Teaching Plan Course Outline

PRE-UPSTREAM
Operating Agreements

UPSTREAM Perforation and Well Activation

Exploration and Production
Exploration Operations
Drilling Operations
Completion Operations
Production Operations
Introductory Well Control
Gas Management
Production Tubing and Well Head Assembly
Self Flow and Artificial Methods of Production of
Oil/Gas
Separation and Storage
Transportation, Field Processing and Refining
Marketing and Distribution

MID-STREAM
Transportation from producing field to refinery

DOWNSTREAM
Refinery Operations and Marketing

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Production Operations

Self Flow and Artificial Methods of

Production of Oil/Gas
Petroleum Production System

Petroleum hydrocarbon production involves 2 districts

Reservoir a porous medium with a unique storage
and flow characteristic
Artificial structures - includes well, bottom hole,
surface gathering, separation and storage facilities
Production Engineering - attempts to maximize
production in a cost effective way

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Petroleum Production System

Appropriate production technology and method is

related directly with other major areas of petroleum
engineering such as formation evaluation, drilling
and reservoir engineering
Petroleum Hydrocarbon
i. Mixture of many compounds petroleum and
natural gas
ii. Mixture depending on its composition and
conditions of P and T, occur as liquid or gas or a
mixture of the 2 phases

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Christmas
Pipeline
to Flow
Process
Completed Oil Well
Tree
and
Storage
Water Drive - Hydrostatic
Surface
Casing pressure pushes oil and gas
Cement to surface
Intermediate
Casing
Gas-Cap Drive - Expansion of
Cement
Production
gas under pressure pushes oil
Casing to surface
Tubing
Completion
Fluid
Dissolved-Gas Drive - Gas
Packer Cement disseminated in oil; usually
requires pumping
Oil or Gas Zone
Well American Petroleum Institute, 1986
Fluids Perforations

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Production Operations
Once petroleum is found and well is drilled operation enters
production phase
After oil and gas is found, appraisal drilling need to be done to
check for commercial viability
Important to test the formation to ensure profit and determine
proper rate of extraction
For a new well to begin production, a potential test is run to
determine how much oil and gas can be produced in a 24 hr
period
Most efficient recovery (MER) rate based on how much oil and
gas can be extracted for a sustained period of time without
harming the formation
Some wells are under enough pressure and do not need a
pumping system. Only install Christmas tree or a series of valves
and pipes at the surface to produce oil and gas
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Production Operations
Most wells require some kind of lifting method depending on
depth of well and whether the well has multiple completion
Most common method is rod pumping
When oil and gas reach surface they are separated
Gas is sent to processing plant
Sediment and water from oil is removed; then oil is transported
to refinery

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Production Operations

Glossary of Terms
Formation
i. Refers to either a certain layer of the earths crust or a
certain area of layer.
ii. It often refers to the area of rock where a petroleum
reservoir is located

Christmas Tree
i. Series of pipes and valves system for controlling the flow of
oil from a well
ii. Due to high underground pressures, oil can have self flow
i.e. naturally lifted by gas or water drives ; thus no additional
pumps needed
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Production Operations

MER (Most Efficient Recovery)

i. MER rate: based on how much oil and gas that can be
extracted for a sustained period of time without harming the
formation
ii. Generally, most wells cannot work for 24 hrs, 7 days a week
this could damage the formation

Multiple Completions
i. Drilling single well at several different depth in formation
ii. Reason: increase production from a single well

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Reservoir Drive Mechanisms
The energy that moves crude oil and natural gas from the subsurface rock to the production
well is called the reservoir drive.

Natural Drive Mechanisms

Dissolved Gas Drive - 5% to 30% recovery efficiency

Natural gas is dissolved in oil at subsurface pressure
in the reservoir.
When oil is produced from the reservoir,
reservoir pressure decreases and dissolved gas
bubbles out of reservoir oil.
This gas expands in the pore spaces and pushes the
reservoir oil through the pores to a production well.

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Reservoir Drive Mechanisms

Gravity Drive - 50% to 65% recovery efficiency

Gravity drive is present in all reservoirs; it is simply the
gravitational force of the Earth pulling oil downward
within the reservoir.

Gravity drive can be an important mechanism for a production

well located on a flank of a reservoir, or for production over a
long time, after the reservoirs original drive mechanism has
been depleted.

