Prod. Handling

There are three components to a successful rod lift surveillance and analysis program. One, a rod pump off controller is needed to match inflow to outflow, reduce fluid pound when configured properly, and to shut the well down in the event of a downhole failure. Secondly, a host system is needed to provide immediate identification of downed wells, remote surveillance, and the ability to monitor and analyze hundreds of wells per day, enabling quicker identification of variances and solutions.

Today, a good upstream or production engineer must understand the running condition of every well of which he is in charge in order to optimize production & profitability, usually by adjusting various setpoints. Typically, he will use data recorded by a pump-off controller (POC), fluid level shots, etc. as well as often coupling this wellhead-level data with intermittent information from stock tanks or test batteries.

With the development of new digital technology over the last several years, our industry has seen many benefits of remote monitoring and automation in sectors within drilling, completion, and production. One area that has lagged is remote monitoring and automation of production chemicals applications. This paper will review initial pilot testing of automated chemical pumps on a group of newly completed wells.

The prevention and mitigation of paraffin and asphaltene deposition in oil and gas wells behaves differently depending on each well’s fluid chemistry and the thermodynamic production conditions. These variables combined make the chemical mitigation a challenging process, the target chemistry must be tested in well conditions and in representative samples to determine the optimum formulation and this process could take multiple iterations until it gets dial in. Furthermore, these dynamic conditions change over time making the optimization process a full-time effort.

A Chemical Management Program is an integral part of an overall effort to reduce downhole and surface failures.  The success of a Chemical Management Program depends upon the Operator and the Chemical vendor understanding the expectations and responsibilities assigned to each party.  This paper identifies the critical tasks associated with a successful program to aid in clarification as to which party is responsible for each.  The terms of the business contract would then be defined around these tasks. 
 

In the last 10-15 years, the US has seen a remarkable surge in the production of oil and natural gas as the industry learned how to properly complete and produce previously non-productive formations. With this increased hydrocarbon production, we have also seen an increase in the amount of water that is produced and must be managed.

Paraffin related flow assurance issues continue to burden producers with costly and inconvenient mechanical interventions. All crude oil contains paraffin wax (n-C18 and above) and depending on the source and migration history to the reservoir, the proportion of this wax fraction can be significant. As these crude oils are produced, there may be instances when the fluid drops below a certain temperature that induces wax insolubility, and therefore increases the risk of paraffin deposition that can greatly reduce production rates, and in severe cases, restrict production completely.

In the last 10-15 years, the US has seen a remarkable surge in the production of oil and natural gas as the industry learned how to properly complete and produce previously non-productive formations. With this increased hydrocarbon production, we have also seen an increase in the amount of water that is produced and must be managed.

This paper provides historical and current insights regarding paraffin damage in formations as well as paraffin challenges in production equipment. More specifically, this paper addresses factors to consider when removing solid paraffin when methods to inhibit paraffin deposition fail. Paraffin severely impacts total operating costs and well profitability and yet procedures to remove paraffin continue to lack consistent effectiveness. Case studies and current lab results will be presented.

Emerging Distributed IoT technology vs. Centralized Processing Systems In 2015 we began looking at ways to measure fluid in real time and in any container (tanks, ponds, pipe, hose, etc.). The collected data needed to be accessible anywhere in the world on fixed or mobile devices without high upfront and maintenance costs. All the legacy systems required centralized processing systems resulting in high costs, difficulty in acquiring and disseminating data and a stagnate fixed structure.