Enhance Plunger Lift While Reducing CAPEX and OPEX

Transcription

1 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Sheraton Hotel, 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 overstroking practices = bad plan 2

3 Horizontal Wellbore Slug Flow Severe slug flow around bend compounds slugging in horizontal

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 4

5 Mitigating Slug Flow Has Revealed Significant Production Benefits 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 5

6 Producing BHP Comparison 6

7 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 ~55 o ) 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 7

8 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

9 Development of the HEAL Slickline System: Offset Well Frac Hit Protection Frac Hit Protection Rod Pump Well is on production with rod pump and HEAL Slickline System Offset well to be fracced, presenting a risk of a frac hit Slickline HEAL Separator Prong in place Rods and pump are pulled from well Casing is open for separated gas HEAL System protects pump from gas and solids, as well as maximizes production drawdown INSERT PUMP Formation Fluids (Oil, Water, Gas) 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 Separated Gas HEAL SLICKLINE SEPARATOR c/w SEPARATOR PRONG SRS STRING HEAL SEAL Oil / Water Separated Solids HEAL SLICKLINE SEPARATOR c/w BLANKING PLUG / PRONG SRS STRING HEAL SEAL 9

10 HEAL Slickline System: Transition from Natural Flow to Plunger Lift Plunger Lift Extending Natural Flow 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 Formation Fluids 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 PLUNGER BUMPER SPRING (Oil, Water, Gas) HEAL SLICKLINE SEPARATOR c/w FLOW THROUGH PRONG (annulus isolated from tubing) Separated Gas Oil / Water Separated Solids SRS STRING HEAL SEAL HEAL SLICKLINE SEPARATOR c/w PLUNGER LIFT PRONG STANDING VALVE SRS STRING HEAL SEAL

11 HEAL Slickline System: Transition from Plunger Lift to Rod Pumping Plunger Lift Rod Pump Plunger Lift efficiency improved as shallower and vertical; enables more cycles/day and lower GLR Slickline retrieve bumper spring, HEAL Plunger Lift Prong and standing valve Casing is closed (unless gas assisting) Casing is open for separated gas SRS discharges to annulus at HEAL Slickline Separator and maintains continuous flow HEAL System protects pump from gas and solids, as well as maximizes production drawdown Slickline install HEAL Separator Prong PLUNGER BUMPER SPRING INSERT PUMP HEAL SLICKLINE SEPARATOR c/w PLUNGER LIFT PRONG Formation Fluids STANDING VALVE Oil / Water (Oil, Water, Gas) Separated Gas Separated Solids SRS STRING HEAL SLICKLINE SEPARATOR c/w SEPARATOR PRONG SRS STRING HEAL SEAL HEAL SEAL 11

12 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 12

13 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 13

14 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 14

15 Questions & Contact CONTACT Anthony McDaniels Jeff Saponja

16 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 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. 16

17 Disclaimer The following disclaimer shall be included as the last page of a Technical Presentation or Continuing Education Course. A similar disclaimer is included on the front page of the Gas Well Deliquification Web Site. 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. 17