Determination of the lift diameter for minimum pressure loss in gas and gas-condensate wells

Abstract

Oil, gas, and gas-condensate extracted from offshore fields play a crucial role in Azerbaijan’s economy, making the enhancement of oil and gas production efficiency highly important. Therefore, increasing oil and gas recovery from fields is one of the key issues in field development. This article focuses on the determination of the optimal regime for gas and gascondensate wells to effectively manage production. First, the technological regime selection methods used in practice are analyzed, and based on the field characteristics, the most suitable approach is identified. The results of studies conducted on production wells in the field are refined using computational methods to propose optimal parameters. Based on the known well parameters, an optimal technological regime is selected for each well individually. Additionally, based on the average values of the parameters, a generalized technological regime is proposed. Wells with similar and interconnected characteristics are grouped together. A new optimal regime is then determined for each group. The removal of liquid and solid particles from the lower zone of gas-condensate wells depends primarily on the upward gas flow rate within the wellbore and the production regime of the well. Additionally, the physical properties of gas, liquid, and solid particles, as well as the well’s structural characteristics and the lift diameter, are determining factors for these parameters. To ensure the effective removal of liquid and solid particles from the lower zone of a gascondensate well, it is necessary to consider the minimum gas flow rates and the lowest production levels at which the lift ceases to function. Thus, obtaining prior information about the operational wells is crucial. To effectively remove liquid and solid particles from the wellbore, the required minimum production rate and gas flow must be adjusted to the well's determined bottom-hole pressure.