Mike Johnson
Weatherford
Annular flow gas lift has rapidly become a popular method of initial artificial lift in the
Permian Basin. The evolution of wells, over time, has resulted in higher flow rates due to
advancements; this includes horizontal, multi-staged improvements in frac technology. Smaller casing strings are often installed to save on well costs, but this can limit the type of artificial lift system that can be installed, and ultimately, the flow rates attainable from the well. Annular flow options offer a larger flowing area and less of a pressure loss versus tubing flow applications.
This presentation will include some basic inflow and outflow theory to show the difference in various scenarios. There will be several annular flow gas lift
options explored including fluid mandrels, internally mounted mandrels, standard
configuration side pocket mandrels, EC configuration side pocket mandrels, and hybrid combinations of these systems. These different options will be discussed including the advantages and disadvantages of each system.
The presentation will also share some important improvements in the side pocket EC system. An issue identified with valves coming out of these pockets became prevalent in many basins; an Engineering group studied this and offered up a solution to prevent this from occurring; this resulted in it being adopted by the industry worldwide. These findings and best practices will be shared with the group during this presentation.