Paper: System Improvements Increase Proftiability In A Major Gas-Lifted Field

The majority of wells in the biggest Hungarian oil field is placed on continuous flow gas lift. The gas lift system, designed in the late 1960s has many very unique features dictated by the economic and technological constraints of those times. Proper operation was maintained till recently but changes in reservoir parameters due to the depletion of the field have brought about many unfavorable conditions leading to increased lift gas requirements and rising production costs. The paper investigates the effects of the crucial system parameters like tubing size, wellhead and gas lift pressures, and their role in the field's profitability. Using field data and computer calculations, optimum values for tubing size and injection pressure are found. The widespread use of wellhead chokes for controlling well production rates is shown to have a detrimental effect. With assumed optimum conditions, total required gas lift volumes are calculated and compared to present values. The system modifications proposed by the authors are shown to have a great potential in significantly improving the economy of production operations in Algyo.