Artificial Lift

OBJECTIVES/SCOPE: The presentation will review a new modeling workflow utilizing dynamic, iterative nodal analysis  with cumulative-based IPR indexing to generate production profiles for different operating scenarios for a given base-case production forecast. Output profiles can be tested for value in an economic model. This workflow has been used to rebase the high-pressure gas lift strategy in...

Objective/Scope: Presentation will review design, installation, and results of recent novel artificial lift pilot in the DJ Basin. GALLOP (Gas Assisted Liquid Lift Oscillating Pressure) is a new variant of gas-lift, designed to unload horizontal wells from the lateral. Unloading from the lateral can add years to a well’s life by preventing heel loading when reservoir pressure drops too low to keep...

In the Delaware Basin, traditional well control during high-pressure annular gas lift installations often introduced risks of formation damage, restricted wellbore access, costly interventions, and extended non-productive time. A dissolvable packer eliminated these drawbacks by delivering reliable pressure isolation without kill fluids, snubbing, or retrieval operations, enabling day-one gas lift...

Effective back-check performance is critical in gas-lift systems to prevent reverse flow during injection shut-in. As well-integrity requirements strengthen, operators require barrier solutions that do not impede unloading efficiency or gas-lift performance.

This paper presents a Patented, barrier-qualified 1-inch back-check system engineered to maximize flow capacity while delivering reliable...

Compressor downtime remains one of the primary causes of lost production, unstable injection performance, and fugitive methane emissions in gas lift operations. This paper reviews a zero-methane emission compression optimization system designed to stabilize gas lift performance by mitigating gas lift compressor issues, reducing shutdown frequency, and capturing methane emissions. The closed-loop...

This case study presents a comprehensive evaluation of how the integration of advanced electric submersible pump (ESP) technologies, efficient gas handling devices, high-efficiency induction motors, and continuous real-time digital surveillance can drive both operational efficiency and sustainability in upstream oil production. The focus is on 22 wells operated by SOGC, Inc. in the Williston Basin...

The thermal behavior of Electrical Submersible Pump (ESP) systems deployed in unconventional wells is poorly characterized, particularly when exposed to elevated gas volume fractions and transient flow regimes. Traditional point temperature measurements provide limited spatial resolution and do not capture how gas interference influences heat distribution along pump stages, seal sections, and...

Electric Submersible Pumps (ESPs) face significant performance challenges when free gas enters the system, and bubbles obstruct fluid flow through the pump impellers–a phenomenon known as gas locking, which can induce premature failure. This complication is amplified during gas slug events, which are inevitable in unconventional reservoirs common to the Permian Basin. This paper presents...

This study analyzes a comprehensive dataset of mid-to-late life Electric Submersible Pump (ESP) designs deployed in Delaware Basin wells to identify the most effective configurations for high Gas Volume Fraction (GVF) environments. Downhole GVFs are normalized across wells, and ESP designs are categorized by pump stage count, gas-handling pump type, gas separator configuration, and casing size...

Electric Submersible Pumps (ESPs) are commonly known in the Artificial Lift Systems for high flowrates capabilities; however, it’s been limited on tight casing application due to not only HP constrains, but also for presenting restriction in terms of chemical treatment all the way down to the bottom of the equipment and reliability concern on tandem motor applications. Recently an operating...