ARTIFICIAL LIFT METHPDS

BY

Dr.A.K.Pathak
Department of Petroleum Engineering
Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad – 826004
E-mail: [email protected]
INTRODUCTION:
Sometimes in the life of the well it happens that the fluid in the reservoir has
sufficient energy to move itself towards the well bore but it does not have sufficient
energy to come up to the surface. Under such condition, certain methods are used to
enhance the energy of the fluid in the well bore so that it could be produced at the
surface. Such methods are called as Artificial Lift Methods.
The methods include adding gas to the fluid to make it lighter or to pump the
fluid from bottom to the surface.
For analysing any artificial lift method for a well, it is necessary to study the
reservoir capability and piping capability of the well (with and without the pump/ gas
lift) and combine them to find the feasible production rates by these methods.
RESERVOIR CAPABILITY: Reservoir capability is best illustration of IPR of the well,
sometimes also including gas coming from the reservoir in the well.
PIPING CAPABILITY: It is illustrated by tubing intake curves. Such curves can be
drawn for different methods assuming different flow rates and then finding out bottom
hole flowing pressure. The two components are combined and then the flow rates
possible by different methods are found.
Artificial lift methods are as follows-
1. Sucker rod pumping.
a. Walking beam type.
b. Hydraulic piston type.
c. Air or gas piston type.
d. Winch or cable type.
2. Gas lift.
a. Continuous flow.
b. Intermittent flow
3. Electrical submersible centrifugal pump.
a. Constant speed 60/50 cycles.
b. Variable speed.
4. Hydraulic Pumping.
a. Piston type
b. Jet type.
5. Plunger Lift.
a. Flow in cycles.
b. Free cycle.
6. Chamber Lift.
 1. SUCKER ROD PUMPING
It is oldest and most commonly used method. In sucker rod pumping, the pumping
provides an up-and-down motion to the sucker rod string to increase the pressure on
the underground fluid and raise it to a higher level. The unit is powered by a gas or
electric engine as a set of weights attached to the crank counterbalances the weight
of the rods and fluid below the surface. The rod string is lifted by a cable, attached to
the sucker rod string and looped over the horse head of the pumping unit.
The running and pulling of the wire line equipment from oil and gas wells
under pressure is accomplished by means of a wire line lubricator and stuffing box.
The lubricator is attached directly to the well head. When tools are to be run, the well
is shut-in by closing the master and/or wire line valve(s). Pressure is bled off from the
lubricator with attachment to the wire-line. The lubricator is then assembled, the
valves are opened, and the tool is set for operation.
Advantages:
i. Nearly all low volume shallow wells (even less than 10 BOPD) use to
produce. It can also be adopted for higher rates.
ii. Operational personnel are familiar with the system.
Disadvantages;
i. Rods tubing and pump are subjected to fatigue.
ii. It is difficult to install on crooked holes. However the wells at 60 0 deviations
have found good for producing by this method.
iii. Sand is a problem during production.
iv. Paraffin and scale may be difficult.
v. Gas locking.
GAS LIFT
Gas lift is a popular method of artificial lift. High pressure gas is used to lift the
oil. The requirement of artificial lift of any well could be met by one of the gas lift
methods or by pumping methods. Sometimes certain operational difficulty may
dictate selection between gas lift and pumping method.
- Sand production along with the oil will cause the problem with the pump and
the gas lift method will be suitable.
- Requirement of elaborated surface system and economics are in favour of
pumping methods when a group of the wells are artificially lifted.
- Economics for a single well directs the use of pumping method.
GAS LIFT (CONTINUOUS FLOW LIFT)
It is widely used and is replacing many other methods. Very commonly
applied in Gulf Coast & in USA. In this method a continuous volume of high pressure
gas is introduced in to the conductor tube to lighten the fluid column until reduction of
the bottom hole pressure will allow a sufficient differential across the sand face,
causing the well to produce the desired rate of flow. To accomplish this, a gas
volume is used that will act as a changing or variable orifice to regulate gas injection
at the surface depending upon tubing pressure. This method is used in wells with a
high productivity index and a reasonable high bottom hole pressure relative to well
depth. In this type of wells, fluid production can be lifted form 200 – 20,000 BOPD
through normal size tubing string. On casing flow it is possible to lift in excess of
80,000 BOPD. The internal diameter of pipe governs the amount of flow provided the
well productivity index, bottom hole pressure, gas volume and pressure and the
mechanical conditions are ideal. Smaller volumes (25 BOPD) can be efficiently lifted
using continuous flow smaller tubing 1 inch is used.
