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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Method for troubleshooting gas-lift wells

Patent ·
OSTI ID:5145445
This paper discusses a method of troubleshooting a gas-lift well in a subterranean reservoir to determine whether a gas-lift system for the gas lift-well is operating properly comprising: determining an expected response time for the gas-lift well, which would indicate that only an appropriate gas-lift valve is open; injecting into lift-gas supplied to the gas-lift well a quantity of an injected fluid, which is at least one of (1) a tracer and (2) a tracer generator, in a quantity which is sufficient to be detected in a produced fluid recovered from the well; detecting the presence of the tracer in the produced fluid as a function of time; determining an actual response time for the well; and determining whether the gas-lift system is operating properly by comparing the actual response time to the expected response time.
Assignee:
Shell Oil Co., Houston, TX (USA)
Patent Number(s):
A; US 4972704
Application Number:
PPN: US 7-323600
OSTI ID:
5145445
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English