Chapter 7 Production UTM

Fundamentals Of Petroleum Engineering
SKPP 1313
CHAPTER 7:
PRODUCTION
Mohd Fauzi Hamid
Department of Petroleum Engineering
Faculty of Petroleum & Renewable Engineering
Universiti Technologi Malaysia
SKPP 1313: FUND. OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERING
COURSE CONTENTS
Introduction
Flowing Wells
Artificial Lift
Oil Treating
Storage and Sale of Oil
Salt Water Disposal
CHAPTER 7: PRODUCTION
(2)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
Introduction
The production stage is the most important stage of a well's

life, when the oil and gas are produced.
By this time, the oil rigs used to drill and complete the well
have moved off the wellbore, and the top is usually outfitted
with a collection of valves called a Christmas tree or
Production trees.
These valves regulate pressures, control flows, and allow
access to the wellbore in case further completion work is
needed.
From the outlet valve of the production tree, the flow can be
connected to a distribution network of pipelines and tanks to
supply the product to refineries, natural gas compressor
stations, or oil export terminals.
(3)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
Introduction (ctd)
As long as the pressure in the reservoir remains high enough,

the production tree is all that is required to produce the well.
If the pressure depletes and it is considered economically

viable, an artificial lift method can be employed.
(4)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
Introduction (ctd)
(5)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
Introduction (ctd)
(6)
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Flowing Wells
Defined as any well which has

sufficient pressure in the
reservoir to cause the oil or gas
to flow naturally to the surface
through the wellbore.
A well which produces oil or gas
without any means of artificial
lift.
They require relatively little
equipment or expense to bring
the oil to the surface.
The equipment commonly used
consists of tubing, wellhead and
x-mas tree.
(7)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
Artificial Lift
Artificial lift is a technique used to bring oil from the

reservoir to the surface because of decreasing reservoir
pressure.
Generally this is achieved by the use of a mechanical device

inside the well (known as pump or velocity string) or by
decreasing the weight of the hydrostatic column by
injecting gas into the liquid some distance down the well.
Artificial lift is needed in wells when there is insufficient

pressure in the reservoir to lift the produced fluids to the
surface.
(8)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
Artificial Lift (ctd)
It also often used in naturally flowing wells (which do not

technically need it) to increase the flow rate above what
would flow naturally.
There are currently four common methods of artificial lift:
Beam pumping
Submersible pumping
Gas lift
Hydraulic pumping
(9)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
Artificial Lift - Beam Pumping
The pump is designed to be inserted

inside the tubing of a well and its main
purpose is to gather fluids from
beneath it and lift them to the surface.
The most important components are:
the barrel, valves (traveling and fixed)
and the piston.
The pump is connected to the
pumping unit at the surface by a string
of sucker rods.
Sucker rods are stroked up and down
in the tubing, activating the pump at
the bottom.
(10)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
Artificial Lift - Beam Pumping (ctd)
At the surface, a large

mechanical device called
the beam pumping unit is
attached.
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MOHD FAUZI HAMID

1. Engine or Motor
2. Gear reducer
3. Crank arm
4. Counter weight
5. Pitman arm
6. Walking beam
7. Sampson post
8. Horse head
9. Bridle
10. Polished rod
11. Stuffing box
12.Sucker rods
13. Tubing
14. Casing
15. Pump
Beam Pumping Diagram

(12)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
Depending on the size of the pump, it generally produces 5 to

40 litres of liquid at each stroke. Often this is an emulsion of
crude oil and water.
Pump size is also determined by the depth and weight of the
oil to remove, with deeper extraction requiring more power
to move the heavier lengths of sucker rods.
Advantages of beam pumping:
High system efficiency.
Economical to repair and service.
Flexibility - adjust production through stroke length and
speed.
High salvage value for surface unit and downhole
equipment.
(13)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
Disadvantages of beam pumping:

