1. Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Sheraton Hotel, Denver, Colorado February 23 – 25, 2015 Providing an Automated Solution for running Plunger Lift and Gas Lift Operations Concurrently Pete Piotrowski, MSEE Software Engineer

2. Feb. 23 - 25, 2015 2015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 2 Which is it? Gas Lift w/ Plunger Assist, or Plunger Lift w/ Gas Assist? What is the primary means of lift? Somewhere in the middle is a fine line Is NOT Intermittent Gas Lift method!

3. Feb. 23 - 25, 2015 2015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 3 Why use a Plunger in Gas Lift Operations? Production (tubing) Buildup 1.Paraffin 2.Scale 3.Bonus De-liquification! Sweep the fluid from the tubing walls

4. Feb. 23 - 25, 2015 2015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 4 Why use Gas Injection with Plungers? Reservoir cannot or can no longer produce enough pressure to operate Plunger Reservoir Liquid production rate is faster than its pressure generation of available gas Liquid loading during shut-in exceeds capacity of plunger to start again Plunger recovery Note: Typically a smaller rated compressor (than is used in GL) can be utilized in some cases

5. Feb. 23 - 25, 2015 2015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 5 What is your Long Term Lift Strategy? Start Gas Lift end in Gas Lift –Lowest cost, but hard to completely deplete the reservoir, used offshore Start Gas Lift end in Rod Lift –$250,000 for a Rod Pump, $465,000 with installation? Start Gas Lift end in Plunger Lift –Lowest overall cost over the life of the well, ongoing highest maintenance cost relative to other forms of lift Sources: Eagle Ford Production Conference (2014 Houston) Proceedings: 1.Jon Dover, Pioneer Natural Resources; Assessing the Capital and Operating Expense of Gas Lift to Determine Net Present Value of a well on Gas Lift. 2.Mike Ward, EP Energy; Examiing Selection of Optimal Artificial Lift Based on Parameters of Cost, Run Life, and Failure Rates

6. Feb. 23 - 25, 20152015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 6 Typical System Diagram- 1

7. Feb. 23 - 25, 20152015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 7 Typical System Diagram- 2

8. Feb. 23 - 25, 20152015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 8 Typical System Diagram- 3

9. Feb. 23 - 25, 2015 2015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 9 Gas Lift w/ Plunger Assist SCENARIOS - 1 1.Decide what the purpose of the plunger is… a.Paraffin b.Scale or wiping fluid from tubing walls Q: Where to place the bottom hole assembly? 2. Bypass (Free-Cycling) Plungers a.No automation controller needed (really?) b.Bypass Plungers rated (Fall against Flow, i.e. ≤ 800 MCFD) c.Methods to Minimize round trip time  30-60 Second Shut-ins to start inertia of plunger falling

10. Feb. 23 - 25, 2015 2015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 10 GL w/ PA SCENARIOS - 2 3. Run plungers in Time Production Mode, Why?  Plungers restrict gas flow…  Paraffin / Scale rates of buildup vary well to well Time Mode allows user to : a.Select optimal plunger cycle frequency to maximize gas production. b.Overcome plungers resistance to (start) fall against flow c.Minimize plunger round trip cycle time

11. Feb. 23 - 25, 2015 2015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 11 Plunger Lift w/ Gas Assist SCENARIOS - 1 Q: What’s the purpose of gas injection in Plunger Lift? Supplement the reservoir BHP to sweep the plunger up –Reservoir Liquid production rate is faster than its pressure generation –Reservoir cannot or can no longer produce enough pressure to operate Plunger –Liquid loading during shut-in exceeds capacity of plunger to start again –Plunger recovery Maximize number of plunger cycles / day

12. Feb. 23 - 25, 2015 2015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 12 PL w/ GA SCENARIOS - 2 Multi-Well Systems sharing: - Compressor - Separator(s) - Sales line Q: Run as Free for all or use synchronization? - Running Plungers in Time mode (synchronized?) - Running Plungers in Pressure mode (synch’d?) - Auto-Adjust Plunger algorithms (synch’d?)

13. Feb. 23 - 25, 2015 2015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 13 To Intermit or Not; That is the Question… Intermittent Gas Injection Benefits: - Smaller compressor (less cost) - Quick Dump (motor) valves can be used (less cost) - Can extend life of well before Plug and Abandon Intermittent Gas Injection Downsides: - Parallel or Free for All operations (who gets the gas?) - Automation: How to determine Plunger Open time? - !! What happens to other wells running Gas Lift using same compressor?

