CHAPTER 2

BASIC OF ARTIFICIAL LIFT

SYSTEM
Chapter 2 Basic of Artificial Lift System

2.1 Introduction
Oil well Companies in Libya are Depend of oil well gas lift systems (GLs). Such gases are
used to lift oil from oil wells so that the oil can be produced. This process is called Artificial Lift.
GLs are one of several methods of artificial lift that can be utilized by an oil producing company.

2.2 Definition of Artificial Lift

Any system that adds energy to the fluid column in a wellbore with the objective of
initiating and improving production from the well. Artificial lift systems use a range of operating
principles, including rod pumping, gas lift and electrical submersible pumps.

2.3 How an Oil Well is Produced

Once an oil or gas reservoir is discovered and assessed, production engineers begin the task of
maximizing the amount of oil or gas that can ultimately be recovered from it. Oil and gas are
contained in the pore spaces of reservoir rock. Some rocks may allow the oil and gas to move freely,
making it easier to recover. Other reservoirs do not part with the oil and gas easily and require
special techniques to move the oil or gas from the pore spaces in the reservoir rock to a producing
well. Even with today’s advanced technology, in some reservoirs more than two-thirds of the oil in
the reservoir may not be recoverable. Kulkarni M (2005) Gas Lift.

Before a well can produce oil or gas the borehole must be stabilized with casing, which is
lengths of pipe cemented in place. The casing also serves to protect any fresh water intervals that
the well passes through, so that oil cannot contaminate the water. A small-diameter tubing string
is centered in the wellbore and is sometimes held in place with packers. This tubing will carry
the oil and gas from the reservoir to the surface. Kulkarni M (2005) Gas Lift

Reservoirs are typically at elevated pressure because of underground forces. The driving force
in a reservoir is one of two main types: water drive or gas drive (Figure 2.1). A water drive
reservoir is connected to an active water aquifer that provides the drive mechanism. A gas drive
reservoir derives its energy from gas expansion; either from a gas cap or from gas breaking out
of solution.

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Chapter 2 Basic of Artificial Lift System

Early in its production life, the underground pressure will often push the hydrocarbons all
the way up the wellbore to the surface. Depending on reservoir conditions, this “natural flow”
may continue for many years.

When the pressure differential is insufficient for the oil to flow naturally, some method of
lifting the liquids, such as mechanical pumps, must be used to bring the oil to the surface.

Tubing

Casing

Cement

Figure 2-1 Water Drive Reservoir and Gas Drive Reservoir

Kulkarni M (2005) Gas Lift

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Chapter 2 Basic of Artificial Lift System

Most wells produce in a predictable pattern called a decline curve. Production will increase
for a short period, then peak and follow a long, slow decline. The shape of this decline curve,
how high the production peaks, and the length of the decline are all driven by reservoir
conditions. Some wells may stop producing in economic quantities in only a few years. Other
wells may produce for more than 100 years. Kulkarni M (2005) Gas Lift

Engineers can do a variety of things to affect a well’s decline curve. They may
periodically perform an operation called a “workover,” which cleans out the wellbore to help
oil or gas move more easily to the surface. They may fracture or treat the reservoir rock with
acid around the bottom of the wellbore to create better pathways for the oil and gas to move
through the subsurface to the producing well. Kulkarni M (2005) Gas Lift

As an oilfield ages, the company may choose to use a technique called water flooding.
In this case, some of the wells in the field are converted from production wells to injection
wells. These wells are used to inject water (often produced water from the field) into the
reservoir. This water tends to push the oil out of the pores in the rock toward the producing
well and maintains the reservoir pressure. Water flooding will often increase production
from a field. Kulkarni M (2005) Gas Lift

In more advanced cases, the company may use more advanced techniques, collectively
referred to as enhanced oil recovery (EOR). Depending on reservoir conditions, various
substances (from steam to nitrogen, carbon dioxide to a surfactant (soap)) may be injected
into the reservoir to remove more oil from the pore spaces and increase production.

