Gas Lift Training

Feb 5, 2002 ASME Gas Lift Workshop

Mike Johnson, EMPC/Central Engineering-SSE

Overview of EM gas lift training, and how it is beneficial in the field via the Artificial Lift Field

Contact

• Gas lift production• Training challenges• Gas lift organization within a Production Unit• Gas lift training tools• Development and Training of the Artificial Lift

Field Contact• Global training improvement opportunities• Questions / Comments

ExxonMobil Gas Lift ProductionApproximately 30% of EM worldwide operated oil

production is gaslifted from only 12% of all artificially lifted wells. Wells are located in GOM, offshore California, North Sea, West Africa, Bass Straits,

Malaysia, Canada, and onshore US.

79%

12%

6% 3% 0%

79%

12%

6% 3% 0%

Gas Lift

Rod Pump

Artificial Lift Well Count

ESPPCP

ExxonMobil recognizes that comprehensive gas lift training leads to common goals and measures, more effective teamwork, and helps to achieve

efficient gas lift performance.

EM Gas Lift Training Challenges

• Due to our industry’s demographics and turnover, gas lift training must be emphasized.

• Gas lift operations are spread geographically between Production Units

• Operations and Engineering is functionally split within a Producing Unit. The challenge is

to develop and administer comprehensive gas lift training to reinforce common goals among different disciplines.

It is important to understand how gas lift processes are organized within Production Unit affiliates.

Producing Unit Gas Lift Organization

• Gas Lift Core Team - those personnel directly involved with gas lift performance that require comprehensive training.– Gas Lift Coordinator - Reporting to Sub-Surface Engineering. Responsible for gas lift

training within the PU as well as overall gas lift efficiency.– One or more Gas Lift Specialists - Working with Gas Lift Coordinator. May be located in

the field or in the office.– One or more Artificial Lift Field Contacts - located in the field. Work in rod-pumped fields

as well.– Well Operator– Wireline Operator– Contractor - supplies equipment and/or designs

• Gas Lift Support Team - those personnel indirectly involved with gas lift performance that require basic knowledge of gas lift principles.– Sub-surface Engineer - Reservoir Engineer– Facilities Engineer - Drilling/Workover Operations Personnel– Field Supervisory Personnel

Training Tools

• EM Gas Lift School– Sponsored by CE-SSE for Gas Lift Coordinators, Specialists,

and Engineers– Deliver annually in Houston and overseas as requested

• Local Production Unit Training– Developed and administered by the local Gas Lift

Coordinator for Operations Personnel, Reservoir, Sub-Surface and Facilities Engineers.

– Tailored for local operating conditions– Focus on hands-on troubleshooting for Field Contacts,

Specialists and Operators– Use of Contractor sponsored training

Development of the Artificial Lift Field Contact

• Field Well Operators have little time to optimize and troubleshoot gas lift wells.

• Large onshore field areas or platforms may have many gas lift wells.• A highly motivated Operator, qualified through a comprehensive

training program, is assigned the role of Artificial Lift Field Contact. • A/L Contact functions as a local “gas lift champion”, performing gas

lift designs, well kickoff, optimization, surveillance and troubleshooting.

• A/L Field Contact concept originally put in practice for rod pumped fields. Gas lift fields added just prior to combining Midland and Houston Production offices in 1997.

• Most Artificial Lift Field Contacts spend less than 100% of their time dedicated to gas lift.

Artificial Lift Field Contacts receive specialized training.

A/L Field Contact Training Objectives

• Reports to Engineering office for 4 - 6 months and assigned a mentor.

• Increases computer proficiency and learns gas lift modeling and design in the office.

• Completes a planned study course attending various industry schools including various forms of artificial lift, corrosion, and well control schools.

• Works in a field, other than his own, with the mentor to practice troubleshooting and analysis.

• Works with a Company wireline operator running flowing pressure surveys and performing well analysis.

Returns to home field and assumes responsibility for local gas lift performance, working with the Production Unit Gas Lift Coordinator.

A/L Field Contact Training Detail

• Office Orientation• Rod Pump Design/ Shop visit• ESP Design/ Shop visit• BHP Operator Process• Artificial Lift Data Collection

Process• Corrosion Surveillance• Failure analysis• Workover and Well Service• Well Control• AFE initiation and justification• Artificial Lift Quarterly Report• Microsoft Office software

• Understanding well productivity

• Well Modeling software• Gas Lift Design/ Shop visit• Gas Lift Design software• Gas Lift Well Optimizing and

Troubleshooting• Gas Lift Well analysis

A training contact is assigned for each of the listed subjects.

Benefits of Training an A/L Field Contact

• Line of communication from the Gas Lift Coordinator directly to field gas lift operations.

• Gas lift designs and analyses are performed in the field.• Well Operators have a trained “local expert” available

for consultation - reduced downtime by not having to rely on assistance from the office.

• Field Contact champions artificial lift efficiency with Field Management.

• Field Contact provides informal OJT to Well Operators.

Global Training Improvement Opportunities

• Concept of training and using a Field Contact not yet in practice

in all Production Units.• Well Operators need refresher training - everywhere.• Difficult to work training into Field Operations’ work schedules.• Some Production Units have better training tools than others.• Engineers need more software training for modeling gas lift

performance.

Questions / Comments