Camcon Oil’s APOLLO digital intelligent artificial lift solution can deliver as much as 1,000 BOPD (Barrels of Oil per Day) more oil production from a typical well and, in one scenario, a 110% increase in production compared to traditional gas lift equipment.

These were the findings of a recent report by production technology consultants, Laing Engineering Training Services (LETS), who evaluated a number of different gas lift solutions at various stages of the productive lifecycle based on a typical subsea well scenario.

The report found that APOLLO, part of Camcon’s Digital Intelligent Artificial Lift (DIAL) solutions, led to increased production rates and offered much greater flexibility than conventional gas lift equipment based on wireline retrievable valves and side pocket mandrels. This was due to the APOLLO’s ability to set real-time injection rates in response to changing reservoir conditions over the life of the well.

When assessing the APOLLO units under a number of life cycle well scenarios – from one day to three years – APOLLO’s ability to move injection depth up and down the well in response to changes in well production characteristics, such as reservoir pressure and water cut, was clearly seen to yield increased production with, at times, incremental production of over 1,000 BOPD. With higher casing head pressure and higher gas injection rates, the APOLLO units delivered even greater incremental production - all without the well intervention required with traditional gas lift equipment.

“Our simulation modeling clearly demonstrates the limitations of conventional gas lift solutions where the implicit design assumption is that the well will operate within specific reservoir pressures, flow and water cut parameters and that any changes can easily be accommodated by simple wireline intervention to change out gas lift valves,” said Cameron Laing, Managing Director of LETS and author of the report.

He continues: “Such assumptions simply cannot be guaranteed in today’s environment, where remote field locations, growing water cuts, and fast changing reservoir and well characteristics are increasingly common. Our research shows the clear industry need for the remote, real-time management of gas lift where artificial lift operating parameters can be adjusted over a wide range without intervention.”

His words were backed up by Ian Anderson, COO of Camcon Oil:

“As we introduce our first DIAL solution – APOLLO – to market, this report is a vindication of our long-standing belief that operators need more flexibility and information in their artificial lift activities if they are to increase production rates.”

“APOLLO will enable operators for the first time to access real-time information, such as pressure and temperature measurements and vary injection rates in real-time without production interruption and well intervention. And as the report shows, the result will be significant production increases and investment returns.”

The example well developed for analysis in the report was based on a modern day subsea well in moderate water depths, drilled to a total depth of 17,600 ft MD (Measured Depth) and with a 4.5” by 5.5” production tubing string. The oil is a light 38’ API fluid with a reservoir temperature of 260 °F. The key variables examined during the testing were the well productivity index, reservoir pressure and water cut.

LETS used the analysis software, PROSPERTM, to create production system models with a number of well life scenarios being developed including early life – from one day to three months where there would be high pressures and no water cuts through to mid-life at one year, where there would be water injection for reservoir pressure maintenance and low water cuts, and late life at three years where there would be a higher water cut (although scenarios with low water cuts were also explored).

The analysis revealed a wide range of possible injection depths from 3,000 to 17,000 ft MD, and a wide range of optimal gas injection rates from 1.0 to 8.0 MMSCFD (Million Standard Cubic Feet per Day). In order to make the comparative modeling exercise practical in multi-variable scenarios, 2.0 MMSCFD was selected as the allocated gas injection rate.

In all scenarios, Camcon’s APOLLO units were compared against single point injection gas lift solutions, using a standard gas lift design technique built into the PROSPERTM program to determine mandrel spacing and valve port sizes. LETS then identified the maximum practically achievable production rates and maximum practically achievable gas injection rates for APOLLO compared to conventional gas lift solutions.

For each of the life cycle stages (apart from day one when the well is too strong for gas lifting), APOLLO’s flexibility in moving injection depth up and down the well to react to changes in well production characteristics resulted in increased production.

Camcon’s DIAL portfolio of products use a digital valve technology, based on Camcon’s patented, ultra-low energy Binary Actuation Technology (BAT). The APOLLO solution, the first of Camcon’s DIAL portfolio, enables operators to vary injection rates in real-time without production interruption and well intervention, and generate pressure and temperature information throughout the gas injection process – all features that current gas lift solutions cannot provide.

In this way, the new solution eliminates the need for side pocket mandrel units and wireline intervention to initiate gas injection changes. Settings can be tuned as well conditions change through the life of the installation, giving control of production rate; optimizing gas-usage and preventing instability.

Trials of the new solution are currently taking place with a field operator who is providing support and access to its rig and multiphase test facilities, with live well deployment currently underway.

Tags: Camcon Oil