Experience with Plunger Assisted

Intermittent Lift (PAIL) in a Shell

Operation
Charlie Moncur - Shell Global Solutions (author)
Jim Hall SIEP EPT-REP (presenter)

ASME G/L Workshop Rio de Janeiro 2005

Agenda

A brief history of intermittent lift in Shell

Problems encountered with wells and equipment
More recent success with Plunger Assisted
Intermittent Lift
Future Application of the technology in Shell
Fieldware Intermittent Gaslift Module

History in Shell

Earliest records of intermittent lift trials date for 1960s

Tried in a number of Shell operations unsuccessfully.
Considered an art not a science.
Too many negative aspects not seriously pursued.
Re-examined in mid 80s Camco, Ferguson
Beauregard/DAPSCO equipment trials mixed results.
Re-engineering exercise with DAPSCO in mid 80s.
Successful from a mechanical point of view.
Well control and operation still problematic.
Late 90s final problems addressed and solved by Parkburn Well
Management Systems Ltd.
Viable artificial lift application but not actively pursued further by
Shell.
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Principle Problems Encountered

Mechanical damage to plungers poor cycle control.

Electrical equipment certification.
Pressure surges to production facilities - trips.
Destabilization of well control cycle by variation in gaslift
pressure and flow line pressure.
Large drawdown on gaslift system destabilize compressors
Time consuming to restart after field trip.
Poor understanding of well cycle and operation by field staff.
Control and optimisation manpower intensive.
Applied to problem wells probably worst candidates vain
hope
No real commitment an interesting field trial file and forget.
4

Target Wells

10 wells equipped and trialed with PAIL (3 vendors).

All Problem wells unable to lift economically with beam
pump too low production for ESP.
All wells in field traditionally converted from continuous
gaslift to beam pump.
Wells with Wax/HGOR low volume producers - reservoir
pressure 400 to 800 psi
Wells to be closed in if no other lift method could be
found
The worst of the bunch!
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Case Study 1
Well original completed as beam pump. Extremely waxy production declined
from
130 bpd to 25 bpd very rapidly. Required 7 well pulling hoist entries per year to
keep
well pumping. Each entry 30 joints of tubing removed for de-waxing.
Down time waiting on the hoist significant.

Control Unit

DAPSCO Singapore PAIL systems installed. Sustained low production but at

reduced rate.
Parkburn Well Management Systems Ltd. PAIL control system fitted.
Well on steady production at 125 bpd. No operator intervention .
Well performance vastly improved over beam pump
.

Combination Flexible Pad & Wobble Ring Plunger

6

Case Study 2
Well converted form continuous gaslift to beam pump.
Re-converted to PAIL unsuccessfully. Reverted to continuous gas lift.
Parkburn Well Management Systems Ltd control system fitted to well. No operator intervention.
Sustained optimised production with vastly reduced gaslift.

Case Study 3 (Non Shell Site)

(Complex Application)
The well was a high GOR producing from a thin oil rim of a gas field. Extremely waxy and produced on beam pump.
The well was capable of natural flow but operated with limited draw down to restrict gas influx into the well and the oil gathering system.
The well produced at a rate of 35 bpd with casing gas routed back into the flow line.
Pressurization of the oil gathering system with increased energy costs for all the other beam pumps in the field
The gas from the beam pumps was ultimately flared.
Gas cap gas was produced from gas wells in the field to provide fuel for a 9Mw power plant for a gas well.
A 2 7/8 PAIL system was installed which included multiple surface flow line valves. This allowed free gas to be directed
to the gas gathering system and oil to be segregated at the wellhead and sent to the oil-gathering network.
The well had sufficient energy to lift the plunger and fluid column without the assistance of gaslift
Cycle pressures between 850 and 450 psig. With the high well energy available there was a danger of plunger damage.
This was negated by the control system, which ensured that the plunger always had a fluid column preceding it.
The control programme detected the imminent arrival of the liquid slug and switched production from the gas gathering system to the oil system.
The reverse operation took place as the control unit saw the arrival of the plunger. Tail gas was blown down again to the gas gathering systems.
Gas flow rate was also maintained constant to ensure stability of the process plant.
Process trips were also reduced. As all the well formation gas is now routed to he power plant the demand on gas wells was reduced
( 750 Mscf/d). Electrical energy for the beam pump was also saved. Well bore de-wax operations were eliminated.
Oil production was increased form 35 bpd to95 bpd
Dual Flow Line Control Valves

Customer Benefits
Increased oil production
Reduction in oil gathering pressure
Reduced beam pump energy load.
De-wax of well eliminated.
No import of electrical power for wells.
Continuous well monitoring
Reduced well testing
Reduction in gas cap production
Reduced well maintenance
.

