Gas-oil Ratio as Related to the Decline of Oil Production,

with Notes on the Effect of Controlled Pressure*

By C. V. MILLIKAN, t TULSA, OKLA.

GAS-OIL ratios in the production of oil have recently attracted the

attention of production engineers throughout the country and much work
has been done in an effort to reduce the volume of gas produced with
each barrel of oil, thereby increasing the ultimate oil production. When
occasion arises to use the relationship of rate of oil production and rate
of casinghead gas production it has ordinarily been assumed to be within
reasonably narrow limits constant throughout the life of the property
after flush production is past. In operating a lease for conservation of
gas or more efficient methods of recovery the rate at which the volume of
casinghead gas is declining is as essential as the rate of decline of oil
production. Much work has been done on the rate of decline of oil
production and while our knowledge of the subject is far from complete
it is much greater than our knowledge of the rate of decline of the casing-
head gas. The data presented show that a definite relationship exists
between the rate of decline of oil production and volume of casinghead
gas, and that a study of this relationship will usually indicate the effect
on the gas-oil ratio which may be expected when controlled pressure
is applied.
Comparison of two curves with different rates of decline is difficult
unless one is expressed in terms of the other. Therefore in the discussion
which follows the relationship of the rate of decline of casinghead gas to
oil production is expressed by the cubic feet of gas produced with each
barrel of oil, or gas-oil ratio.
The subject of this paper might more appropriately be "The oil-gas
ratio as related to the decline of casinghead gas." Where gas is the prin-
cipal expelling force of the oil from the sand, the oil is produced with the
casinghead gas rather than the casinghead gas being produced with the
oil. Since oil production figures are more familiar and it is easier to
follow from the known to the unknown, the more common usage is con-
tinued by expressing the casinghead gas in terms of oil production, but
it must be kept in mind that the reverse is the more exact condition.

* Published by permission of the Amerada Petroleum Corp.

t Pet.roleum engineer, Amerada Petroleum Corp.
1;17
 148 GAS-OIL RATIO AS RELATED TO THE DECLINE OF OIL PRODUCTION

OIL AND CASINGHEAD GAS PRODUCTION DATA

Production figures for both oil and casinghead gas are difficult to
obtain. Sufficient data have been obtained through the courtesy of
several companies and individuals, which, although subject to irregulari-
ties of field-operating conditions, especially the casinghead gas on the
older leases, permit some conclusions. While many of the leases have
more than one producing sand, the general rather than the specific
relationship is being considered and data which include several sands are
of no less value than those which average production from a group of
wells on leases.
Fig. 1 is an example of the relationship between gas-oil ratio and rate
of oil production on a flowing well. The data are from the production
records of Amerada Petroleum Corp. No.4 Bruner, in the Cromwell

1100

100 of\. li-i

~o 0
~~ ........
\ ~(
~
0
r--..... V "- .........
10 0 -..
,\11
.0 0
_ &000
i5 ../1\
:;j 5000
r- ---
'"~ 4000 ,/
"\
j :100 0
\ ........
~ 2000
4
• S 10 12 14 I 18 20 22 24 2. 28

FIG. I.-PRODUCTION AND'-GAS-OIL RATIO BY DAYS, AMERADA PETROLEUM No.4

BRUNER, CROMWELL FIELD.

