PTRT 1301 CH7 Managing Oil and Gas Production

Chapter 7
Managing Oil and Gas Production
PTRT 1301
Objectives
 Start of production
 Artificial lift
 Well workover
 Improved oil recovery
 Gas production management overview
Overview
 Once drilling is complete, focus is turned to well
management to achieve cost effective, safe and
environmentally sensitive extraction of crude oil
and gas.
 This chapter focuses on actions that optimize
production from oil and gas wells, including
maintenance, repair, and improved-recovery
programs that help achieve this goal while
extending the productive life of wells.
Production management
 For production operation of a well
the top of the wellbore is usually
outfitted with a collection of valves
and other components called a
Christmas tree. It regulates
pressure, flow and connects to
pipeline for distribution.
 If reservoir pressure remains high,

the Christmas tree is sufficient for
well production. If well pressure
decreases, artificial lift methods can
be employed to maintain economic
production.
Artificial Lift-methods
 Following initial production, two

things happen: water (which is
heavier than oil and much heavier
than gas) begins to encroach into the
formation; and reservoir pressure
increases as the reservoir depletes. If
no action is taken, then flow from the
well will eventually stop.
1. The most common approach is to

remove the Christmas tree and install
a surface pump. The motor-driven
sucker-rod pump (also called a
pumpjack) is by far the most
Methods of artificial lift
2. Gas lift- a compressed gas is injected into the annulus between
the casing and the tubing where it dissolves in the produced
gas/water liquid and also forms bubbles. The dissolved gas and
bubbles force the liquid up the tubing string, where the gas can be
captured and recycled.
3.Installing a powered pump electric or hydraulic—at the bottom of

the well tubing
4. pump hydraulic fluid down into the tubing string itself,allowing

the produced gas and water to flow upward through he
tubing/casing annulus to the surface.
Workover of a Well
 Well workover-remedial action needed to maintain
production from a well after months/years of
production.
 Prior to work-over, a well is shut in to stop production.

Flow is killed by pumping brine, drilling mud, oil, or
some other fluid down into the annulus, between the
casing and the tubing, and back up the tubing string.
 A BOP is usually installed while the tubing string and

other downhole equipment are removed.
Workover steps
 Removal of water or drilling mud (swabbing), done
either right after a well is completed or later.
 Repair or replacement of downhole pumps, valves,
and packers
 Installation of smaller-diameter tubing to boost flow
rates
 Removal of scale (salts, e.g., calcium sulfate) or
paraffin from tubing
 Cleanout of loose sand from the bottom of wells
drilled in sandstones
 Repair of damaged tubing or casing or of the cement
Sidetrack wells and recompletion
 A sidetrack well is drilled (if the original casing is

damaged) using special drill tools—such as a whipstock,
bent housing, or bent sub —are used to drill outward at
an angle from the original well. The new wellbore is
completed in the conventional manner, and drilling
continues after a liner is set.
 Recompletion- Done if operators determine that a

particular pay zone is depleted. It is the completion of
other pay zones below or above the original zone.
Cement is used to seal off the original producing zone.
Offshore workovers
 Use of a remotely
operated vehicle (ROV) is
often a better option.
Improved Oil Recovery
 Primary production- Oil produced by
the original pressure in a formation
usually yields only about 30%–35% of
the oil in place. (For gas wells, primary
production generally yields about 80%
of the gas in place, so less attention is
given to improved recovery.)
 A common technique often used first

by operators to extract additional oil is
called water flood, which can recover
5%-50% of the remaining oil. They
introduce treated water through
several injection wells placed in specific
patterns around a producing well.
Enhanced oil recovery.
 Enhanced oil recovery- Involve the

introduction of substances not naturally
found in a reservoir (gases, chemicals, or
thermal energy) to boost reservoir pressure
and sweep hydrocarbons from various parts
of the reservoir towards the wellbores.
Enhanced oil recovery methods-cont..
 Gas injection- CO2, N2 or LPG is sent into the reservoir (gases that
dissolve in the oil). The gas then pushes the fluid oil through the pores
and cracks in the rock toward producing wells. This approach can
often recover 35% of remaining oil.
 Chemical injection method injects a slug of detergent (reduces

surface tension of oil) into a depleted sandstone reservoir in separate
batches, or slugs. The next slug—water thickened with polymers—
pushes the micro-emulsion toward the producing wells.
 Thermal recovery: used to make heavy oil remaining in a reservoir

flow more easily. It includes methods like cyclic steam injection,
Steamflood or steam drive and Steam-assisted gravity drainage,
Fireflood or in situ combustion
Thermal recovery-steam assisted
 Steamflood or steam-drive
technique is a thermal recovery
method that pumps superheated
steam into injection well to heat up
oil to reduce its viscosity (resistance
to flow). Recovers 25% to 65% of oil
in place.
 Steam-assisted gravity drainage

(SAGD) has been used with great
success in the tar-sands formations
of Alberta. Steam is injected into an
upper horizontal well to melt the
tarlike bitumen, which flows
downward into a lower horizontal
well. The bitumen is then pumped
from that lower well to the surface.
By some estimates, SAGD can
Thermal recovery-in situ combustion
 relatively shallow
reservoirs, operators use a
gas burner or other
ignition source to set on
fire the subsurface oil in
one part of the formation.
Recovers up to 40%.
Gas Production Management
 Natural gas from a well that was drilled chiefly to extract oil
is called associated gas—that is, the gas is associated with
oil production.
 If a well is drilled specifically for natural gas and yields little or

no oil, then the gas produced is called non-associated gas.
 Condensate wells contain natural gas, as well as a liquid

hydrocarbon mixture (condensate) that is often separated
from the natural gas either at the wellhead or during later
processing of the gas.

