Packer-Type Gas Separator with Seating Nipple...Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Sheraton Hotel, Denver, Colorado February 17 – 20, 2013 Packer-Type Gas Separator with Seating Nipple

Gas Well Deliquification Workshop

Sheraton Hotel, Denver, Colorado

February 17 – 20, 2013

Packer-Type Gas Separator with Seating Nipple

Lynn Rowlan, Dieter Becker, Ken Skinner

Echometer Company

Tony Podio - University of Texas – Austin

Jim McCoy [email protected]

Packer Type Gas Separators

A new type of Packer Type Separator is described.

A comparison in separator performance between

different Packer Type Separators is given.

A comparison between Packer Type Separators and

Natural Gas Separators is shown.

Special uses and features of the new Packer Type

Separator are described.

2 2013 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop

Denver, Colorado

Feb. 17 – 20, 2013

Gas Separator

Liquid Capacity

is Based on the

Following

Principle:

1/4 INCH DIAMETER GAS BUBBLES FLOW UPWARD IN OIL OR WATER AT A

RATE OF APPROXIMATELY 6 INCHES PER SECOND. THUS, GAS BUBBLES

WILL BE RELEASED FROM A LIQUID COLUMN IF THE DOWNWARD LIQUID

VELOCITY IS LESS THAN 6 INCHES PER SECOND.

A LIQUID COLUMN HAVING AN AREA OF 1 SQUARE INCH TRAVELLING AT

6 INCHES PER SECOND IS A FLOW RATE OF 50 BPD.

Downhole Gas Separator

Principle of Operation

Feb. 17 – 20, 2013 3

2013 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop

Denver, Colorado

The outer pipe can be

the casing or the outer

barrel of a gas

separator. The inner

tube is the inlet to the

pump.

Natural Gas Separator

The most efficient downhole gas separators locate the pump intake below the lowest gas entry point.

Gas is not pulled down to the pump perforations unless the liquid velocity is greater than 6 inches per second downward.

Maximum capacity is obtained using casing annulus.

4

Concentric Packer Type Gas Separator

A concentric packer type gas separator

offers additional liquid and gas capacities

over Poor Boy type gas separator.

Note that the seating nipple is located

immediately above the packer in this

separator system so a dip tube is not

needed.

Some packer type separators use a dip

tube in the inner portion of the separator

and locate the pump above the

separator. Page Oil Tools 1957


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Echometer Gas Separator Top

Collar

Bottom

Collar Formation

Fluids

Formation

Fluid Outlet

Pump

Seating Nipple

Pump Inlets

Fluids from the formation flow

upward to the gas separator and

then flow through a concentric

annulus to an outlet at the top of

the separator which discharges

on one side into the casing

annulus.

The gas rises and the liquid falls

in the casing annulus.

Pump inlet is located at bottom

of the gas separator causing the

pressure drop from the liquid at

the bottom of the separator to

the pump inlet to be negligible.

Diverter Cups or a packer or tail

pipe with packer is located below

the Separator to force formation

fluids into the separator.

Casing

Diverter cups

or Packer or

Stinger 6


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Pump is Above Separator

Differences:

The pump is located above the 39 feet

long separator.

The liquid that is in the casing annulus

surrounding the separator flows from

the casing annulus upward 40 feet to

the pump inlet. The liquid flow rate

varies from 0 in/sec during the pump

downstroke to approximately 3 times

the plunger velocity or about 240

in/sec during the mid portion of the

upstroke.

The Ported Coupling has 7 3/16 inch

flow paths for the formation fluids. 7

Pump is Above 40 foot Separator

Differences:

The pump is located above the

separator.

The liquid that is in the casing

annulus surrounding the separator

flows from the casing annulus

upward 40 feet to the pump inlet.

Baffles are located in the separator

annulus to cause turbulence and a

pressure drop which causes

additional solution gas to be

released from the oil.


Denver, Colorado 8

Data on 27 Wells – 66 tests Cobra Oil and Gas - Thanks

Feb. 17 – 20, 2013

Important Analysis Factors

Cobra Oil and Gas

Packer Type Separator

10

Feb. 17 – 20, 2013

Important Analysis Factors

Cobra

Packer Type Separator

11

Pump Fillage Data

Acceptable

Questionable

12

Average

of all data

Pump Above Separator Vs.