Advantages:
i. Continuous flow.
ii. Best for sand.
iii. Good for directional wells.
iv. Valves are available which can be retrieved by wire-line.
v. Flexible, rates can be adjusted.
vi. Central system for gas injection for the whole field can be made.
Disadvantages:
i. Relatively inefficient.
ii. Need good gas supply.
iii. Compressor- its initial cost.
iv. Difficulty is faced in lifting high gravity crudes less than 150API.
INTERMITTENT GAS LIFT
In Intermittent gas lift system, gas is injected at regular intervals by the
intermitted that is a motor valve operated by a connecting timing device that permits
selective cycling with controlled gas injection into the casing annulus. The cycling is
regulated to coincide with the fluid fill in rate from the producing formation into the
well bore.
Intermittent flow involves expansion of a high pressure gas absconding to a
low pressure outlet. A valve with a large port permits complete volume and pressure
expansion control of gas, entering into the tubing thus either regulating lift of
accumulated fluid head above the valve with a maximum velocity to minimize
slippage or controlling liquid fall back fully ejecting it to the tank with a minimum gas.
Generally used in conjunction with a surface time cycle controller (intermittent).
Intermittent lift is used on wells with fluid volume that is relatively low or wells those
have High PI with low BHP or Low PI with low BHP.
Sometimes intermittent gas lift may be accomplished without using a surface
intermitter. This type of installation requires a valve that is more fluid sensitive and
uses a built in “spread”. Use of this type valve can present problem when wells must
be lifted into long flow lines against surface chokes or under other conditions where
the sensitivity of the valve become a disadvantage. This type valves are
advantageous in some rotating compressor system. Intermittent lift system can also
be accomplished with multi point injection of gas through more than one gas lift
valves.
Advantages:
i. Low volume can be lifted.
ii. Chamber installation for very low.
iii. Efficiency is low.
SUBMERSIBLE PUMPS
An electrical submersible pump is centrifugal pump that is lowered to the
bottom of the well by an electrical cable that supplies power to motor within the
pump. The motor is controlled by the electrical power source at the surface and is
utilized to revolve impeller within the pump to force fluid from the reservoir to the
surface.
Advantages:
i. High to medium volumes.
ii. It can be used in holes with high deviation up to 800.
iii. Minimum space requirement at the surface which is vital for offshore.
v. It is quite and safe.
vi. Continued production while well on same platform is under work-over: It is
legal implication. Especially for hydraulic pumping high pressure lines are
thin. If work-over is going on in nearby well, these pressured lines are
required to be shut off by safety valves.
Disadvantages:
i. It can not work in wells producing sands.
ii. Its efficiency is lowered by pressure of gas.
iii. The tubing has to be retrieved for any repair to the pump as it is not wire line
retrievable.
iv. It is not suited for low volume wells below 150 bbl.
vi. Horse power requirement shall increase for heavy crudes.
 vii. The normal run life of this pump in THUMB RULES is 767 days. The average
depth is around 4000 ft. and it is fitted in 93 percent of total 564 wells. The
run life is only 90 days in North sea.
HYDRAULIC PUMP (PISTON TYPE)
Hydraulic oil well pumps, as the name implies are bottom hole pumps which
are fluid powered. Actually this includes using both liquid and gas as the power
transmitting fluid. The essential difference between this type of system and sucker
rod system is in the power transmitting media. Power oil for hydraulic pump and
sucker rods for sucker rod system. The main part of down hole equipment is a
reciprocating engine that is directly connected to a reciprocating pump. Two basic
type pump systems are in use.
An oscillating column system in which there is alternate application and
release of pressure to the pump through well head tube.
A system in which, liquid is applied continuously to the pump. It is quite
obvious that the oscillating system would give difficulty due to fluid compressibility
and it is therefore no longer used commercially. All systems in the market use a
system having continuous flow of power fluid to the pump.
