Petroleum Engineering-

Miscellaneous guidelines

Presented by

G Maharaj

2022 January
 Pumping well optimisation
• Average reservoir quality (medium k,API) :
use PI =0.1 - 0.3 bpd/psi to estimate production gain from lowering pump intake

• Below average reservoir quality (low k/API) or foamy crude :

use PI =0.025 -0.05 bpd/psi to estimate production gain from lowering pump intake

• Recent workover optimization wells (63% success: incr 1-4 bopd/well)-

PS 604, FR 1306,FR 828,FR 1146,FR 1799,FZ 1051,FZ 439,GU M912

• Recent surface optimization wells (7 wells in WD 5/6 :incr 5-26 bopd/well for a
total of 74 bopd gain or 7% of base production)
 Flowing well optimisation
• Production gain from bean change ~ ratio of bean size ^2
A well flowing 20 bpd on a 5/32 bean is estimated to produce 29 bopd on a 6/32
bean (eg PS 570)

• The above RoT is not reliable for high GOR wells

• Obtain GORs using a portable multiphase flowmeter to facilitate reservoir

management, operational control and flow assurance (alternative is the
conventional test separator, orifice meter etc)
http://www.piping-engineering.com/multiphase-flow-meter-well-fluid-analysis-met
er.html
 Bean up flowing well
• Apply incremental bean changes and wait intervals for a sufficiently long
period/steady state flow ( 1-7 days) to test sand stability

• If sanding occurs at any stage, measure sand cuts . If elevated sand cuts persist,
consider having reached the critical DD pressure and bean back one step

• Sanding tendency is influenced by perforation strategy, localized sand bursts, %

fines, bridging of sand particles and water cut

• Use beans with high erosional resistance and install on two arms of xmas tree to
avoid closing in well (repeated start-up/shut-in) to check/change beans
 Pumping wells time cycle
• Electrical timer -Use fluid level build-up curve to determine optimum shut-in vs
pumping time, set electrical timer appropriately. RoT is four pumping cycles per
day ; 4 hrs DT followed by 2 hrs pumping time

• Manual timer – pump well during daylight hours and shut-in overnight for fluid
level buildup, compare rates with shut-in for two days for poor inflow
 Staging up pumping production from new zones
• Pumping wells (sand management)
Land SN 200-500 ft above top perf ( if BHP/SFL allows ) to observe sand/water cuts,
pump wear and sand entry. If sand cuts are tolerable (< 0.5% for SRP and < 3.0% for
PCP), tailor up well to reduce submergence by ~50 % in stages. Monitor sand/water
cuts and submergence before incrementally tailoring up, until an adverse condition
is manifested or well is fully optimized

• Pumping wells (sand control)

GPK- Land SN above top of liner (GA/MA incl) and tailor well to the expected
production rate
SAS- Land SN above top of liner (GA/MA incl) and tailor well to incorporate staging
up for higher production as anticipated, while monitoring sand/water cuts
 Sand management/sand control option
• Evaluate/confirm potential of wells using 30-180 days of production data and PI
estimates
• Install PCP with undersize fit and minimum rpm of ~ 70 to evaluate unconsolidated
reservoirs (lower rpm does not efficiently lift entrained sand to surface resulting in
higher probability of PCP sanding up during ESDs)
• Decide on sand management or sand control (GPK,SAS) based on potential and /or
incremental production available
• Implement solution based on a cost/risk analysis and empirical field data in the
early phase of producing life of the well
• SAS is a viable option for wells completed in long gross intervals (use blank pipe
across unperforated sections), low potential wells ( uneconomic to gpk), low BHP
wells (circulation is not possible to attain adequate pack factor). Field data
available from ~ 10 wells
 Reactivation of idle wells
• Use an assessment matrix to rank wells for increasing the probability of success
( current success rate is < 50% )

• Criteria for ranking: workover history, production history, swab data, wellbore
integrity,downhole equipment, surface equipment, road/location access, electrics

• Ensure idle wells are accurately identified using GPS to avoid working on the
wrong well ( eg FZ 739 where an NRT workover was aborted )
 Perforating uncemented casing
• Inner casing string is uncemented- cut and recover the inner casing before
perforating prospective zone
• Production casing is uncemented- if there are no water sands in close proximity
and discernible shale breaks present above/below zone, perforate as is
• Production casing uncemented- water sands present below the prospective
interval, perf holes (1 ft /4 spf) after setting CIBP and do a cement squeeze to
allow a wedge of cement to isolate the water sands below
• Production casing uncemented- water sands contiguous/above prospective
interval- perform a block cement squeeze across prospective interval, this is
expensive/high risk
 Isolate leaking casing
• Use cup-type straddle assembly if exact depth of leak is identified ( recent
installation in PS 80X was unsuccessful , consider annular isolation using a packer)

• Use a packer with LHRS if exact depth of leak cannot be located, this isolates the
entire annulus but a left hand releasing sub is required if the packer is unable to
unset due to sand falling above it

• Install and cement an inner casing string if the sizes are amenable and economics
are feasible
 Treatments for wax, corrosion, scale
• Take samples and obtain most cost effective laboratory approved chemical for
treatment
• Do batch treatments once or twice per week based on production
rates/submergence ( estimated chemical volume /annular hole volume above
pump= ppm derived from lab test )
• Test efficacy of a dispersant/solvent mixture for wax treatment
• Heat treatment by pumping steam down annulus with the pumping unit working
is most cost effective for deep wells
• Test efficacy of a single chemical for corrosion/scale
• Circulate for 3-4 hrs to allow chemical to reach bottom of well/pump suction and
increase contact time