field, and cover the first 25 days' production from the Cromwell sand.
After the well was shot the gas-oil ratio declined for 5 days and was
lower than when the well was completed. It increased from this point
as oil production declined, and when the well stopped flowing had
increased from 2800 to about 9000 cu. ft.
In the Tonkawa field in Amerada Petroleum Corp.'s No. 38 Goltry,
Wilcox sand, the gas-oil ratio for the first few hours' production after
the well started flowing was 2210 cu. ft. and' for the first full 24-hr.
gage the oil production was 2510 bbl. with a gas-oil ratio of 2750 cu. ft.
When the second pay was drilled 5 days later the oil production was
3984 bbl. with a gas-oil ratio of 2810 cu. ft. Ten days after the second
pay was drilled the oil production had declined to 3038 bbl. and the gas-
oil ratio had increased to 3410 cu. ft. No. 39 was then completed, produc-
ing with No. 38. The total production of the two wells was 4828 bbl.
with 2830 cu. ft. of gas per bbl. of oil. About 2 months later the oil pro-
 C. V. MILLIKAN 149
duction of the two wells had declined to about 3500 bbl. while the gas-
oil ratio increased to approximately 3500 cu. ft. When No. 38 started
heading the oil production was about 2000 bbl. per day with a gas-oil
ratio of 2500 cu. ft. Three weeks later when the well stopped flowing the
oil production had declined to 900 bbl. and the gas-oil ratio to 1900 cu.
ft. When the well was swabbed it produced about 400 bbl. of oil and
60 bbl. of water. At least part of the decline in the gas-oil ratio was due
to the water.
Fig. 2 shows curves of the rate of oil production by years, with the
gas-oil ratio for the same period, of pumping wells in the Cushing field.
In five of the seven curves the gas-oil ratio increases as the oil production
declines, and in the other two it remains practically constant. While
first glance at the curve for property G the gas-oil ratio appears to be
ZOO
200,--,---,-----,--,-,-----,;,..-'I6a$ D-t~ ia~!PIot.S~'f ' - Gas
150 /
150I----I.4'........,.+,,-,-h.,-+....,4,c--I /

100k+"'-=t"-=t-==f-==t"-l~ 0"
501---+--=,,*""4-d--+---+- Oil t- oil
OL-~~-L-L~~_
+' 250
r: 8:/~WeJ,
('; '200 0" J!J
i~E~;4JBb/'lpe; - 6as
I
- - - -
~ 150
0.. I
100
.........
50
t-..
t--
o r--
15'&-~~~CMMIT~~
Gas
'---'-:-:-'--;----s"'*i"..,..........~ 017

Yea"fy Periods
FIG. 2.-0IL PRODUCTION AND GAS-OIL RATIO OF SEVEN PROPERTIES IN DRUMRIGH1'
DISTRICT, CUSHING FIELD, OVER YEARLY PERIODS.

decreasing, a closer inspection shows that all of this decrease is between

the third and fourth points of the curve. The vacuum on all leases
except property F was less in the later periods than in the first. On prop-
erty F it has remained about the same over the entire time. The amount
of vacuum carried on the various leases is from 21 to 24 in. of mercury.
A possible explanation for the constant gas-oil ratio on .property G
is that the production is affected by a water drive, as the offset leases
down structure are making much larger quantities of water. The amount
of water on properties D and E has increased considerably during the
time covered by the data and it is significant that these properties have
a gas-oil ratio of less than one half that on the other leases which are
making only one-fourth to one-third as much water as oil.
Figs. 3 and 4 are also curves on data from the Cushing field. The
increases in oil production are caused mostly by cleaning out and installing
150 GAS-OIL RATIO AS RELATED TO THE DECLINE 01<' OIL PRODUCTION

better equipment, although during the last three periods some increases
are due to drilling the wells deeper in the sand. The vacuum carried is
from 22 to 25 in. of mercury and has increased only 2 or 3 in. during the

FIG.

time covered by the data. None of the leases in the Shamrock and
Drumright areas is making a very large quantity of water. The average
DISTRI CT
200 C 11
ID Od
0 T 1 "'""""
,.-<:. - - GI7S

- - ws
0,1
200 AVt"R~~_
100 - ~

- -
0 I
OILTON
00 200
AVERAGE.
-- - O,Y 0 0'/
00
50
Gas 100
- --- •
+1
15oo--;r--
- -.: .-- Gas
0
Zuu E
- -- - /Oli'

-
o Oi!
-+' I
<'j 0 c
-
~ 200
a. I00 8

0
-- ~

" ~
- -
0;1
Gas
S
~
0
200 F '
100
.-
-
-..... / ><" r---..
- 13"
>< Gas
o/!

150
100 -" ~
Gas
Oi!
5Q
:~~ G -- --- . Oil
0 0
,5,,< Monfh Periods SJX Month PerIods

FIG. 4.-0IL PRODUCTION AND GAB-OIL RATIO FOR PROPERTIES IN SHAMROCK AND
OILTON DISTRICTS, CUSHING FIELD.