Initial GasTreatment
 About 75% of the raw natural gas in the US
comes from underground reservoirs with
little or no oil. This non-associated gas is
cleaner (and therefore easier to process)
than gas from wells that do contain oil. But
regardless of the source, dirt, sand, and
water vapor must be removed from the raw
gas to prevent contamination and corrosion
of equipment and pipelines.
 A device called a wellhead separator

performs initial cleanup, removing water,
condensate and sediment. Dirt and sand are
removed with filters or traps. Water vapor is
typically removed by passing the gas through
a desiccant material, such as silica gel or
alumina (solid granules) or glycol (a liquid).
Gas Processing Operations
 A network of small-diameter, low-pressure piping called a
gathering system routes the gas from multiple (sometimes
more than 100) wells to the gas plant.
 When only hydrogen sulfide is present, natural gas is referred to

as sour. Natural gas is described as sweet after the removal of
hydrogen sulfide.
 One common approach flows raw natural gas up through a

tower while a spray of water mixed with a solvent is injected at
the top. The solvent reacts with the two gases (carbon dioxide
and hydrogen sulfide), and the solution is drained from the
bottom of the tower for further processing.
 A lattice structure of methane and water molecules,
hydrate can plug pipelines, pressure regulators, and other
equipment.
 As the gas comes in contact with the cold oil, the heavier
hydrocarbon gases condense into liquids and are trapped
in the oil. The lighter hydrocarbon gases, such as methane
and ethane, do not condense into liquid and flow out the
top of the tower. About 85% of the propane, 40% of the
ethane, and almost all of the butane and heavier
hydrocarbons can be extracted using this absorption
process.
 Nitrogen can reduce the heating value of natural gas (because
nitrogen does not burn).
 The collective removal of carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and

nitrogen is called upgrading, because the natural gas is made cleaner
and will consequently burn hotter.
 Natural gas is the main source of helium gas for industrial use in the
United States. Extraction of helium gas is done after the nitrogen has
been removed, using a complex distillation and purification process to
isolate the helium from other gases.
 water vapor-Besides affecting the heating value of the natural gas and
contributing to corrosion, water can become part of a solid or slushlike
compound, methane hydrate.
Environmental Issues
 Both gas and oil extraction bring significant amounts
of water to the surface and this produced water must
be treated and/or disposed of in ways that minimize
environmental impact.
 In Oil/Gas wells, Produced water typically contains

dissolved salts, as well as varying levels of
hydrocarbons (oil and grease), chemical additives and
propants, sediment, and even something called
NORM—naturally occurring radioactive materials
(e.g., radium-226 or -228).
Environmental Issues
 Methane is a potent greenhouse gas which

can trap heat 20 times more effectively than
carbon dioxide.
 In 1993, the natural gas industry joined with
EPA to launch the Natural Gas STAR Program
to reduce methane emissions. Program data
from EPA indicate that emissions were
educed by more than 820 bcf from 1993 to
2008 (by 114 bcf in 2008 alone).
Well abandonment
 After a well has been depleted to the point at which
further economic recovery of oil or gas is not possible,
it must be plugged and abandoned. This action is
required by law, to prevent briny water from the well
from polluting groundwater.
 -cut and extract the well casing for salvage purposes
 Install mechanical and cement plugs to eal off all high-
pressure and permeable producing zones in the well.
 When an offshore platform is abandoned, usually only
the deck equipment is salvaged.The legs that held up
the deck can be cut off at seabed level, and the entire
rig can then be towed to shore for salvage or disposal.

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Chapter 7

Managing Oil and Gas Production

 If reservoir pressure remains high,

 Following initial production, two

1. The most common approach is to

3.Installing a powered pump electric or hydraulic—at the bottom of

4. pump hydraulic fluid down into the tubing string itself,allowing

 Prior to work-over, a well is shut in to stop production.

 A BOP is usually installed while the tubing string and

 A sidetrack well is drilled (if the original casing is

 Recompletion- Done if operators determine that a

 A common technique often used first

 Enhanced oil recovery- Involve the

 Chemical injection method injects a slug of detergent (reduces

 Thermal recovery: used to make heavy oil remaining in a reservoir

 Steam-assisted gravity drainage

 If a well is drilled specifically for natural gas and yields little or

 Condensate wells contain natural gas, as well as a liquid

 A device called a wellhead separator

 When only hydrogen sulfide is present, natural gas is referred to

 One common approach flows raw natural gas up through a

 The collective removal of carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and

 In Oil/Gas wells, Produced water typically contains

 Methane is a potent greenhouse gas which

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