MEMO

TO: Dr. Ahmad Jamili

FROM: Apolinario Malungo/113318287

DATE: December, 12017

SUJECT: Summary of two research papers

Two research papers about Liquid-Loading in gas well were summarized. The first ‘Gas

Well Liquid-loading Problems’ was written by James F. Lea, and Henry V. Nickens, and the

second ‘Cyclic Shut-in Eliminates Liquid-Loading in Gas wells’ by Curtis Hays Whitson, Silvya

Dewi Rahmawati, and Aleksander Juell.

I- Gas Well Liquid­loading Problems

 Liquid-loading is the process when the presence of liquid in the well caused the

production of the gas to deplete.

 Liquid-loading can be identified by Sharp drops in a decline curve, Onset of liquid slugs

at the surface of well, creasing difference between the tubing and casing flowing

pressures, Sharp changes in gradient on a flowing-pressure survey and Critical Velocity. 

 Critical Velocity is analyzed using two methods: film of liquid on the wall of the tubing

and a droplet suspended in the flowing gas, but the droplet model fits the well data better.

 Liquid-loading formed or introduced into the well cause the well to create influx of

liquid, which cause the gas production from this well to decrease if the FBHP is beyond

optimum levels.
 There are many solutions for Liquid­loading such as Plunger lift, Use of compression to

lower wellhead pressures, etc.

II­ Cyclic Shut-in Eliminates Liquid-Loading in Gas wells

 Cyclic shut-in control is a production technique used to eliminate the production loss due

to liquid-loading in lower-permeability stimulated wells, including but not limited to

shale gas wells.

 Cyclic shut-in control consists in not allowed the production to go below the “liquid-

loading” gas rate by automatically shut-in the well.

 During cyclic shut-in control process is better to keep it for shorter time.

 It was applied in different reservoir characteristics by using two distinct well models,

which are Vertical Well Model, and Horizontal Multi-fractured (HMF) Well Model.

 Based on stimulated well, the cyclic shut-in control presents a near-linear trend in

recovery efficiency loss as the shut-in time increases.

 Cyclic shut-in control presents limitations when it is used to a well that it has produced

below the Liquid-loading gas rate.