gas-oil ratio for Shamrock district is about 4500 cu. ft. and 3000 cu. ft.
for Drumright District. The leases in the Oilton district, except prop-
erty G, are making a large quantity of water. The average gas-oil
 C. V. MILLIKAN 151
ratio is less than 1000 cu. ft., whereas on property G it is over 4000
cu. ft.
Data on many districts throughout the United States give a relation-
ship similar to that shown in the curves. In.each case the data represent
groups of from 4 to 16 properties. In the Nowata field the gas-oil ratio
was constant over a period of 6 years. The Bird Creek field showed a
small increase and Glenn Pool a large increase during a period of 8 years.
Near Muskogee five properties increased from 3900 to 6800 cu. ft. in
5 years and on one of these properties the gas-oil ratio was declining.
Sedan, Kansas, decreased with the oil production over a period of 8
years. In Monroe County, Ohio, one group decreased from 4000 to
1400 cu. ft. in 9 years, while three other groups in the same district
BIXBY OKlA MARCH FIELD , P~ne Co ,OklQ.
100 ,
? , 5 15000 ~ 500 0
- Gas
•

110000. ~ 4000 '\

• Wel'j ,
,
, "J: 5000 ~z. 300 0
- r-,xftl- fh);;;:;;r
J':
115
10 lB. ..>-
/

? " 0,) Oil

15 0
125
10
?5
...: 50
c
,
- -
- - Gas
~ 0 ~ 'ZOO

-+- 15

~"
10
°
0

°v
100
GARBER OKLA
IOOW.• 'ls

-f>« -- Gas

~ 12 5
u 10o -
~ r- ~
50
~ 15" /' - =:
Six on fh Periot/$
oil
0-
1"1.5
10 0 oil EL DORADO ARK
, 50000 500 0 Gas
?5 - X
Gas
9 Well,
/
.£ 40000 'il400
115
10 0
15
- Gas
Oil
-+-
~ 30000 &.300
o
'"
~
°ll
o \ I
I

.t 10000 Jl100 0
115
10 OlAV' rAG'
- O!I '6 10000 ~ 1000 - -I>< b
15
~
~
Gas
u
S/xMonf/JP" "oris r-- Oil
SI'X Month PerIods

FIG. 5.-0IL PRODUCTION AND GAS-OIL RATIO FOR SEVERAL DISTRICTS.

increased from 5400 to 22,500 cu. ft. in a like period. A group in Tyler
County, West Virginia, increased 'from 4000 to 23,500 cu. ft. in 9 years.
In the Midway-Sunset field the gas-oil ratio increased from 600 to 1900
cu. ft. in 6 years. It also increased in Santa Maria for 10 years. In
the Haynesville field, the gas-oil ratio declined from 400 to about 200
cu. ft. in 2 years, during which time the vacuum was increased from 3 to
10 points over what had been carried before. In general the groups which
had the most rapid rate of increase of gas-oil ratio had the greatest
decline of oil production. No information was available as to water,
vacuum, or other conditions which might affect the gas-oil ratio.
On the Amerada Petroleum Corp.'s Lewis lease, Stroud field, the first
wells completed in the Wilcox sand had less than 3000 cu. ft. of gas per
barrel of oil while wells completed 2 to 3 months later had from 3500 to
4000 cu. ft. In the Wilcox sand at Wewoka when the first wells were
152 GAS-OIL RATIO AS RELATED TO THE DECLINE OF OIL PRODUCTION

completed the gas-oil ratio was about 375 cu. ft., wells completed 3 months
later had from 450 to 600 cu. ft. per barrel and at the time these later wells
were completed oil production on the first two wells had declined to about
one-third of their initial production and the gas-oil ratio had increased
to 425 cu. ft. The increased initial gas-oil ratio for later completions is
a result of drainage of pressure by the earlier wells. Because the pres-
sure has been reduced by the earlier completions the amount of gas
required to expel the same quantity of oil is greater.
GENERALIZATIONS

