Sarah Qureshi, Bob L. Herd Department of Petroleum Engineering
With heightened technological advances in the area of late well life development and further production possibilities, there has been an increase in attention to plunger lift and the decision-making process that backs the selection of plungers in these plunger lift wells. It has been noted by companies, like ConocoPhillips, that ‘with more than 200 plunger lift systems in the San Juan basin, the plunger operator is the single most important factor in keeping a plunger lift system operating efficiently. If an operator knows certain principles of plunger operation and gas well mechanics, they can effectively maintain and troubleshoot the system… If an operator does not understand these principles, a system will lose efficiency due to poor maintenance… and they may be frustrated when the system does not work well.’ (Hingerl et al., 2020) This quote from literature reviews is an enlightening outlook on why the topic of how an operator chooses a plunger for PL wells is so important; Without knowing the principles of plunger operation or gas well mechanics both efficiency and production will be lost. Many variables go into the selection method of plungers. There are steps and methods that can aid in the classifying and understanding the lifecycle plunger lift wells to best optimize the wells. The first method is linked to understanding what kind of wells we have and what sort of plunger fits best; for example, a conventional or bypass plunger would be best equipped to handle a well that produces from pressure or gas volume rates. Continued surveillance of these wells and monitoring of the plungers used is crucial and even beneficial to a system consistently progressing in its life cycle.