ARTIFICIAL LIFT FOR UNCONVENTIONAL WELL

OUTLINE

Artificial Lift
Introduction to
Application in
Unconvention
Unconvention
al Reservoir
al Reservoir

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Unconventional Reservoir
• Definition of Unconventional Reservoir
• Unconventional vs Conventional
• Characteristics of Unconventional Reservoir
“
The unconventional reservoir is the one
that cannot be produced at economic
flow rates or that does not produce
economic volumes of oil and gas without
the assistance of massive stimulation
treatments or special recovery processes
and technologies. (Petrowiki.org)

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 Conventional vs Unconventional

Conventional Unconventional
Can evaluate with well logs Need specialized lab tests on cores

Immediate gas flow to the wellbore Gas diffuses slowly to fractures

May fracture to simulate Always fracture to stimulate

Inorganic reservoir rock gas has migrated to reservoir trap Organic reservoir rock is its own source rock

Permeability not depth dependant Permeability decreases with depth

Few wells to develop Multiple wells and facilities

Gas/Water ratio decreases Gas/Water ratio increases

Reserve determination follow good guidelines Require specialized testing to demonstrate proven reserves
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Characteristics of Unconventional
Reservoir

Well designs are unique to various unconventional reservoir type.

Longer duration of well’s life compared to conventional due to low

permeability.

Rapid decline rate (frequently exhibit hyperbolic declines)

Requires artificial lift earlier in the life of the well (typically 4-12 month)

Liquid loading occurs very early in well’s life

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Characteristics of Unconventional
Reservoir

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 2
Application of Artificial Lift In
Unconventional Well
• Common Artificial Lift in Unconventional Well
• Challenges of Artificial Lift Application
• Life Stage of Unconventional Well using
Artificial Lift 8
 Common Artificial Lift implemented
in Unconventional Well
Electrical Submersible Pump

ESP will help to lift fluids by

converting kinetic energy to
potential energy by rotating the
fluid. As a centrifugal pump, ESP
does not displace fixed amount of
fluid but create a relatively
constant amount of pressure
increase to the flow system.

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 Common Artificial Lift implemented
in Unconventional Well
Electrical Submersible Pump
Advantages of applying ESP in Unconventional Well:

01 02 03
Efficient mode of lift Able to operate at 0- Unconventional Reservoir is a
potential candidates due to
90 degree inclination its high PI after fracturing

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 Common Artificial Lift implemented
in Unconventional Well
Electrical Submersible Pump
Challenges of applying ESP in Unconventional Well:

01 02 03 04
Presence of Presence of slugs Application is Workover and
fracture propping restricted by the repair costs are
sand and produced well curvature expensive
gas during deployment
and landing

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 Common Artificial Lift implemented
in Unconventional Well

Electrical Submersible Pump

• Enabling technologies as enhanced compression pumps, gas separators, and

gas handler devices allow the ESP system to provide an improved
performance in unconventional wells.

• It is important to pay attention to setting depth of the ESP, the most favorable
depth for the ESP in the wellbore is to install the unit on an incline in straight
tangent section of the wellbore curve around kickoff point.

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 Common Artificial Lift implemented
in Unconventional Well

Sucker Rod Pump

Sucker rod pump will

gives mechanical energy
to lift oil from
bottomhole to surface.

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 Common Artificial Lift implemented
in Unconventional Well

Sucker Rod Pump

Advantages of applying SRP in Unconventional Well:

01 02 03 04
Low installation 1)Able to 1)Able to operate
with bottomhole
Efficient
cost provide flowing pressure as operation
operating low as 25 psig
information
downside

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 Common Artificial Lift implemented
in Unconventional Well
Sucker Rod Pump
Challenges of applying SRP in Unconventional Well:

01 02 03
Not designed to Application in long Susceptible to sand
optimize production in laterals can lead to production and gas
applications featuring frequent fatigue locking
rapid rate decline failures

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 Common Artificial Lift implemented
in Unconventional Well

Gas Lift
Gas lift is done by injecting
compressed gas whill will give the
energy of expansion pushes the
oil to surface and also aerates the
oil so that the effective density
decreases.

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 Common Artificial Lift implemented
in Unconventional Well
Gas Lift
Advantages of applying Gas Lift in Unconventional Well:

01 02 03
Gas lift can be implemented 1)Gas lift can handle Gas lift is a versatile method
in highly deviated and which can be design as
horizontal wellbores using solids and gas-rich transition or permanent lift. It
coiled tubing and other flows. can be combined with
special tools. plunger lift as third stage in
production cycle life.

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 Common Artificial Lift implemented
in Unconventional Well
Gas Lift
Challenges of applying Gas Lift in Unconventional Well:

01 02 03 04
Difficulty in lifting 1)Problems with dirty Inability to effectively Limitation when there
emulsions and viscous surface lines produce deep wells to is not enough
crudes abandonment formation gas or any
other outside source of
gas, and the
compression available.

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 Common Artificial Lift implemented
in Unconventional Well

Jet pumps
Jet pump will convert
energy from injected
power fluid to pressure
that lift produced fluids.

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 Common Artificial Lift implemented
in Unconventional Well
Jet Pump
Advantages of applying Jet Pump in Unconventional Well:

01 02 03 04
Cost effective Can operate at No moving parts Tolerant of
and reliable deeper depth, in decreases risk of abrasive and
lifting solution deviated wells equipment corrosive well
failure fluids

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 Common Artificial Lift implemented
in Unconventional Well
Jet Pump
Challenges of applying Jet Pump in Unconventional Well:

01
Jet pump has minimum bottomhole flowing pressure
required to avoid gas breakout out of the cavitation zone.

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 Common Artificial Lift implemented
in Unconventional Lift
Plunger Lift

Plunger lift uses a free piston that travels up and down in the well’s tubing
string, minimizes liquid fallback and uses well’s energy more effienciently.