An outstanding feature of the relationship of the decline of oil pro-

duction and the gas-oil ratio is that the latter increases as the oil pro-
duction declines. Expressed in actual decline of gas volume, the rate
of decline of oil production is faster than the rate of decline of gas pro-
duction. While this general relationship is the reverse of the more com-
mon belief, it should exist where gas is the only force which expels the oil
from the sand. When a well is first completed the gas is under maxi-
mum pressure, and the oil must be moved the minimum distance through
the sand to reach the well; here the minimum volume of gas is produced.
As the well becomes older, the average distance which the oil must move
to reach the well increases. The greater distance requires more work to
be done and because of the smaller pressure a larger volume of gas is
required for an equal amount of work so that as the oil production declinps
the volume of gas produced with each barrel of oil increases.
All the data available indicate that only 15 to 25 per cent. of the orig-
inal quantity of oil in a sand is recovered ordinarily by our present
production methods. Under these same operating conditions the rock pres-
sur$) is reduced almost to, or below atmospheric pressure. Therefore,
the gas content of the sand must be much more thoroughly drained than
the oil, possibly from 80 to 90 per cent. of the original gas volume being
produced. When a well is first completed the oil and gas comes from the
sand immediately adjacent to the well and the volume of gas per barrel
of oil is the same as the original content in the sand, but as the well
becomes older and the drainage territory greater the gas produced is
not only that which is contained in the oil itself but also that which
comes from the oil which remains in the sand.
Water is the most common cause of variation from this relationship.
The Louann district west of Smackover, Arkansas, is an example of the
effect of water. In the central part of the field the gas-oil ratio is 1200
1500 cu. ft., while near the edge of the field where water is slowly encroach-
ing it is 200 to 350 cu. ft. If the hydrostatic pressure is equal to or greater
than the initial rock pressure the gas-oil ratio will be constant throughout
the life of the well. If it is less than the rock pressure the gas-oi~ ratio
will follow the inverse relationship until the rock pressure had declined
 c. V. MILLIKAN 153
to the hydrostatic pressure after which it will decline with the oil pro-
duction. The rate of decline of the gas-oil ratio with regard to the oil
production depends on how much the well has declined and on the
difference between rock pressure and hydrostatic pressure. A low
difference gives a relatively slow decline, the rate of decline increasing as
the rock pressure and hydrostatic pressure differential becomes greater
in favor of the latter. When the gas volume becomes so small that
it has no effect on the oil production the gas-oil ratio will be constant.
If no water pressure is present in the sand the gas ratio may decline in
the later life of the well because of oil coming into the well by force of
gravitation. This will come only after the well has declined to very
small production and will be of more importance in wells which have
sands with large pore space, and uniform porosity.
In the Mid-Continent fields the gas-oil ratio in a majority of instances
is not notably greater on the higher part of the fold in the earlier life
except where gas in considerable quantity is found in the same formation
above the oil. As the fields become older, however, and water encroaches
from down the structure the gas-oil ratio toward the edge of the field is
lower, due to the water drive, while on the higher parts of the fold it
continues to increase as oil production declines.
In the transition from the flowing to pumping stage of a well there is
a decrease in the gas-oil ratio. The drop at this time may be partly
due to exhaustion of whatever free gas is contained in the producing
formation, but the relief of the gas from the work required to lift the oil
from the bottom of the well to the surface· is probably more important.
After the well is put on the pump the entire volume of gas coming with
the oil may be expended in expelling the oil from the sand, provided the
oil is pumped out as fast as it comes into the well. If the fluid stands in
the hole above the sand the gas must expand against the pressure caused
by the column of fluid, and a corresponding amount of non-effective work
is done by the gas. When a well ceases flowing and is pumped the effect
on the sand is the same as reducing the pressure held on the well or sand
by surface equipment. If free gas as such is present in the producing
formation it will be found above the oil. Any gas in the same formation
will be dissolved in the oil, or so closely associated with it as to be equiva-
lent to solution, or lie as free gas above the oil. If free gas as such occurs
with the oil, at a time before the well starts heading there should be a
declining gas-oil ratio, which has not been observed except where water
was present or appeared shortly therp.after.
EFFECT OF CONTROLLED PRESSURE
There are two ways in which the gas expels oil from the sand, first by
the gas carrying oil with it due to its velocity, and second by driving the
oil ahead of an expanding volume of gas. In a producing formation in
154 GAS-OIL RATIO AS RELATED TO THE DECLINE OF OIL PRODUCTION

