Gas Lift Production
Design, Operation & Optimization

Duration: 5 Days
Target Audience: Production Engineers, Artificial Lift Specialists, Field Engineers, Operations Supervisors, Well Intervention Personnel
Delivery Mode: Classroom / Virtual with Practical Exercises, Design Calculations, and Case Studies
Level: Intermediate to Advanced

Course Overview

This course covers the design, operation, and optimization of gas lift systems for oil production. Participants will learn gas lift principles, equipment selection, valve performance, operating practices, troubleshooting, and integrated field optimization to maximize well productivity and ensure reliable operations.

Day-by-Day Outline

Day 1 – Fundamentals of Gas Lift Systems

- Principles of gas lift and artificial lift comparisons
- Continuous vs. intermittent gas lift basics
- Components: gas lift mandrels, valves, injection systems
- Introduction to gas lift performance curves
- Exercise: Identify gas lift system components in field schematics

Day 2 – Gas Lift Design & Valve Spacing

- Gathering data for gas lift design
- Determining depth of injection and unloading sequence
- Gas lift valve mechanics and design considerations
- Calculating valve spacing and gas injection requirements
- Workshop: Design a gas lift string for a specific well

Day 3 – Gas Lift System Optimization

- Monitoring and controlling injection rates
- Optimizing gas lift performance for different reservoir conditions
- Production logging for diagnosing gas lift performance
- Adjusting gas injection for maximum production efficiency
- Exercise: Perform nodal analysis with gas lift integration

Day 4 – Troubleshooting Gas Lift Problems

- Common problems: valve failure, gas interference, liquid fallback
- Diagnostic techniques: acoustic surveys, temperature and pressure profiles
- Surface facility and compressor-related issues
- Corrective actions and best practices
- Workshop: Develop a troubleshooting plan for underperforming gas lift wells

Day 5 – Field Applications & Integrated Optimization

- Integrating gas lift systems in field-wide optimization
- Managing injection gas supply and compression strategies
- Case studies of successful and failed gas lift applications
- Economics of gas lift vs. other artificial lift systems
- Capstone Project: Create an optimization plan for a multi-well gas lift system

Expected Learning Outcomes

Design and optimize gas lift systems for various well conditions
Calculate valve spacing, injection depths, and gas rates
Identify and troubleshoot common gas lift performance issues
Integrate gas lift into overall production optimization strategies
Apply real-world case study learnings to improve field performance

Training Methods

- Classroom instruction and interactive discussions
- Case studies and exercises with real-world data
- Excel-based economic models and production forecasts
- Software demonstrations

Customization for Regional Needs

- Examples from regional onshore/offshore fields
- English delivery option available
- Integration with national regulatory frameworks

Trainer Profile

- Multidisciplinary instructors (reservoir, production, drilling)
- Regional NOC/IOC engineering advisors
- Guest speakers from petroleum economics and HSE backgrounds

Certification

Certificate of Completion and individual assessment report provided.