School of Chemical Engineering

Course Name Petroleum Production Kolej

Engineering Pengajian Kejuruteraan
Course Code CGE659
Assignment Individual Assignment

OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this project are:
1. To compare and contrast key features for both Rod Pumps and Gas Lift.
2. To propose and discuss the process flow of optimal allocation of available lift gas:
mentioning the key economic parameters involved.
3. To design the gas lift. Justify the requirement of gas lift in this case study.

ADDRESSED COURSE OUTCOMES

CO3: Explain and design appropriate tools/ techniques/ methods/ technologies relevant to
production scenario, issues, and latest trends.

ADDRESSED PROGRAMME OUTCOMES

PO5: Design solutions for complex chemical/oil and gas engineering problems and design
systems, components, or processes that meet specified needs with appropriate consideration
on health, safety, society, and the environment.

PROCESS DESCRIPTION

a) When a well is first opened, there is typically plenty of existing pressure and volume to get oil
and gas to the surface. However, after time that initial boost dwindles.

“The Sucker Rod Pump is the world's oldest and most popular artificial lift process, with more
than 75% of artificial lifts used are sucker rod pumps. If we see the statistics of the USA alone,
approximately 350,000 wells use sucker rod pumps. This is mainly in stripper wells while the
gas lift is the most popular artificial technique for higher rate wells”.

Compare and contrast the 5 key features for both Rod Pumps and Gas Lift that form the basis of
the above statement.

b) In a gas lift system, the gas is injected continuously or intermittently, into the tubing through
valves in the mandrels. The goal is to reduce the weight of the hydrostatic column in the
wellbore, reducing the bottom hole pressure (BHP) and thereby increasing the rate of fluid influx
from the reservoir. By aerating the fluid and reducing its density, the formed pressure lifts the oil
column, forcing the fluid out of the wellbore.

“Unfortunately, traditional gas lift technologies have design limitations, such as limits on the
gas-injection rate for stable tubing and casing fluid flow, low maximum operating pressure and
unreliable back pressure systems.”

As a production engineer, briefly describe the process of optimal allocation of available lift gas:
mentioning the key economic parameters involved.
 School of Chemical Engineering
Course Name Petroleum Production Kolej
Engineering Pengajian Kejuruteraan
Course Code CGE659
Assignment Individual Assignment

c) Design the gas lift installation for the following conditions:

Tubing 3.958 in
Required production rate 3000 STB/day
Oil cut 100%
Gas Oil Ratio 100 scf/bbl
Gas Specific Gravity 0.65
Average Flowing Temperature 150oF
Reservoir Productivity Index 4 bbl/day/psi
Reservoir Depth 10,000 ft
Reservoir Pressure 3400 psi
Lift Gas Injection Gradient 20psi/1000ft
Minimum flowing tubing head pressure to transfer fluids to facility 250psi
Dead Oil Density 35oAPI or 0.368 psi/ft
Gas Oil Ratio 100 scf/bbl
Brine Density 0.44 psi/ft
Lift Gas Injection Rate 3,000,000 scf/day

Assume that the well is closed in with dead oil in the tubing and brine in the casing/tubing annulus.
a) Does this well require an artificial lift to produce? Justify your answer.
b) What depth should the gas lift valve be installed in a single valve lift installation to achieve the
required production?
c) What is the minimum surface gas injection pressure to kick the well off in the configuration
described?
d) How does this change if dead crude oil was present in the casing/tubing annulus instead of
brine?

A pressure traverse curve is provided:

School of Chemical Engineering
Course Name Petroleum Production Kolej
Engineering Pengajian Kejuruteraan
Course Code CGE659
Assignment Individual Assignment
 School of Chemical Engineering
Course Name Petroleum Production Kolej
Engineering Pengajian Kejuruteraan
Course Code CGE659
Assignment Individual Assignment
YOUR TASK
1. To answer all questions above.
2. To design a gas lift based on the above infrequently encountered conditions.

REPORT FORMAT

No specific format is required.

SUBMISSION
1. Due date: 20th Jan 2023 (Friday before 12 midnight)
2. PDF your answer script.
3. Name the file to “Name – Student ID”. E.g. BondJames – 007
4. Submission link: https://isiswauitmedu-
my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/rozana592_staf_uitm_edu_my/EjxX0N5fmahP
u3Nh_lDlwEYBaxwbss6V0OO0MaNZTdVzkQ?e=7HyKsN

MARKING CRITERIA
All assessments will be carried out using the performance shown below.
WP Descriptors 1 2 3 4 5 6
for rubric
design
2 To compare Range of (UNACCEPT (MARGINAL- (MARGINAL- (ACCEPT (ACCEPT (EXCEPTIONAL)
and contrast conflicting ABLE) LOW) HIGH) ABLE- ABLE-
key features requirements LOW) HIGH)
for both Rod involve wide-
Pumps and ranging or Students Students Students Students Students Students can list all 5 features of both AL and justify
Gas Lift conflicting cannot list 5 can list all 5 can list all can list can list all differences between both AL
technical, features of features of 5 features all 5 5 features
Support this engineering, both AL and both AL but of both features of both
with your and other no no AL and of both AL and
arguments. issues. justification at justification justify up AL and justify up
all at all to 2 justify up to 4
(Full marks = difference to 3 difference
5) s differenc s
between es between
both AL between both AL
both AL
0points 1 points 2 points 3 points 4 points 5points
4 Propose the Familiarity of (UNACCEP (MARGIN (MARGINAL- (ACCEPT (ACCEPT (EXCEPTIONAL)
allocation of issues TABLE) AL-LOW) HIGH) ABLE- ABLE-
gas lift involve LOW) HIGH)
infrequently
(Full marks = encountered (Student (Propose (Propose (Propos (Propose (Propose the allocation of gas lift based on the detailed
10) issues. has neither the the e the the discussion of all relevant criteria)
list nor allocation allocation allocati allocation
discussed of gas lift of gas lift on of of gas lift
any criteria based on based on gas lift based on
of the gas the briefly the brief based the
lift discuss discussio on the detailed
allocation) up to 2 n of all detailed discussio
main criteria) discuss n of only
criteria) ion of 4 main
Or only 3 criteria)
main
(Detail criteria)
discussio
n of only
2 main
criteria)

0points 2 points 4 points 6 points 8 points 10points

1 To design Depth of (UNACCEPT (MARGIN (MARGINAL- (ACCEPT (ACCEPT (EXCEPTIONAL)
the gas lift. knowledge ABLE) AL-LOW) HIGH) ABLE- ABLE-
Justify the required. LOW) HIGH)
requirement Cannot be
of gas lift in resolved (Student has (Brief (Brief (Detail (Detail (Detail discussion of all the appropriate design criteria)
this case without in- neither calculatio calculatio calculatio calculatio
study depth calculated/ n/ n/ n/ n/ Also, a discussion on how this gas lift installation will
(WK5) engineering discussed discussio discussio discussio discussio increase the production rate of this well
knowledge at nor proposed n of up to n of all of n of up to n of 3
(Full marks = the level all of the 2 of the the above 2 of the main of
15) WK5 which above) above design design the
allows a design criteria) criteria) design
 fundamental- criteria) criteria)
based, first
principles Kolej
analytical
approach. Pengajian Kejuruteraan
0points 3points 6points 9points 12points 15points

School of Chemical Engineering

Course Name Petroleum Production
Engineering
Course Code CGE659

Prepared by: Vetted by:

Dr. Rozana Azrina binti Sazali Dr. Munawar Zaman Shahruddin

Resource Person/ Course Coordinator/ Field Coordinator

Lecturer for CGE659