Cost Effective Method of Installing Hydraulic Lift System Using Straddle Packers

Abstract

The oil and gas industry is still in transition due to uncertain oil prices. The lower demand in oil production has become a key challenge for oil and gas companies to drill new wells. To endure the operating expenses, producers are now searching for different advancements for the optimum utilization of the production from their existing wells. Artificial lift systems (ALS) is the most efficient technique to optimize production from the well. The main purpose of artificial lift systems is to maximize production from a candidate well. However, there are many systems applicable to a single well. Hence, the selection and design of a suitable system play a vital role in the cost optimization of the well. The hydraulic lift system is one of the primary lift systems used widely for decades and has always been given successful results, provided the selection and designs are as per the requirements of a specific well to optimize its production. The jet pump has no moving parts and most of the time can be deployed rig-less, which drastically decreases the installation cost and time for the Operator, translated consequently to decrease the well's kick-off time to start flow. This lift system can be installed in a variety of ways depending on the well's conditions and is a very effective method of lifting a well. However, if not planned and executed properly, the lift system will not be cost-effective for the client. This paper is about the installation of a jet pump in a unique method of punching a tubing with no seating and sealing profiles to get communication between casing to tubing annulus, then to install the Downhole Jet Pump along with a Straddle Packers assembly. The well 8D located in northern Iraq was drilled in 2014, mud losses were observed during drilling. The well was producing 50 BBLS every three days (after shutting down two days for pressure build-up. The jet pump was designed for this well, with tubing punch and straddle packer options. Since the jet pump system needs isolated pathways for its three different fluids, two straddle packers were used along with the jet pump itself to provide the sealing and proper pathways for the fluids. The study about the unique installation of jet pump systems will be discussed in detail alongside the field-gathered data to validate initial theoretical designs. The operational procedure and optimization technique for the well is also mentioned for a proper understanding of the whole system. The method used in this well will prove to be an economical option for lifting and producing old wells if there are no communication profiles between casing and tubing annulus.