Natural Separator

13 Wells with Packer Type Separators 17 Variables were Studied

13 Feb. 17 – 20, 2013 2013 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop

Denver, Colorado


Denver, Colorado

% liquid Surrounding Separator Vs. % Pump Fillage

14

Packer Type Separators with Pump above Separator

Natural Gas Separators

Vs.

Packer-Type Separators

Separation

Principles are

Different

Packer-Type Separator:

• Wellbore Oil is decreasing in

pressure releasing very small

gas bubbles

Natural Gas Separator:

• Wellbore Oil is increasing in

pressure and small gas bubbles

are dissolved into the oil

Packer Type Natural


Denver, Colorado 15 Feb. 17 – 20, 2013

Typical Plunger Position and Velocity and Rate

Velocity Position Maximum plunger velocity is

80 inches/second and the

maximum displacement rate

is 1258 BPD (for a 1 ½ inch

plunger).

Withdrawing liquid at a high

rate from the casing annulus

to a pump located 40 feet

above may cause

considerable pressure drop in

the liquid that will release gas

and produce foam.

16 Feb. 17 – 20, 2013

5 Seconds

10 Seconds

15 Seconds

20 Seconds

Start

The problem of gas in the liquid as the liquid enters the pump may be the

creation of small gas bubbles from the pressure drop of liquid in the dip

tube as the oil travels from the casing to the pump inlet.

17

Other Pump Fillage Factors

• Variable Diameter Pump Barrel

• Hole/Holes in Pump Barrel

• High Clearance Plunger

These conditions will fill the pump chamber

but generally lower the total production rate


Denver, Colorado

Feb. 17 – 20, 2013

Pump Analysis and Surface Production

19

Seating Nipple Separator Performance

Seating Nipple Separators

Feb. 17 – 20, 2013 2013 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop

Denver, Colorado

20

Packer-Type Separator Configurations

All of the formation fluid must be directed into the bottom

of the separator to pass through the separator and be

discharged out of the top of the separator. Then the

discharged liquid in the casing annulus falls to the pump

inlet and the gas flows upward.

The flow can be directed through the separator using a:

• Packer

• Diverter Cups

• Tail Pipe with packer

All installations must have one of the diverter devices to

force the formation fluids upward through the separator

and out of the top of the separator.


Denver, Colorado

Feb. 17 – 20, 2013

Separator with Packer

Casing

Tubing

Gas Separator

Packer

Tail Pipe

The Packer can contain a

casing locking device or a

tubing anchor can be used

below the packer.


Denver, Colorado

Feb. 17 – 20, 2013

Tail Pipe With Packer

Casing

Tubing

Gas Separator

Packer

Tail Pipe

The tail pipe with packer

configuration is very

effective and will increase

production in a well when

the pump is set a

considerable distance

above the formation. The

tail pipe reduces the

pressure required to push

the formation fluids to the

pump so a lower PBHP

exists.


Denver, Colorado

Feb. 17 – 20, 2013

Oil 75 BPD Water 75 BPD Gas 200 MSCFPD

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200

Pressure, psi

Ve

rtic

al

Dis

tan

ce

Be

low

Pu

mp

, ft

2-3/8 in 2-7/8 in 4-1/2 in 5-1/2 in 7 in

Tail Pipe Reduces Producing Bottom Hole Pressure

24

PIP = 100 psi

Horizontal wells can cause problems with Artificial Lift

due to the nature of the flow. These wells tend to head a

lot when placed on artificial lift. Back in the 80s when

we were Gas Lifting the Austin Chalk wells we noticed

that if we ran tail pipe around the corner of a horizontal

well below the packer, we could even out the flow of

these wells. Using this technique, you should have no

problems no matter the type of Artificial Lift you use.