• Plunger usually operates for flow rates around 200 B/D or below.
Plunger lift usually recommended for low flow rates but also requires
that reservoir produce enough gas to build up in the wellbore.

• Plunger can be paired with gas lift to provide additional energy.

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 Common Artificial Lift implemented
in Unconventional Well
Plunger
Advantages of applying Plunger in Unconventional Well:

01 02
Plunger usually operates for flow Plunger can be paired with gas lift to
rates around 200 B/D or below. provide additional energy.
Plunger lift usually recommended for
low flow rates.

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 Common Artificial Lift implemented
in Unconventional Well
Plunger
Challenges of applying Plunger in Unconventional Well:

01
Requires reservoir to produce enough gas to build up in
the wellbore.

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 Challenges of Artificial Lift in
Unconventional Well
Variables Production Rates

Low permeability restricts hydrocarbon migration to the fractures, resulting

in a rapid decline rate. Artificial lift systems must function effectively at low
production rates as well as initial high production rates. Lift systems should
have high turndown ratios.

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 Challenges of Artificial Lift in
Unconventional Well

Well Geometry
When the inclination is upward (toe up), liquids tend to accumulate on the
heel, if gas channel becomes completely blocked by liquid, pressure behind
the accumulated liquid builds until the liquid is displaced as slug. When the
inclination is downward (toe down), liquid flows downhill in a stratified
manner.

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 Challenges of Artificial Lift in
Unconventional Well

Turbulent Slug Flow

Production from shale reservoirs is characterized by non-steady state two
phase slug flow. Problems occurred due to this phenomenon are separator
upset, excessive surface alarming, and downhole lift systems.

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 Challenges of Artificial Lift in
Unconventional Well

Uncertain Inflow and Phase Distribution

The uncertain inflow and phase distribution coupled with slug flow regimes
make modeling, predicting well productivity, and designing production
systems for unconventional wells challenging.

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Life stage of Unconventional Well

Early Production

After the fracturing fluid recovery is complete, jet

pump can continue producing fluids to surface until
production rates decline sufficiently for rod pumps or
other artificial lift. If the well has longer period of high
production, jet pump can be replaced by gas lift. The
emerging trend is to design hybrid completion which
accomodates both jet pumps and gas lift.

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Life stage of Unconventional Well

Later Production
• As the production rates and GLR decline, most
unconventional wells are put on rod lift.
• Some operators want to keep gas lift as long as
possible. Insertion of a dead tubing string in lateral
will reduce the annular flow area and thus increase
flow velocity. It is also common to use surfactant
“foamer” chemical to reduce surface tension of
liquid and therefore reduce the critical velocity. –
Barnett Shale.

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Life stage of Unconventional Well

Later Production
• For low liquid production rates, plunger lift is often the lowest cost
lift method. The restriction of using the plunger is the long cycle
time. As BHP declines, Gas may be injected below the plungers to
help the plunger cycle. One caution in deep shale plays is that gas
pressures, high production volume, and long vertical sections can
combine to cause unusually high plunger rise velocities.
• Hydraulic piston pumps can be effective to lift small volume of
liquids from deep reservoirs. Similar to rod pump, they provide
strong drawdown and high turndown ratio. But unlike rod pump, it
only requires compact pumping unit for deep reservoirs.
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References
• Brown, K.E., 1977. The Technology of Artificial Lift
Methods. Tulsa: PennWell Publishing Company.
• Guo, B., 2007. Petroleum Production Engineering A Computer-
Assisted Approached. Louisiana: Elsevier Science &
Technology Books.
• Jackson, W.J.B., 2018. Unconventional Lift for
Unconventional Wells. SPE Artificial Lift Conference and
Exhibition, Available at:
https://www.onepetro.org/conference-paper/SPE-190947-MS
• Kannan, S.K. et al., 2018. Impact of Gas Lift Design in
Unconventional Wells – A Delaware Basin Operator’s
Perspective. SPE Artificial Lift Conference and Exhibition,
Available at: https://www.onepetro.org/conference-
paper/SPE-190950-MS
• Lane, W. et al., 2014. Considerations for Optimizing
Artificial Lift in Unconventionals. Unconventional
Resources Technology Conference, Available at:
https://www.onepetro.org/conference-paper/URTEC-1921823-MS
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References
• Latif. B.K.S. et al., 2018. Life-of-Well Gas Lift Installations
for Unconventional Resources. SPE Artificial Lift Conference and
Exhibition, Available at: https://www.onepetro.org/conference-
paper/SPE-190959-MS
• Miskimins, J.L., 2008. Design and Life Cycle Considerations for
Unconventional Reservoir Wells. SPE Unconventional Reservoir
Conference, Available at: https://www.onepetro.org/conference-
paper/SPE-114170-MS
• Oyewole, P., 2016. Artificial Lift Selection Strategy to Maximize
Unconventional Oil and Gas Assets Value. SPE North American
Artificial Lift Conference and Exhibition, Available at:
https://www.onepetro.org/conference-paper/SPE-181233-MS.
• Pankaj, P. et al., 2018. Artificial Lift Selection and Its
Applications for Deep Horizontal Wells in Unconventional
Reservoirs. Unconventional Resources Technology Conference,
Available at: https://www.onepetro.org/conference-paper/URTEC-
2875180-MS.
• Shahamat, S.M.S.S., et al., 2015. Inflow Performance Relationship
for Unconventional Reservoirs (Transient IPR). SPE Unconventional
Resources Conference, Available at:
https://www.onepetro.org/conference-paper/SPE-175975-MS. 33
“
Thank You

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