Gas Well Deliquification Workshop

Sheraton Hotel, Denver, Colorado

February 23 25, 2015

Providing an Automated Solution

for running Plunger Lift and Gas
Lift Operations Concurrently

Pete Piotrowski, MSEE

Software Engineer
 Which is it?

Gas Lift w/ Plunger Assist, or Plunger Lift w/ Gas Assist?

What is the primary means of lift?

Somewhere in the middle is a fine line

Is NOT Intermittent Gas Lift method!

Feb. 23 - 25, 2015 2015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 2
 Why use a Plunger in
Gas Lift Operations?
Production (tubing) Buildup
1. Paraffin
2. Scale
3. Bonus De-liquification! Sweep the fluid from the
tubing walls

Feb. 23 - 25, 2015 2015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 3
 Why use Gas Injection
with Plungers?
Reservoir cannot or can no longer produce enough
pressure to operate Plunger
Reservoir Liquid production rate is faster than its
pressure generation of available gas
Liquid loading during shut-in exceeds capacity of
plunger to start again
Plunger recovery
Note: Typically a smaller rated compressor (than is
used in GL) can be utilized in some cases

Feb. 23 - 25, 2015 2015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 4
 What is your Long Term
Lift Strategy?
Start Gas Lift end in Gas Lift
Lowest cost, but hard to completely deplete the reservoir, used
offshore
Start Gas Lift end in Rod Lift
$250,000 for a Rod Pump, $465,000 with installation?
Start Gas Lift end in Plunger Lift
Lowest overall cost over the life of the well, ongoing highest
maintenance cost relative to other forms of lift

Sources: Eagle Ford Production Conference (2014 Houston) Proceedings:

1. Jon Dover, Pioneer Natural Resources; Assessing the Capital and Operating Expense of Gas Lift
to Determine Net Present Value of a well on Gas Lift.
2. Mike Ward, EP Energy; Examiing Selection of Optimal Artificial Lift Based on Parameters of Cost,
Run Life, and Failure Rates

Feb. 23 - 25, 2015 2015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 5
 Typical System Diagram- 1

Feb. 23 - 25, 2015 2015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 6
 Typical System Diagram- 2

Feb. 23 - 25, 2015 2015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 7
 Typical System Diagram- 3

Feb. 23 - 25, 2015 2015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 8
 Gas Lift w/ Plunger Assist
SCENARIOS - 1
1. Decide what the purpose of the plunger is
a. Paraffin
b. Scale or wiping fluid from tubing walls
Q: Where to place the bottom hole assembly?

2. Bypass (Free-Cycling) Plungers

a. No automation controller needed (really?)
b. Bypass Plungers rated (Fall against Flow, i.e. 800 MCFD)
c. Methods to Minimize round trip time
30-60 Second Shut-ins to start inertia of plunger falling

Feb. 23 - 25, 2015 2015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 9
 GL w/ PA SCENARIOS - 2
3. Run plungers in Time Production Mode, Why?
Plungers restrict gas flow
Paraffin / Scale rates of buildup vary well to well

Time Mode allows user to :

a.Select optimal plunger cycle frequency to
maximize gas production.
b.Overcome plungers resistance to (start) fall
against flow
c.Minimize plunger round trip cycle time

Feb. 23 - 25, 2015 2015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 10
 Plunger Lift w/ Gas Assist
SCENARIOS - 1
Q: Whats the purpose of gas injection in Plunger Lift?
Supplement the reservoir BHP to sweep the plunger up
Reservoir Liquid production rate is faster than its pressure
generation
Reservoir cannot or can no longer produce enough pressure to
operate Plunger
Liquid loading during shut-in exceeds capacity of plunger to
start again
Plunger recovery

Maximize number of plunger cycles / day

Feb. 23 - 25, 2015 2015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 11
 PL w/ GA SCENARIOS - 2
Multi-Well Systems sharing:
- Compressor
- Separator(s)
- Sales line
Q: Run as Free for all or use synchronization?
- Running Plungers in Time mode (synchronized?)
- Running Plungers in Pressure mode (synchd?)
- Auto-Adjust Plunger algorithms (synchd?)

Feb. 23 - 25, 2015 2015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 12
 To Intermit or Not; That is the
Question
Intermittent Gas Injection Benefits:
- Smaller compressor (less cost)
- Quick Dump (motor) valves can be used (less cost)
- Can extend life of well before Plug and Abandon

Intermittent Gas Injection Downsides:

- Parallel or Free for All operations (who gets the gas?)
- Automation: How to determine Plunger Open time?
- !! What happens to other wells running Gas Lift using
same compressor?
Feb. 23 - 25, 2015 2015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 13
 Intermittent Flow Gas Injection
PL w/ GA Best Practices
- Primary means of lift is Plunger in all wells on shared
system components (compressor, separators, etc.)
- Wells which cannot produce enough gas and PSI to bring
up plunger on their own
- BBLD << 200
- Most cost effective: Synchronize well opens (round robin,
or ready to produce methods)
- Automation Production Method: Pressure mode (e.g.
Casing over Line, etc.)
- Problems with injection valve can be (somewhat) alleviated
by using different size trims (choking)

