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THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES

November, 2005

PTRL 4018 & PTRL 5011

Petroleum Production Engineering

(1)

Time Allowed: 2 hours

(2)

Total Number of Questions - 5

(3)

Answer all questions

(4)

All questions are not of equal value

(5)

This exam paper may not be retained by candidate

(6)

Candidate may bring electronic calculators into the exam room

(7)

Candidate may not bring personal computers into the exam room

ALL ANSWERS MUST BE WRITTEN IN INK. EXCEPT WHERE THEY ARE

EXPRESSLY REQUIRED, PENCILS MAY BE USED ONLY FOR DRAWING,
SKETCHING OR GRAPHICAL WORK.
Print your student number and name on top righthand corner of paper and sign.

Page 1 of 6

Question 1 (Worth 20 Marks)

A well tested 2000 stb/d with a FBHP (Pwf) of 2500 psia. Static reservoir pressure is
3000 psia.
What is Qo(max) for the 3000 psia reservoir pressure case?
________stb/d
The attached shows the IPR curve for the well and tubing performance curves for
various GOR values. On this attachment:

Draw IPR curve for average reservoir pressure 2000 psia choosing points at
500 psia intervals

Construct rate vs GOR curves for both reservoir pressures

If the well were to be gaslifted, what would be the maximum GOR to be used when
the reservoir pressure is
a) 2000 psia
_______scf/stb
and b) 3000 psia?

_______scf/stb

Question 2 (worth 30 marks)

In a well (diameter 6 inches) where the reservoir thickness is 50 ft, the permeability is
500 mD, the oil viscosity is 1.2 cp, Bo is 1.3, and the effective drainage radius (r e) is
1000 ft, we know that the near well bore permeability has been reduced to 50mD over
a radius of 3 ft.
It produced from perforations at 6000 ft below surface, and has been closed in for
some time, and the fluids have separated and are in equilibrium with the reservoir
pressure. The situation is that there is a tubing head pressure of 250 psig, gas (gradient
0.01 psi/ft) from surface to 2000 ft, oil (SG 0.9) to 4000 ft, and water (SG 1.1) to
bottom.
It is decided to shut off the water influx and pump the well using a PCP, so that 100%
(dry) oil is produced. The pump is inserted into the well so that it is opposite the
perforations, and is equipped with an anchor to prevent it from unscrewing during
operation.
The reservoir temperature is 180 deg F, and the near surface temperature is 60 deg F.
It is required to pump at 1000 stb/d and to have a flowing tubing head pressure of 100
psig. Flowing tubing head temperature is estimated to be 80% of reservoir
temperature
A) Assuming that the well (tubing and annulus) contains only dry oil after the pump
has been inserted, what would be the level of oil in the annulus at 1000 stb/d,
assuming zero pressure on the annulus at surface? (Gas gradient is negligible).

_______ft below surface

Page 2 of 6

B) What would be the average temperature of the rods and tubing

before pumping?

_________deg F

After pumping?

_________deg F

C) What allowance must be made for rod length change when pumping 1000 stb/d
with a flowing tubing head pressure of 100 psig, if inch diameter rods are used, and
the effective diameter of the rotor is 1.5 inches?

_________ ft
D) After producing for some time at 1000 stb/d, the liquid level in the annulus was
found to be at 4000 ft below surface. What is the new PI of the well assuming
reservoir pressure is unchanged?

_______stb/d/psi

E) If the pump has to be submerged at least 500 feet below the fluid level, what is the
maximum rate that can be produced for this condition, using the new PI obtained from
D) above.

________stb/d
Question 3 (worth 10 marks)
Q3) ( for 15 points) A gas comprises the following components in the mol % shown.
Component
Formula
Mol %
Methane
CH4
85
Ethane
C2H6
10
Propane
C3H8
5
a) What is the apparent molecular weight?

___________
b) What is the (assume Z = 1 at standard conditions)
(i)

density of the gas in lbs/cu ft, at standard conditions?

_________lb/cu ft

Page 3 of 6

(ii)

SG of the gas (air = 1), at standard conditions?

__________
(iii)

SG of the gas (water = 1), at standard conditions?

__________
c) If the gas is contained in a cylinder of 5 cu ft at a pressure of 1000 psi and a
temperature of 100 deg F (Assume Z=0.85)
(i)
What is the density of the gas at these conditions?

_________lb/cu ft
(ii)

What would be the volume at standard conditions?

________cu ft
Question 4 (worth 20 marks)
Formation damage is caused by:

absolute permeability decrease

relative permeability decrease
viscosity increase.

A) Give a comprehensive account of the formation damage that can occur during the
production phase of a well, addressing the above categories if applicable.
B) Choose one of the reasons for absolute permeability decrease and state
how it may be removed
how it may be avoided
Question 5 (worth 10 marks)
I wish to kill a well by squeezing back the produced oil into the perforations. The well
volume is 280 bbl and is full of oil. There is a 20 ft plug of produced sand
(permeability 250 mD) in the 6 inch diameter wellbore just above the perforations at
8000 ft below wellhead. I can pump at a maximum surface pressure of 5000 psig.
How long will it take to displace the oil with a liquid of the same density as the oil.
SG of the oil is 0.8, viscosity of the oil is 0.2 cp, and the reservoir pressure is 2500
psig. The PI of the reservoir is high (treat as infinite).
_________
END OF PAPER
Page 4 of 6

USEFUL FORMULAE
SG=1 gives pressure gradient of 0.433 psi/ft ,

1 cu ft water weighs 62.4 lbs

MW air = 28.97, Density air at standard conditions = 0.0763 lb/cu ft

PI = J = kh / 141.2 Bo (ln(re/rw)+S)
qo / qo(max) = (1 - 0.2(Pwf/Pr) 0.8(Pwf/Pr) )
2

qo(max) future = qo(max) present (Pr(f)/Pr(p))3

Skin = ((k/ks)-1) * ln(rs/rw) where subscript s is damaged zone
Darcys law for linear flow in oilfield units (ft, barrels/day, cp, mD, psi)
q=0.001127 kA(p1-p2)/L

PV=ZnRT
EXPANSION OF STEEL DUE TO TEMPERATURE, ft =LENGTH, ft * 6.8 E -6 * CHANGE IN
AVERAGE TEMPERATURE, deg F
HOOKES LAW:
STRETCH, ft = CHANGE IN AXIAL LOAD, lb *LENGTH, ft / CROSS SECTION AREA, sq in *
30 E6

Page 5 of 6