Paper: Plunger Lift With Gas Assist

With today's economics in the oilfield, many operators are searching for ways to cut lift costs. Plunger lift is often considered. However, if it is projected that a particular well does not have sufficient gas to operate a plunger, this means of artificial lift is no longer considered. For instance, if a particular well shows to be 10 MCF per day below operating requirements, an operator may spend upwards of $50,000.00 to rod pump this well. An alternative would be to add 10 MCF per day to this well through gas injection. Many operators have high pressure gas available without realizing. Many have compression for gas sales, some have gas plants, and others have high pressure gas wells. All these examples are avenues that should be explored. This paper examines such scenarios in two West Texas fields.