Feb. 23 - 25, 2015 2015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 14
 To Flow Continuous or Not, That
is the Question - 1
Continuous Gas Injection Benefits:
oAllows each well to be tuned to optimal state
oSystem can be any mix of Plunger Lift or Gas Lift in any
combination
oWells can be operated in parallel, free for all, or
synchronized (Level of control is exceptional)
oUpon detection of compression issues, wells can continue
to produce in some cases

*Flow at Setpoint is maintained regardless of

fluctuations up or down stream! (within reason)
Feb. 23 - 25, 2015 2015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 15
 To Flow Continuous or Not, That
is the Question - 2
Continuous Gas Injection Downsides:
- Automation more extensive (more cost)
- Larger Compressor Capacity (parallel well operations)
- Control Valve actuators (more cost)

Feb. 23 - 25, 2015 2015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 16
 Continuous Flow Gas Injection
PLw/GA or GLw/PA Best Practices -1
- Obtain Knowledge of both Plunger Lift and Gas Lift
Methods; Knowledge to take the right action is what
optimizes production.
- Auto-Adjusting Plunger algorithms: use at your own
risk. Can cause instability in parallel injection setups.
- Pinch back flow to other wells when bringing new well
online (Unload) or starting up any well with Packer
(Kickoff) to obtain high compression pressure.
- Use Gas Injection Valves (mandrels) down hole.

Feb. 23 - 25, 2015 2015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 17
 Continuous Flow Gas Injection
PLw/GA or GLw/PA Best Practices - 2
Continued
-Packers optional for PL w/ GA but great for GL w/ PA.
-Use Automation products that are designed and
integrated for the entire solution (rather than many
individual controllers which are not integrated; can lead
to duplicity)
-Let Operators decide what Lift method or combo is best!
-If there is a will, there is a way

Feb. 23 - 25, 2015 2015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 18
 Automation Considerations
GL and PL both operate best under Automation control.
- Pick automation that can do both together or separate
a. Variety of Plunger Production modes (time, PSI, auto-adjust, etc.)
b. PID Control Loop (for continuous throttled gas injection)
c. Multi-Well solutions offer the best site control ability
d. The more Knobs the better
- Recognize Synchronization is key in some operations

(i.e. Round Robin and or Ready to Produce options)

- Taking Action on Detection of an Alarm State
(i.e. move to 50% Injection Flow Setpoint)
- Aggregation of all Site Equipment SCADA data

Feb. 23 - 25, 2015 2015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 19
 Other Learnings
- The PID is not a whipping boy its only misunderstood;
Unstable systems can be caused by:
- Electronic Flow Meters [EFMs]
- Noisy Flow meter readings which feed PID (GIGO)
- Control Valves (Throttling Chokes, etc.)
- Gas Injection Valve (wrong size trim, wrong type of trim, wrong
type of valve body, actuator not calibrated to valve, hydrates!)
- Put your control valves DOWNSTREAM of EFMs
- Compressors (Bypasses, Range of RPMs, Re-Circulation
circuits, etc.)
- Insufficient gas or pressure developed by compressor

Feb. 23 - 25, 2015 2015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 20
 Resource for Understanding
Control Valves
PCS Ferguson Gas Lift Manager User Guide
Chapter 6

Feb. 23 - 25, 2015 2015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 21
 Poser Question

Feb. 23 - 25, 2015 2015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 22
 Poser Question

Feb. 23 - 25, 2015 2015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 23
 Poser Question Solution

Feb. 23 - 25, 2015 2015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 24
 Copyright
Rights to this presentation are owned by the company(ies) and/or
author(s) listed on the title page. By submitting this presentation to
the Gas Well Deliquification Workshop, they grant to the Workshop,
the Artificial Lift Research and Development Council (ALRDC), and
the Southwestern Petroleum Short Course (SWPSC), rights to:
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.
Place it on a CD for distribution and/or sale as directed by the
Workshop Steering Committee.
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.

Feb. 23 - 25, 2015 2015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 25
 Disclaimer
The Artificial Lift Research and Development Council and its officers and trustees, and the Gas
Well Deliquification Workshop Steering Committee members, and their supporting organizations
and companies (here-in-after referred to as the Sponsoring Organizations), and the author(s) of
this Technical Presentation or Continuing Education Training Course and their company(ies),
provide this presentation and/or training material at the Gas Well Deliquification Workshop "as is"
without any warranty of any kind, express or implied, as to the accuracy of the information or the
products or services referred to by any presenter (in so far as such warranties may be excluded
under any relevant law) and these members and their companies will not be liable for unlawful
actions and any losses or damage that may result from use of any presentation as a consequence
of any inaccuracies in, or any omission from, the information which therein may be contained.
The views, opinions, and conclusions expressed in these presentations and/or training materials
are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Sponsoring Organizations. The author is
solely responsible for the content of the materials.
The Sponsoring Organizations cannot and do not warrant the accuracy of these documents
beyond the source documents, although we do make every attempt to work from authoritative
sources. The Sponsoring Organizations provide these presentations and/or training materials as
a service. The Sponsoring Organizations make no representations or warranties, express or
implied, with respect to the presentations and/or training materials, or any part thereof, including
any warrantees of title, non-infringement of copyright or patent rights of others, merchantability,
or fitness or suitability for any purpose.

2015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 26

Feb. 23 - 25, 2015