Limited to relatively low production volumes, less than
1,000 barrels per day.
Limited to onshore application (big surface unit required).
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Artificial Lift - Submersible Pumping (ESP)
Consists of an electric motor

attached to a pump on the end of
the tubing string.
The electric motor turns a
centrifugal pump which forces oil
from the bottom of the well, up
through the inside of the tubing,
and out at the surface.
The electricity is supplied
through an electric cable attached
to the side of the tubing and
connected to the electric motor.
(15)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
Artificial Lift - Submersible Pumping (ESP)(ctd)
(16)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
Artificial Lift - Submersible Pumping (ESP)(ctd)
Advantages of ESP:
High volume and depth capacity.
High efficiency over 1,000 BPD
Low maintenance.
Minimal surface equipment
requirements.
High resistance to corrosive
downhole environments.
Use in deviated wells and vertical
wells with doglegs.
Disdvantage of ESP:
Poor ability to pump sand.
(17)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
Artificial Lift Gas Lift
A series of devices called gas lift

valves are inserted into the sides of
the tubing.
The gas is injected into the well
through the tubing-casing annulus
and enters the tubing through the
gas lift mandrels and gas lift valves.
The fluid in the tubing is made
lighter by the gas, and as a result,
the mixture is pushed to the
surface by reservoir pressure.
(18)
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Artificial Lift Gas Lift (ctd)
(19)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
A source of gas, and compression

equipment is required for gas lift.
Proper installation and compatibility of

gas lift equipment, (surface and in the
wellbore), are essential to any gas lift
system.
Advantage of Gas Lift:

Gas Lift is an artificial lift process that
closely resembles the natural flow process
and basically operates as an enhancement
or extension of that process. The only
major requirement is an available and
economical supply of pressurized gas.
(20)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
Disadvantages of Gas Lift:

Not feasible if no source of gas
present.
High initial capital purchase cost
Maintenance intensive.
Difficult to operate.
(21)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
(22)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
Artificial Lift - Hydraulic Pumping
High pressure oil is pumped into the

well through the tubing string.
At the bottom of the well, the

powered oil enters a mechanical
device, causing it to reciprocate.
This mechanical device activates a

pump, which lifts the oil from the
producing formation, together with
expended powered oil to the
surface.
The systems consist of a surface
power fluid system, a prime mover,
a surface pump, and a downhole jet
or pump.
(23)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
Artificial Lift - Hydraulic Pumping (ctd)
Power fluid from surface actuates the

engine, which in turn drives the pump,
and power fluid returns to the surface
with the produced oil.
Advantages of Hydraulic Pump:

No moving parts.
High volume capability.
Multiwell production from a single
package.
Low pump maintenance.
Disadvantages of Hydraulic Pump:

High initial capital cost.
Complex to operate.
(24)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
Oil Treating
Generally, what comes out of the well is a mixture of oil,

water, gas, and even sand.
Foreign material, such as water and sand must be
separated from the oil and gas before they can be sold.
This process is known as oil treating or oil dehydration, in
which water is removed from the oil.
The amount of this foreign material is referred to as the
basic sediment and water (BS&W).
Normally, the BS&W content must be less than 1% before
the oil will be acceptable for sale.
Basic types of equipment used for oil treating are
separator, free-water knockout and heater-treater.
(25)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
Separator
A separator is a large pressure vessel designed to separate

production fluids into their constituent components of oil,
gas and water.
Separator utilize the force of gravity to separate oil-gas
mixtures (due to different densities of the fluids).
The oil which is heavier than the gas falls to the bottom of
the vessel and taken off through the fluid line.
The lighter gas rises to the top and is removed for separate
sale.
(26)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
Separator (ctd)
Major components of separator:
primary separation device and/or section.

secondary gravity settling (separating) section
mist extractor to remove small liquid particles from the gas.
Gas outlet
Liquid settling (separating) section to remove gas.
Lquid outlet
(27)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
Classification of Separator
Classification by Operating Configuration

Horizontal separator.
may vary in size from 10 or 12 in. in diameter and 4 to
5 ft seam to seam (S to S) up to 15 to 16 ft in diameter
and 60 to 70 ft S to S.
manufactured with monotube and dual-tube shell
Vertical separator.
vary in size from 10 or 12 in. in diameter and 4 to 5 ft S
to S up to 10 or 12 ft in diameter and 15 to 25 ft S to S.
Spherical separator.
usually available in 24 or 30 in. up to 66 to 72 in. in
diameter.
(28)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
Classification of Separator (ctd)
Classification by Function
Two phase separator.

gas is separated from the liquid with the gas and liquid
being discharged separately.
Three phase separator.

