Advancements in

Hydraulic Dewatering

Technology

7th European Gas Well Deliquification Conference

Presented By: David Bolt – Cormorant Engineering

Hydraulic Dewatering Introduction and History

Hydraulic De watering is not new, and dates

back into the early 1900’s

For many wells there are other technologies

which are more cost effective and hydraulic

pumping has been primarily used in pumping oil

using a Kobe style pump

Todays Gas wells present challenges which

have made Hydraulic pumping a desirable

technology

Cormorant Engineering is focused on this

technology and continues to advance the

performance, cost effectiveness, and life

2

Hydraulic Dewatering Technology

Downhole Pump Designs

Single Acting – Power fluid driving reciprocating pump one direction, restoring

force by hydrostatic head difference

Dual Acting – Power fluid driving the pump both directions

Pulse Pumps – Either single or dual action pumps with switching valve on

surface, sending pressure pulse downhole each stroke

Self Reciprocating Pump – Dual action pump with directional switching valve

downhole

Other hybrid designs

Surface Equipment

Typical hydraulic power unit

Power fluid – Closed system

Power fluid makes a complete loop from HPU downhole and back to the HPU

Water based power fluid – Open system

Power fluid mingles with the production fluid on the return

Hydraulic Dewatering Technology

We have focused on improving:

The production rate limitations of “Pulse” style pump

The costly completions of Kobe style pumps

Life of Kobe style pumps

Cost of deployment and retrieval

Deep Wells with small bore completions

The result of these efforts has created two new pump design concepts:

The first conceived by Bert Lugtmeier of Shell Nam and further

developed by Cormorant is:

Single Line Up Reciprocating Pump or S L U R P (Shell Patent Pending)

The second is the Cormorant HG Pump

SLURP Pump

Pulse style pump running with Produced

water as the power fluid

Power one direction stroking a piston

and compressing a Nitrogen spring

Nitrogen spring returns the pump piston

and water plunger

Deployed via 2 inch coiled tubing with

BHA on end

Pump is wire line retrievable

Operation – Power Stroke

1. Apply pressure from surface

2 Piston forced down, compressing the Nitrogen and forcing the water

from the water pump section

PRESSURE APPLIED PISTON DIRECTION

NITR

OGEN

WATER FORCED

FROM BARREL

Operation – Return Stroke

1. Release pressure from the surface

2. Piston forced upward due to the compressed Nitrogen

3. Water is drawn through the gas anchor, standing valve and into the

pump barrel

NITR

OGEN

Piston DirectionPressure Released

Wat

er

Ente

rs f

rom

Fo

rmat

ion

SLURP - Performance

Cormorant Adapted their

predictive model to

accommodate the SLURP

Based on the Cormorant Finite

Element Work in a 3500 m well

Production rates are: 2-4 m^3

per day

SLURP Status and Next Steps

Basic design modeling is complete

Basic Solids model complete

Next steps:

Detail Design engineering

Detail Design

Prototype build

Surface Equipment Design

Timing: Prototype testing planned for Q2 2014

HG - SRP Pump is a dual acting Self reciprocating

pump

Deployed via Coiled tubing

Single in US

Concentric in Europe

Pump is retrievable simply by reversing the

direction of the fluid flow

Incorporates a self reciprocating valve

function

Production rates into 100s of barrels per day

Improves life over previous Kobe pumps by:

Metallurgical improvements in the valve

technology

Improved design characteristics of valve

operation

Ceramic valve parts

CFD developed flow regimes for energy

optimization as well as run away control

HG - SRP

Water section is basic Rod Pump

Pump area ratios allow for a low surface

operating pressure for deep wells

Maximum surface pressure 3000 psi for

equipment life and reliability

Construction materials well dependent

H2S, CO2, Ph, etc.

HG – SRP Completion

Uses 2 3/8 Production tubing with pump seating nipple

Or 2 ¼ in coiled tubing with PSN installed

1.75 Coiled Tubing with Bottom Hole assembly

BHA sits in PSN

Incorporates a Standing Valve

Gas Anchor

Screen

Pump is deployed by circulating water in the Coiled Tubing and “pumping

the pump in Pump Seating Nipple Production tubing or Coiled tubing

Coiled tubing with bottom hole assembly and Standing Valve

HG – SRP Pump Retreival Retrieve pump by pumping water through the Tubing x Tubing annulus

Pump travels to surface and is caught in API lubricator

Pump Seating Nipple Production tubing or Coiled tubing

Coiled tubing with bottom hole assembly and Standing Valve

HG Surface System

Simple surface unit

Main Components

Medium pressure water

pump – 3000 psi (200 bar)

Chemical injector pump if

necessary for well / pump

life

Set of valves directing

power fluid for pumping or

retrieval

Pump inlet filter which back

flushes during retrieval

Pump power is

programmable for desired

pumping rate

HG SRP – Development Timing

Downhole pump prototype complete

Testing on going for life and reliability

Surface System Pump development underway

Ready for deployment Q2 2014

End of presentation