Plunger Lift Application in Packer Wells – Success Stories, Challenges & Lessons Learnt

Abstract

Abstract This paper focuses on the effective application of plunger lifts in gas wells with packer completions. Such wells present unique challenges, and the study aims to shed light on the successful use of plunger lift under these conditions. The paper delves into the complexities encountered during operations and emphasizes the opportunities to optimize recovery rates by reducing abandonment thresholds. The study also highlights the key lessons learned throughout the entire process, providing valuable insights to industry professionals working in similar contexts. The deployment of plunger lifts as a project within the current portfolio was undertaken to optimize gas recovery from pre-existing fields. An all-inclusive approach was taken to meticulously determine the wells suitable for potential installation, resulting in 17 such installations. These cases illustrate the obstacles encountered during the installation process and the methodologies employed to surmount them. The efficacy of plunger lift in wells utilizing packers is influenced by several variables, including the need for a high gas-liquid ratio as compared to packer-less completions, sole reliance on tubing energy for plunger cycling, the avoidance of severe slugging flow regimes, and the lack of casing pressure monitoring. Following initial trials in 2021 and 2022, a total of 17 plunger systems were installed, yielding highly favorable outcomes in terms of production resurgence, amounting to approximately 5-6 MMCFD from load-up and shut-in wells, coupled with an additional 6.5 BCF of gas and 50 MBC of condensate reserves. Project economics indicate a net present value of approximately 9.7 MM USD, versus a capital expenditure of approximately 1.5 MM USD. The case studies featured in this work underscore the effectiveness of plunger lift systems that utilize packer completions, emphasizing the criticality of precise design and operation of the system for optimal performance. Furthermore, this research outlines several post-installation challenges, including rapid inflow, insufficient energy for plunger cycling, large liquid slugs, and the necessity for plunger lift monitoring and mitigation. Overall, this study offers valuable insights into the design and operation of plunger lift systems in conjunction with packer completions, underscoring the continued requirement for research and innovation in this area to improve gas production in these wells. An innovative aspect of this research is creating selection criteria for packer completions, which underwent further refinement based on insights gleaned from installations. These criteria include DAGLR, velocity profile, flow regime, slug volume, fluid level, and wellbore restrictions. In addition, shut-in pressure trends and plunger arrival data were employed to monitor and optimize plunger lift performance. However, monitoring plungers in packer completions remains an area of study for effectively enhancing plunger lift performance.