34th Gas-Lift Workshop

Singapore
February 7 - 11, 2011

Open server macros to enhance gas

lift design and analysis in PROSPER
and GAP
Wim DerKinderen, Gas Lift SME and Olumuyiwa Owoyemi,
PT, Shell UK

This presentation is the property of the author(s) and his/her/their company(ies).

It may not be used for any purpose other than viewing by Workshop attendees without the expressed written permission of the author(s).
 Agenda

• Introduction
• Open Server Macros in IPM – Pros Vs
Cons
• Equilibrium Curve
• Gas Lift Stability Curve
• Gas Lift performance Curves

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 Introduction

• WinGLUE is the recommended tool for gas lift

design in Shell
+ Strong features include Equilibrium curve and
stability curve
∆ However not efficient for quick gas lift screening
or analysis where models do not exist
∆ Petex IPM built in gas lift functionality is limited
But “openserver” feature can be used to
enhance capability.

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 OpenServer Pros Vs Cons

• Pros
– Easy way to customise Petex IPM suite
– Time saving in running routine applications
– Simple set of Macro instructions ( DoGet, DoSet, Do
Cmd)

• Cons
– Requires knowledge of Excel VBA
– Limited version control

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 Open Server Access
• Ctrl Right Click
Opens server
Windows

E.g. get liquid flowrate from a 3 variables system calculation:

LiqRate = DoGet("PROSPER.OUT.SYS.Results[0][0][0].Sol.LiqRate")
and pass this flowrate on to Quicklook:
DoSet "PROSPER.ANL.QLG.Surface[2][0]", LiqRate
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 Open Server Modules Developed
for Gas Lift

• Equilibrium Curve
– Standard functionality in WinGLUE
– Use to optimise life cycle of GL design
• Stability Curve
– Based on minimum of annulus pressure curve and
maximum casing head pressure
• Gas Lift Performance Curve of commingled wells
– Generate GLPC’s from GAP accounting for well
interference (back-out, constraints)

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 Equilibrium Curve

• Module Objectives
– Open server module developed to aid
determination of the maximum depth of injection
in gas lift design and analysis

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 Equilibrium Curve – Why ?
Max CHP pressure
•Changing Reservoir
pressure

• Optimise lift depth

Eq curve
early life • Determine range of
lifting depth
lift depth
depth

range

injection
Eq curve gradient
late life
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 Equilibrium Curve – Spreadsheet
Variables that are
passed on to Prosper
through ‘Open server’
Calculation results
returned from Prosper
through ‘Open server’
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THP, THT, Reservoir pressure,
Reservoir temp, Water cut,
Formation GOR, CHPmax, GL
injection rate, Tree Depth
Perf Depth, MaxInj Depth
Injection Point, Liquid Rate, Tubing
Pres , Annulus Pres, Oil Rate
9
 Equilibrium Curve Screen shots
Shows achievable injection depth
for given well conditions and GL
rate and supply pressure
Equilibrium curve Liq Rate vs Inj Depth
Pressure (psig) Rate (bpd)
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500
0
0

1000
1000

2000
2000

3000
3000

TVDepth (ft)
TVDepth (ft)

4000
4000

5000
5000

6000
6000

7000
7000
Gross
Eq Curve
Oil
Gas gradient
8000
8000

Shows gross liquid and oil

production vs injection depth
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 Gas Lift Stability

• Module Objective:
– Open server module developed to assist in optimising
the operating valve

• Some reasons why a gas-lifted well may exhibit

instability:
– Operating valve too small
– Operating valve too big .

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 Annulus Pressure Curve
• Plot pressures in tubing and annulus at the point of
gas injection
• Well tends to go unstable to the left of the minimum
in the annulus pressure curve

small port
annulus pressure
pressure

Min unstable rate large port

Max injection rate

dP orifice

unstable tubing pressure

GL rate
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 GL Stability Range
Maximum annulus pressure
based on unloading valve
Annulus
pressure

settings or available discharge

pressure

A
dP orifice
Min
B Tubing
Max

GL inj rate
• For a specified gas lift range.

Prosper calc - Quicklook calc - Tubing and

Liquid flowrate annulus Pressure ( A and B)

• The macro keeps track of the minimum and maximum of the

annulus pressure curve and returns the associated GL rates

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 Gas lift stability (Screen shot)

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 Gas Lift Performance for GAP
∆ Single well in
optimization in
prosper or WinGLUE

∆ No interaction of
wells and system
constraints

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 Gas Lift Performance Curve for
GAP
GAP file C:\Apps\IPM\FourGLwells.gap
SolveNetwork
Available liftgas
Separator pressure
10 MMscfd
150 psig + Openserver Macro
Number of wells 4
Minimum GL rate
Maximum GL rate
0.0 MMscfd
5.0 MMscfd
returns results from
Optimise on Oil bpd
optimisation run in GAP
Well name Well1 Well2 Well3 Well4
Optimum GL rate (MMscfd) 3.2 0.8 2.8 3.2 GLPC from GAP
Production at this GL rate 5403 1559 2766 3380 6000
BSW (%) 40 80 40 60
FTHP (psig) 312 336 381 323
GLrate Oil Oil Oil Oil Well1
5000 Well2
0.0 4447 1027 2103 1370
0.5 4721 1420 2363 2202 Well3
1.0 4999 1654 2577 2739 Well4
1.5 5133 1767 2651 2955 4000 Opt 1
2.0 5259 1865 2726 3162 Opt 2
Production (bpd)

2.5 5323 1917 2751 3265 Opt 3

3.0 5386 1968 2778 3361 Opt 4
3.5 5418 1993 2784 3412 3000

4.0 5450 2019 2793 3459

4.5 5468 2032 2790 3488
5.0 5486 2046 2787 3520 2000

1000
water handling constraint pushes
down the optimum for a high BSW
0 well
0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0
GL injection rate (MMscfd)

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 Summary
• Openserver macros designed to enhance capability
of Petex IPM

– Equilibrium curve to aid determination of the maximum

depth of injection in gas lift design and analysis.

– Stability Curve to assist in optimising the operating valves.

– Gas Lift Performance Curve for GAP to account for

interaction of wells and system constraints

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 Next Steps ?

• PetEx is investigating if the equilibrium Curve

and Gas Lift Stability functionalities can be made
available directly in Prosper.

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