14. Feb. 23 - 25, 2015 2015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 14 Intermittent Flow Gas Injection PL w/ GA Best Practices -Primary means of lift is Plunger in all wells on shared system components (compressor, separators, etc.) -Wells which cannot produce enough gas and PSI to bring up plunger on their own -BBLD << 200 -Most cost effective: Synchronize well opens (round robin, or ready to produce methods) -Automation Production Method: Pressure mode (e.g. Casing over Line, etc.) -Problems with injection valve can be (somewhat) alleviated by using different size trims (choking)

15. Feb. 23 - 25, 2015 2015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 15 To Flow Continuous or Not, That is the Question - 1 Continuous Gas Injection Benefits: o Allows each well to be tuned to optimal state o System can be any mix of Plunger Lift or Gas Lift in any combination o Wells can be operated in parallel, free for all, or synchronized (Level of control is exceptional) o Upon detection of compression issues, wells can continue to produce in some cases *Flow at Setpoint is maintained regardless of fluctuations up or down stream! (within reason…)

16. Feb. 23 - 25, 2015 2015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 16 To Flow Continuous or Not, That is the Question - 2 Continuous Gas Injection Downsides: - Automation more extensive (more cost) - Larger Compressor Capacity (parallel well operations) - Control Valve actuators (more cost)

17. Feb. 23 - 25, 2015 2015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 17 Continuous Flow Gas Injection PLw/GA or GLw/PA Best Practices -1 -Obtain Knowledge of both Plunger Lift and Gas Lift Methods; Knowledge to take the right action is what optimizes production. -Auto-Adjusting Plunger algorithms: use at your own risk. Can cause instability in parallel injection setups. -Pinch back flow to other wells when bringing new well online (Unload) or starting up any well with Packer (Kickoff) to obtain high compression pressure. -Use Gas Injection Valves (mandrels) down hole.

18. Feb. 23 - 25, 2015 2015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 18 Continuous Flow Gas Injection PLw/GA or GLw/PA Best Practices - 2 Continued… -Packers optional for PL w/ GA but great for GL w/ PA. -Use Automation products that are designed and integrated for the entire solution (rather than many individual controllers which are not integrated; can lead to duplicity) -Let Operators decide what Lift method or combo is best! -If there is a will, there is a way…

19. Feb. 23 - 25, 2015 2015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 19 Automation Considerations GL and PL both operate best under Automation control. -Pick automation that can do both together or separate a.Variety of Plunger Production modes (time, PSI, auto-adjust, etc.) b.PID Control Loop (for continuous throttled gas injection) c.Multi-Well solutions offer the best site control ability d.The more ‘Knobs’ the better -Recognize Synchronization is key in some operations (i.e. Round Robin and or Ready to Produce options) -Taking Action on Detection of an Alarm State (i.e. move to 50% Injection Flow Setpoint) -Aggregation of all Site Equipment SCADA data

20. Feb. 23 - 25, 2015 2015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 20 Other Learnings -The PID is not a whipping boy… it’s only misunderstood; Unstable systems can be caused by: -Electronic Flow Meters [EFMs] -Noisy Flow meter readings which feed PID (GIGO) -Control Valves (Throttling Chokes, etc.) -Gas Injection Valve (wrong size trim, wrong type of trim, wrong type of valve body, actuator not calibrated to valve, hydrates!) -Put your control valves DOWNSTREAM of EFMs -Compressors (Bypasses, Range of RPMs, Re- Circulation circuits, etc.) -Insufficient gas or pressure developed by compressor

21. Feb. 23 - 25, 20152015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 21 Resource for Understanding Control Valves PCS Ferguson “Gas Lift Manager User Guide” Chapter 6

22. Feb. 23 - 25, 20152015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 22 Poser Question

23. Feb. 23 - 25, 20152015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 23 Poser Question

24. Feb. 23 - 25, 20152015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 24 Poser Question Solution

25. Feb. 23 - 25, 20152015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 25 Copyright Rights to this presentation are owned by the company(ies) and/or author(s) listed on the title page. By submitting this presentation to the Gas Well Deliquification Workshop, they grant to the Workshop, the Artificial Lift Research and Development Council (ALRDC), and the Southwestern Petroleum Short Course (SWPSC), rights to: –Display the presentation at the Workshop. –Place it on the www.alrdc.com web site, with access to the site to be as directed by the Workshop Steering Committee. –Place it on a CD for distribution and/or sale as directed by the Workshop Steering Committee. Other use of this presentation is prohibited without the expressed written permission of the author(s). The owner company(ies) and/or author(s) may publish this material in other journals or magazines if they refer to the Gas Well Deliquification Workshop where it was first presented.

26. Feb. 23 - 25, 2015 2015 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 26 Disclaimer The Artificial Lift Research and Development Council and its officers and trustees, and the Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Steering Committee members, and their supporting organizations and companies (here-in-after referred to as the Sponsoring Organizations), and the author(s) of this Technical Presentation or Continuing Education Training Course and their company(ies), provide this presentation and/or training material at the Gas Well Deliquification Workshop "as is" without any warranty of any kind, express or implied, as to the accuracy of the information or the products or services referred to by any presenter (in so far as such warranties may be excluded under any relevant law) and these members and their companies will not be liable for unlawful actions and any losses or damage that may result from use of any presentation as a consequence of any inaccuracies in, or any omission from, the information which therein may be contained. The views, opinions, and conclusions expressed in these presentations and/or training materials are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Sponsoring Organizations. The author is solely responsible for the content of the materials. The Sponsoring Organizations cannot and do not warrant the accuracy of these documents beyond the source documents, although we do make every attempt to work from authoritative sources. The Sponsoring Organizations provide these presentations and/or training materials as a service. The Sponsoring Organizations make no representations or warranties, express or implied, with respect to the presentations and/or training materials, or any part thereof, including any warrantees of title, non-infringement of copyright or patent rights of others, merchantability, or fitness or suitability for any purpose.