the use of foamer and injection nozzle for increasing gas ... · pdf filethe use of foamer and...

Gas Well Deliquification WorkshopSheraton Hotel, Denver, Colorado

February 23 - 26, 2009

The Use of Foamer and Injection Nozzle for Increasing Gas Production

Duy Nguyen, Ph.D

Greg Conrad

Nalco Energy Services, Sugar Land, TX, USA

Feb. 23 - 26, 2009 2009 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado

2

Patented nozzle for increasing gas

production

Foaming Technology: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

Yesterday, foamer selection was a lot like fishing. It

was an art.

Investigation of key factors that govern the foaming performance and foaming

mechanisms.*“Petroleum Science and Technology” Journal, July 2009

Yesterday Today Tomorrow


3

Contents

• Patented Nozzle

• Effect of condensate on foamer performance– Mechanisms

• Effect of salt on foamer performance– Mechanisms

• Field Trials


4

productiontubing

capillary tube

valve body

injection cover

capillary tube

Downhole Injection Assembly

productiontube tip

fitting


5

Components of valve/sprayer subassembly

capillary tube

control valve

fitting

valve sprayassembly

productiontubing

nozzle

¼” opening


6

Video


7

0.0010.0020.0030.0040.0050.0060.0070.0080.0090.00

100.00

700 1000 1300 1600 1900

Concentration, ppm

% U

nloa

ding

Nalco's Patented Nozzle

Conventional Method

Effect of Foamer Concentration on Unloading EfficiencyConditions: Tap Water, No Condensate

30% more effective


8

Conditions: Tap Water, No Condensate, 1900 ppm Foamer

0

20

40

60

80

100

0 5 10 15 20 25 30Time, min

% U

nloa

ding

Nalco's Patented Nozzle

Conventional Method

Comparison of Nalco's Patented Nozzle with Conventional Method

•Effectiveness•Efficiency


9

Oil Droplet in Lamella

Bubble 1

Bubble 2

Oil DropletWater


10

Lamella Rupture

Bubble 1

Bubble 2

Surface tension gradient


11

Escaping Oil Droplet

Bubble 2

Oil Droplet


12

DILATIONAL ELASTIC MODULUS (E)DILATIONAL ELASTIC MODULUS (E)

A measure of the ability of aA measure of the ability of asurface to recover from applied stresssurface to recover from applied stress

Resistance to deformationResistance to deformation

E (dyne/cm) = surface stress / strain per unit areaE (dyne/cm) = surface stress / strain per unit areaE (dyne/cm) = surface stress / strain per unit area

E = d/dA/AEE == dd//dAdA/A/A


13

A C

Syringe piston

Curved needle

Syringe clamp

B

D

Piston Clamp: Driven by DC Motor

AdAd

Add

/ln

Oscillating Drop Tensiometer(A.K.A. The TRACKER)

z

A

B

r1A

r2A

r1B

r2B

Drop Shape Analysis

Definition-> Dilatational Modulus, :

Halogen lamp

B = Glass sample cuvetteC = CCD camera

Dilatational RheologyRef: North Carolina State UniversityDepartment of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering


14

Correlation between %Unloading and Elastic Modulus with Condensate

010203040506070

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Elastic Modulus, dyne/cm

% U

nloa

ding

@25

min

Betaine

Olefin sulfonate

Alkyl ether sulfate


15

Effect of Salt on Foaming Performance

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Freshwater

9000 ppmTDS

19,000 ppmTDS

50,000 ppmTDS

150,000ppm TDS

% U

nloa

ding

5000 ppm foamer


16

Foam Stabilizing: Area per molecule

Packing at the air-liquid interface

Air

Liquid

• Low salt Unstable foamLoosely packed film

- High area per molecule

Area

- -

• High saltStable foam

-- -+ + +

Air

Tightly packed film- Small area per molecule

Liquid

-


17

Foam Destabilizing –Reduced Electrostatic Repulsion

--

-

-

--

-- -

Stable foam

Low salt

Drainage

Liquid flows

Liquid flows

Unstable foam

High salt


18

Gas Well Deliquification Capillary String Method

• Capillary Strings with foamer is a “lift method”• The Problems of the past are being engineered out

– Plugging – cap string certified products– Collapsing – better banding practices and stronger materials– Foam block – patented control valve– Surface facility issues – use of defoamers– Capillary string corrosion – corrosion resistant metalurgies

and matched banding materials

• Capillary strings can be used in conjunction with other lift methods to increase production


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Gas Well Deliquification Installation Recommendations

• “Cradle to Grave” philosophy – the best time to install for maximum benefit and cost is when the well is completed

• Designed for your well– Echometer Analysis– Completion design– Wellhead design

• Outside tubing installations• Patented down hole injection valve


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Case Study #1 : McMurdy # 3 Conditions: 35% Condensate

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

8/24/2

008

8/31/2

008

9/7/20

089/1

4/200

89/2

1/200

89/2

8/200

810

/5/20

0810

/12/20

0810

/19/20

0810

/26/20

0811

/2/20

0811

/9/20

0811

/16/20

0811

/23/20

0811

/30/20

08M

MC

F pe

r Day

Installed patented nozzle+ Foamer


21

Case Study # 2: McMurdy #2 Conditions: 24% Condensate

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

8/24/2

008

8/31/2

008

9/7/20

089/1

4/200

89/2

1/200

89/2

8/200

810

/5/20

0810

/12/20

0810

/19/20

0810

/26/20

0811

/2/20

0811

/9/20

0811

/16/20

0811

/23/20

0811

/30/20

08M

MC

F pe

r Day



22

Case Study #3: Verdell #1

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

7/1/20

037/8

/2003

7/15/2

003

7/22/2

003

7/29/2

003

8/5/20

038/1

2/200

38/1

9/200

38/2

6/200

39/2

/2003

9/9/20

039/1

6/200

39/2

3/200

39/3

0/200

3

Mcf

per

day



23

Summary

• Fundamental understanding effect of condensate resulted in “best in class” high condensate foamer (up to 95% condensate)– “Selection and Application of Chemical Foamers for

Offshore, North Sea” - Nalco & Britannia

• Patented nozzle for enhancing gas production


24

Acknowledgements

Fenfen Huang

Trier Ward

William Dudley


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CopyrightRights 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 uses of this presentation are prohibited without the expressed written permission of the company(ies) and/or author(s) who own it and the Workshop Steering Committee.


26

DisclaimerThe 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.The views, opinions, and conclusions expressed in these presentations and/or training materials are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Sponsoring Organizations. The author is solely responsible for the content of the materials.The Sponsoring Organizations cannot and do not warrant the accuracy of these documents beyond the source documents, although we do make every attempt to work from authoritative sources. The Sponsoring Organizations provide these presentations and/or training materials as a service. The Sponsoring Organizations make no representations or warranties, express or implied, with respect to the presentations and/or training materials, or any part thereof, including any warrantees of title, non-infringement of copyright or patent rights of others, merchantability, or fitness or suitability for any purpose.

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