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Reservoir Drive Mechanisms

Combination Drive - 20% to 65% recovery efficiency

A reservoir may be controlled by a combination of drive
mechanisms, both natural and artificial, and dominance
of one drive mechanism over another may change, or be
altered by enhanced recovery, as production continues and
reservoir pressure changes.

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Field Production

1.Primary Recovery (Natural Methods)

This is the first method of producing oil from a well

Solution gas drive

a. pressure inside reservoir
relieved when well punctures
and gas trapped in oil forms
bubbles
b. Bubbles grow, exert pressure
push oil to well and up to
surface (20-30%)

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Field Production

1.Primary Recovery (Natural Methods)

This is the first method of producing oil from a well

Gas cap drive

a. If gas cap present, drill well
directly into oil layer gas cap
expands
b. Expanding gas pushes oil into
well (40%)

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Reservoir Drive Mechanisms

Gas Cap Drive - 20% to 40% recovery

efficiency
Because it is less dense than crude
oil and water, natural gas
segregates and occupies the higher
zones within a reservoir.
Natural gas forms a gas-cap over
fluids and reservoir. As oil is
produced, reservoir pressure
decreases and natural gas in the
gas cap expands and pushes the oil
through the reservoir pores to
production well.
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Field Production

1.Primary Recovery (Natural Methods)

This is the first method of producing oil from a well

Water drive scenario

a. Water layer press against oil
layer
b. Water pushes oil towards
surface and replace it within
the pores of the reservoir rock
c. Highest recovery: up to 60%

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Reservoir Drive Mechanisms

Water Drive - 35% to 60% recovery

efficiency
Because it is denser than oil or
gas, water occupies the lower
zones within a reservoir.
As oil is produced, reservoir
pressure decreases and
underlying water pushes
overlying oil upward through
the reservoir pores to take the
place of produced oil.

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Field Production
2.Secondary Recovery Used to enhance or replace primary
techniques
Water flooding
a. Additional injection well is drilled
into the reservoir
b. Pressure water injected
c. Water displaces the oil in reservoir

Mechanical Lift
a. Reciprocating or plunger pumping
called horsehead
b. Pump barrel lowered into well on 6
inch string steel rod (sucker rods)
c. Up and down movement force oil
up to tubing

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Artificial Lift

If a well will not flow naturally, then it needs to be artificially

lifted.

This is done by either reducing the hydrostatic head or by

using downhole pumps.

The main systems used are:

Gas Lift
Electrical Submersible Pumps (ESP)
Beam Pumps
Hydraulic Pumps

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Gas Lift

Side
Pocket
Mandrel

Gas
Lift
Valve

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 Schematic of a gas-lift system

FLP Pressure

Gradient
(reduced)

Gas Injection

Drawdown
Depth
P(res)

GASLIFTED WELL

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Downhole Pumps

Downhole pumps increase the

pressure at the bottom of the FLP Pressure

tubing to a sufficient amount to

lift the liquid stream to the
surface, instead of lowering the Liquid Gradient

pressure gradient in the tubing

to reduce the bottomhole
pressure, as in gas lift
Pump

Drawdown
P(res)

PUMP LIFTED WELL

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ESPs

Electrical Submersible Pumps

The pressure is raised by transforming mechanical
work into potential energy, that is, pressure.
Liquid enters the pump at a given pressure, called
suction pressure, and leaves it at a higher pressure,
called discharge pressure

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Main components ESP

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Electrical Submersible Pump
Oil flows up, through suction
side of impeller, and is
discharged with higher pressure
(the discharge pressure), via the
diffuser.
The pressure is raised by
transforming mechanical work
into potential energy, that is,
pressure. This is done by Impeller
increasing the velocity of the
fluid by the impeller and then
reducing the velocity back again
transferring the energy into Diffuser
pressure.
Shaft
EP Learning and Leadership
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Beam Pumps

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Hydraulic Piston Pumps

Piston pump is a positive displacement pump

Consists of an engine and pump sections

Engine is driven by hydraulic power fluid from the

surface

Double acting, pumping during upstroke and down

stroke

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Hydraulic piston pump

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Selection of Artificial Lift

Main considerations include:

Reservoir parameters (pressure, PI, water cut, sand,

GOR)
Well parameters (deviation, completion design)
Location (onshore/offshore)
Cost
Reliability
Local experience, availability of resources, workover
possibilities, standardization

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Selection of Artificial Lift
Artificial lift selection is dependent on a wide range of
factors. The important point is that you design for
artificial lift up front, not just on your well but also the
facilities.