In three-phase separators, well fluid is separated into
gas, oil, and water with the three fluids being
discharged separately.
(29)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
Monotube Horizontal Separator
Typical Horizontal Separator

(30)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
Monotube Horizontal Separator (ctd)
(31)
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Monotube Horizontal Separator (ctd)
(32)
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Dual-tube Horizontal Separator
(33)
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Dual-tube Horizontal Separator (ctd)
(34)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
Vertical Separator
(35)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
Vertical Separator (ctd)
(36)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
Spherical Separator
(37)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
Free Water Knockout (FWKO)
Used to separate oil, water and gas.

These mixtures flow into the vessel through an inlet valve
and then are allowed to slow down in the large settling
chamber.
Any free water mixed with the oil settles to the bottom, oil
is removed through a separate line and gas which rises to
the top is extracted through a third line.
In principle, free-water knockout is almost identical to
separator .
The vessel is called a free-water knockout because it is
designed to eliminate only free water, not water which has
been emulsified.
(38)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
Free Water Knockout (ctd)
The oil and water outlets are controlled by level controlled

valves, which prevent the vessel from draining completely
and keep the gas trapped in the top of the vessel.
Commonly used for low pressure wells and can be used to
handle high volumes of fluid.
(39)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
Free Water Knockout (ctd)
(40)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
Heater-Treater
Also called emulsion treater, used to separate oil and water

emulsions.
Similar to free-water knockout but the treater has heating
capability with the inclusion of fire tubes.
The combustion of the gas within the fire tubes is used to
heat oil and water emulsion.
(41)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
Heater-Treater (ctd)
As the oil and water mixture grows hotter, the emulsion

breaks and forms into clean oil and clean water.
The water is removed from the bottom and sent to the water
disposal system.
The clean oil is drawn off the center of the vessel and
sent to the oil storage tanks for sale.
Any natural gas in the oil-water emulsion exits at the top of

the heater-treater.
(42)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
Heater-Treater (ctd)
(43)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
Combinations
A typical combination of equipment is shown below.

Oil, water and gas produced as a mixture sent into freewater knockout.
The remaining oil and water emulsion leaves the free-water

knockout and is transferred to the heater-treater.
On an offshore platform, a high pressure separator often will

be used instead of the free-water knockout.
Surface facilities for typical oil well

(44)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
Typical Oil Treating Facility
(45)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
Oil Storage & Sale - Onshore
At a typical facility, sufficient storage is provided to

accommodate oil from two to three days of production.
Oil may be withdrawn from the tank and sold by
truck/tanker or through pipeline to the refinery.
Lease Automatic
Custody Transfer
(LACT) measures the
volume of oil as it
passes into the
pipeline. It also
measures the BS&W
content.
(46)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
Oil Storage & Sale - Offshore
Offshore production platforms can sometimes be equipped

with oil storage equipment if the platform is located in
shallow water.
The clean oil can be sold through a pipeline extending from
the platform along the sea floor to the land.
(47)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
Oil Storage & Sale Offshore (ctd)
In deep water operation, oil is shipped through a pipeline

along the sea floor to another storage platform in shallow
water.
Sometimes, storage platform in not necessary and the oil is

shipped directly into the sales line.
For remote oilfield, deepwater locations and small oilfield,

where seabed pipelines are not cost effective, the use of
FPSO is a good option.
Oil is stored in the FPSO and will be offloaded onto tanker.
(48)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO)

(49)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
(50)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
(51)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
Salt Water Disposal
To prevent environmental pollution, the water produced must

be re-injected into the ground, often into the same rock from
which it was drawn.
The water is taken from the oil processing equipments and
usually sent to a storage tank until a sufficient volume has
been accumulated.
Often in offshore operation,
the salt water from the
wells can be disposed of
into the sea itself.
However, the water must
first be sent through several
cleaning devices which
remove any traces of oil.
(52)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
Gas Treating
Natural gas consists of various components which are

present in different concentration (water and impurities).
Reason for treating:

