Teknik Produksi II

(3 SKS)

PLUNGER LIFT

Dosen : Ir. Andry Halim, MM

STT MIGAS, Balikpapan
2016
Objective/Sasaran

 Pengenalan Plunger Lift

 Lessons Learned
from Natural Gas STAR
Installing Plunger Lift in
Gas Wells

 Methane Losses
 Methane Recovery
 Is Recovery Profitable?
 Industry Experience
 Discussion Questions
What is the Problem?
 There are approximately 316,000 condensate and
natural gas wells (on and offshore) in the U.S.
 Accumulation of liquid hydrocarbons or water in the
well bores of gas wells reduces and can halt production
 Common practices to temporarily restore production
vent significant quantities of methane
Methane Emissions
 By venting, or “blowing” the well to the atmosphere, a
high volume of gas entrains accumulated liquids to the
surface
 Methane is released to the atmosphere along with the
gas
 On average, 50 to 600 Mcf of methane per well may be
emitted each year
 To date, about 6 Bcf/yr of gas is being saved with
plunger lift installations
How Can Plunger Lifts Reduce
Methane Emissions?
 Plunger lifts automatically produce liquids
without blowing the well to the atmosphere
 Gas pressure stored in the casing annulus
periodically pushes the plunger and liquid
load from the well bottom to surface vessels
 Wells with the right combination of shut-in
pressure, depth and liquid accumulation are
kept productive without operator attention
 Other wells can use injected gas lift more
efficiently with a plunger lift system
Plunger Lift Schematic
UPPER
OUTLET

LOWER
OUTLET

Source: Adapted from Production Services Control, Inc.

www.pscplungerlift.com/plungerlift.html
Plunger Lift Component
 Plunger Lift type
There are five main types of
plungers (fig) i.e.:
1. solid, brush,
2. metal pad,
3. wobble washer, and
4. Flexible

Fig. Some of the types of plungers

available.
(courtesy of McLean & Sons, Inc.)
 Plunger Lift Types
B-4. Plunger Selection.
There are five main types of plungers:
1. solid, brush,
2. metal pad,
3. wobble washer, and
4. Solid.
The solid plunger is a solid steel cylinder with a smooth or grooved
surface. Gas passing around the plunger during its trip upward must
have a velocity much greater than the plunger and liquid load. The
gas passing the plunger wipes the tubing clean of liquids and reduces
liquid fallback.
Brush. A brush plunger consists of a mandrel and a brush segment that
may or may not be replaceable. The brush segment is oversized with
respect to the tubing internal diameter, and this characteristic creates the
sealing mechanism. Brush plungers are particularly good for wells that
suffer from sand flowback or tubing imperfections.
 Plunger Lift Types
Metal pad. The metal pad plunger has several spring-activated metal
pads that conform to the internal tubing diameter. These plungers may
have one or several concentric sets of pads along the body arranged in
various patterns. Pad plungers provide the highest level of mechanical
seal when properly sized.
Wobble washer. The wobble washer plunger is designed to keep
tubing free of paraffin, salt, and scale. It is constructed of shifting steel
rings or washers mounted along a solid mandrel. The washers wipe
the tubing clean, removing the unwanted product before it has a chance
to crystallize.
Flexible. New on the market are plungers built with a flexible mandrel
for deviated hole and coiled tubing applications. Articulated cup and
brush plungers are available with this new design feature. These
flexible plungers range in size from ¾ inch to 2-7/8 inches. Many times a
flexible plunger will run in a standard tubing string that has bends or
crimps, reducing the need to pull tubing.
Plunger Lift Schematic
Plunger Lift Schematic
Plunger Lift Schematic
Operation system PL

Estado Inicial: Pozo 1) Apertura de pozo 2) Arribo de pistones 3) Período de 4) Cierre de pozo –
cerrado ascenso de los fluencia del pozo descenso de
pistones pistones 16
Overall Benefits
 Higher gas production
 Reduced methane emissions
 Lower capital cost
 Lower well maintenance cost
 Extends the life of wells
 Removes scale, salt, paraffin
 Decision Process
Determine if a plunger lift is Determine the cost of a
technically feasible for the well plunger lift

