USE OF FOAM TO DELIQUIFY GAS WELLS

Autor: Henry V. Nickens, James F. Lea, Mike R. Wells
Rok vydání: 2008
Předmět:
DOI: 10.1016/b978-075068280-0.50009-3
Popis: Publisher Summary Foams have several applications in oil field operations. They are used as a circulation medium for drilling wells, for well cleanouts, and as fracturing fluids. These applications differ slightly from the application of foam as a means of removing liquid from producing gas wells. The former applications involve generating the foam at the surface with controlled mixing and using only water. In gas well liquid removal applications, the liquid-gas-surfactant mixing must be accomplished down hole and often in the presence of both water and liquid hydrocarbons. The principal benefit of foam as a gas well dewatering method is that liquid is held in the bubble film and exposed to more surface area resulting in less gas slippage and a low-density mixture. In addition, foam is a particular type of gas and liquid emulsion. Gas bubbles are separated from each other in foam by a liquid film. Surface-active agents (surfactants) generally are employed to reduce the surface tension of the liquid to enable more gas-liquid dispersion. The liquid film between bubbles has two surfactant layers back to back with liquid contained between them. This method of tying the liquid and gas together can be effective in removing liquid from low volume gas wells. The application of foam to unloading low rate gas wells generally is governed by two operating limitations, which are economics and the success of foam surfactants in reducing bottom hole pressure. Both limits are defined by comparison to other methods of unloading wells.
Databáze: OpenAIRE