which the gas and oil production bear a definite relationship, if a change
is made in the velocity of the gas, the effect will be reflected in the amount
of oil carried, and since the carrying power of a fluid is proportional to the
cube of its velocity the effect on the oil would be much greater than on the
gas. If the gas is driving the oil ahead of it then the greater the difference
in pressure between the sand and the well the greater will be the expansion
of the gas and the greater the amount of oil carried. If the pressure is
increased at the face of the sand the expansion within the sand will be less
and will require a larger volume of gas to move the same amount of oil the
same distance.
So high a pressure differential between the sand and the well may exist
that the gas will move through the sand at a greater velocity than that at
which it will carry the maximum amount of oil. As the pressure declines,
the velocity of the gas is reduced and a smaller volume carries with it an
equal or greater amount of oil, which results in a declining gas-oil ratio.
Under these conditions if the velocity of the gas is reduced by increasing
the pressure the amount of oil would be increased and the volume of gas
per barrel of oil decreased. Excessive velocity of gas through the sand is
affected by the size of pores in the sand as well as the pressure differential,
larger pores permitting an excessive velocity under conditions which
would be normal in a finer grained sand.
When the pressure on the sand is changed the volume of gas, because
of its greater mobility, will respond much sooner to the change than the
oil. The time required for the gas and oil to reach an equilibrium after a
change in pressure will depend mainly on the age of the field and size of
pores in the reservoir, the older wells and smaller size of pores requiring
a greater amount of time, which may amount to several weeks on
old properties.
STOP-COCKING

It is probable that intermittent pressure or stop-cocking may be the

most effective means of attacking the problem of increased efficiency of
recovery. In a well in which the pressure differential between the sand
and the well is constant there is a steady rate of movement of the oil and
gas through the sand. If the gas flow is checked a large number of pore
spaces which had been kept open by the moving gas will close because of
capillary attraction. When the pressure is released and the gas begins
to move it acts as a drive where before it moved the oil only by friction
of flow.
SUMMARY

1. The gas-oil ratio increases at a rate inversely proportional to the

rate of decline of oil production.
 DISCUSSION 155
2. Where water is present the gas-oil ratio will be much smaller, and
its rate of increase will be much less or even decrease as the oil produc-
tion declines.
3. An increase in pressure will, in general, increase the gas-oil ratio,
while a decrease will decrease the gas-oil ratio.
4. Intermittent pressure is probably the most effective and economical
method of reducing the gas-oil ratio.
DISCUSSION
F. J. FOHS, * New York, N. Y.-Has Mr. Suman any data on oil-gas ratios in the
Gulf Coast?
J. R. SUMAN, Houston, Tex.-We have not been keeping data on oil-gas ratios.
I want to ask Mr. Millikan if these gas-oil ratios in the various fields are for a lease
that has a number of wells on it or for an individual well?
C. V. MILLIKAN.-With the exception of the first curve it was for individual wells.
J. R. SUMAN.-Fluctuations ill gas-oil ratio might have some bearing on the drilling
problem, but what about that lease where new wells are coming in?
C. V. MILLIKAN.-They may have a bearing in one or two of the groups but as a.
general rule the development of the field is so far along at this time that I do not believe
new development or new wells would affect it materially.
J. R. SUMAN.-You mentioned re-drilling and deepening of the wells, but you did
not mention whether they were so appraised.
C. V. MILLIKAN.-So far as I know, they were not.
R. N. PEAKE, Casper, Wyo.-Our experience in the Rocky Mountain region has been
that the gas-oil ratio has increased as production has declined. There have been sev-
eral instances in isolated wells where the reverse has been the case, but it is the genera.
rule that the gas-oil ratio increases as the production over a period of years declinesl
J. S. Ross, Midwest, Wyo.-Mr. Peake said that over a period of years the gas-oil
ratio seems to have increased. In the early history of the field we had few production
records. In the later years, the gas-oil ratio increased.
K. B. VOWELS, Laramie, Wyo.-Three years ago eight representative wells of the
field were carried on back-pressure tests for a period of 7 or 8 months. We learned
that it depends entirely on the individual well. In most of these wells the increase in
back-pressure did result in poor oil-gas ratios; these were about 2000 ft. in depth, flow-
ing from 300 to 500 bbl. of oil per day with about 1,000,000 cu. ft. of gas.
At the wells in the northern part of the field where there was a good gas pressure and
those on the west and the southern parts of the field, where the wells flowed more by
heads, and where open flow pressure was small, we observed the best oil-gas ratios,
varying all the way from 300 and 400 to 700 cu. ft. per bbl., which was very good as
compared to the other type of well making up to 2000, 3000 or 4000 cu. ft. per bbl.
Since that time we have had occasion to make observations on the same wells and we
observe that those wells which then had the best oil and gas ratio, from 300, 400, and
500 cu. ft. per bbl., now have the best fluid level and are producing the most oil per
day on the pump.
The entire Salt Creek field, so far as the second sand is concerned, is entirely on a
pumping basis.
* Vice-president, Humphreys Corp.
 156 GAS-OIL RATIO AS RELATED TO THE DECLINE OF OIL PRODUCTION