Estimate the savings achieved by

plunger lift installation:
•capital and operating costs
•increased production value
•gas savings
•avoided well treatment costs
•salvage value
•reduced workover/electricity costs

Compare overall costs and benefits of Is a plunger lift

traditional remedial techniques vs. plunger lifts cost-effective?
Plunger Lift Applications
 Plunger lifts are a long term solution
 Common plunger lift applications include
 Wells with gas-to-liquid ratios of 400 scf/bbl per 1,000
feet of depth
 Wells with shut-in pressure that is 1.5 times the sales line
pressure
 Gas wells with coiled tubing
 Wells in need of paraffin and scale control
 Oil wells with associated gas
 Using plunger lift when venting to the atmosphere
 Wells with shut-in pressure that is 1.5 times atmospheric
pressure
Plunger Lift Costs
 Two elements: facilities and set-up costs
 Total costs range from $1,500-$6,000
 Largest variability is in set-up costs
 Tubing gage: check for obstructions/drift
 Broach to assure free movement
 Set/check depth of plunger stop bumper
 Swab to allow plunger to surface reliably
Avoided Emissions
 Estimating gas vented to expel liquids
 GRI studied more than 103,000 blowdown events
 41% of the 6387 wells analyzed required liquid unloading
 Frequency ranged from once-per-year to once-per-day, averaging
40 times per year
 Methane content was 78.8 mole %
 ExxonMobil averaged savings of 640 Mcf/yr/well for 19 plunger
lift installations in Big Piney, WY
 A conservative estimate is the well volume at shut-in
pressure
 0.37x10-6 x ID2 x Depth x Pressure x Vents/yr (Mcf/yr)
 610 Mcf/yr for 8 inch, 10,000 ft well at 200 psig shut-in pressure
with monthly venting
Increased Productivity
 Using a well production plot, assume plunger lift can
maintain peak average production rate
Additional Benefits: Plunger Lift
Replaces Beam Lift
 Avoided well treatment
 Chemical treatments (solvents, hot fluids,
dispersants, surfactants, etc.) = $10,000/yr
 Microbial cleanups = $5,000/yr
 Avoided workover costs
 Decreased need for remedial operations
average = $12,000 to $30,000 three times in 10
yrs
 Economic Analysis
Two Options for continuously unloading a well

Annual
Capital Remediation Electrical Production Emissions
Operating Payout
Costs - Chemical Costs Increase Savings
Costs

Plunger $1,500- $500 - 3-300 75-900 1

$0 $0
Lift $6,000 $1,000 MCFD MCF/yr month

Beam $20,000 - $3,000 - $1,000 - 3-300 75-900 14

$10,000 +
Lift $40,000 $40,000 $7,300 MCFD MCF/yr months
Partner Reported Experience
 Partners report methane reduction of 10 -1,650 Mcf/yr
per well
 Past emission reduction estimates for 120,000 wells
using plunger lifts is 6 Bcf/yr or $18 million/yr
 Future emission reduction potential estimated to be 1-
5 Bcf/yr for 100,000 additional wells
BP
 Midland Farm Field, replacement of beam lift, rod
pump well production equipment with plunger
lifts
 Initial decision based on paraffin blockage
 Installation costs = $10,000 /well
 Avoided costs of electricity, workover, and paraffin
control = $20,000 /well/year
 Increased production = $22,548 /well/year
 Due to success, 190 plunger lifts units have been
installed at other locations
 ExxonMobil E&P U.S.
 Plunger Lift Installation Program at Big Piney,
Wyoming
 Between 1995 and 1998 installed 23 plunger lifts (19
during first 3 years)
 Total installation costs = $115,000
 Annual emissions reduction = 14,720 Mcf
 Average annual value = $44,160 (at $3/Mcf)
 Program continues installing plunger lifts
Annualized Reduction of
Methane Emissions
1800
1600
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
Well Number

