Gas Lift Surveillance

1. Gas Lift Surveillance What are the keys to success?

2. Importance of Surveillance Definitions of Surveillance: • Surveillance: Keeping a close watch. • Surveillance: “In terms of production per unit of resource, there is no more profitable activity than well surveillance. • SIPM Field Surveillance EP88-1350, GA Johnson 1988 • Surveillance: Surveillance is the starting point for all work after the initial completion.

3. Importance of Surveillance How do we turn information into profit? BasicSurveillance: Is everything OK? What's the matter? $ Fix it ! How can we fix it? Surveillance is aProcess,not a Project

4. $ Importance of Surveillance The key to optimization is predicting the effect of changes. BasicSurveillance: Is everything OK? What's the matter? Fix it ! How can we fix it? Once the process is predictable, surveillance becomesProduction System Optimization.

5. Importance of Surveillance Common problems facing the surveillance process: • It is overwhelmed by the design process (big $$) • Perceived to be lower priority • Lack of immediate visibility • Hard work • No end point • Can always ‘wait until tomorrow’ • Staff changes • Reduced experience level • Different requirements field-to-field, well-to-well

6. Surveillance Status You may have seen this consultant tool before. What is in each box? Challenge Support

7. Surveillance Status Stress Performance Challenge Apathy Complacency Support

8. Surveillance Status By show of hands, where are your surveillance efforts? What do you do, if anything, to move to top right? We can’t do it ourselves. But we're ex-pected to succeed. We can do it ourselves. And we're ex-pected to succeed. Challenge Stress Performance We can’t do it ourselves. And we don’t care. We can do it ourselves. But we don’t care. Apathy Complacency Support

9. What can be done to improve surveillance?

10. Surveillance can be sub-divided into 4 parts: • Data • Processes • People • Tools • For each part, what are the key ingredients and secrets for success?

11. Surveillance “Boost” Shell has been using a process called “Produce the Limit” in which external experts challenge teams (asking "why not?") and provide expert assistance in two week concentrated efforts. We can do it ourselves. And we're ex-pected to succeed. Challenge Performance Support

12. Surveillance Strategies • Surveillance can be sub-divided into 4 parts: • Data • Processes • People • Tools Improve data quality, especially of lift gas measurements, and collect evidence of instability

13. Surveillance Strategies • Surveillance can be sub-divided into 4 parts: • Data • Processes • People • Tools Be proactive. Involve field staff, office staff, vendors. Establish meaningful Key Performance Indicators.

14. Surveillance Strategies • Surveillance can be sub-divided into 4 parts: • Data • Processes • People • Tools Focus on training. Allow people to focus only on performing sur-veillance.

15. Surveillance Strategies • Surveillance can be sub-divided into 4 parts: • Data • Processes • People • Tools Use SCADA to monitor and control. Use flexible analysis, design, optimization software. Run ample pressure surveys.

16. Importance of Surveillance How to fix the surveillance process: • Create ‘champions’ • Define a simple, understandable process • Obtain explicit management support for the process* • Concentrate effort to create experts • Use those experts to train other parts of organization • Formalize the role of ‘well analyst’ in the field • Provide useful tools to support the process • Provide training • Monitor and review performance of process with management • Provide adequate rewards for success • Improve data quality (e.g. well tests) • No more trials! Mostly taken from Artificial Lift Workshop, Noordwijkerhout, NL, July, 1997

17. Importance of Surveillance Shell’s Surveillance Strategy: Support Process Champion Spot Problems Convince management Implement Changes Well Analysts Create GL Team Improve Data & Systems Analyze Wells Model Performance Gas Lift Team Re-design/re-distribute