Restarting Oil Wells Seminar

Restarting Oil Wells: A Comprehensive Guide for Petroleum Engineers

This seminar, led by a seasoned Sr. Petroleum Engineer with 20 years of experience, provides a detailed guide to successfully restarting oil wells after shutdowns. Learn the principles, address common challenges, and master effective methods for maximizing production recovery.

Key Topics Covered:

• Integrated Asset Modelling (System Optimization): Discover how to optimize system-wide performance by coordinating production and injection wells for maximum fluid recovery.
• Operation Well Plot: Utilize this crucial tool for effective wells monitoring and guidance.
• Wells Monitoring and Guidance: Master real-time data tracking to monitor critical parameters including daily oil production, water volume, upstream and downstream pressures, temperatures, and choke sizes. Learn to identify deviations and make data-driven decisions. Guidance tables provide actionable recommendations, such as "Investigate cause of higher back pressure" or "Confirm flowing and report to RMT."
• The Basic Problem Of Production: Understand the process of moving fluids from the reservoir to the separator, overcoming pressure drops at each stage – from wellbore to flowline. Learn how to manage this process by controlling completion design and choke settings, while accounting for reservoir conditions like pressure, water cut, and fluid chemistry (PVT).

Understanding Well Behavior After Shutdown:

When a well is shut in, fluids undergo significant changes. Gas separates, forming a gas cap, while water settles. This can mislead tubing head pressure readings. Velocity is key to unloading a well; a rapid opening is necessary to create the speed needed to lift the segregated fluid column – similar to opening a shaken coke bottle.

Successful Oil Well Restart: Four Key Points

• Only open the tubing.
• Keep the annulus closed to focus energy.
• Use a large choke to maximize initial flow.
• Be patient.

Potential Concerns:

Be aware of potential challenges during the restart process, including:

• Sanding (formation damage)
• Hydrate formation due to Joule-Thomson cooling
• Process instability

Intervention Methods for Unsuccessful Restarts:

If standard procedures fail, explore these intervention methods:

• Flashing: Rerouting the well to a de-pressurized spare header and train to lower back-pressure.
• Flowback: Utilizing a specialized package to flow the well to a flare pit.
• Nitrogen Lift: Circulating nitrogen with coiled tubing to lighten the fluid column.
• Electrical Submersible Pump (ESP): An artificial lift method effective for flow, but operationally complex.
• Swabbing: Mechanically pulling fluid out of the well using a slickline and swab cup assembly.
• Gas Lift: Injecting gas into the annulus to reduce fluid density and aid flow.