*Total Annualized Reduction = 12,166 Mcf/yr (640 Mcf/yr/well)

Lessons Learned
 Most remedial actions (many of which can be replaced
by plunger lifts) are costly, repetitive, and lead to
excessive gas emissions
 Plunger lift installations reduce the amount of
remedial work needed throughout the lifetime of the
well, and the amount of methane releases
Lessons Learned
 An economic analysis of plunger lift installation
should include incremental boost in productivity and
associated extension of well life
 Plunger lift installations can offer quick paybacks and
high return on investments
Kandidat Sumur Plunger
 GLR Tinggi
 Intermittent Gas Lift
 Parafin dan kontrol scale.
Keuntungan Menggunakan Plunger
 Tidak memerlukan energy dari luar
Lift
 Maintenance yang mudah
 Tidak memerlukan RIG dalam installasi
 Biaya yang murah untuk perawatan dan
pengoprasiannya.
 Membantu membersihkan tubing dari
parafin
 Dapat di aplikasikan pada sumur
deviated
Limitation
 Spesifik GLR
Plunger Lift
 400 scf/bbl/1000 ft No Packer
 1000 scf/bbl/1000 ft With Packer
 Produksi 200 bbl/day
Peralatan
 Tubing Stop
Plunger
 Bumper Spring
 Plunger
 Lubricator
 Motor Valve
 Solar Cell
 Solenoid
 Surface Controller
 Plunger Arrival Sensor
Tubing Stop
 Pemasangan hanya
menggunakan wireline.
 Berfungsi sebagai alat dudukan
bumper spring dan plunger.
Bumper Spring
 Berfungsi sebagai landasan/shock
absorber bagi plunger.
 Plunger
 Berfungsi mendorong
cairan ke permukaan.
Jenis Plunger
 Pad Plunger
 Kurang baik unuk sumur yang
banyak mengandung pasir / sacle.
 Optimum untuk mengangkat
cairan.

 Brush Plunger
 Baik untuk sumur kepasiran.

 Solid Ring Plunger

 Baik untuk sumur yang
mengandung scale.
Lubricator
 Sebagai batalan plunger saat
tiba di permukaan.
 Working pressure 3000 psi dan
5000 psi.
 Single atau dual outlet.
 Motor Valve dan
 Sebagai automatic valve
Accesories
pengatur waktu saat build-up
dan sales.
Solar Cell
 Sebagai supply energi ke
control panel.
Solenoid
 Mengatur masuknya supply
gas ke motor valev, solenoid
ini bekerja atas signal dari
control valve.
Surface Controller
 Sebagai alat pengatur
waktu shut-in dan sales
dalam proses kerja plunger
lift.
 Arrival Sensor
 Sebagai penanda
kedatangan dari plunger di
permukaan, dan alat ini
akan memberikan signal
ke control panel untuk
memerintah solenoid
membuka. Sehingga
terbentuk waktu sales.
Contoh Plunger Instalasi
Contoh Instalasi plunger lift
Case Study
B. Dotson, SPE, and E. Paclibon, SPE, BP America
Production Co.
Gas Well Full Depletion
Flowing to
here..
2500

