Summary
Qatar Petroleum (QP) produces hydrocarbons from the onshore Dukhan field and
two offshore oil fields (Bul Hanine and Maydan Mahzam). After producing through
natural flow for an extended period, pressure depletion and water influx have
led to the use of artificial lift. The lift method of choice in QP-operated oil
fields is continuous-flow gas lift, for both technical and economic
reasons.
The time of transition from natural flow to artificial lift for an oil field
presents significant challenges and also great opportunity. A number of aspects
of the operation need to be updated to suit the new conditions imposed by
artificial-lift requirements. Successful adaptation to the new requirements
delivers great benefit. Similarly, failure to determine and adapt to the new
requirements can lead to early abandonment of a field. The task of determining
the requirements for the organization, people, systems, and hardware is
facilitated by a structured multidisciplinary approach to achieve the best
results.
In order to evaluate the existing capabilities in the field of gas lift, a
team of technical specialists conducts a series of interviews with selected
staff. The goal of these interviews is first to establish the current perceived
capability in gas lift across the stakeholder directorates. After establishing
this current state perception, those interviewed are then asked to articulate
their vision of where the organization should be in the future to achieve
maximum recovery/benefit from the producing assets. This methodology has been
applied successfully for other initiatives in the recent past.
After reconciling the differences between perceived "As-Is" and actual
state, and reconciling perceived "To-Be" with technically feasible targets, a
"road map" is developed. The road map outlines the path to development of
capability related to organization, people, systems, and hardware to deliver
the vision for long-term gas lift production of the assets. The combined
road-map elements define specific functionality that is incorporated into the
design of the facilities.
This integrated, multidisciplinary approach facilitates communication
between organizational segments and supports the inclusion of critical
components in the design and operational practices of the new infrastructure to
support gas lift operations. Facilities designed with consideration for the
long-term goals of the business will serve to reduce operating costs; reduce
health, safety, and environmental (HSE) exposure; and improve ultimate
recovery.
© 2011. Society of Petroleum Engineers
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History
- Original manuscript received:
13 January 2011
- Meeting paper published:
14 February 2011
- Revised manuscript received:
12 January 2011
- Manuscript approved:
1 March 2011
- Published online:
9 June 2011
- Version of record:
22 November 2011
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