CASING HEAD PRESSURE

FINE TUNING in
Dual String Gas Lift Well
With Injection Pressure Operated Valve
ASME – WORK SHOP - KUALA LUMPUR 2003

By:
Gatut Widianoko ( Weatherford )
Herry Subekti ( BP – Indonesia )
Wahyu Jatmiko ( BP – Indonesia )
Abstract

After two ( 2 ) years gas lift optimization performed with

concentrated in gas lift change out, starting this year 2003, Bp
-Indonesia begin to focus on Casing Head Pressure Tuning.

The first year, the gas lift optimization had made 3500 bopd oil gain,
and the second year had made 4000 bopd oil gains. This year, up-to
the second quarter 2003, BP had made 4500 bopd oil gains. This
total gains is came from 40 % gas lift change out, and 60 % from
Casing Head Pressure Tuning.

Today we are going to talk about the steps of casing head pressure
tuning of the BP-Indonesia gas lift optimization on dual string gas lift
well as follow :

1) Identify the gas lift well problems ;

2) Nodal analyzing to determine the well potential ;

3) Optimize point of injection of both string by gas lift change

out ;

4) Perform Tuning Casing Head Pressure to optimize both

string.
Offshore North West Java Oil Field

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JAKARTA GG Gas
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CIREBON
0 25 50 KM
 BP Wells General Conditions
 Old Oil Field with more than 30 years old
 High FGOR with 1000 : 1 or more
 Low PI with only about 1 – 3 blpd / psi
 Low Production with about 200 - 500 blpd
 Low Static Pressure with average ~ 600 psi
 Limited Casing Pressure with ~ 600 psi only
 Flowing Tubing Pressure is about 180 psi
 Shallow well - reservoir depth ~ 3000 ft TVD
 Limited data (SBHP and PI is normally
unknown)
 Old wells - may have leaking valve or tubing
 Some gas lift valves installed 5-10 years ago
 Some gas lift header choke stuck open/close
 Dual Completion
ECHO - WELLs NOT TO
Find CHP problems
SCALE
COMPLETION DIAGRAM
2-7/8” SSSV @ 248’ 2-7/8” SSSV @ 286’

1012’ 1050’

1866’ 1898’

2-7/8” SPM 2-7/8” SPM

2625’ 2652’
Adjust CHP , Reduce / increase
Slowly until get best
3007’ 3032’

Packer @ 3111’ MD
2-7/8” WB-1D SSD @ 3100’ production rate. Repeat it if
2-7/8” WB-1D SSD @ 3183’
2-7/8” WB-1D SSD @ 3164’
needed. Keep best this CHP as
EZ-22B ( Squeezed-Off )
Packer @ 3340’
operating pres.
2-7/8” WB-1D SSD @ 3383’

EZ-23 ( 3389’ - 3406’ )

Packer @ 3504’
2-7/8” WB-1D SSD @ 3584’
EZ-24B ( 3590’ - 3609’ )

Packer @ 3900’
Great savings of time
EZ-27 ( 4016’ - 4021’ )
( 4025’ – 4031’ ) &
( 4035’ – 4043’ )
( 4050’ – 4062’ )
PBTD @ 4205’ MD efforts
9-5/8” Shoe @ 4285’ MD
 CHP Fine Tuning Candidates Wells
( Gas Lift Optimization )

 Suddenly production rate drop

 Suddenly the well dead
 Casing Head Pressure unstable
 Suddenly gas injection rate increase/decrease
 Inaccurate gas rate measure
 Robbing, and cause one (1) string dead or drop
 The well shutdown under maintenance
 The well shut-in while service status
 Gas lift Change out is being perform
 Suddenly Casing Head Pressure Increase
 Suddenly Casing Head Pressure decrease
 Suddenly Flowing Tubing Head Pressure increase
Casing Head Pressure Tuning
Steps in Dual Gas Lift well
 Use graphical method to construct the well condition. Draw
the static and flowing pressure gradient, etc.
 Select Kick Off and best Operating pressure available.
Use 90% (max) off Kick Off as Operating pressure.
 Select best point of injection of both string ( close or same
depth ) and operating port size (close or same size).
 Use same surface opening and closing pressure for both
string valve.
 Perform gas lift well performance by software on each
string to determine optimum condition .
 Perform CHP tuning by open the Gas Lift Header Choke and
set at the kick off pressure selected.
 Adjusts the CHP slowly to reach the Best Surface Operating
Pressure selected.
 Record the Rates. Select the best rate and keep best CHP.
Graphical Method
(To determine best Point of Injection, KO and OP)

Echo- Wells
PRESSURE (p s i)
0 FTP 500 CHP 1000 1500
D 0.1 p s I / ft
E Casing Pressure
P FL
T 1000
H Tubing #1
Pressure
Ft #2
2000
T #3
0.45 p s i / ft
V
D #7
3000

Mid Perforation FBHP 1200 p s i

4000
Operating Pres. Kick Off
Gas Lift Well Performance
Gas Injection Rate Vs Production Rate

Optimum Point
Ql

Qi
Q I : Gas in Rate mscfd Q l : Prod. Rate blpd
 Why Do

Casing Head Pressure tuning

instead of

Gas Injection Rate Tuning ?

 Gas Measurement Problems

 Not each platform has a good measurement

facilities
 Some Gas Measuring inaccurate
 Gas Injection rate not recorded
 Gas in VS CHP does not make sense

We Decided
 Using CHP as parameter to optimize gas injection
 Adjust CHP to find a best production rate of both
String
 Measure Gas In, after best CHP reached / selected
 Record and keep best CHP of each Well
 WHAT IS BEST CHP

Back to The Original Operating Pressure Design

 Where is the existing CHP ?
 Is it too high ?
 Any un-loader valve reopen?
 Is the existing gas in too much ?
 Do We need to decrease it ?
OR
 Is it too low ?
 Is the existing gas in too low ?
 Can the existing CHP pressure reach the
operating valve ?
 Do we need to Increase it ?
 Any actions needs to be done ?
Decreasing CHP
(To determine Best Operating Pressure)
Existing CHP Echo- Wells
PRESSURE (p s i) Too High
0 FTP 500 CHP 1000 1500
D 0.1 p s I / ft
E Casing Pressure
P FL
T 1000
H Tubing #1
Pressure
Ft #2
2000
T #3
0.45 p s i / ft
V
D #7
3000

Mid Perforation FBHP 1200 p s i

4000
Best Operating Pres. Kick Off
Increasing CHP
(To determine Best Operating Pressure)
Existing CHP Echo- Wells
Too Low PRESSURE (p s i)
0 FTP 500 CHP 1000 1500
D 0.1 p s I / ft
E Casing Pressure
P FL
T 1000
H Tubing #1
Pressure
Ft #2
2000
T #3
0.45 p s i / ft
V
D #7
3000

Mid Perforation FBHP 1200 p s i

4000
Operating Pres. Kick Off
 Some Wells Sample of CHP
tuning at BP-Indonesia
Gas Lift Optimization at EC-2ST well

FTP W/C TOTAL GAS GLR GL GAS CHP

Status CHK BOPD BFPD Remark
(Psi) (%) (Mscfd) (SCF/STB) (Mscfd) (psi)
Pretest 64/64" 140 691.2 768 10 552.7 719.66 551.41 580
Test 1 64/64" 140 864 960 10 548.43 571.28 546.23 560
Test 2 64/64" 140 777.6 864 10 543.6 629.17 540.3 540
Test 3 64/64" 140 972 1080 10 542.31 502.14 532.7 520
Post test 64/64" 140 950.4 1056 10 545.87 516.92 528.59 520 Best CHP

Oil Gains : 250 b o p d

Best CHP : 520 p s i
Sample : A
 Some Wells Sample of
CHP tuning at BP-Indonesia
Gas Lift Tuning at FFB-7

CHK FTP W/C TOTAL GAS GLR GL GAS CHP

Status BOPD BFPD Remark
1/64 in (Psi) (%) (Mscfd) (SCF/STB) (Mscfd) (psi)
Pre well test 72 120 216 864 75 - - - 200 Prior tuning
Test 1 72 120 225 898 75 - - - 300
Test 2 72 120 231 924 75 - - - 400
Test 3 72 120 288 1152 75 - - - 440 Optimum rate
Test 4 72 120 252 1008 75 - - - 460
Post well test 72 120 288 1152 75 - - - 440 After Tuning
Gain 72 440 Best CHP

Oil Gains : 70 b o p d
Sample : B
 Some Wells Sample of
CHP tuning at BP-Indonesia
Gas Lift Optimization at EF-5 well

FTP W/C TOTAL GAS GLR GL GAS CHP

Status CHK BOPD BFPD Remark
(Psi) (%) (Mscfd) (SCF/STB) (Mscfd) (psi)
Pretest 64/64" 130 1101.6 1224 10 1658 1355 650
Test 1 64/64" 130 1110.5 1233.9 10 864 700 624 630 Gas lift optimization
Test 2 64/64" 130 1145 1272 10 816 642 552 610 with GFC-200 running
Test 3 64/64" 130 1209.6 1344 10 744 615 516 590 test to measure gas in
Test 4 64/64" 130 1166.4 1296 10 672 576 432 570 and gas out
Test 5 64/64" 130 1123.2 1248 10 624 500 360 550
Post test 64/64" 130 1188 1320 10 720 546 504 590 Best CHP