Well head

General Layout
Simple Well Completion.
Lubricator Single Side Outlet.
Wireline Quick Union Access.
No Instrument gas electrical supply.
UPS in control unit.
Managed by Single Operator.
Environmentally friendly no subsequent
well pulling -minimal wireline no well
head leakage - low profile low noise.
Low Maintenance plunger inspection
- periodic GLV change out (3 to 4 years)

Hardware Employed

Modified Lubricator Shock

Absorber Single Outlet
Worcester Flow Control Valves
(Flow line, Gaslift Supply)

Pressure Transmitters

WORCESTER Control Valve

( FTHP, FLP, CHP & Gaslift Supply)

Proximity Switch
PLC based control unit
Standard GLVs
Standard Tubing Stop/Bumper
Lubricator Single Side Outlet
Wireline Quick Union
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Control Unit - Capability

HMI Operator Communication

Auto restart unloading programme
Fluid and gas produced per cycle/day
Event logging remote communication
Auto cycle optimisation daily liquid volume
Auto gaslift injection modulation optimisation
(plunger velocity)
Safety programme plunger protection
- GLV leakage FLP High incomplete
well cycle plunger arrival before slug
Remote Communication
Total Well Management Capability

HMI

Test Sensitivity to PI. RP = 383 psig, Plunger Velocity = 800feet/min

25

20

15

PI = 0.04

Gross Prod.

PI = 0.05
PI = 0.06

10

PI = 0.08

0
0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90
100 110
Cycles per Day

120

130

140

150

160

170

180

190

200

Design Programme - Excel

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Control
Insensitive to gaslift pressure variation
Insensitive to flow line back pressure
Fully Automatic Self Optimising
ESD/UPS capability
Remote Communication
Auto restart after well trip
Logging events, pressures, cycles
and volumes.
Gas/Liquid Delivery Computed
Gaslift Injected Computed

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Pail Characteristics (1)

C h a r a c te r is tic

P o te n tia l U s e

D o w n h o le S e p a r a t io n o f F lu id s

B e c a u s e o f th e c y c lic m a tu r e o f th e te c h n iq u e o il a n d liq u id s
s e p a r a te d o w n h o le . T h e tu b in g is e ffe c tiv e ly a la r g e s e p a r a to r . T h e
p r o d u c e d o il a n d g a s c a n b e s p lit a t s u r fa c e b y th e u s e to 2 c o n tr o l
v a lv e s a n d s e p a r a te f lo w lin e s fo r o il a n d g a s .

U s e s E x is t in g G a s lif t
In fra stru ctu re

C o n v e r s io n to b e a m p u m p r e q u ir e s s ig n ific a n t in v e s tm e n t, h e a v y 3 p h a s e p o w e r s u p p ly a n d r o u tin e h o is t m a in te n a n c e to s e r v ic e th e
u n it. C o n tin u e d u s e o f th e g a s lift s y s te m w ith its h ig h in itia l
C A P E X in v e s tm e n t is e c o n o m ic a lly b e n e fic ia l

L o w e r C o n v e r s io n C o s t s T h a n
B e a m p u m p /E S P

C o n v e r s io n c o s t is lo w e r . N o h e a v y 3 p h a s e s u p p ly , n o h o is t p a d , n o
lo c a l v e n t, n o p u m p u n it fo u n d a tio n

L o w E n e r g y C o n s u m p tio n

U n lik e a b e a m p u m p th e r e is n o s ta tic h e a d in th e tu b in g , s u c k e r r o d s
a n d s u r fa c e u n it to r e c ip r o c a te . T h e e n e r g y e f fic ie n c y o n P A I L is a s
a r e s u lt b e tte r .

N o R o u t in e W e ll T e s t in g

P A I L c a n s c o n tin u o u s ly m o n ito r /r e p o r t its o w n p r o d u c tio n a n d

in je c tio n r a te s fo r g a s lift, to ta l g a s a n d liq u id p r o d u c tio n .

C o n t in u o u s P r o d u c t io n
M o n it o r in g

T h e c o n tro l s y s te m lo g s p re s s u re s , v o lu m e s a n d e v e n ts o n a
c o n tin u o u s b a s is .

A u to R e s ta r t A fte r T r ip s

A fte r a s ta tio n tr ip th e w e ll c a n b e s e t to a u to r e s ta r t.

A u to O p tim is a tio n

P A IL c a n o p tim is e g ro s s p ro d u c tio n a n d g a s lift in je c tio n o n a

d e m a n d o r a u to m a tic b a s is

Im p roved D raw d ow n

T y p ic a l g a s lift is u p to 5 0 % d ra w d o w n P A I L c a n a c h ie v e + 8 0 %
d e p e n d e n t o n r e s e r v o ir p r e s s u r e a n d P I .

