Gas Lift Design and Optimization
using NODAL Analysis
Presented by
Dr. Gabor Takacs
Course Duration: 5 days
Course Description:
More than 80% of the world’s oil wells are placed on some kind of artificial lift, the most significant of which are gas lifting, sucker-rod pumping, and electric submersible pumping. Production engineers are required to design and operate these installations at their peak efficiencies so as to reach a maximum of profit. To achieve this goal, a perfect understanding of the basic design of the different lift methods, as well as a working skill in the ways ensuring optimum production conditions is necessary.
The course covers the basic design principles of one of the most common artificial lift methods, gas lifting, illustrated with many classroom examples. At the beginning, due to its great importance in describing gas lift operations, vertical multiphase flow basics are covered. Trainees will not only see the difficulties of accurate pressure drop calculations but will also realize the grave importance of the proper selection of the calculation model. The basic principles and common techniques of NODAL Analysis are detailed next. Gas lift valves, considered to be the heart of the gas lift system, are properly described and their classification, setting and application are discussed.
The main topic of the course is continuous flow gas lift design and available methods are discussed along with the application of NODAL Analysis techniques. Available optimization procedures for single wells and groups of wells alike are detailed in order to develop the necessary skills in trainees. Proper well unloading procedures are described and the steps of designing an unloading valve string are shown and practiced through the solution of class problems. The course is finally concluded by describing the operation and basic design of entire gas lift systems.
Throughout the course, trainees will solve examples and class problems by hand calculations as well as on the computer, and are required to have a basic computer literacy.
After completion of the course, trainees will:
· Understand the importance of selecting the proper vertical multiphase pressure drop calculation model in gas lift calculations.
· Be able to use NODAL Analysis techniques to describe the operation of a well placed on continuous flow gas lift.
· Have a general understanding of the main gas lift valve types, their use, and setting.
· Understand the basic design of a continuous flow gas lift installation, including the selection of the operating valve depth and the calculation of the necessary lift gas requirement.
· Optimize the operation of a single continuous flow installation and to properly allocate the available lift gas among several wells.
· Be able to design an unloading valve string design.
· Understand the operation of a gas lift system’s different components and have a basic comprehension of its design.
Who Should Attend:
Petroleum and Reservoir engineers working with gas lift and having a basic knowledge in the design and analysis of such installations.
Number of Participants: minimum 10, maximum 20.
Course Material: A detailed manual containing worked and classroom examples is supplied to each trainee along with supporting material on CD.
Technical Equipment for Instructor: Video data projection system, overhead projector with screen, flipchart.
Technical Equipment for Trainees: One computer per one or two trainee with printing capabilities, basic scientific calculator.
Instructor’s Short CV:
Gabor Takacs is presently a professor and was Acting Director (2007-08) at the Petroleum Engineering Department at The Petroleum Institute in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Previously he was the Head of the Petroleum Engineering Department at the University of Miskolc, Hungary and holds MS and PhD degrees in Petroleum Engineering from the same institution. He has more than 30 years of teaching and consulting experience in the production engineering field. He taught as Visiting Professor at Texas Tech University, USA in 1988/89 and at the Mining University of Leoben, Austria in 1995. In 1995/96 he was selected SPE Distinguished Lecturer, was Outstanding Technical Editor for the SPE journal “Production and Facilities” 1992-2003, and chaired the Artificial Lift TIG (Technical Interest Group) of SPE in 1997-2003. He is the author of several books on artificial lift technology; “Modern Sucker-Rod Pumping” (1993), “Sucker-Rod Pumping Manual” (2002), “Gas Lift Manual” (2005), all published by PennWell Books, USA. His latest contribution “Electrical Submersible Pumps Manual” came out in 2009 from Elsevier. Dr. Takacs has more than 90 technical papers to his credit. He taught various short courses for many oil companies in Libya, Mexico, Argentina, Indonesia, UAE, Romania, Malaysia and Austria; and is a well-known consultant and instructor on production engineering and artificial lift topics.
Instructor’s Recent Photograph
See attached file Takacs_Photo.jpg
Time Schedule
“Gas Lift Design and Optimization
using NODAL Analysis”
Training Course
DAYS / T O P I C S C O V E R E D1 / Introduction to Artificial Lift Methods
Importance and Short History of Artificial Lifting
Comparison of Lift Methods
Basic Features of Available Techniques
Selection of the Proper Lift Method
Multiphase Flow in Oil Wells
Background Theories
Calculation of Pressure Traverses
Accuracy and Selection of Pressure Drop Calculation Models
Use of Gradient Curves (Class Problems)
Computer Solutions (Class Problem)
2 / Basics of NODAL Analysis
The Production System and its Behavior
Basic Principles and Solutions
Gas Lift Installation Types
Tubing Flow Installations
Open Installation
Semi closed Installation
Closed Installation
Chamber installations
3 / Gas Lift Valves
Gas Lift Valve Types
Supporting Calculations
Valve Mechanics of IPO Valves (Class Problems)
Dynamic Performance of Gas Lift Valves
Gas Throughput Calculations (APIRP11V2 )(Class Problem)
Setting of Gas Lift Valves
Design of Continuous Flow Gas Lift Installations
Principles of Continuous Flow Gas Lifting
Installation Design Calculations (Class Problems)
The Effects of Operational Parameters
DAYS / T O P I C S C O V E R E D
4 / NODAL Analysis of Continuous Flow Gas Lifted Wells
Description of System Performance
Constant Wellhead Pressure Cases (Class Problems)
Unlimited & Limited Lift Gas Availability
Variable Wellhead Pressure Cases
The Equilibrium Curve Method (Class Problem)
System Stability
Optimization of Continuous Flow Gas Lift Installations
Basic Principles
Optimization of a Single Well for Prescribed Liquid Rate
Existing Compressor (Class Problem)
Compressor to be Selected
Single-Well Optimization for Unlimited Rate
The Economic Slope Method
Allocation of Lift Gas to a Group of Wells
The Equal Slope Method (Class Problem)
5 / Unloading Design for Continuous Flow
The Unloading Process (Video Presentation)
Valve String Designs (Class Problem)
Valve Running and Pulling (Video Presentation)
Gas Lift Systems
Functions, Types
System Operation
Optimum System Design
CASE STUDY: Optimizing the Operating Conditions in a Major Gas-Lifted Field
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