CT gas lift captures last of field reserves
Texaco Exploration and Production Inc.`s (TEPI) Brookeland Field in Newton County, Texas, produces from 30, mostly dual-horizontal, wells in the Austin Chalk reservoir. The wells are typically drilled vertically and casing is set to the top of the Austin Chalk at about 10,000 ft. Building at 15{degree}/100 ft, 4,000-ft laterals are drilled to the northwest and southeast to intersect the natural fractures of the Austin Chalk. The horizontal sections of the wellbore are openhole completions that average 700 b/d of oil and 5 MMcfd of gas. Within 1 year of initial production, the wells require compression to sustain flow and conventional gas lift is used when the wells load up with fluid. Typically, when production declines to 200 Mcfd and 100 b/d of fluid, the gas lift injection point is at 8,000 ft and average gas lift usage is 500 Mcfd. Coiled tubing-conveyed artificial lift was suggested, but first other concerns had to be addressed. The long, horizontal lateral sections functioned as a natural gas and fluid separator, resulting in a distinct slug flow pattern. During a 24-hour period, slug flow caused the wells to produce 100% gas or 100% fluid. For cost reasons TEPI chose conventional, field-installed coiled tubing (CT) gas lift equipment over spoolable equipment. Texaco then formed a team alliance with McMurry-Macco Lift Systems and Dowell to evaluate and complete trial wells with coiled tubing gas lift equipment. This paper reviews the case history of the field, the design considerations of the coiled tubing gas lift, and the surface support equipment used.
- OSTI ID:
- 392266
- Journal Information:
- Petroleum Engineer International, Vol. 69, Issue 6; Other Information: PBD: Jun 1996
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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