In the use of gate valves and flow-beans, almost in every case, there was a higher
oil-gas ratio when we had a pinch of around 50 to 75 per cent. than at the other per-
centages. It seems to me that that was indicative of something critical so far as
velocity of flow is concerned. We secured both wonderful and awful results through
the use of back-pressure. I would like to see more research on back-pressure.
W. VAN DER GRACHT, Ponca City, Okla.-While the influence of water has already
been mentioned; there still is an enormous amount of divergence, particularly in the
different curves Mr. Millikan has shown us.
The nature of the gas must have a great influence. We know its nature varies
very much in the different oil fields. Mr. Millikan mentioned certain circumstances;
for i!lstance where a gas drive forces the oil out or at least contributes to forcing it out.
We can only conceive an actual gas drive if the gas is present in a free state.
Gas can be present in the ground in three different phases, yet it will all be gas when
we find it at the casinghead. First, there are some hydrocarbons in that gas which
are certain fluids, if they are under existing rock pressure. These, while they are in
the sand, will form as fluids and not as gases. There are true gases like methane
which will be dissolved in the fluid and consequently be part of it, and there is another
sometimes but not always present which at consister ~ressures, we must conceive of
as a free gas in the sand.
All of this must tremendously influence the effect of the gas on the yield of wells, or
in other words, the oil-gas ratio. We will never get much further in the interpretation
of the data we get from the various men who do research work of that kind, unless at
some time they give data which will allow us to draw conclusions as to what actually
happens, and !lata with regard to the nature and constitution of the gases they are
talking about. That is now much less difficult than in the past because practically all
of these fields have casinghead gasoline plants from which we can obtain these data
quickly. It will be a help, in the event we are going to increase our production by
introducing gas into an oil field artificially, so as to offset depletion of the gases, if we
can know which kind of gas would be the most efficient for that particular pressure
and the consistency of the oil. In many fields we cannot apply other than air because
there is no gas available at reasonable cost, but there may be other occasions where a
company may cut its casinghead gas plants, and have gas in sufficient quanti-
ties. Also we may be able to do something to that gas to give it particular qualifica-
tions and for that reason we ought to know as much as possible of the exact
relationship between gas-oil ratio and the character of the gases.
A. C. RUBEL, Compton, Cal.-Our experiences in California with the gas-oil ratio
ha ve been similar to those outlined by Mr. Millikan. We notice possibly three critical
points in the life of a we11 where there are corresponding critical changes in the relation
between the gas-oil ratio and the production, or the production curve.
Our general well will probably follow something of -this history: The gas-oil ratL
graqually increases with a decline in production up to a point where the well began-
up to a point where the efficiency of the well from its natural flow can decline. As
soon as the well reaches this critical point from efficiency to an inefficient flow the gas-
oil ratio shows a very marked increase. As the flow becomes less and less efficient,
that is, as the heads become greater, it has been our experience, contrary to the experi-
ence of Mr. Millikan, that our gas-oil ratio continues to increase at a greater rate.
Then when the well is put to pumping, the gas-oil ratio will decrease but not to what it
was when the well was flowing. Then the induction of gas for gas lift will usually bring
the gas-oil ratio down, below its most efficient flowing point. We have kept careful
records of our production of gas and oil and that is what our experience has been in the
Mingus, Santa Fe and Rosecrans fields in California.
 DISCUSSION 157
C. V. MILLIKAN.-My observations of a well as it first starts flowing by heads are
not as extensive as they should be, but regarding statements by Mr. Rubel that the
gas-oil ratio increases when the well first starts heading, perhaps there is a little greater
pressure on the sand at that time than when the well was flowing steadily. There are
instances when there is greater pressure and others when there is not.
When a well is first put on a pump there is perhaps a greater volume of fluid in the
hole than at any other time during the life of the well and this pressure will cause an
increase in the gas-oil ratio. When the gas lift is first applied it reduces the height of
the oil in the hole and reduces the gas-oil ratio because of this reduced pressure at the
bottom of the hole. These statements are purely theoretical; I cannot back them by
actual tests.