The 8th International Chemical Engineering Congress & Exhibition (IChEC 2014)

Kish, Iran, 24-27 February, 2014

Optimization of Unloading Operation with Coiled Tubing

(Nitrogen Lifting) in One of the Southern Iranian Oil Fields

A.M. Fuladgar *, J.Moghadasi, H. Ghobadi, A.H. Haghi,

*
Petroleum Engineering Dept., Reservoir Operation Engineering, NISOC, Ahvaz, Iran
*
Fooladgar.a@nisoc.ir

Abstract
Nitrogen lifting is commonly used to enable a well to flow initially or bring a previously flowing
well back on production. This is one of the most typical coiled tubing operations carried out in the
Iranian south oilfields.
The limited number of coiled tubing trucks and large number of wells which require unloading
with N2 injection after workover or any other remedial jobs, highligths the significance of the time
spent for unloading of each wells. Some operational parameters such as injection rate, pressure,
depth , coiled tubing OD, choke size etc are employed to determine duration and costs of
unloading operations. In Iranian oilfields, these parameters are usually estimated based on personal
experience of operation managers during operation and their field observation that is not an
efficient manner.
This paper presents a nitrogen lifting operation for a workovered oil well located in a southern
oilfields of Iran that is unloaded with 7000 gal of nitrogen gas with 5 gal/min injection rate without
any predesign or simulation process. This research conducts an analysis to determice the optimum
value for the N2 injection parameters. The applied methodology comprised of simulation of the
well and coiled tubing system using a steady state multiphase flow simulation software, matching
model outputs with real welltest and flowing test data, simulation of N2 injection operation with
sensitivity analysis on various determinant operation parameters and obtaining the optimum value
of these parameters.
Simulation results indicated that since coiled tubing (CT) is run through a 3 1/2" tubing , the
annular friction loss is a limiting factor, a smaller diameter coiled tubing string allows higher
unloading rate. The results of sensitivity analysis on N2 rate indicated that increasing injection
rate to some extent, lowers hydrostatic pressure loss in the annulus and bottomhole pressure but
further increase of the N2 rate beyond a certain threshold value would increase the friction
pressure loss in the annulus and consequently increase bottomhole pressure and decrease
unloading rate. Simulation results with sensitivity to injection depth indicate that as gas injection
depth increases, the maximum attainable unloading rate increases.
Comparing the optimum designed nitrogen lifting operation with the realtime field observations
provides that the N2 injection rate is excessively higher than the required rate in this well. As N2
injection is a typical form of unloading procedure at NISOC, optimization method which presented
in this research, could make the projects more economic by reducing the routine time and cost of
these operations.

Keywords: Coiled tubing operation, Simulation, Optimization , Nitrogen lifting

Advanced Coupled Reservoir/Geomechanical Simulation Techniques…

Introduction
Coiled tubing has been used in various oilfield services applications including wellbore solids
cleanout, well unloading, hydraulic fracturing, coiled tubing drilling (CTD), acidizing, and
other applications [1]. Eventhough coiled tubing fracturing and coiled tubing drilling have
experienced significant growth in recent years (15 % of the revenue), solids cleanout and well
unloading are still the two most dominant coiled tubing applications (75% of the revenue).
Using coiled tubing to unload a well with nitrogen is a quick and cost-effective method to
remove the liquid load of the wellbore [2].
After workover operations, the killing or stimulation fluid must be removed from the tubing
string to return the well to the normal operation. Two techniques are commonly used to
unload the wells. First at all, using gas lift mandrels in the completion and pressurized gas in
the area to unload the well. Secondly, injecting nitrogen in the well column with CT [3]. This
is the most common method applied in south Iranian oilfields.
Generally, in South Iraninan oilfields acidizing treatments are accompanied by injection of
equaivallent of one well tublars volume of water or gasoil in the well as "post flush" during
acidizing treatment. Bringing such a well into production requires unloading of the injected
fluids with N2 injection. This operation is usually performed by injection of about 7000 gal
liquified N2 into the well by means of coiled tubing. The N2 lifting process does not follow-
up any predesigned operating condition. The nitrogen gas is injected in two or more depth
steps from 1000 m to 2000 m with injection rate of 5 to 15 gal liquid N2 per minute untill the
wellhead pressure rises to an acceptable value and the return fluid being almost oil. This kind
of operation usually result in excess N2 gas injection for unloading the well. Also the CT size
that is employed for this operation is only based on the availability of CT units nearest to well
location. While initial investigations indicates that in small tubing sizes larger CT OD may
cause the maximum injection rate and maximum production rate of the well during unloading
process to be limited.

Methodology for Optimization Nitrogen lifting Operation

In this paper the well and coiled tubing system was modeled and simulated using a steady
state multiphase simulation software. To setup the simulation model, the flow geometry must
first be defined.The geometry of the well and CT string inside the well is specified with
some input parameters such as CT length, diameter, and various wall thicknesses. The fluid
properties are matched with the lab PVT data and tuned in the model. For simulation of
multiphase pressure drops in the production path from bottomhole to wellhead the best
multiphase correlation through the most well known correlatinos have been examined in the
simulation software and the most precise corrolation is selected for simulation. Then
simulation model is developed to predict and calculate production conditions under various
injection conditions.
The metholology for designing optimum liquid unloading parameters includes generation of a
family of curves of unloading rate vs. gas injection rate for various assumed injection depth,
while holding CT size constant. Based on these curves, the optimum depth of injection can be
obtained as corresponding curve with minimum injection gas rate for the predefined
unloading rate. The similar method is used for determination of optimum CT size.

Results and Discussion

Case Study: Well A

 The 8th International Chemical Engineering Congress & Exhibition (IChEC 2014)
Kish, Iran, 24-27 February, 2014
For this study a vertical oil well in Ragesefid oilfield with depth of 2600 m was selected. the
well is equipped with a 3 1/2" (ID = 2.992 in.) tubing to 1400 m without packer. The well
fluid enters the well through perforations (2600-2630 m) and passes through the 7" liner
(2600-2200 m) and a 9 5/8" casing (2200 to 1400 m ) and finally it flows into the annulus
between the 3 1/2" tubing and CT outside wall until it reaches to wellhead. The oil reservoir
thickness is 250 m (from 2250- 2500 m ). The well was undertaked an acidizing treatment
after workover and unloaded by injection of 7000 gal nitrogen gas by coiled tubing with
injection rate of 5 gal/min during 24 hr. After this operation the well is flowed with wellhead
pressure of 700 psia and production rate of 2000 STB/D.

Determination of Optimum Injection depth

Fig.1 effect of injection depth on unloading rate

As it is illustrated in Fig.1, despite the injection depth equal to 2500m would resulted the
lower required N2 injection rate but considering the injection pressure and intervention time
as the economical and operational limiting factors, technical optimum injection depth for
unloading rate of 1500 STB/D (predicted natural flow rate of the well) is determined to be
2000 m

Determination of optimum CT Size (OD)

Fig.2 Investigation of effect of CT size (OD) on unloading rate

Advanced Coupled Reservoir/Geomechanical Simulation Techniques…

Obtimum CT size for this well clearly is distinguished to be CT with OD=1.25 ", the smallest
size available. This result confirms the findings of former investigators.

Prediction of Wellhead Pressure and unloading Rate during N2 injection operation

Percent Unloading N2 Injection Rate WHP Unloading Rate

% MMSCF/D Psia STB/D
10 0.33 266 1933
20 0.33 310 2284
30 0.33 350 2594
40 0.33 364 2714
50 0.33 400 2900
60 0.33 418 3137
70 0.33 440 3303
80 0.33 454 3463
90 0.33 475 3600

Conclusions

1- For a configuration of large tubing and a small CT, the most effective lifting method is to
inject the gas through the tubing.
2- when CT is run through a small ID tubing ,since the annular friction loss is a limiting
factor, a smaller diameter coiled tubing string allows higher unloading rate.
3- The results of sensitivity analysis on N2 rate indicated that increasing injection rate to
some extent, lowers hydrostatic pressure loss in the annulus and bottomhole pressure but
further increase of the N2 rate beyond a certain threshold value would increase the
friction pressure loss in the annulus and consequently increase bottomhole pressure and
decrease unloading rate.
4- Simulation results with sensitivity to injection depth indicate that as gas injection
depth increases, the maximum attainable unloading rate increases.
5- Comparison of Optimum designed nitrogen lifting operation with real operation that
is done in south oilfields according to realtime observations indicates considerable
excess N2 injection rate is applied for unloading this well.

Acknowledgements

The Authors of this paper acknowledge the support of NISOC company for submission
of this paper.

References

[1] Coiled Tubing Handbook, 3rd Edition, Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, Texas, 1998.
[2] Y. Zhou, E. Smalley : "Determination of Optimum N2 Rate for Unloading Gas Wells With
Coiled Tubing" , SPE 143337, SPE/ICoTA Coiled Tubing and Well Intervention Conference
and Exhibition held in The Woodlands, Texas, USA, 5–6 April 2011.
[3] P. Salim, and J. Li, BJ :" Simulation of Liquid Unloading From a Gas Well With Coiled
Tubing Using a Transient Software" , SPE 124195 , SPE Annual Technical Conference and
Exhibition held in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, 4–7 October 2009.