Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited, Mehsana

GAS LIFT WELLS, PRECAUTION IN HIGH PRESSURE

GAS FLOW LINES AND HYDRATE FORMATION,
SPECIAL PRECAUTION IN CLUSTER WELL
LOCATIONS

Nikhil Khanduja AEE (P) Date 23.11.2017

Artificial Lift Section, Mehsana Asset
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OUTLINE
Energy
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 Darcy’s Equation
 Introduction on Artificial Lift
 Gas Lift System
 Typical Gas Lift Equipment
 A Gas Lift Well
 Types of Gas Lift Wells
 Unloading of Gas Lift Wells
 High Pressure Natural Gas
 Dangers associated with High Pressure Gas Wells
 Precautions to be Taken
 Gas Hydrates
 Formation of Gas Hydrates
 Dangers associated with Gas Hydrates
 Precautions to be Taken

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DARCY’S EQUATION

Qo = J(Pr-Pwf)

Qo: Oil production rate (bbl/day)

Pr: Reservoir Pressure (psi)
Pwf: Flowing bottom hole pressure (psi)
J: Constant called productivity index (bbl/day/psi)

12th Onshore Meet Hyderabad

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INTRODUCTION
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Any system that adds energy to the fluid column in a wellbore with the objective of
initiating and improving production from the well is called as Artificial Lift System.

The purpose of Artificial Lift is to maintain reduced producing bottom hole pressure
so the formation can give up the desired fluid.

When is Artificial Lift needed?

1. To raise fluids to the surface when:

PReservoir < PHydrostatic + Pline

2. To increase the production rate

of flowing wells by reducing the
producing bottom hole pressure
(PBHP = PH + PL)
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INTRODUCTION
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Gas Lift Sucker Rod

Hydraulic Pump
PC Pumps Pumps

ESP

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GAS LIFT SYSTEM

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The technique of increasing the flowing life of a well by the injection of high pressure
gas into the casing-tubing annulus is known as gas lift.

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A GAS LIFT WELL

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Flow Line
Well Head

High Pressure
Gas
Tubing

Casing

Mandrels with
GLVS

Packer
Formation

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TYPICAL GAS LIFT EQUIPMENTS

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Injection Pressure Operated Production Pressure Operated

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TYPICAL GAS LIFT EQUIPMENTS

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Injection Pressure Operated Gas Lift Valve

Tail Plug

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TYPES OF GAS LIFT WELLS

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Time Cycle
Controller

Orifice Plate

Flow Control Valve

Control Valve

Intermittent Gas Lift Well

Continuous Gas Lift Well

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TYPES OF GAS LIFT WELLS

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GAS LIFT

Continuous Intermittent

P1 P1

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CIRCULATING VALVE (CV)

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 CV: is a circulating valve or orifice valve

 Used at the bottom/ near to packer.
 Used for activation or well subduing.
 Doesn’t have opening- closing mechanism
 The CV valve is always open and passes gas as long as injection-gas pressure at
valve depth exceeds the flowing-production pressure at the same depth.

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DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GLV & CV

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CV GLV

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UNLOADING OF GAS LIFT WELLS

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Unloading Of Gas Lift Well

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HIGH PRESSURE NATURAL GAS

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 In gas lift systems high pressure compressed natural gas is being injected in casing-
tubing annulus.
 Pressure of gas at well site 40-48 Kg/cm2 (570-680 psi) in Mehsana Asset.
 Properties of Natural Gas:
 Mainly contains Methane.
 Colourless, tasteless, odourless, and non-toxic gas.
 Natural gas is about 40% lighter than air.
 A combustible gas. Auto-ignition temperature (540 °C)

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HIGH PRESSURE NATURAL GAS

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 Risk Associated
 Transported through under ground pipelines through/from populated area.
 As natural gas is flammable, there is risk of explosion.
 Any gas, can be dangerous if handled improperly.

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PRECAUTIONS TO BE TAKEN
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 Handling safety requires an understanding of the gas properties and use of personal
protective equipment (PPE):
• Gloves
• Eye protection
• Respirator
• Foot/body protection
 Pipeline Inspection and Safety
 Pipe line markers e.g placing sign boards, color codes
 Leak detections.
 Regular gas sampling.
 Preventive Maintenance of pipe lines.

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GAS HYDRATE
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Natural-gas hydrates are ice-like solids that form when free water and natural gas
combine at high pressure and low temperature.

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HOW GAS HYDRATES FORMED

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Gas hydrate can occur only when there is high pressure, low temperature, water
saturation and supply of gas.

At a typical deep seafloor temperature of 39°F, with an average formation pressure of 181
psia.,the lowest hydrate-formation pressure was 100 psig for a some gases, while the highest
value was 300 psig for some gases.

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DANGEROUS ASSOCIATED WITH HYDRATES

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1. Choke flow lines.

2. Damage flow lines.

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PREVENTION OF GAS HYDRATE FORMATION

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1. Heating the gas

2. Decreasing pressure in the system

3. Injecting salt solutions

4. Injecting alcohol or glycol

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GAS HYDRATES : POTENTIAL ENERGY SOURCE

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Gas Hydrates also occur naturally in the sediment

The zone lies roughly parallel to the land or seafloor surface.

Permafrost regions, depths about 150 - 2000 m below the surface.

In oceanic sediment ocean is at least 300 m deep, depths of 0 - 1,100 m below the
seafloor

1 M3 of Gas Hydrate= 164 M3 of Methane Gas

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CLUSTER WELLS
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Clustered wells- wells situated close together, but not in the same borehole.
The wells within a cluster are normally constructed to obtain hydrocarbons from
different zones.

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PRECAUTIONS IN CLUSTER WELLS

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Separation:
Wells shall be located an adequate distance from known or potential sources of
pollution and contamination, and also from each other.

Accessibility:
Wells shall be located an adequate distance from other wells and other structures to
allow access for well maintenance, modification, repair,

Protection:
During Work over operations of a wells other cluster wells shall be protected with
boundary around them.

Sucker Rod Pumping units should be fenced properly. If needed SRP units of cluster
wells shall be switched off during WOR in cluster wells.

Each well shall have individual flow line/ gas injection line.

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Artificial Lift Section, Mehsana Asset