Oil Gains : 80 b o p d
Sample : C
Best CHP : 590 p s i
Sample of One Platform
CHP Tuning Results

Pre-test POST WELL TEST AFTER TUNING

WELL TOTAL TOTAL
COMPLETE CHP FTP FLUID OIL W/C GLR GL GAS COMPLETE CHP FTP FLUID OIL W/C
GAS GAINS
DATE (Psi) (Psi) (Bfpd) (Bopd) (%) (scf/stb) (Mscfd) DATE (Psi) (Psi) (Bfpd) (Bopd) (%)
(Mscfd) (Bopd)

FFB-1 15-Jul-03 610 220 468 70 85 - - - 16-Jul-03 630 220 723 110 85 40

FFB-2L 16-Jul-03 360 120 952 190 80 - - - 17-Jul-03 340 120 1101 220 80 30

FFB-2S 17-Jul-03 360 120 682 68 90 - - - 18-Jul-03 340 120 684 68 90 0

FFB-3S 18-Jul-03 380 120 1284 128 90 - - - 18-Jul-03 380 120 1284 128 90 0

FFB-6L 20-Jul-03 600 100 480 72 85 - - - 20-Jul-03 580 100 552 83 85 10

FFB-7 19-Jul-03 200 120 864 216 75 - - - 19-Jul-03 440 120 1152 288 75 70

* Total Gains for one platform by CHP tuning : 150 b o p d

* Gas gains is not recorded
* Working Days : 10 days.
Total Oil Gains by CHP Tuning
YTD up to 2nd Qtr
Tuning Result As per June 30

3500

3000

2500

2000
BOPD

Tuning

1500

1000

500

Time
 BOPD

1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000

0
200
400
600
800
04/01/2003

11/01/2003

18/01/2003

25/01/2003

01/02/2003

08/02/2003

15/02/2003

22/02/2003

01/03/2003

08/03/2003

15/03/2003

22/03/2003

29/03/2003

Time
05/04/2003

12/04/2003
Total Oil Gains by Gas Lift

19/04/2003

26/04/2003
GLVCO Result as per June 30

03/05/2003

10/05/2003
Change Out YTD up to 2nd Qtr’ 03

17/05/2003

24/05/2003

31/05/2003

07/06/2003

14/06/2003

21/06/2003

28/06/2003
GLVCO
 BOPD

1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000

500

0
04/01/2003

11/01/2003

18/01/2003

25/01/2003

01/02/2003

08/02/2003

15/02/2003

22/02/2003

01/03/2003

08/03/2003

15/03/2003

22/03/2003

29/03/2003

Time
05/04/2003

12/04/2003

19/04/2003
GL Optimization Result

26/04/2003
Total Oil Gains After Gas Lift

03/05/2003

10/05/2003

17/05/2003
Optimization YTD up to 2nd Qtr’ 03

24/05/2003

31/05/2003

07/06/2003

14/06/2003

21/06/2003

28/06/2003
Tuning
GLVCO
Tuning Results VS Gas Lift Change
Out Results up to 2nd Qtr’ 03
Tuning vs GLVCO

3500

3000

2500

2000
GLVCO
BOPD

Tuning
1500

1000

500

Time
Well Work Percentage

TOTAL GAS LIFT JOB YTD UP TO 2nd Qtr’ 03

Total Wells analyzes : 190 wells

46%
Completed by Wire line : 31 wells

: 87 Wells potential 19%

: 18 Wells had optimum

: 5 New wells 9%
23% 3%
: 44 Wells CHP Tuning
: 36 Wells Needs FGS & SBHP
survey
Total Oil Gains After Gas Lift
Optimization YTD Up to 2nd Qtr’ 03

5703 9942
6000
5500 4815
5000
4500
4000
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0

Pre-test, bopd Post-test, bopd Gain, bopd

CHP Tuning – Lessons Learned
( With Injection Pressure Valve )
 Enough Kick Off (KO) and Operating (OP) Pressure to reach
deepest point of injection is required
 Differential pressure between KO and OP is ~10% of casing
pressure, (or at least 50psi).
 Use graphical method to select best point of injection and
best draw down of both (200 – 500 psi) strings.
 Surface opening pressure of both string are same. Use at
least 10 psi less than the CHP available.
 Surface closing pressure of both strings must be at least 20
psi above OP, and 30 psi less than KO
 To avoid “gas robbing” - depth point of injection of both
strings must be close or equal; same thing in the port size
 Perform CHP tuning to reach Optimum Conditions
 Watch the CHP performance and Keep it at best CHP.