Pumping Salt Water From Gas Wells

During the past 10 years operators in southwestern Kansas and the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles have been confronted with the ever increasing problem of removing salt water from gas wells. The majority of these wells are low pressure, shallow gas wells and are located principally in the Hugoton and Greenwood gas fields. The salt water problem in gas wells first became apparent during the early 1950's when the edge wells in the Hugoton Field were being drilled and completed. In order to keep the wells from "logging off" and curtailing gas production, small diameter tubing strings from 1 to 1-1"2 in. were installed inside the production casing. The gas was produced through the casing and the salt water was removed through the tubing intermittently either by manual blowing or by a time-cycle intermitter. When it was found that this method was not very efficient due to large volumes of gas being vented to the atmosphere to raise small amounts of salt water, gas lift valves were installed in the tubing strings. This system proved to be satisfactory and many operators began equipping their water problem wells with gas lift valves in 1954. Many wells are still utilizing this system today.