New Technology in Dewatering Gas Wells

Tech-Flo has developed a method of dewatering gas wells which eliminates many problems of the current means of reducing the hydrostatic liquid head from gas wells. By utilizing the efficient Tech-Flo jet pump with concentric tubing strings, we can produce formation liquids up the inner annulus and the gas up the outer casing and tubing annulus. This method allows the gas production to achieve a constant, steady production rate, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

In the Tech-Flo dewatering process, the jet pump is run on 1.315 to 1.661 IJ tubing , or 1” to 1.5” coil tubing inside 2.375 to 3.5 conventional tubing. A Harbison Fischer seal assembly (hold down) is attached to the bottom of the jet pump, and a seating nipple is run at the bottom of the production tubing string. The seating nipple must be located a minimum of 30 feet below the bottom perforations. Additional depth below the perforations is desirable if the rat hole is deeper. The jet pump is then attached to the coil tubing or IJ, run into the well, and stabbed into the seating nipple. The power fluid is injected at high pressure to the Tech-Flo jet pump via the inner tubing/coil tubing string, produced formation fluid returns up the concentric tubing string annulus.

System Benefits

  • Eliminates liquid hydrostatic suppression of production.
  • Eliminates choking effects of velocity strings.
  • Achieves greater formation pressure draw down.
  • Can achieve near dry gas flow.
  • Significantly increases recoverable reserves by lowering the water saturation of the producing formation.
  • Constant monitoring of formation pressure and performance optimization using proprietary software.
  • High solids content of produced formation liquids can be handled efficiently and economically.

Constraints of Other Methods

  • Soap Stick
    • Periodic insertion of soap.
    • Limited gas production.
    • If hydrocarbons are produced, fluid separation from soap is difficult.
    • Drop off in production towards end of cycle.
  • Gas Lift
    • Expensive cost to operate compressor.
    • Use of expensive make up gas.
    • Extensive and expensive high pressure piping.
  • Foam Injection
    • Removal if unit is not available.
    • Cost of installation.
    • If hydrocarbons are produced, fluid separation from soap is difficult.
    • Capillary string blockage.