Abstract
An innovative gas lift technique was used to restore production of a high water cut oil producer, by using gas directly from a gas well without compression or treatment. The system included a 2" gas line from the gas well to the oil producer (2 km), and a gas measurement and flow control skid located at the producer. A chemical corrosion inhibitor was injected into the gas line at the gas well site to protect downstream piping and casing. Downhole gas lift equipment in the producer was installed using a wireline; a rigless installation resulted in a low cost installation.
Benefits of this gas lift system include:
No requirement to install and operate expensive compressors.
No requirement for gas separation and treatment prior to well injection.
Simple low cost wireline installation of downhole equipment.
Several producers could potentially be gas lifted by a single gas well.
No well site high capacity electrical power is needed.
In September 2011, the system was successfully commissioned, production stabilized at 2,500 barrels of fluid per day (BFPD) at 80% water cut and gas injection rate of 1 million standard cubic feet per day (MMscfd).
This gas lift system is potentially an economical alternative to the electrical submersible pump (ESP) artificial lift where suitable high-pressure gas wells are located near oil producers. The performance of this gas lift system will be closely monitored and evaluated as an artificial lift option for other similar fields.
