MAHARAT CENTER

Advanced Artificial Lift and Optimization Skills

Introduction

Training course introducion / brief

This course covers the selection, design, diagnosis and troubleshooting of the major artificial lift methods (primarily ESPs and gas lift, although others will be considered) for both conventional and unconventional reservoirs. You will gain an appreciation of the key concepts involved in the analysis of artificial lift methods for challenging environments and a practical understanding of trend analysis and pattern recognition to solve operational problems. Well modelling software (Prosper) will be used by the instructor to illustrate design and troubleshooting techniques and applications with real field examples.

This course ensures that fundamental concepts of artificial lift systems are well explained and clearly understood before progressing to the application of these concepts in difficult or complex well conditions. A clear and logical workflow will be explained so that diagnosis and troubleshooting becomes easy. This technique means that participants have a solid foundation to build a deep understanding of artificial lift systems and the confidence to apply the principles learned in challenging situations.

Course Objectives

At the end of the training course, participants will be able to

Artificial lift methods, concepts of operation and equipment
Selection criteria for challenging well conditions
How to perform design procedures for artificial lift wells
How to recognise the correct data required for well analysis
Diagnosing and troubleshooting artificial lift well performance following a logical workflow
Optimising the artificial lift system for production and long term reliability

Programme de la formation

Day one

Recap of well and reservoir performance (fluid properties, outflow and inflow performance)
Use of pressure gradient plots for artificial lift well design and diagnosis
Review of artificial lift systems components and physics of operation
Special considerations for the application of artificial lift to unconventional reservoirs
Design, diagnosis and practical troubleshooting techniques for start-up and operation
Workshop sessions and tutorials covering building and matching of well models
Reservoir performance: wellbore and reservoir performance overview
Pressure loss in the wellbore
Well productivity
Concepts of productivity index
Inflow and outflow relationships
Formation damage

Day two

Well production problems: asphaltenes, waxes, hydrates, inorganic, scale formation, corrosion
Formation damage causes and prevention techniques
Impact of changing well conditions and need for artificial lift
Overview of artificial lift technology: sucker road pump design, hydraulic pump design, jet pump, gas lift, ESP
Application of artificial lift technology and its limitations
Artificial lift screening methods
Damage prevention
Evaluation of damage - production performance, and pressure analysis review
Damage removal: two basic acidizing treatments and acidizing materials and methods
Damage removal by chemical solvents
Acid type and concentration
Evaluation of acid treatments
Impact of changing well conditions and need for artificial lift
Overview of artificial lift technology : sucker road pump design, hydraulic pump design, jet pump, gas lift, Electric Submersible Pump (ESP)
Application of artificial lift technology and its limitations
Artificial lift screening methods

Days three

Formation damage
Well production problems: asphaltenes, waxes, hydrates, inorganic, scale formation, corrosion
Drilling-induced formation damage
Damage mechanisms - how are sandstones and carbonates damaged, how do formation mineralogy and clay chemistry influence damage, what about scale, paraffin .. Etc.
Formation damage causes
Concept, limitations and advantages of the sucker rod pumping system
Design and components of the sucker rod pump
Troubleshooting of the sucker rod pump systems
Concept and types of the gas lift system
Design and components of the gas lift system
Limitation and advantages of the gas lift system

Days four

Concept, equipment and accessories of the ESP system
ESP design: pump performance curves, pump intake curves, typical problems, installation, troubleshooting ; best practices for installation and maintenance;
Steps to correctly size an electric submersible pump (ESP) system. basic sizing principles for the pump, motor and cable
Importance of correctly matching well productivity to pump performance
Use of data to diagnose well/equipment problems
Limitation and advantages of the ESP system
Concept, limitation and advantages of the hydraulic pumps

Days five

Concept, equipment and accessories of the ESP system (Continuation)
Concept, limitation and advantages of the jet pumping
Concept, limitation and advantages of the PCP pumps
Operating conditions of the hydraulic, jet and PCP pumps
Best practices for installation and maintenance of the artificial lift techniques
Criteria for selection of artificial lift systems and artificial lift screening methods

Oil, Gas and Chemical