Basic Liquid Loading and

Plungers
Gordon Gates

Thanks to:
Jim Lea, Jack Rogers, Bill Hearn, Henry Nickens, Dan Phillips
 What is Liquid Loading?

•The Gas Velocity slows down

•The liquid droplets no longer rise (Mist Flow
drops off)
Liquids begin to accumulate in the tubing

More liquid in the tubing adds more hydrostatic pressu

low decreases into the well because of the increased
uid height

And the well could possibly die

Stages of Gas Well Loading
Mist Mist + Annular Slug Bubble
G Annular
A
S

F
L
O
W

Decreasing Gas Velocity

How does a well load?

The Well is finally

dead

Gas Rates are Decreasing

 The old Chart shows Liquid
Loading

iquid Slugs create

rratic Flow
iquid then gas
Where is the liquid level
when the flow rate is above
Critical?

Below
Critical
?
Loaded Well

Unloaded Well
 How many feet does a barrel
of liquid occupy in Tubing?

1.25” Coil = 640’

2 1/16” Tubing 336’
=
2 3/8 Tubing = 250’ or 4 bbls per 1000’
2 7/8 Tubing = 166’ or 6 Bbls per
3 ½” Tubing 1000’
115’ Fluid
=
 What happens to Tubing and
Casing pressures?
700#
700#

730#
1130#
What is the Casing
800’ pressure on an
Unloaded Well

What is the Casing

pressure on the
Loaded Well
■ Set the tubing in/near the perforations.
Effect of Tubing Depth on Gas Wells

Tubing Below Perfs Tubing Above Perfs

Dead When
Flowing Shut-in Opened

Well Flows Normally Well Shut-in Due to Fluid Pushed From Well Will Not Unload Liquid
Line Upset or Casing Into Tubing When in Large Casing, Liquid
Loading Well is Opened, Well Column Builds Above Perfs
Cannot Lift Liquid and Kills Well
Decline With and Without Liquid
Loading
Decline Curve
 Introduction to
Plunger Lift

• Plunger Lift is a method of reducing liquid

fallback in two phase production (liquid & gas)
• Plunger serves as a mechanical interface
between these two phases (liquid & gas)
• Plunger increases efficiency of lifting liquids in
gas/liquid production
The plunger adds a mechanical seal

Gas
Flow
 After Flow
Tubing
Valve
Measurement
Casing
Valve

While well is flowing,

fluid accumulates in
bottom of tubing
string
 Shut In Cycle
Tubing
Valve
Measurement
Casing
Valve

 Well must be shut in to

allow plunger to fall to
bottom and to build
pressure
 Liquid accumulates in
tubing above plunger
 Gas pressure builds in
casing & tubing
Waiting on Plunger
Tubing
Valve
Controller/
Casing Measurement
Valve

• After pressure builds to a sufficient value, flowline

is opened
• Gas stored in casing as well as gas from formation
create pressure differential across plunger
• Stored casing gas moves around end of tubing
• Plunger begins to rise with accumulated fluid above
plunger
 Plunger Arrival
Tubing
Valve
Controller/
Casing Measurement
Valve

• Plunger arrives at surface with fluid slug

• Gas is produced for some period of time, depending on well
• Some wells afterflow for long periods
• Some wells afterflow for short periods
• Depends on GLR of well
• Well shuts in and cycle starts over again
 How much pressure is needed
to lift the plunger alone?
2 3/8” Tubing Area ID = 3.12 sq. in
Pad plungers weigh around 10#
10 / 3.12= 3.2 per Sq in

this means that 3.2 # of the pressure lifts a pad plun

 Plunger Slippage or Efficiency
lunger Efficiency is measured by the amount of gas that slips by
he plunger as it travels to the surface

Fluid can not slip from above the plunger to below the plunger if it
Travels at a continuous speed
 Pressure Buildup Plunger Lift Cycles

SHUT-IN
 Pressure Buildup
Plunger Lift Cycles

SHUT-IN UNLOADING
 Pressure Buildup
Plunger Lift Cycles

SHUT-IN UNLOADING Flowing-Loading

 Plunger Lift Cycles
 Initial Off Times settings should be long
enough to insure:
 Plunger has time to completely reach
bottom
 Sufficient pressure build up time to
surface plunger with accumulated slug
 Plunger Fall times are considerably
slower than previously thought
 Super Seal 150 – 180 FPM
 FiberSeal 150 – 180 FPM
 Bar Stock 300 – 400 FPM
 Plunger Lift Cycles

 Start with Shut In on Arrival with

minimum Off Time for low GLR wells
or short AfterFlow times for higher
GLR wells

Whatever afterflow time is obtained

by maintaining the minimum Off Time
(plunger fall time), should equate to
the highest production rate for that
well using plunger lift
 Plunger Lift Cycles
 Rule of Thumb
Low GLR
Short or No Afterflow
High GLR
Longer Afterflow
On initial kickoff, very common to
start with too much afterflow, be
conservative
Allow well to clean up
 Plunger Lift Cycles

 Cycle times may have to be adjusted for several reasons

Well has cleaned up and gas production has increased

Gas measurement issues
Cycles and plunger style may have to be adjusted
because of sand production
Afterflow may need to be adjusted because of tail fluid
Flow control may be necessary to maintain good
measurement and still get the most production from the
well
 HPG’s – Pressure Reducing Regulators
 PDC’s – Differential Pressure Controllers
Sync Mode to accommodate multiple wells in one facility
Determining Plunger Lift Candidates

Well unloads against line pressure

A plunger will keep a well in this condition
longer with only minimum shut in periods
Well will unload against line pressure with a
shut in
Plunger will decrease shut in and reduce
operating BHP
Well has to be vented periodically to unload
liquid slug
Plunger will eliminate venting some or all of
the time
Plunger will eliminate gas loss if venting is
required
Determining Plunger Lift
Candidates
Well has to be equalized and unloaded to a
tank
Can be set up to automatically equalize every
cycle.
Poor-Boy Gas Lift
Can add plunger and greatly improve lifting
efficiency and reduce injection gas required
Smaller tubing has been installed to
maintain flow rate
Possible to plunger lift smaller tubing
Most cases can remove smaller tubing and
plunger lift original tubing string
Determining Plunger Lift
Candidates - Limitations

• Insufficient Gas Volume/Pressure

• Liquid Volumes Greater than 100 BPD
• Mechanical (Separator, Restrictions, etc.)
• Safety Valves/Storm Chokes
• Deviations Greater than 60 degrees
• Tapered Strings
• Scale in tubing
• Pinched Pins (Over tightening)
There are many different types
of plungers.
And Two Piece Plungers
Comparison
Comparison ofof Plungers
Plungers Falls
Falls
22 3/8”
3/8” Tubing
Tubing
Comparison
Comparison Plunger
Plunger Fall
Fall Velocity
Velocity
2
2 7/8”
7/8” Tubing
Tubing –– Similar
Similar Wells
Wells
 Why use Two Piece Plungers?

• Fall Time

• Fall Time

• Weight or Mass

Remember: An optimized well is a well with the appropriate velocity tha

Will not damage equipment because it is too fast and too slow to let gas
Slip by the plunger with the shortest shut in time.
How Much water will gas hold?