Intermittent lift

Gas lift

Thumb rules for quick estimation

INTERMITTENT LIFT

• Tubing Gradient ( spacing factor ) – 0.05 to 0.075 psi/ft

(depending on tubing size & rate)

• Max possible injection depth (ft) = (Inj.Pr – THP)/Gradient

• Inj. Gas/cycle = 100 to 150 m3/cycle

(only applicable for 2 7/8” tubing,about 1250 mts of inj.depth
and THP of 8 kg/cm2,inj.pr about 35 kg/cm2)
 Gas lift
Thumb rules for quick estimation

Intermittent lift
• Liquid Fall Back – 7% for every 1000 ft
• Inj Cycle time – not less than 3 min/1000 ft
• Inj.period/cycle – 30 sec /1000 ft

Unloading
• Same as Cont.lift till First valve is uncovered.
• Then, adjust the time cycle controller short duration frequent
injection cycles of about 30 second injection every 3 minutes
till top few valves are uncovered.
• Then adjust the cycle time for 30sec/3min/1000 ft
 Gas lift

PRESSURE SURVEY CHART OF WELL NO. K-53

Depth of recording - 1300 mts

69
67

65
63
PRESSURE,KG/CM2

61
59
57
55
53
51
49
47

45
7 11 15 19 23
TIME,HRS
 Intermittent Gas lift

• General basis of design for required gas calculation & no. of

cycles required

- Required Inj gas calculated as the volume required to fill the

tubing volume ( for Depth of Injection – Slug height and based
on tubing area )

- Slug height calculated based on assumption that tubing load

is approx 65 % of casing load for good recovery.
 Intermittent Gas lift

• Tubing pressure at depth – 0.65 * Pvo

• Tubing load ( Slug load in psi ) –
Slug load in psi = Tub pr at depth – (WHP
+ Gas column wt )
• Slug load in psi / well gradient = Slug ht
• Slug volume = Slug ht * Tubing area
 Intermittent Gas lift

• Fall back % – 0.07 * (Inj depth /1000)

• Fall back load – Slug Ht & Fall back %
• Pressure fallback – Fall back load * Gradient
• Avg pr – (Pr before fallback + Pr after fall back ) /2
• FBHP = Avg Tub Pr + Pr. Below inj depth
• Flow rate as per IPR ( ie say cu ft /sec) - per cycle rate
• Depth of fill – Vol fill / Tub area ( cu ft/sec/ sq ft ) = ft /sec
• Pressure fill/sec = Depth of fill * well gradient ( ft/sec *psi / ft = psi /sec )
• Required pressure fill = Tub pr ( 0.65 Pvo ) – Pressure after fall back )
• Time build up = Required pr fill ( psi ) / Pressure fill ( psi/sec) ie build up
in seconds
 Intermittent Gas lift

• Gas volume = Required gas volume to fill tubing converted to Std

conditions by considering avg pr at depth ( (Tub.pr + Pvc) / 2 ), Std pr,
and both temperatures ( Calculated as SCFT or SCMD )

• Total time required for inj cycle – approx 3 min /1000 ft of injection
• Cycle time + build up time -Total cycle time ( sec)

• No of cycles – 24* 60 * 60 / total cycle time

• Rate of production – Rate per cycle * No of cycles
 Gas lift

Continuous Lift
Unloading

• Be patient.
• Initial increase in casing pressure at a rate of 50 psi increase in 10
minutes till 400 psi.
• Then at a rate of 100 psi in 10 minutes till gas cuts through the first valve
• Then adjust the rate suitably.
0
1

Unloading Operation
 Gas lift monitoring and troubleshooting

Important parameters to monitor Tools

• Gas Injection Rate • Orifice meter for Gas flow rate

• Gas Injection Pressure (GIP)
• Wellhead Pressure
• Operating Valve depth
• Tubing fluid gradient
• Injection cycle duration and
frequency
• Two pen recorder
• Pressure and Temperature
survey
• Acoustic survey
 Gas lift monitoring and troubleshooting

CONTINUOUS GAS LIFT INTERMITTENT GAS LIFT

 Gas lift monitoring and troubleshooting

Goof Performance Intermittent Inj. Vs Continous. Inj

 Gas lift monitoring and troubleshooting
This behavior is very common and it is
difficult to model by conventional tools

Periodic water loading Heading in G/L wells

 Gas lift – Two pen pressure recorder

( II ) INTERMITTENT GAS LIFT

PT GOOD OPERATION
1.
PA (high capacity producer)

2. PA
GOOD OPERATION
PT
(low capacity producer
PA GOOD OPERATION
3.
PT (with choke)
PA
4. LESS CYCLE FREQUENCY
PT
16
 Gas lift – Two pen pressure recorder

( II ) INTERMITTENT GAS LIFT (CONTD.)

PT EXCESSIVE TUBING
5.
PA PRESSURE

6. PA
SLUGGISH VALVE ACTION
PT

PA
7. LEAKY GAS LIFT VALVES
PT
PA ALTERNATE INJECTION
9.
PT CYCLE MISSING
17
 Gas lift – Two pen pressure recorder

( II ) INTERMITTENT GAS LIFT (CONTD.)

PT Flow string leakage no control

9.
PA of injection cycle

10. PA
SLUGGISH VALVE ACTION
PT

PA
11. LEAKY GAS LIFT VALVES
PT
PA ALTERNATE INJECTION
12.
PT CYCLE MISSING
18
 Gaslift valve testing

• Static testing and dynamic testing

• Static testing include Leakage test,Ageing test ,shelf test and
probe test
• Dynamic test for evaluation of Gaslift valve flow performance
• Leakage test – Leakage through seat and stem when valve is in
closed condition (100% valves)
• Rejection criteria
API Criteria – 35 SCFT / D
ONGC criteria – not more than one bubble in 5 seconds
• Much stringent than API
 Gaslift valve testing

• Ageing test – for bellow maturing & check of tail plug (100 %
valves )
• Bellows subjected to 5000 psi external hydrostatic pressure for
2-3 cycles of 15 minutes
• Rejection criteria – Pressure difference in opening pr < 5 psi
• Shelf test – accounts for minor leakages in thread connections
of valve( 100 % valves )
• Rejection criteria – Difference in opening pressure < 1 %
• Probe test – Bellows stem travel and Load rate
( random samples )
 Gaslift valve testing

• Dynamic test for valve performance

• Flow profile – Orifice and Throttling flow

• Actual Gas flow rate vs Theoretical rate

• Random samples tested

General types of gas lift valve flow performance

G
Orifice
a
s

F
l Transitional
o
w

R
Throttling
a
t
e
Flowing Production Pressure Pvc Pvo
What do valve performance curves look like ?
What do valve performance curves look like ?
What do valve performance curves look like ?
Design of G/L for a well