[email protected]

2/5/2013


Denver, Colorado

25

Packer with Check Valve

Casing

Tubing

Gas Separator

Packer

Check Valve

A check valve can be used with

wells that tend to flow in slugs to

increase production and separator

performance. The portion of fluid

in the slug that flows above the

check valve will be caught above

the check valve. This will result in

a lower PBHP and additional

separation time for well fluids

which will improve separator

performance.

A check valve can be used if the

operator wants to insure that the

packer is set. Liquid can be

pumped down the casing annulus

to check packer seal. 26 2013 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop

Denver, Colorado

Feb. 17 – 20, 2013

Tail Pipe With Packer or Stinger

Casing

Tubing

Gas Separator

Stinger Assembly

Liner

Tail Pipe

When a liner is used

in the portion of the

well that is curved

and horizontal, a

stinger with or

without a tail pipe can

be run into the liner

so a packer would not

be needed.


Denver, Colorado

Feb. 17 – 20, 2013

Packer with Sand Screen

Casing

Tubing

Gas Separator

Packer

Sand screen

Many wells produce

some sand and debris.

Sand screens below

the packer can be used

to prevent sand from

getting above the

packer. The screen can

be back-washed by

pumping liquid down

the casing annulus

from the surface.


Denver, Colorado

Feb. 17 – 20, 2013

Diverter Cup Assembly

Upper Male connection

8 Diverter Cups

Cups are loose fit to freely slide

on mandrel

Lower Male Connection 29 2013 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop

Denver, Colorado

Feb. 17 – 20, 2013

Top Hold-down Pump

Casing

Rods

Tubing

Seating nipple

Pump

Gas Separator

Packer

The bottom of the pump

should be located near the

liquid inlet holes at the

bottom of the separator.

Therefore, the pump

seating assembly must be

located above the

separator. The pump

actually extends into the

gas separator so the

pump inlet is near the

liquid inlet holes in the

separator.


Denver, Colorado

Feb. 17 – 20, 2013

Acoustic Test – Echometer Separator 11/26/12

Dynamometer Test – Echometer Separator 11/26/2012

Gas Separator and Seating Nipple

Top Collar

Inner and Outer barrels

Larger Outer barrel over seating nipple

Seating Nipple, conventional or mechanical

Two Large Holes for liquid flow into pump inlet

Lower Collar and mating assembly


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Final Slide

[email protected]


Denver, Colorado Feb. 17 – 20, 2013


Denver, Colorado

37

Copyright

Rights to this presentation are owned by the company(ies) and/or author(s) listed on the title page. By submitting this presentation to the Gas Well Deliquification Workshop, they grant to the Workshop, the Artificial Lift Research and Development Council (ALRDC), and the Southwestern Petroleum Short Course (SWPSC), rights to:

– Display the presentation at the Workshop.

– Place it on the www.alrdc.com web site, with access to the site to be as directed by the Workshop Steering Committee.

– Place it on a CD for distribution and/or sale as directed by the Workshop Steering Committee.

Other use of this presentation is prohibited without the expressed written permission of the author(s). The owner company(ies) and/or author(s) may publish this material in other journals or magazines if they refer to the Gas Well Deliquification Workshop where it was first presented.


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Disclaimer

The following disclaimer shall be included as the last page of a Technical Presentation or Continuing Education Course. A similar disclaimer is included on the front page of the Gas Well Deliquification Web Site.

The Artificial Lift Research and Development Council and its officers and trustees, and the Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Steering Committee members, and their supporting organizations and companies (here-in-after referred to as the Sponsoring Organizations), and the author(s) of this Technical Presentation or Continuing Education Training Course and their company(ies), provide this presentation and/or training material at the Gas Well Deliquification Workshop "as is" without any warranty of any kind, express or implied, as to the accuracy of the information or the products or services referred to by any presenter (in so far as such warranties may be excluded under any relevant law) and these members and their companies will not be liable for unlawful actions and any losses or damage that may result from use of any presentation as a consequence of any inaccuracies in, or any omission from, the information which therein may be contained.

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Packer-Type Gas Separator with Seating Nipple...Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Sheraton Hotel, Denver, Colorado February 17 – 20, 2013 Packer-Type Gas Separator with Seating Nipple