Abstract
Many gas wells cease producing economically long before their reservoirs have depleted and artificial lift applications for removing liquids from gas wells around the world are becoming more and more important.
Proper application of artificial lift technology to a loaded up gas well can be one of the most profitable ventures that a company undertakes in its overall investment opportunity portfolio. The dollars invested relative to the dollars returned, the rapid payout, and the generally low risk to reward nature of their spend is expected to continue to propel rapid expansion of Gas Well Deliquification Technologies into the fore seeable future.
This presentation will illuminate the importance of gas well deliquification technologies for the future. It will cover the basic fundamentals of the gas well liquid loading phenomena and provide a brief introduction to the Turner and Coleman equations used for critical velocity calculations. With these basic concepts covered, the presentation will then present a brief overview of the four most commonly applied artificial lift techniques used for deliquifying a gas well; reciprocating rod lift, foamer injection, plunger lift and gas lift. In conclusion, a logical artificial lift application selection process for gas well deliquification called the "Unloading Selector" will be introduced.