enhance plunger lift while reducing capex and...

Gas Well Deliquification Workshop

Sheraton Hotel, Denver, Colorado

February 20 – 22, 2017

Enhance Plunger Lift While

Reducing CAPEX and OPEX

Jeff Saponja, P. Eng., MBA

Production Plus Energy Services Inc.

2

The Root cause of Artificial Lift

Challenges is Slug Flow

Slug Flow Mechanisms:

1.Hydrodynamic Based – flow

regime (rates, GLR and pressure)

2.Terrain Based – well geometry

(undulations and toe-up trajectory)

3.Operational Based –

interruptions, stops/starts, pump

on timer = bad plan, pump over-

stroking practices = bad plan

Feb. 20 - 22, 2017 2017 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop

Denver, Colorado

Horizontal Wellbore Slug Flow

https://youtu.be/DTl10BeLHV0

• Severe slug flow around bend compounds slugging in horizontal


Denver, Colorado

https://youtu.be/DTl10BeLHV0

4

Solution: mitigate slug flow

• Applying flow conditioning methods to mitigate slug flow

prior to separator and pump offers reliability and

efficiency; reliable maximization of production drawdown


Denver, Colorado

Mitigating Slug Flow Has Revealed

Significant Production Benefits

5

Reduced Total Well Capital Expenditure • Large artificial lift equipment due to production rate, depth and low efficiency

• Multiple lift systems required after natural flow period

• Complex directional profile to achieve production and geological objectives

Lowered Operating Expenses • Excessive workovers due to poor reliability and downhole equipment failures

• Expensive workovers due to pumps damaged by solids

• Excessive energy consumption due to pump depth and low pump efficiency

• Excessive gas interference and poor runtimes

Maximized Production Rate and Reserves • Inadequate drawdown due to lift system limitations (gas lift, “pump limited”)

• Pump placement limiting ability maximize drawdown

• Persistent high annular fluid levels or pump inlet pressure


Denver, Colorado

Producing BHP Comparison

6 Feb. 20 - 22, 2017 2017 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop

Denver, Colorado

Plunger Lift Challenges in Horizontal

Wells

• Excessive plunger travel time on deep wells

• Increased GLR requirements due to increased liquid loading

tendencies in the build section of the well

• Drawdown limitations with not able to lift liquids from the full

vertical depth of the wells (plunger’s can’t fall beyond angle of

repose ~55o)

• Holding higher casing pressure to avoid the risk of plunger

becoming stuck, limiting production drawdown

• Higher OPEX, as often wells that look like good plunger lift

candidates based on rule-of-thumb methods will not function

efficiently eventually requiring a transition to gas assist or switching

to another artificial lift system


Denver, Colorado

Can slug flow mitigation using HEAL

System enhance plunger lift?

Hypothesis • Mitigating slug flow from horizontal will increase plunger lift

efficiency, reducing gas assist requirements and lowering

producing BHP

• Bend section inefficiently consumes a large portion of a plunger

lift system’s energy, so use HEAL System to lift fluids from

horizontal to vertical

Design Concept • Place Plunger Bumper Spring up into vertical section and make

plunger lift system “think” it is in a shallower vertical well

• Achieve continuous slug mitigating flow up the SRS at all times,

using annulus as an accumulator – must time plunger cycles to

maintain continuous flow and use continuous flow plunger

• Solids control and separation to maximize plunger longevity

8

Development of the HEAL Slickline System:

Offset Well Frac Hit Protection


Denver, Colorado

SRS STRING

HEAL SEAL

Rod Pump

HEAL SLICKLINE SEPARATOR

c/w

SEPARATOR PRONG

• Well is on production with rod pump

and HEAL Slickline System

• Slickline HEAL Separator Prong in

place

• Casing is open for separated gas

• HEAL System protects pump from gas

and solids, as well as maximizes

production drawdown

INSERT PUMP

Frac Hit Protection

Separated Gas

Oil / Water

Formation Fluids (Oil, Water, Gas)


c/w

BLANKING PLUG / PRONG

• Offset well to be fracced, presenting a risk

of a frac hit

• Rods and pump are pulled from well

• Slickline unit pulls HEAL Separator Prong

and installs a standard X profile Blanking

Plug/Prong in Slickline Separator

• With deep well barrier, frac hit risks and

consequences are mitigated

• Post offset well frac, procedure is reversed

and well is placed back on production

SRS STRING

HEAL SEAL

Separated Solids

• Retrieve Flow Through Prong; bumper

spring, HEAL Plunger Lift Prong and

standing valve are installed

• Plunger Lift efficiency improved as shallower

and vertical; enables more cycles/day and

lower GLR

• Casing is closed (unless gas assisting)

