The pens write on a circular
chart.
Use of such charts is common for recording the lift
gas rate into wells. However, the recording of CHP
and FTP is only used by those doing surveillance.
It is a powerful tool for gas lift surveillance.
FTP
CHP
Time (one revolution 24 hours or 1

week are common.)
B.V.
32
A typical two pen chart showing instability:
Chart recordings are the only way to find common

problems like this. How is this a problem?
B.V.
33
A typical two pen chart showing unloading of IPO

valves:

B.V.
34
A typical two pen chart showing unloading of PPO

valves:

B.V.
35
Pressure and temperature surveys

Flowing pressure surveys are the most
important tool in the surveillance of gas lift
wells.
To make the most benefit from a survey,
take a concurrent welltest.
To take some of the guesswork out of
interpretation, take a concurrent two-pen
chart recording of FTP and CHP.
Stop below each mandrel whether it
contains a valve or not. This helps locate
leaks.
Temperature surveys are often helpful as the
relatively cool gas injection can be seen.
Run them in tandem with pressure surveys
and stop below and above each mandrel.
Stay long enough at each stop to see an
entire cycle of heading, if practical.

B.V.
36
Typical flowing and static pressure survey:
Flowing
pressure
measurements
Static pressure
measurements
Static pressure
extrapolation
What is the apparent lift

depth?

B.V.
37
What is the lift depth?
#1
#2
#3
#4

B.V.
38
#1
#2
#3
#4

B.V.
39
#1
Leak?
#2
#3
#4
Although flowing surveys are a very powerful and
straightforward technique, the interpretation of some
surveys will be inconclusive. More concurrent data can
sometimes help.
B.V.
40
A typical BHP chart:
Build-up
Static stops
Shut-in
Pressure
Flowing stops
Lubricator
stop
Lubricator stop
Time
Note the pressure varies over time at each stop depth.
A slickline survey measures pressures versus time, not
pressures versus depth.
The wireline operator must supply the depth versus time
data in order to create the depth versus pressure
information.
This is a source of error (not very often) and a source of
further information, particularly when the well is unstable.
B.V.
41

Is this physically possible?
#1
#2
#3
#4

B.V.
42
#1
#2
#3
#4
Measurements represent snapshots over a range of

time. Be sure to stop long enough to measure the
whole range. In a case like this, look at the pressure
versus time data.

B.V.
43
A temperature survey (stopped below each mandrel):
Lubricator stop
in cold weather
Injection depth
Should stop above and below each mandrel.

B.V.
44
Gaslift Surveillance
End
Now can you explain the following?

-what we mean by surveillance and why it is important for
gas lift
-what types of data are important for gas lift (and which
are not)
-where welltest data comes from, typical problems and
and tips for improvement
-the use of two-pen charts, pressure and temperature
surveys and what they can tell us

B.V.
45

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Session 5 Surveillance No 5

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Gaslift Surveillance

In this section you are going to learn:

©2000 Shell International Exploration and Production

Keeping a close watch

Surveillance is the starting point for all

©2000 Shell International Exploration and Production

How do we turn this information into profit?

Surveillance is a Process, not a Project

The key to optimization is predicting the effect of

Once the process is predictable, surveillance

Common problems with surveillance:

•Obscured by design process (big $$)

©2000 Shell International Exploration and Production

How to fix the surveillance process:

©2000 Shell International Exploration and Production

Shell’s Surveillance Strategy:

Gas Lift Team

Role of Champion is to get process going

Can you name your surveillance Champion?

©2000 Shell International Exploration and Production

Gas Lift Team

©2000 Shell International Exploration and Production

Role of Well Analysts is to be the eyes, ears

Tools to support the gas lift surveillance

Both tools were developed by Shell specifically for gas lift

©2000 Shell International Exploration and Production

GL Surveillance Process Tips:

©2000 Shell International Exploration and Production

Contact(s)________________ __________________ ________________

Evaluator(s)_______________ __________________ ________________

Platform facts (Monthly Avg.)

# of surv. operators ___________ # of prod Eng._____

Gross Fluids __________ BOPD ________ MMCFPD __________

Total Gas Lift Inj Rate (MMCF) __________

3) Does the field perform routine well tests? (Y/N)

4) Does the platform perform routine traverse surveys (Y/N)

©2000 Shell International Exploration and Production

6) Do you calculate IPRs on your wells? (Y/N)

7) Do you perform WinGLUE evaluations on your wells? (Y/N)

9) Do you perform fluid sampling on wells? (Y/N)

10) Do you perform shake outs on wells? (Y/N)

11) Do you have wells that head? (Y/N)

©2000 Shell International Exploration and Production

13) Are well rates controlled by choke? (Y/N)

16) What is the total gas compression? ____________________mmscfd

17) What is the lost production for a 6 hour loss of compression?

18) Do you perform calibrations (including plate inspections and re-sizing)

% wells with current year orifice meter calibrations ________

©2000 Shell International Exploration and Production

19) Do you perform calibrations on chart recorders? Totalizers (Y/N)

How do you use this data?

27) When someone mentions surveillance to you, what specific activities do

29) What is the economic limit for your wells?

30) What is the typical per unit costs of operations?

©2000 Shell International Exploration and Production

©2000 Shell International Exploration and Production

So what data do we need to have for gas

Mechanical information including:

©2000 Shell International Exploration and Production

Reservoir information including:

©2000 Shell International Exploration and Production

Welltest data: What is it used for?

1) Allocating final field/unit fiscal (LACT -

Focus of data collectors, support staff and

Contact(s) __

Evaluator(s)_ ____

# of surv. operators _______ # of prod Eng._

Gross Fluids BOPD MMCFPD