Throughout their productive life, most oil wells produce oil, gas, and water. This
mixture is separated at the surface. Initially, the mixture coming from the reservoir may be
mostly oil and gas with a small amount of water. Over time, the percentage of water
increases. Increased water production eventually leads to the need for artificial lift, since
water is heavier than oil. The pressure formed by the column of oil/water mixture in the
wellbore may exceed the reservoir pressure. When this occurs, the well can no longer free
flow by natural flow and artificial lift is required for the remainder of the well’s life.

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Chapter 2 Basic of Artificial Lift System

2.4 Types of Artificial Lift

Artificial-lift methods fall into two groups, those that use pumps and those that use gas.
Pump Types
 Beam Pumping / Sucker Rod Pumps (Rod Lift).
 Progressive Cavity Pumps.
 Subsurface Hydraulic Pumps.
 Electric Submersible Pumps.
Gas Method
 Gas Lift.

2.5 Gas Lift

In a typical gas lift system, compressed gas is injected through
gas lift mandrels and valves into the production string. The injected
gas lowers the hydrostatic pressure in the production string to
reestablish the required pressure differential between the reservoir and
wellbore, thus causing the formation fluids to flow to the surface.

Essentially, the liquids are lightened by the gas which allows the Figure 2-2 Gas Lift
reservoir pressure to force the fluids to surface. A source of gas, and
compression equipment is required for gas lift.

Proper installation and compatibility of gas lift equipment,

both on the surface and in the wellbore, are essential to any gas lift
system. Kulkarni M (2005) Gas Lift

2.5.1 Advantages and disadvantages of gas lift method

2.5.1.1 Advantages of Gas Lift.

The advantages of gas lift can be summarized as follows:

1. Initial cost of down hole equipment is usually less than for other forms of artificial lift.

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Chapter 2 Basic of Artificial Lift System

2. Flexibility cannot be equaled by any other form of lift. Installations can be designed for
lifting initially from near the surface and for lifting from near total depth at depletion.
Gas lift installations can be from one to many thousand barrels per day.
3. Sand production in the produced fluid does not affect gas-lift equipment in most
installations.
4. Gas lift is not adversely affected by deviation in the well bore.
5. The relatively few moving parts in a gas-lift system give it a long service lift when
compared to other forms of artificial lift.
6. Operating costs are usually significantly less for gas lift system than for other types of
lift, especially for deep-lift installations.
7. Gas lift is ideally suited to supplementing formation gas for artificially lifting wells with
relatively high gas oil ratios (API Gas Lift Manual, 1994).

2.5.1.2 Disadvantage of Gas Lift.

1- Freezing and hydrates in the gas input line may cause excessive shut down time. Dry gas
will improve operations but may cause loss of liquids.

2- It has difficulty in completely depleting a low BHP low productivity well in some cases,
and may require a change in lift method towards the end of the life of the well.

3- Shortages of natural gas in some area will limit or prevent gas to be considered as a lift
method.

4- Scale, corrosion and paraffin problems may increase backpressure and reduce efficiency.

5- It is difficult for the lower zone of a dual where there is a long distance between zones.

6- It should not use highly corrosive injection gas; therefore, corrosive elements must be
removed.

7- It is not applicable in bad casing where it is uneconomical to repair casing (API Gas Lift
Manual, 1994).

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Chapter 2 Basic of Artificial Lift System

The following table shows the primary advantages and shortcomings of each
artificial lift technology:

Table 2-1 show advantages and shortcomings of each artificial lift technology
Kulkarni M (2005) Gas Lift

Electric Beam & Progressive Subsurface

Pump Type Sub- Sucker Cavity Hydraulic Gas Lift
mersible Rod
High Volume X X X X
High Volume Capacity X X X
Positive Features

Low Maintenance X X X
Economical to Repair / Service X X X X
Low Capital Investment X X
Pump Heavy Oil X X
Limited Lift Capabilities <5000 ft
High Initial Capital cost X X X
High Power Consumption X X
Shortcomings

Limited Ability to Pump Sand X X X X

Operating Complexity / Difficulty X X
If Prime Mover Fails, all Wells Stop X X
Maintenance Intensive X X
Requires Source for Gas for Injection X

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