DESIGN OF A GAS LIFT SYSTEM TO INCREASE OIL PRODUCTION FOR OFFSHORE WELLS WITH HIGH WATER CUT

Abstract

One of the most important production issues in oil fields is high water production which may lead to wells killing and reduction in an economical production period. With the increment of water production or decrease of reservoir pressure, reservoir drawdown pressure reduces which causes reduction in oil production rate. To preserve the reservoir production, we should apply one of the proposed methods; namely, increasing the reservoir pressure, preventing water source invasion or using artificial lift technique. To compensate this reduction, continuous gas injection into the wells can be used. The injected gas combines with fluid in tubing and the density of the fluid decreases, thereby reducing the hydrostatic pressure loss along the flow path. By utilizing this method fluid can be produced in low flowing pressure through tubing. In this review paper, a study on the condition of some of high water producing oilfield was compared with the offshore R-1 well which was revived using artificial lift methodology to achieve incremental reserve recovery after the well had stopped producing due to water production. By an accurate gas lift design, we can have a rational production from the well with high water cut even more than 90%. Implementation of this method, allows oil production as reserves are depleted and the oil water contact moves up. Based on the results in this paper and we can easily use it in some of the offshore well in India having same well conditions to increase the productivity.