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As reservoir pressure declines during production, naturally flowing wells eventually require artificial lift intervention to sustain economically viable production rates. Gas lift, one of the most widely adopted artificial lift methods, operates in two primary modes: continuous and intermittent injection. Selecting the optimal mode is critical for maximizing production while minimizing operational costs, yet many operators rely on costly trial-and-error field implementations rather than systematic evaluation. This study addresses this challenge by conducting a comprehensive, simulation-based comparative analysis of intermittent and
continuous gas lift performance for a naturally flowing well using PROSPER (Production and System Performance Analysis) software. The case study well is completed at a true vertical depth of 11,500ft with 2.441-inch tubing and has a productivity index of 2.01 STB/day/psi. Under natural flow conditions, the well produces 264.2 STB/day at a reservoir pressure of 4,500 psia
representing only 6.2% of its absolute open flow potential of 4,733.8 STB/day. The model was validated through nodal analysis by matching inflow performance relationships with vertical lift performance curves. Both gas lift methods were systematically evaluated through rigorous simulation. Continuous gas lift optimization revealed a design injection rate of 4.53 MMscf/day
producing 1,369.58 STB/day, though economic considerations favored an optimized rate of 1.0 MMscf/day yielding 1,100 STB/day, representing a 76% increase over natural flow. Intermittent gas lift design employed five gas lift valves with optimized spacing and achieved dramatically superior performance: 2,827.76 STB/day at a cycle frequency of 6.76 cycles/hour with only
0.026 MMscf/day gas injection, which is a 90.7% increase over natural flow and 61.1% improvement over continuous gas lift. The results demonstrate that intermittent gas lift provides superior production performance, exceptional gas utilization efficiency, and enhanced economic value for the studied well. This study validates that systematic, simulation-based evaluation using PROSPER enables confident, data-driven artificial lift selection, eliminating costly field trail-and-error methods.
continuous gas lift performance for a naturally flowing well using PROSPER (Production and System Performance Analysis) software. The case study well is completed at a true vertical depth of 11,500ft with 2.441-inch tubing and has a productivity index of 2.01 STB/day/psi. Under natural flow conditions, the well produces 264.2 STB/day at a reservoir pressure of 4,500 psia
representing only 6.2% of its absolute open flow potential of 4,733.8 STB/day. The model was validated through nodal analysis by matching inflow performance relationships with vertical lift performance curves. Both gas lift methods were systematically evaluated through rigorous simulation. Continuous gas lift optimization revealed a design injection rate of 4.53 MMscf/day
producing 1,369.58 STB/day, though economic considerations favored an optimized rate of 1.0 MMscf/day yielding 1,100 STB/day, representing a 76% increase over natural flow. Intermittent gas lift design employed five gas lift valves with optimized spacing and achieved dramatically superior performance: 2,827.76 STB/day at a cycle frequency of 6.76 cycles/hour with only
0.026 MMscf/day gas injection, which is a 90.7% increase over natural flow and 61.1% improvement over continuous gas lift. The results demonstrate that intermittent gas lift provides superior production performance, exceptional gas utilization efficiency, and enhanced economic value for the studied well. This study validates that systematic, simulation-based evaluation using PROSPER enables confident, data-driven artificial lift selection, eliminating costly field trail-and-error methods.
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