PRODUCTION

ENHANCEMENT IN GAS
WELLS

Francesco Corallo
Reservoir and Production engineer
Gas Intermittent Production a simple
solution to gas rate optimization
RE approaches to present and discuss the following:
1. Intermittent production
2. Well Analysis to confirm the liquid loading effect
3. The expected gain in terms of production
Gas Intermittent Production –
Introduction to the problem
• Liquid loading: When gas linear flow rate is too low to transport all fluids from the well bore.
• Fluids accumulating & increasing the hydrostatic pressure until sufficient pressure is build-up to
unload the well.
 Gas Intermittent Production –
Well analysis & case history
 Tubing 4" 1/2
 Perforations: 12 meters aproximately at 2000 m TVDSS – Ordovician formation.
 Vertical cased hole completion
 Well hydraulically fractured
 Initial gas production performance @ 1999: Gas production 600,000 m3/d. No water production.
 Last production test @ 2013 and before intermittent production: Gas production 170,000 m3/d ;
water production 6 m3/d; Flowing Well Head Pressure 40 barg; Condensate production 10 m3/d.
 Gas Intermittent Production –
Well analysis & case history – before RE
approach and new operation workflow
• Well performance @ 2016: Well is
ciclically opened. Every
production cycle last 30 minutes
then it stops producing because is
producing above critical rate most
times
• Good candidate to production
optimization. Initial gas rate
potential 50-100,000 m3/d.
 Gas Intermittent Production –
Well analysis & case history - Gain in terms of
production
• No extra costs due to the
applied Reservoir
analysis and operational
team workflow
• Some benefits:
 Gas rate optimization
 Recovery of gas reserves
 Postponed abandonment
of the well
 Set up a simple
methodology to improve
other intermittent wells
 A soft alternative to
other more expensive
methods.
 Gas Intermittent Production –
Well analysis & case history Gain in terms of
production – first new production cycle
• The reservoir analysis
approach and new
successfully operation
workflow
• From 2013 to 2016 no
production- or short cycle of
30 minutes gas
production/cycle.
• RE approach leads to a new
operation workflow and
production optimization:
Initial gas rate 270,000
m3/d; 2 days cycle.
• Optimized cycle: Average
80,000 m3/d during 15 hrs
per day.
Thank you