(2015011) IMPROVING ARTIFICIAL LIFT STRATEGIES IN YESO HORIZONTAL WELLS
Many operators in the Permian Basin have moved from drilling vertically to developing leases with horizontal drilling. After implementing a horizontal drilling program, three critical challenges emerge: 1) selecting the most efficient means of initial production; 2) using a rod pump design without experiencing gas interference or losses in volumes; and 3) handling a horizontal well at pumped-off conditions. Drawing the well down as quickly as possible is ideal for generating the best economics. The initial investment and operating costs of the artificial lift system must also be considered when performing economic analysis. Rod pumping horizontal wells to produce the high rates that the model describes is challenged by gas interference which has resulted in the following: rod and tubing wear, upper buckling tendencies, increased man hours trying to resolve problems, and a loss in production. When pumped off conditions occur while rod pumping from the kick off point, a noticeable decline in production can be observed. In low pressure reservoirs, lowering the pump into the curve can prove to restore or even increase production rates. By studying past cases of producing Yeso horizontal wells in the New Mexico Shelf Platform, COG has been able to select an optimally sized ESP, smoothly convert to a rod pumping system to achieve pumped off conditions, and continue to produce in the curve to avoid losses in production.