ARTIFICIAL LIFT OPTIMIZATION

What is Artificial lift Optimization?

The term "optimization" has come to have many meanings in the industry, but the fundamental
reason it exists: optimization = optimal Return on Investment (ROI).
Thus Artificial lift optimization can be defined under two aspects:

Selection Optimization: - It involves selection of best suited technique of artificial lift

for a particular well in terms of its economics. This involves consideration of economics,
location, depth, estimated production, reservoir properties, and other factors.
Performance Optimization: - When a particular Artificial lift system is installed in a
well it is continuously monitored and analyzed to improve the production or reduce the
operational cost in order to improve Return on Investment

Why Optimization?
Precisely, ever-changing well dynamics require frequent changes to production techniques.
Well undergoes constant changes throughout its life, these changes can be subdivided in two
levels:

Inflow changes: Reservoir is homogeneous and hence pressure losses keeps changing
with time, drive mechanisms, increasing water-cut etc also affects the dynamics of
reservoir. Various techniques like acidization, fracturing etc changes the near well bore
dynamics which in turn finally affects the inflow of the well.
Outflow changes: Fluid levels, scale deposition, paraffin deposition etc are responsible
for changes in outflow which keeps on changing with time.

Due to these changes constantly occurring in the well it is required that the production
techniques must be reviewed and optimized for maximum ROI.

Basic Procedure
Selection Optimization
Different service providers use different methodologies for this purpose. These days the
companies are moving towards automatizing the optimization technique. The basic procedure
involved in selection optimization involves:

Monitoring well activity and reservoir changes

Quantifying data received

Controlling well operation based on the wells current state

Analyzing the artificial-lift system related to the current well status

Designing the artificial-lift system based on the wells current and projected
characteristics

Managing operations work flow

Performance Optimization
Again, the exact methodology for optimization of an Artificial lift system varies widely with the
type of Artificial lift technique, location of well, reservoir history, age of well, presence of
resources and various other factors, hence there is no recipe for optimization. But the basic
procedure which is followed in every system is given as:

Gather updated well data: This includes operational parameters, surface and downhole
completion information, static bottom hole pressure etc. The type of data varies with the
artificial lift technique involved

Analyze well data: The data from various sources is then analyzed and a model is
prepared using various simulators which gives the exact picture of well status.

Model different scenarios in order to simulate how to resolve system problems

Economic analysis: After modeling technical issues, economic analysis is done to

validate the models in terms of maximum returns.

Generate diagnosis and recommendation reports

Generate final report: After recommendations have been executed data is updated in
order to ensure optimization process is completed.