Gas Lift Manual
Including ample illustrations to help the reader understand the text, this handy reference is essential to the practicing engineer needing to successfully perform this type of artificial lift project.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Gas Lift Manual
Chapter 9: The Gas Lift System
9.1 Introduction
Placing all or some of the wells in an oilfield on production by gas lift requires the modification of existing facilities as well as the additional installation of new surface and downhole equipment. The gas lift system comprises all the equipment and facilities necessary for a proper operation of the field by gas lifting. To ensure a profitable oil production over time, the gas lift system should be properly designed and operated.
9.1.1 Functions of the gas lift system
A properly designed and operated gas lift system fulfills the following basic functions:
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High-pressure lift gas at the proper pressure is provided for gas lifting. Usually a compressor plant is used for this purpose, although high-pressure gas from a pipeline or a gas well can also be utilized.
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Lift gas of the proper amount and pressure must be made available at every wellsite. A high-pressure gas distribution system with the right control devices is, therefore, an important part of the gas lift system.
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Gathering of wellstreams containing lift and formation gas coming from the wells, as well as separation of gas from produced liquids is done in the gathering system another important component of the total gas lift system.
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The gas lift system should operate under optimum economic conditions and this can be reached if
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the system was designed for the most economic injection pressure for all the wells involved
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the compressor plant is fully loaded at all times
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gas volume loss in the system is kept at a minimum
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