T o le r a n t to S a n d & F in e s

T o le r a n t to lim ite d s a n d a n d fin e s p r o d u c tio n e x p e r ie n c e f o r m

S337.

W ax R em oval
L o w D o w n h o le M a in te n a n c e
C o sts

P lu n g e r m a in te n a n c e m in im a l, g a s lift v a lv e c h a n g e o u t 1 .5 to 2 .5
y e a rs in te rv a l

E n v ir o n m e n t a lly F r ie n d ly

S e a l s y s te m n o s tu f fin g b o x . L o w n o is e . W ir e lin e m a in te n a n c e
n o h o is t e n tr y

I n d e p e n d e n t C o n t r o l o f V a lv e s

2 flo w lin e a n d th e g a s lift in je c tio n lin e c a n b e c o n tr o lle d

in d e p e n d e n tly .

Pail Characteristics (2)

Adaptive Control System

The control system detects changes in the well performance and

adjusts programme parameters automatically e.g. reduces/increase
injected gaslift per cycle to keep the plunger at optimum velocity

Immediate Detection of Male

Operation

ESD function

Simple Well Design and

Evaluation

Simple spread sheet for well candidate selection, design and initial
optimisation

Scaleable

From 2 7/8 upwards. Casing plunger systems used in USA.

Deviation Insensitive

Short plunger - dog legs not a problem. Can be used in high

deviation wells

No Dynographs & Acoustic

Logs

The control unit continuously logs well performance and can be

coupled to SCADA.

Low Surface Maintenance

Costs

Surface maintenance limited to calibration of PTs and control valve

maintenance.

No Instrument Gas

The control system is electrically powered either mains supply or

24v d.c.

Ball Type Control Valves

The control valves are ball types with choke capability. These
present a large flow area when needed and capability to control
pressure pulses seen by the Produciotn installations.

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Pail Characteristics (3)

LCD Operator Interface
ESD Capability
Bean UP/Down Flexibility
Pressure Surge Control

Gaslift System Management

Controlled Gaslift Injection

Integrated with SCADA

Of extreme importance the operator must know what the well is

doing where it is in its cycle what has caused it to halt the
pressure time trends input of control parameters.
Running in parallel with the control programme is an ESD
monitoring programme, which will halt the production cycle if an
unsafe condition is detected.
The well cycles can be adjusted from 1 cycle a day to maximum
either locally or remotely.
Pressure surges to the production facilities are controlled by the
Worcester flow line valve. This can be ramped open to bleed down
pressure and beaned back to control the flow line pressure as the
liquid slug passes the wellhead.
With simple on/off control valves sudden large gaslift demands can
be made on the gaslift supply network. With a large number of
wells on the system destabilization of the pressure can occur. This
in turn feeds back to the well and destabilizes the well cycle.
Gas injection can be modulated to control the injection volume per
cycle.
The PLC can communicate back to a SCADA system via a radio
link. Alternatively the control functions and optimisation could be
centralized in Fieldware or a DCS system

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Future application of Technology in Shell

Many gaslifted fields in rapid decline continuous gaslift
becoming increasingly non-viable.
Most being converted to ESP or Beam pump.
Still no acceptance of intermittent gaslift as a viable
artificial lift method.
One project currently looking at intermittent lift linked to
real time management and optimisation (Fieldware Implementation)
Intermittent lift still low priority?
No real penetration in Shell.

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Future Use of Intermittent Lift

Goals?
Wells produced to abandonment
under natural flow and gaslift regimes.
Single Completion in place from initial
production to abandonment
Inefficient CGL range

Uneconomic Mechanical
Pumping Range

Natural Flow
Continuous Gaslift
Drill

Time
Conversion to Mech. Pumping

Conversion to Continuous Gaslift

Mechanical Pump
Normal Abandonment

Conversion to PAIL
Extend Life - PAIL
Replace Mech. Pump with - PAIL
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Conclusions
PAIL is a low cost, extremely viable and available intermittent
lift method, that can allow wells to be produced to abandonment
with gaslift.
PAIL can lift small slug sizes with minimal galift from low
bottom hole pressure reservoirs.
It can be made self managing and self optimising with minimal
operator intervention.
Conversion of inefficient continuous lifted wells has yielded
>50% increase in gross production and > 50% reduction in
gaslift.
It competes favourably in conversion cost with ESP and Beam
pump.
It competes favourably in life cycle costs with ESP and Beam
Pump.
Whilst all experience to date is in onshore wells, application to
offshore wells is a viable and natural development of the PAIL
technology.
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