As far as the well is concerned, you can always do a

workover to install artificial lift later in the wells life.
However, on the facilities side, you may need to install
extra equipment (compressors, flowlines, cables) and
find additional electrical capacity to power the pumps or
compressors.

Onshore this is less of a problem, but offshore it could

be difficult to install an extra generator or compressor.
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 Producing Wells

Secondary Injection
Recovery Wells

Of 60% Remaining
in Reservoir
Tertiary Recovery

Water
Gas Pumped into the
reservoir to force
Steam
additional petroleum
Chemical out of the pores in
Fire the reservoir rock
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Artificial Drive Mechanisms
Enhanced Oil Recovery
If a reservoirs natural drive mechanism becomes insufficient in aiding
hydrocarbon production, a supplement drive mechanism may be introduced to
increase production rate and recovery efficiency.

Water Injection - 5% to 50% recovery efficiency of remaining

hydrocarbons
Water injection into a hydrocarbon reservoir sweeps the
less-dense hydrocarbons through reservoir pore space.

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Field Production
3. Tertiary Recovery
When secondary recovery is no longer effective

Thermal Process
a. Steam Flooding steam
injected, heats oil to flow
readily
b. in-situ combustion (fire
flooding) air injected, a
portion if oil ignited ,
combustion front moves away
from air injection well toward
production well

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Artificial Drive Mechanisms

Steam Injection - 25% to 65% recovery efficiency of remaining

hydrocarbons

Injected steam heats the reservoir hydrocarbons. Some oil

is vaporized into gas and some oil is made less viscous.

The steam in the reservoir cools and condenses into water,

which drives the gas and less-viscous oil toward
production wells.

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Field Production
3. Tertiary Recovery
When secondary recovery is no longer effective

CO2 injection
CO2 injected, mix with
oil reduces forces that
hold oil to pores, allows
easy displacement by
injected water

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Artificial Drive Mechanisms

Miscible Gas Injection - up to 35% recovery efficiency of

remaining hydrocarbons

Rich gas which can be dissolved in (i.e., is miscible with)

hydrocarbons is injected into the reservoir.

As the gas mixes with the hydrocarbons it makes the

hydrocarbons more fluid and pushes the more-fluid oil
through the reservoir pores.

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Field Production
3. Tertiary Recovery
When secondary recovery is no longer effective

Chemical recovery
i. Inject polymer into water phase of
reservoir trap, large molecule add
bulk to water, water thicken, wash
oil from pores
ii. Sometimes surfactant added to
reduce force water to solid

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Artificial Drive Mechanisms

Chemical Injection - 25% to 40% recovery efficiency of

remaining hydrocarbons

Chemicals injected into a reservoir reduce the hydrocarbons

surface tension from the reservoir rock.

A subsequent flush of injected water into the reservoir

sweeps the freed hydrocarbons through the reservoir pores.

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Field Production
4. Improvement of formation characteristic

To aid Tertiary recovery because of production drop

Acidizing
a. Injecting acid into a soluble
formation (exp: carbonate) to
dissolve rocks
b. Enlarge the existing voids and
increase permeability

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Field Production
4. Improvement of formation characteristic

To aid Tertiary recovery because of production drop

Hydraulic Fracturing
a. Inject a fluid into formation
under significant pressure to
enlarge existing fracture and
create new fracture
b. This fracture extend outward
from well bore into formation
therefore increase
permeability

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Revision Aids

14. Briefly explain why it is desirable to use a production tubing to lift crude
oil from the reservoir to surface facilities.

15. What are the devices that make up a wellhead assembly, and explain the
usefulness of each device.

16.Write short notes on the following primary production methods:

(a). Solution gas drive
(b). Gas cap drive
(c). Water drive

17.(a) Explain why EOR enhanced oil recovery, may be necessary to bring
crude oil to the surface.

(b). Describe the principle behind any three EOR methods.

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