2000
Rate, MSCFD

1500

..then foamer/
1000
plunger..
.. then we have to
500
Rate MSCFD add power & $$!
Minimum for 2-3/8" Tubing
Minimum for Plunger
0
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Percentage of Potential Well Life
Outline
 Life of Well Deliquification
 Proposed Approach
 Simple Application
 Conclusions
 Extensions/Future Work
Time Scale: Interventions (Production) and
Economic Limit (Reserves)
A Step Back.. 3 Physical Methods
 Eliminate the
liquid phase
downhole
• Blow liquid
in droplet
form to the
surface
with the • Separate
“wind” liquid and
move it to
the surface
in a tube
Power = Money = Depletion
 We can understand and simplify the choice
of deliquification methods throughout
depletion by using power as the highest
level variable through the life of the well.
Proposed Approach:
 Fluid movement from pore
Power
space to surface requires
energy. That energy comes
from:
 Gas expansion
 Gas heating due to flow through the
reservoir
 Artificially provided power
 Thermodynamic Calculations
Performed:
 Power expended in the reservoir
 Power expended in the wellbore
 Power provided via artificial lift
Simple Application
 Ignore “self-powered”
methods; examine
pumping and gas lift
 Depletion-drive only
(relatively constant LGR)
 Constant surface delivery
pressure to focus on
deliquification aspect
Results of Simple Application
Results of Simple Application
Recovery Factor to Thermodynamic Limit as
Percentage of (OGIP) at 30 BBL/MMSCF
Case Natural Gas Lift Pump
Flow
Tight, Small 67% 86% 94%
(2 md-ft, 2 BCF)

Medium 87% 89% 94%

(1000 md-ft, 60 BCF)

Large, Prolific 88% 90% 94%

(1000 md-ft, 60 BCF)
Unconventional Gas (Small, Tight): Big and
Growing
Conclusions
 Power perspective can help bridge the
gap between production and
reserves; between short and long-
term.
 Not surprisingly, pumping maximizes
recovery.
 Recovery of unconventional gas OGIP
relies on deliquification more than
conventional gas.
 Surprisingly, the reservoir in theory
could provide enough power to pump
the liquids.
Future Work
 Examine self-powered methods
like plunger and foamer from a
power perspective.
 Build a tool that gives practitioners
a high-level view of the life of the
well via a “technical” instead of
“thermodynamic” limit.
 Integrate the compression power.
 Integrate the heat balance.
Backup Slides
Reservoir Properties
 Tres = 250oF
 Pres = 6000 psia
 Psurf = 200 psia
 Depth to Perfs = 13,000 ft

size k acre h (ft) phi Sw OGIP

(md) spacing (BCF)
Tight 0.02 40 100 0.07 0.45 2
Medium 5 160 200 0.19 0.25 60
Prolific 10 250 200 0.27 0.25 134
Assumptions
 Liquids enter at perfs and are constant LGR
throughout the life of the well
 Unlimited gas market and normal lease commercial
terms.
 Modeled on pure methane and water; no
consideration for contaminants like solids, paraffins,
corrosive agents, etc.
 No capital cost; economic limit based on zero
production (natural flow) or cost of 100% efficient
power (powered cases)
Modeling
 Natural flow:
in a Steady-State Tool
 well operates to the left of the minimum FBHP
 Gas lift operated at a fixed depth:
 suitable for high GOR wells
 optimum gas injection rate at bottom of VLP
 Pump located at bottom of tubing:
 modeled as an inline separator
 ideally operating at extremely low rates
 acts like a positive-displacement
Tight Case at 10 bbl/MMscf
2500
Metastable flow Normal operating conditions

2 3/8 tubing
2000 Natural
Gas Lift
Pump

1500
FBHP (psig)

2 3/8" tubing
min FBHP = 526 psig
Qgcrit = 0.5 MMSCFD
1000

500

0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1
Qg (MMSCFD)
Tight Case Power to Lift
100,000.000

Gas Lift HP 0 sep

10,000.000 Pump HP 0 sep
Formation Power 0 sep
Wellbore Power 0 sep
Gas Lift HP
1,000.000 Pump HP
Formation Power
Wellbore Power
Horsepower Required

100.000

10.000

1.000

0.100

0.010

0.001
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Years of Production
Questions ?
Discussion Questions
 To what extent are you implementing this technology?
 How can the Lessons Learned study be improved upon
or altered for use in your operation(s)?
 What are the barriers (technological, economic, lack
of information, regulatory, etc.) that are preventing
you from implementing this technology?