Intelligent Gas Lift Peter Watson, Camcon Oil Limited
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Cameron Laing, LETS Limited
Intelligent Gas Lift – Why?
June 17th-18th, 2014 2 SPE EuALF
• Weak equipment design
• Weak & inflexible operational design
• Requires intervention
• Frequent wire-line problems
• OK for depletion drive reservoirs
Current “1950s Technology” is no longer fit for purpose
North Sea sub-sea wells - example data
3
• ~$15m per intervention (semi-sub)
• 1 well lost completely
• 90+% valves failed combined TRO
re-test and reverse flow check test
• Only 1 passed TRO test
• Well fluids in dome / de-pressured
dome / cracked mandrel / bent
latches / loose latches / one field
installed latch not locked in mandrel
13 valves pulled from 4 wells, < 3 years old
June 17th-18th, 2014 SPE EuALF
Conventional Valve Operating Limits
4
Max CHP
IPO Re-Opening
Stability Limit
June 17th-18th, 2014 SPE EuALF
Injection Rate Flexibility
5 2014 Gas Lift Workshop
3mm
Port
4.5mm Port
Intelligent Gas Lift – Flexibility
6 2014 Gas Lift Workshop
• Ideal depth of injection changes
• Optimum gas allocation changes
• Recognised in the original 1954
retrievable valve patent
• Continuous injection through IPO
valve not “recommended” by
vendors but “implied” in designs
for many sub-sea wells
• Flexible designs produce more oil
Well Inflow Performance
changes over time
June 17th-18th, 2014
The Benefits of “Flexible” Lift
June 17th-18th, 2014 7 SPE EuALF
Full Model
results for
this typical
North Sea
subsea
completion
simulation
are
available
on the
Camcon
website
What now ?
Feb. 3rd – 7th, 2014 8 2014 Gas Lift Workshop
• Further development
of the old ideas?
• High Pressure Gas Lift?
• Casing integrity
• Cost
• Hydraulic Gas Lift Valves?
• For single point gas cap lift
• Multi-point awaiting field test
Are there alternatives?
What is the solution?
9
• Remote control
• Variable rates of injection
• Without using injection pressure control
• Data acquisition
• Retrievable Annular Safety Valves
2013 36Th ASME/ALRDC International Gas Lift Workshop
What the experts said !
June 17th-18th, 2014 SPE EuALF
Camcon “Apollo” Gas Lift Unit
10
• ¼” control line for remote control
• 6 independent, electrically actuated,
valves for variable injection rate
• Not injection pressure controlled
• No temperature sensitivity
• Real time pressure and temperature
• Real time well and field optimisation
• Without intervention
The solution
June 17th-18th, 2014 SPE EuALF
First Installation
June 17th-18th, 2014 SPE EuALF 11
Apollo Gas Lift: Oman Installation
12
• Brought “on line”: in October 2013
• Valves run closed on installation
• Valves actuated remotely
• Electrical connections secure
• Data transmission ongoing in real time
• Operator testing ongoing.
• Field challenges experienced and addressed
First unit installed and operational
June 17th-18th, 2014 SPE EuALF
Original Data Plot Apollo Gas Lift: Oman Installation
Downhole Temperature and Pressure
Pick up re-start of gas injection and
unloading valve closure
Chart clearly shows impact of intervention activity Apollo Gas Lift: Oman Installation
Well intervention in
progress
Tubing Pressure Shows “Unloading Valve Action” & Temperature Tracks Production.
Unloading valve
action seen here
Apollo Gas Lift: Oman Installation
16
Apollo Gas Lift: Oman Installation
Apollo Gas Lift: Oman Installation
17
Plans going forward
• Expand reference base of users
• On Shore
• Off Shore
• Flow testing
• Higher P & T, Longer Reach
• Multiple Unit Installation
• Intelligent Well and Field Optimisation
June 17th-18th, 2014 SPE EuALF
What are the applications?
18
• Intervention limitations: subsea / high angle /
bed space / wireline crew scheduling or skillset
• Dual Gas Lift Completions
• Multi well start-up & optimisation acceleration
• Liquids removal from gas wells
• Unloading control to protect surface separators
• Deepwater flow control (fibre optic line built in)
Onshore and Offshore deployments
June 17th-18th, 2014 SPE EuALF
Intelligence in the Upper Wellbore
19
Move to the 21st century with intelligent gas lift
• Surface controlled
• Electrically actuated valves
• Multi Ported
• Real time well and field optimisation
• Without intervention
THANK YOU
June 17th-18th, 2014 SPE EuALF