Gas Condensate Wells: Challenges of Sampling, Testing and Production Optimization

• Published in: Energies
• Main Author: Alexander V. Muravyev
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute 2022
• Subjects: gas condensate; representative samples; isokinetic sampling; MIKS technology; production optimization; condensate bank; well testing; multiphase flowmeters; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.3390/en15155419

The main problem of fluid sampling during well testing of reservoirs with near-critical fluids (gas condensate and volatile oil) is due to the fact that even a small pressure drawdown usually leads to the formation of a two-phase mixture in the bottom hole area, and it is almost impossible to take representative samples with downhole samplers or a formation tester. Sampling via test-separator and the current non-separation methods are also imperfect. An alternative method—MIKS (Multiphase IsoKinetic Sampling)—of gas condensate well testing was proposed, which is based on emulsifying a multiphase flow to particles of about 1–10 μm. Thereby MIKS would eliminate the problem of particle slippage in a homogeneous flow and enables high-quality sampling directly from the flowmeter line. The initial formation fluid is characterized by the maximum value of the condensate-gas ratio (CGR). Therefore, first, the well effluent would be adjusted to the mode with the maximum CGR using a choke manifold and a multiphase flow meter. Then the flow mixture is transferred to a by-pass line with an emulsifier to achieve an isokinetic flow. Thereafter, pressure samples can be taken into pressurized sampling bottles, in which thermodynamic conditions are preset according to the flow line. The efficiency of sampling and recombining procedures allows for conducting a study of reservoir samples in the field laboratory directly on the rig and obtaining a complete PVT report even before the completion of drilling and abandonment of the well. An additional economic effect is achieved by reducing the costs of transporting and samples storage. Well test equipment setup becomes much more compact and less weight; the costs of drilling time are reduced, which is viably important for well testing on the Arctic conditions. Another major problem in the development of gas condensate reservoirs is avoiding the condensate banking around producing wells. Optimization of condensate production can be achieved by maintaining the well operation mode at ...