To meet sales specifications and customer's requirement.
To recover other materials such as CO2 and elemental
sulfur from H2S (higher price if marketed separately.
To facilitate transmission - prevent hydrate formation.
(53)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
Gas Sweetening Process
Gas Sweetening is the most common gas treating process.
In the absorber, amine solution absorbs H2S and CO2 from

the upflowing sour gas to produce a sweetened gas stream
(i.e., an H2S-free gas) as as a product and an amine solution
rich in the absorbed acid gases.
The resultant "rich" amine is then routed into the

regenerator (a stripper with a reboiler) to produce
regenerated or "lean" amine that is recycled for reuse in
the absorber.
Also known as amine gas treating or acid gas removal.

The process consist two main unit: absorber and
regenerator.
(54)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
Gas Sweetening Process (ctd)
The sweet gas normally goes on to additional processing

such as dehydration and hydrocarbon recovery.
The acid gas contains most of the CO2 and sulfur

compounds is either flared or sent to a Claus sulfur
recovery unit
C1-C4
N2
Sour Gas
H2S
CO2
COS (Carbonylsulfide)
CS2 (Carbon Disulfide)
RSR (Mercaptans)
Sweet Residue
Gas
C1-C4
N2
H2O
Acid Gas H S
2
CO2
COS
CS2
RSR
H2O
(55)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID
Gas Sweetening Process (ctd)
(56)
MOHD FAUZI HAMID

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What are the different stages of production?

What are the different stages of production?

What is artificial lift and when is it needed?

What is artificial lift and when is it needed?

Fundamentals Of Petroleum Engineering

SKPP 1313: FUND. OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERING

MOHD FAUZI HAMID

SKPP 1313: FUND. OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERING

The production stage is the most important stage of a well's

MOHD FAUZI HAMID

SKPP 1313: FUND. OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERING

As long as the pressure in the reservoir remains high enough,

If the pressure depletes and it is considered economically

MOHD FAUZI HAMID

SKPP 1313: FUND. OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERING

MOHD FAUZI HAMID

SKPP 1313: FUND. OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERING

MOHD FAUZI HAMID

SKPP 1313: FUND. OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERING

Defined as any well which has

MOHD FAUZI HAMID

SKPP 1313: FUND. OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERING

Artificial lift is a technique used to bring oil from the

Generally this is achieved by the use of a mechanical device

Artificial lift is needed in wells when there is insufficient

MOHD FAUZI HAMID

SKPP 1313: FUND. OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERING

Artificial Lift (ctd)

It also often used in naturally flowing wells (which do not

There are currently four common methods of artificial lift:

MOHD FAUZI HAMID

SKPP 1313: FUND. OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERING

Artificial Lift - Beam Pumping

The pump is designed to be inserted

MOHD FAUZI HAMID

SKPP 1313: FUND. OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERING

Artificial Lift - Beam Pumping (ctd)

At the surface, a large

MOHD FAUZI HAMID

SKPP 1313: FUND. OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERING

Artificial Lift - Beam Pumping (ctd)

Beam Pumping Diagram

MOHD FAUZI HAMID

SKPP 1313: FUND. OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERING

Artificial Lift - Beam Pumping (ctd)

Depending on the size of the pump, it generally produces 5 to

MOHD FAUZI HAMID

SKPP 1313: FUND. OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERING

Artificial Lift - Beam Pumping (ctd)

Disadvantages of beam pumping:

MOHD FAUZI HAMID

SKPP 1313: FUND. OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERING

Artificial Lift - Submersible Pumping (ESP)

Consists of an electric motor

MOHD FAUZI HAMID

SKPP 1313: FUND. OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERING

Artificial Lift - Submersible Pumping (ESP)(ctd)

MOHD FAUZI HAMID

SKPP 1313: FUND. OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERING