Gas Lift Optimization Process

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MALAYSIA

2003 ASME/API GAS-LIFT WORKSHOP Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia
Gas Lift Optimization Process
By Zaidah Ibrahim Operations Manager ExxonMobil
Exploration and Production Malaysia Inc.
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Major Effort Required to Meet Global Energy Demand
Oil and Gas Demand
New Production
Million Barrels Per Day Oil Equivalent ( MBOE )
Existing Production
1980 1990 2000 2010

• Half of required 2010 supply not yet on-stream
• estimated industry investment exceeds 1
  trillion
• Continued focus to enhance production from
  existing
• facilities is just as important

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Focus on Gas Lift

• Gas Lift has been and will continue to be a large
  part of our business
• The majority of our artificially lifted
  production is gas lifted
• Current production requires routine surveillance
  and analysis to hold the gains made from
  optimization
• Future projects require gas lift as a means of
  artificial lift . Processes must be transferred
  to new Production Teams
• Industry demographics and turnover require
  ongoing gas lift training to sustain awareness
  and competency
• New gas lift technologies must be sought and
  leveraged where appropriate

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ExxonMobil Gas Lift Production
2002 EM Gross Operated Oil Production
Gas Lift
27
Rod Pump
11
Other
Progressive
21
Cavity Pump
6
Naturally
Electric
Other
Flowing
Submersible
2
52
Pump
2
27 of EM gross operated oil production is gas
lifted
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Optimization is a Continuous Process
GL Gas Quality
Surface/ Subsurface Equipment
GLV Design and Installation
OPTIMUM GAS LIFT PRODUCTION
Production Monitoring Surveillance Troubleshooting
Analysis / Redesign
Metering system
Competent Operators
Optimization
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Gas Lift Best Practices

• Optimization efforts typically result in 5 or
  more increases in field production.
• Typically, the gains went away after a period of
  time. There is a need for sustained focus on gas
  lift surveillance and optimization to hold the
  gains
• EM developed Gas Lift Best Practices from
  worldwide experiences

Optimization
Training
Organization
Gas Lift Best Practices
Surveillance
Design
Equipment
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Gas Lift Key Performance Indicators
Integrated effort to maximize asset performance .
. .

• Backlog of new GLV installations
• Backlog of GLV change- outs

Idle Capacity

• Compressor availability/ capacity
• Water handling capacity
• Well downtime

VolumetricDowntime

• Number of Active Completions
• Gas Lift Oil and Liquid Production
• Total Gas Liquid Ratio
• Gas Lift Consumed
• Well Test compliance

Actual Production
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Continuous Monitoring ---gt Ensure Optimum
Production
Gas Lift Monitoring / Metering System (GLMS) -
Real time data acquisition for Gas Lift
surveillance
Constant Gas Lift Gas
Constant and high Gas Lift Gas Supply
Constant Casing Pressure
Low and Constant Tubing Pressure
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ExxonMobils Gas Lift Forward Plan

• Continue to improve Gas Lift Best Practices -
  document proven examples that others can leverage
  from

• Network and promote interactions to improve each
  Production Units gas lift efficiencies

• Seek out and transfer new technology, and where
  applicable, use it to improve gas lift processes
  and performance