Victoria Pons and Orlando Magallanes, WellWorx Energy
Michael Tschauner, XTO
Gas and solid separation continue to be a significant challenge for operators. Gas interference causes unnecessary shutdowns in rod pumped wells, leading to difficult pumping conditions and lost production. Additionally, damage from solid abrasions leads to mechanically-incurred erosion failures.
With a well-designed Bottom Hole Assembly (BHA), downtime as well as gas and solids passing through the pump can be minimized.
To increase production, industry standards call for operators to maximize separation area while taking downward fluid velocity into consideration. The less gas passed through the pump equates to fewer gas interference or pump off cards and therefore increased drawdown.
An appropriately designed BHA avoids unnecessary shutdowns and enables stabilized pump fillage, decreased Gas to Liquid Ratio (GLR) and better reservoir drawdown.
By achieving proper gas and solid mitigation, operators are allowed more freedom in pumping practices with or without lowering the pump in the curve and overall profitability is increased. Operator data showing the impact of this new technology will be presented.