Artificial Lift

In this paper, improvements to the Artificial Lift Map (ALM)[ref] have been made. The ALM is a tool, a 2D chart, of the Gas Liquid Ratio (GLR) versus Liquid Flow Rate (QL) for a single or multiple Wells. This tool can be used to improve Artificial Lift (AL) selection, field planning and overall operational efficiency. Within the chart are regions defining the operation envelopes for the various AL...

A complete rod lift system design requires sizing a downhole pump, stroke length and pumping speed to match a production target, selecting a rod string taper that survives cyclic loading by checking each taper against Modified Goodman fatigue limits, and selecting a surface unit whose peak torque, structural load and counterbalance design limits can carry the resulting load. These tasks...

There are a lot of papers and discussions surrounding optimization with the primary focus being on the downhole artificial lift equipment. However, optimization should include other aspects such as downtime due to other related equipment, training, operator expectations, miscommunication, improper design, initial costs, operating costs, and other factors. I will briefly discuss these factors and...

With new artificial-lift and solids-management tools emerging every day, determining why some installations succeed while others fail is rarely as simple as it seems. In an effort to identify which future vibrational-energy tool installations would be successful, Oxy conducted an immersive look-back on its historical vibrational-energy tool installs.
The analysis covered 75 wells where Oxy had...

Chemical programs are frequently used to manage foreign materials (both suspended and in solution) in Permian wells. These programs typically rely on surface equipment for mixing and downhole injection to deliver the chemical. This presentation examines the nature of scale, corrosion, paraffin, asphaltene precipitation and H2S in the Permian and presents the case for a targeted micro-encapsulated...

Optimized artificial lift design requires a reliable understanding of a well inflow performance relationship (IPR) to estimate production potential under different operating conditions. However, IPR-based design is not commonly applied in unconventional developments because well productivity and reservoir pressure change over time, while the large number of wells and comparatively modest...

Artificial lift optimization in marginal horizontal wells is often limited by gas interference and inefficient pump intake placement. Particularly in mature reservoirs producing below bubble point. As free gas evolves in the lateral, stratified flow conditions can reduce pump fillage and restrict drawdown in rod lift systems. This study presents a field case from a marginal horizontal well...

Sinker bars and sinker rods are both used as methods to help maintain tensile strength and minimize buckling of the rod string in rod pumped wells. They have different applications but primarily attempt to solve the same problem. This presentation will look to assess the advantages and disadvantages of using sinker rods vs sinker bars in horizontal rod pumped wells. 

Modern unconventional wells increasingly rely on gas lift compression, representing ~30% of initial artificial lift systems in the Midland Basin and ~40% in the Delaware Basin by 2024. Permian produced gas is often liquid-rich, containing higher propane and butane concentrations and specific gravities typically ranging from 0.72–0.79 (and occasionally up to ~0.97), forcing compressors to operate...

The efficient management of gas lift systems is pivotal in minimizing operational costs and maximizing production for a large majority of unconventional wells. By leveraging automated workflows to efficiently build and tune physics based nodal analysis models, operators can optimize well performance and gas injection rates thus reducing operational expenses. A cornerstone of effective gas lift...