Prod. Handling

Ovintiv partnered with Weatherford to evaluate a next-generation Virtual Flow Metering (VFM) solution across multiple basins, including the Permian and Anadarko. These wells featured a mix of artificial lift methods, primarily gas lift and electric submersible pumps (ESP).

The goal was to validate whether a hybrid modeling approach—blending first-principles physics with machine learning—could...

Water carryover - produced liquid entrained in the gas stream leaving the separator instead of reaching the tank - accumulates in gathering lines, raises backpressure, and drives low-pressure wells to underperform. The mechanisms are known: stuck dump valves, failed floats, undersized separators. However, detection is not. Carryover was often found 48 to 72 hours after onset, if not longer.

No...

This presentation will highlight the results of a Permian operators' use of multiphase technology from trial phase to facility implementation, including successes, learnings and benefits to using Multiphase measurement technology over traditional methods for allocation measurement.

Converting a well from continuous gas lift to intermittent gas lift (IGL) changes the flow behavior entering the separator from a relatively steady flow regime to periodic high-rate liquid slugs. The resulting slugs can challenge the available gas capacity, liquid retention volumes and dump valve capacity of the existing separator. Before this conversion to IGL, operators must determine whether...

Multiphase flow behavior in surface production flowlines significantly affects separator performance, flow assurance, and overall production stability. Among the intermittent flow regimes commonly encountered in oil and gas production systems, slug flow is particularly challenging because of large pressure oscillations, liquid holdup, and unstable operating conditions in surface facilities...

Multiphase flow meters (MPFMs) are transforming well surveillance by enabling continuous, real-time measurement of oil, water, and gas flow without the need for large test separators. This work reviews the physics and field performance of dominant MPFM's, particularly the Venturi differential-pressure and dual-energy gamma densitometry combination, and compares their validated operating envelopes...

This study investigates the feasibility of repurposing produced water as an electrochemically active medium for energy recovery, reframing it as a resource rather than a waste product. An electrochemical “mud battery” system was developed using a semi-solid mixture of produced water and clay-rich soil. The clay matrix provides structural stability while maintaining ionic conductivity, enabling...

For decades, VRUs have been deployed as compliance equipment and treated as commodity hardware – sized on rough estimates, lightly engineered, and minimally monitored. The results have been predictable: inconsistent runtime, chronic loading instability, ever-increasing maintenance costs, and a long-standing belief that VRUs simply “don’t work.” This paper examines why that legacy persists and...

Leveraging advancements in material science, a comprehensive pilot study of the effectiveness of vibrational-energy tools to inhibit asphaltene and paraffin was conducted involving over 40 wells throughout the Permian Basin, encompassing both conventional and unconventional reservoirs. This technical paper provides an in-depth analysis of the tool, which operates on the interaction of specially...

Electrical Resistance (ER) probes offer a continuous, high-resolution method for measuring corrosion rates in oilfield systems. This study demonstrates how ER data can be used to establish baseline corrosion, evaluate corrosion inhibitor performance, and guide product selection under varying produced-water and multiphase conditions. Results show that ER data can quickly distinguish between...