Method for troubleshooting gas-lift wells

Patent · Tue Nov 12 04:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:6004977

Wellington, S L; Simmons, J F; Richardson, E A

This patent describes a method for identifying a leak in a casing in a gas-lift well in a subterranean reservoir. It comprises injecting into lift-gas supplied to the well a quantity of an injected fluid, which is at least one of a tracer and a component which generates a tracer, the tracer being sufficient to be detected in a produced fluid recovered from the well; monitoring a proportion of the tracer in the produced fluid as a function of time; quantifying the amount of the tracer returning from the well; determining that the amount of the tracer returning from the well is less than the amount that would return without any loss of the tracer, thereby identifying a leak in the casing.

• Assignee: Shell Oil Co., Houston, TX (United States)
• Patent Number(s): A; US 5063772
• Application Number: PPN: US 7-542371
• OSTI ID: 6004977
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
03 NATURAL GAS
030300 -- Natural Gas-- Drilling
Production
& Processing
42 ENGINEERING
420205 -- Engineering-- Transport & Storage Facilities-- (1980-)
ARTIFICIAL LIFTS
FLUID FLOW
GAS LIFTS
INJECTION WELLS
LEAK DETECTORS
MWD SYSTEMS
OIL WELLS
STIMULATION
TIME DEPENDENCE
WELL CASINGS
WELL STIMULATION
WELLS