Artificial Lift

Artificial lift optimization in marginal horizontal wells is often limited by gas interference and inefficient pump intake placement. Particularly in mature reservoirs producing below bubble point. As free gas evolves in the lateral, stratified flow conditions can reduce pump fillage and restrict drawdown in rod lift systems. This study presents a field case from a marginal horizontal well operated by A.C.T. Operating Company in Cochran County, Texas, evaluating the impact of the insert pump placement and intake gas separation on production performance.

This poster provides a concise review of multiphase pumping (MPP) technologies used in oil and gas production, focusing on positive displacement and rotodynamic pump designs. Key design principles, operating mechanisms, and common challenges such as high gas volume fractions, slug handling, reliability, and pressure boost stability are summarized alongside insights from published field applications.

Sinker bars and sinker rods are both used as methods to help maintain tensile strength and minimize buckling of the rod string in rod pumped wells. They have different applications but primarily attempt to solve the same problem. This presentation will look to assess the advantages and disadvantages of using sinker rods vs sinker bars in horizontal rod pumped wells. 

Artificial lift selection in unconventional horizontal wells is increasingly influenced by high deviation angles, rising gas–oil ratios, declining production rates, and solids production. Historically, Traditional Rod Pump systems were limited in highly deviated Delaware Basin wells due to rod-on-tubing wear, friction losses, and elevated intervention frequency.3 However, recent advancements in PMM technology, including motor efficiency, torque density and variable-speed control have made units more compact with more versatile flow rates.

Modern unconventional wells increasingly rely on gas lift compression, representing ~30% of initial artificial lift systems in the Midland Basin and ~40% in the Delaware Basin by 2024. Permian produced gas is often liquid-rich, containing higher propane and butane concentrations and specific gravities typically ranging from 0.72–0.79 (and occasionally up to ~0.97), forcing compressors to operate near phase boundaries. Temperature changes during staged compression can cause liquid dropout, contributing to downtime.

The efficient management of gas lift systems is pivotal in minimizing operational costs and maximizing production for a large majority of unconventional wells. By leveraging automated workflows to efficiently build and tune physics based nodal analysis models, operators can optimize well performance and gas injection rates thus reducing operational expenses. A cornerstone of effective gas lift optimization is the seamless integration of real-time data with physics-based models.

Traditional metal-to-metal seal rings have long struggled with down hole sealing issues due to a functional lack of interchangeability among manufacturers, particulate contamination on the seal face, and a possible designed-in lack of precise control of the sealing angle on mating parts. These issues drive costly interventions and decrease pump performance.

Development of AI controllers has allowed abnormal pumping conditions to be accurately identified remotely. Due to the geometry of most rod lifting systems corrective actions need to be undertaken manually at the well location. This paper introduces an automated approach to implementing corrective actions with the use of a non-fixed stroke length rod pumping system. The focus includes case studies where manipulating the stroke length is used to rectify the abnormal pumping condition without the use of additional equipment or service rig intervention.

Mechanical components used in artificial lift face significant environmental and functional challenges, primarily caused by factors such as corrosion, abrasion, erosion, and stress corrosion cracking in downhole conditions. To ensure a component remains operational, the material not only needs to meet mechanical requirements but also needs surface properties capable of withstanding the corrosive and abrasive downhole environment.

Sucker rod pumping for horizontal wells has advanced considerably over the past few years. Advancements in sucker rod pump technologies and bottomhole assembly (BHA) components/configurations have allowed for more efficient downhole gas separation and greater production drawdowns. The unintended consequence has been an escalation of solids in the produced fluids with increased failure frequencies.