Gas Lift Design and Optimization Using NODAL Analysis
INSTRUCTOR: Rajan N. Chokshi, PhD or Gabor Takacs, PhD
DISCIPLINE: Engineering
COURSE LENGTH: 5 Days (Classroom) / 10 Half-Day Sessions (Live Online)
CEUS: 4.0
AVAILABILITY: Public, In-House, & Live Online
ATTEND AN UPCOMING CLASS:
Check back in periodically for updated Public and Live Online course dates! To schedule an In-House course, contact SCA’s Training Department at training@scacompanies.com.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND: Production, reservoir, completion, drilling and facilities engineers, analysts, operators, and anyone interested in learning about the implications of gas-lift systems for their fields and reservoirs.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Gas-lift is one of the predominant forms of artificial lift used for lifting liquids from conventional, unconventional, onshore and offshore assets. Gas-lift and its various forms (intermittent lift, gas-assisted plunger lift) allows life of well lift-possibilities when selected and applied properly. This course is designed to give trainees thorough understanding of gas-lift technology and related application concepts.
The course covers main components, application envelope, relative strengths and weaknesses of gas-lift and its different forms like intermittent lift, gas-assisted plunger lift. Trainees solve examples and class problems throughout the course. Animations and videos reinforce the concepts under discussion. A unique feature of this course is discussion on digital oil field and machine learning applications in gas-lift optimization.
Option: Client’s real-time system-based workflows and examples can be incorporated in the class discussions. Requires two-days of consulting and access to the client system at least 4 weeks before the class.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
- Understand the fundamental theories and procedures related to Gas-Lift operations.
- Easily recognize the different components of the gas-lift system and their basic structural and operational features.
- Be able to design a gas-lift installation.
- Understand how digital oilfield tools help address ESP challenges.
- Recent advances in real-time approaches to the production monitoring and lift management.
COURSE CONTENT:
- Pre-test
- Introduction
- Artificial Lift: When / Why / What of Lift Mechanisms; Types
- How Gas-lift is same and different from other lift forms.
- Well Life Cycles and gas lift Applicability vis a vis other lift methods
- Well Performance: Review of Fundamentals
- Systems/NODAL Analysis
- Reservoir Performance: Productivity Index & Inflow Performance Relationship (IPR)
- PVT Analysis
- Multiphase Flow
- Flow Correlations & Mechanistic models; Flow Regimes/maps
- Pressure Gradient Curves
- VLP: Vertical Lift Performance
- Gas Lift Installation Types
- Tubing Flow Installations
- Open Installation
- Semi-Closed Installation
- Closed Installation
- Chamber installations
- Casing Flow and Other Installations
- Tubing Flow Installations
- Gas Lift Valves
- Gas Lift Valve Types
- Supporting Calculations
- Valve Construction Details
- Valve Mechanics of IPO Valves (Class Problems)
- Dynamic Performance of Gas Lift Valves
- Setting of Gas Lift Valves
- Application of Gas Lift Valves
- Running and Retrieving Gas Lift Valves
- Continuous Flow Gas Lifting
- Principles of Continuous Flow Gas Lifting
- Installation Design Calculations (Class Problems)
- The Effects of Operational Parameters
- Surface Gas Injection Control
- NODAL Analysis of Continuous Flow Gas Lifted Wells
- Description of System Performance
- Constant Wellhead Pressure Cases (Class Problems)
- Unlimited & Limited Lift Gas Availability
- The Equilibrium Curve Method (Class Problem)
- Variable Wellhead Pressure Cases
- System Stability
- Optimization of Continuous Flow Gas Lift Installations
- Basic Principles
- Optimization of a Single Well for Prescribed Liquid Rate
- Existing Compressor (Class Problem)
- Compressor to be Selected
- Optimization of Continuous Flow Gas Lift Installations (Cont.)
- Single-Well Optimization for Unlimited Rate
- The Economic Slope Method
- Allocation of Lift Gas to a Group of Wells
- The Equal Slope Method (Class Problem)
- Single-Well Optimization for Unlimited Rate
- CASE STUDY: Optimizing the Operating Conditions in a Major Gas-Lifted Field
- Unloading Design for Continuous Flow
- Unloading Valve String Design
- Valve String Designs (Class Problem)
- VIDEO Presentation: The Unloading Process
- Unloading Valve String Design
- Intermittent gas-lift basics & overview of design
- Plunger Assisted Gas-lift & Gas-assisted Plunger lift
- Analysis and Troubleshooting Continuous Flow Gas Lift Wells
- Troubleshooting Tools and their Use
- Two-Pen Pressure Recordings
- Downhole Pressure and Temperature Surveys
- Acoustic Surveys
- Common Gas Lift Malfunctions
- Downhole Problems
- Distribution and Gathering System Problems
- Troubleshooting Tools and their Use
- Gas Lift Application in Unconventional Production
- Digital Oil Field for Production Optimization
- Production Optimization and Digital Oil Field (DOF)?
- Available Technologies
- Downhole P/T Measurements Components
- Surface Flow Measurement Components
- Role of software in visualization, analysis and surveillance
- Brief discussion on use cases for data analytics
- Post-test