Advantages:
i. It is a free pump.
ii. It can work in deep wells
iii. Good for directional wells.
iv. It can work even in viscous or corrosive fluids.
v. Pumping speed can be changed.
Disadvantages:
i. Requires very clean power fluids.
ii. High pressure oil hazard for fire. As surface line pressure is up to 4000 psi.
iii. Requires skilled supervision.
HYDRAULIC PUMP (JET PUMP TYPE)
Subsurface jet pumps are special type of subsurface hydraulic pump which
employ no moving parts and achieves its pumping action by means of momentum
transfer between the power fluid and the produced fluid.
The power fluid enters to the top of the pump form the pump tubing and
passes through the nozzle where all of the total pressure of the power fluid is
converted to the velocity head. The jet form the nozzle discharge into the production
fluid is entrained by power fluid and combined fluid enters the throat of the pump.
The throat is larger diameter than the nozzle complete mixing of power fluid and
production fluid takes place. During this process, the power fluid loses momentum
and energy. The resultant mixed fluid existing in the throat has sufficient total head to
flow against the production return column gradient. Much of this total head is still in
the form of a velocity head. The final working section of the jet pump is a careful
shaped diffuser section of expanding area which converts the velocity head to a
static pressure head greater than the static column head, allowing flow to the
surface.
Advantages:
i. No moving part
ii. Free pump.
iii. Rate can be changed by changing pump 200 – 25000 BOPD.
PLUNGER LIFT
Plunger lift is especially an intermittent lifting method that is generally
superseded by pumping. It is applicable in wells with fairly low productivity indices
and high formation gas liquid ratios. Gas lift is not attractive in such wells because
the formation supplies sufficient gas and high natural gas liquid ratio reduces the
efficiency of pumping as an artificial lift method. Minimum plunger lift gas requires
500 cu.ft/ bbl/ 100ft and this increases with casing size.
In some wells there is sufficient formation gas to permit plunger lift to operate
un-associated gas. But in other injection gas may have to be intermitted into casing.
In the later type of the wells, the injected gas exerts a back pressure against the
formation, thus reducing the rate at which oil flows into the well bore.
A steel plunger containing a simple valve device is located in the tubing string
at the bottom of which is a cushion sheet containing an opening through which oil/
gas can pass into the tubing. When the plunger falls and lands against this cushion
sheet the valve located in the plunger is closed. Hence tubing is closed at its lower
end and any production form the formation must pass into the annulus. The bottom
hole pressure consequently rises. As so on a sit reaches a value greater than the
sum of the pressure exerted the plunger itself by the oil and gas in the tubing above
the plunger and by the surface trap pressure the plunger starts to rise. In this manner
the oil above the plunger is lifted up the tubing and is produced at the surface. At
upper end of the tubing, a rubber or spring bumper is located above the flow line off-
take. When the plunger strikes this bumper, the valve in the plunger is opened,. The
pressure below is released to the flow line and the plunger is free to drop back down
the tubing. While the plunger is dropping the well produces in the tubing against the
back pressure created by the trap, the gas column in the tubing and oil column in the
tubing. As soon as the plunger reaches the bottom the cycle is repeated.
 CHAMBER LIFT
Lift with increasing well depth, systems employing an annulus packer, a gas
lift valve at the bottom of the tubing are devised and is called Chamber Lift method.
Chamber lift is efficient for the wells having very low PI (less than 0.05 bbl/day/psi).
When the control valve at the surface is closed the well produces into the
chamber through the standing valve part. The equalising valve permitting the fluid
level inside and outside the stinger to remain the same. As production accumulates
inside the chamber, the back pressure on the formation increases so that the
formation production rate rapidly decreases.
At a preset time, the control valve opens and as in injected into the casing-
tubing annulus above the packer, the casing pressure rises and reaches at the
pressure of opening of the valve. This permits gas to pass down into the stinger
tubing annulus. The equalising valve and standing valve both remains shut because
of the high differential pressure. The gas drive the liquid in the chamber into the
stinger and thence up in to the tubing.
At the pre-selected time the control valve closes and the liquid slug is forced to
the surface by expansion of the gas in the casing tubing annulus. The casing
pressure drops and the operating valve is adjusted so that it closes thereafter.