• SRS discharges to annulus at HEAL

Slickline Separator and maintains

continuous flow

HEAL Slickline System:

Transition from Natural Flow to Plunger Lift

Extending Natural Flow Plunger Lift


c/w

FLOW THROUGH PRONG

(annulus isolated from tubing)

• HEAL Slickline Separator Flow

Through Prong installed (HEAL

Slickline Separator is bypassed and

isolated from annulus)

• Extends natural flow period as SRS

lifts fluids around bend and delays

the onset of liquid loading

• Casing is closed

• Option to enhance frac flowback


c/w

PLUNGER LIFT PRONG

SRS STRING SRS STRING

HEAL SEAL HEAL SEAL

PLUNGER BUMPER SPRING

STANDING VALVE


Denver, Colorado

Separated Gas

Oil / Water


Separated Solids

HEAL Slickline System:

Transition from Plunger Lift to Rod Pumping


Denver, Colorado

SRS STRING

HEAL SEAL

Rod Pump


c/w

SEPARATOR PRONG

• Slickline retrieve bumper spring, HEAL

Plunger Lift Prong and standing valve

• Slickline install HEAL Separator Prong

• Casing is open for separated gas

• HEAL System protects pump from gas

and solids, as well as maximizes

production drawdown

INSERT PUMP

Separated Gas

Oil / Water


Separated Solids

• Plunger Lift efficiency improved as shallower

and vertical; enables more cycles/day and

lower GLR

• Casing is closed (unless gas assisting)

• SRS discharges to annulus at HEAL

Slickline Separator and maintains

continuous flow

Plunger Lift


c/w

PLUNGER LIFT PRONG

SRS STRING HEAL SEAL

PLUNGER BUMPER SPRING

STANDING VALVE

Case Study 1: Enhanced Plunger Lift

• Initial field trial, short

term function test,

HEAL + continuous flow

plunger

• System performed as

expected:

– Consistent plunger

arrivals

– No “stalling” of

system

• According to plunger

provider, production

rate 300% of what was

expected based upon a

conventional plunger

installation in this well


Denver, Colorado

12

Case Study 2: Enhanced Plunger Lift

• First commercial install:

–Permian Basin

Wolfcamp

–HEAL + continuous

flow plunger

–Well previously on rod

lift

• Operation proceeding as

expected:

– Consistent plunger

arrivals

– Production 2x from

rod lift

• Excellent production

uplift while greatly

reducing OPEX

Feb. 20 - 22, 2017

2017 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop

Denver, Colorado

13

Full cycle artificial lift strategy defined by

mitigating slug flow

1. Control flowback – Reduced risk proppant flowback and fines generation

– Reduced risk of loss of frac conductivity

2. Maximize natural flow period (lowest OPEX) – Bend section liquid loading dictates when a well ceases to

naturally flow

3. Transition to lowest OPEX artificial lift system as quickly

as possible – Maximize pump efficiency to extend top end capacity

– Lower CAPEX by reducing or eliminating intermediate artificial lift

4. Maximize artificial lift system reliability and drawdown – Minimize planned and unplanned workovers

– Achieve lowest producing BHP as possible to maximize rate and

reserves


Denver, Colorado

Questions & Contact

15

CONTACT

Anthony McDaniels Jeff Saponja

970-692-7761 403-472-1440

[email protected]

www.pdnplus.com


Denver, Colorado


Denver, Colorado

16

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– Display the presentation at the Workshop.

– Place it on the www.alrdc.com web site, with access to the site to be as directed by the Workshop Steering Committee.

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Other use of this presentation is prohibited without the expressed written permission of the author(s). The owner company(ies) and/or author(s) may publish this material in other journals or magazines if they refer to the Gas Well Deliquification Workshop where it was first presented.


Denver, Colorado

17

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