As is true for other artificial lift methods, gas lift offers a number of benefits, and at the same time

has some inherent limitations (Brown, 1982; Tak cs, 2005). Advantages include:

Flexibility in handling a wide range of production rates; can convert from continuous to intermittent lift as reservoir pressure or well productivity declines. Relatively good solids-handling capabilities. Suitability for producing high-GLR wells (unlike pump-assisted lift, where gas production is usually detrimental to system efficiency). Can be used in deviated wells Installations can be designed for servicing with wireline units; gas lift valves can be run and retrieved without having to pull tubing string. Relatively low-profile surface wellhead equipment, takes up little surface space. Can easily manage high bottomhole temperatures or corrosive environments Most installations provide full-bore tubing strings, which facilitate downhole surveys, well monitoring and workover.

Some of the main limitations and disadvantages of gas lift systems include:

Obtaining sufficient amounts of lift gas. The need to provide compression and gas treatment facilities. Generally lower energy efficiency than other lift methods. Cannot reduce bottomhole pressure to the low levels attainable by pump-assisted lift.

DOWNHOLE INSTALLATIONS
The key subsurface components of a gas lift system are the gas lift valves that regulate the flow of injected gas into the producing fluid column. These pressure-operated devicesusually 1 or 1.5 inches in diameter and about 16 to 24 inches longare placed in mandrels that are set at selected depths in the tubing string, most often in a conventional or side pocket configuration (Figure 1: Conventional and side pocket mandrel installations).

Figure 1

In a conventional or tubing retrievable valve-mandrel configuration, the valves are run with the tubing string, and the tubing must be pulled in order to repair or replace a valve. (Figure 2) shows a valve designed for a conventional gas lift installation. (Camco conventional injection-pressure operated gas lift valves, Types J50 and J40. Courtesy of Schlumberger.)

Figure 2
Side pocket mandrels are designed to accommodate valves in parallel with the tubing (Figure 3: Camco KBMM Series side pocket mandrel. Courtesy of Schlumberger.). These are the most common types of mandrels in use, their main attraction being that they enable gas lift valves to be run and retrieved on wireline. This eliminates the need to pull the tubing for valve repairs or adjustments.

Figure 3

Installation Types
The type of downhole installation used in a gas lift well depends on whether it is to be placed on continuous or intermittent lift. This in turn depends on its present and anticipated future inflow performance. Other considerations include completion type, casing diameters and wellbore deviation. As is true for any type of downhole installation, a gas lift system should be designed with enough flexibility to minimize the number of workovers required over a wells producing life. Except for the annular flow installation mentioned at the end of this section, all of the downhole installations discussed here are designed for gas injection through the casing and production though the tubing string.

OPEN INSTALLATION
An open gas lift installation is one in which the tubing string is suspended in the well without a packer, and the casing and tubing are in communication. This, the oldest type of gas lift installation, has several major disadvantages:

Only a fluid seal in the annulus prevents gas from blowing around the bottom of the tubing. This results in wasted gas, additional backpressure on the formation, and reduced production rates. Without a packer, the lower gas lift valves may be submerged in well fluids because the fluid rises in the annulus every time the well is shut-in. This may lead to valve corrosion.

When production resumes, the fluid must flow back through the gas lift valves, causing the valves to wear out faster.

The open installation is not normally recommended, and it is used nowadays only when a packer cannot be installed.

SEMI-CLOSED INSTALLATION
A semi-closed installation has a packer installed in the tubing to seal off the tubing-casing annulus, as shown in the continuous gas lift well of (Figure 4) (Semi-closed gas lift installation).

Figure 4

This is the most common type of installation for continuous gas lift wells. It eliminates most of the characteristic disadvantages of the open installationthe packer keeps produced fluids from entering the annulus, and prevents the casing pressure from directly communicating with the formation. This installation is also used in intermittent gas lift wells. It is not the best choice for wells exhibiting very low bottomhole pressures, however, because it is possible that gas injected into the tubing string may place additional backpressure on the formation when the operating valve is open.

CLOSED INSTALLATION
A closed installation (Figure 5) is similar to a semi-closed installation, except that a standing valve is placed in the tubing string below the bottom gas lift valve to prevent fluids from moving downward. Thus, highpressure gas injected into the tubing from the annulus cannot increase backpressure on the formation, and any produced fluids standing in the tubing will not flow back into the formation. These features make the closed installation the option of choice for intermittent gas lift.