Successful Reactivation of Offshore Dead Oil Well with the Gas Produced by High Gas Cut Adjacent Well Using a Rig-Less Retrofit Gas Lift System - First Worldwide

Abstract Globally, in-active oil-producing strings constitute a substantial portion of the active ones, posing a considerable challenge for NOCs and operators. Monitoring the KPIs of these inactive strings is essential not only to prevent deferred production but also to evaluate operational efficiency and environmental impacts, such as carbon footprints. For a national oil company in UAE, the objective to reduce the number of in-active string from an offshore oilfield became a catalyst for innovative thinking, leading to the successful revival of a dead oil well. The well in focus was a natural oil producer (without any provisions of gas lift) that had become in-active due to liquid loading. While the retrofit gas lifting was the preferred solution, there was no availability of lift gas or gas injection network to support the revival plan. A nearby well with very high gas production (HGOR) was identified as the "donor" well to provide the lift gas, resulting in a novel retrofit gas lifting solution. The paper will describe an innovative approach to rejuvenate the "receiver" well by utilizing the produced hydrocarbons (as lift gas) from the "donor" well in a rig-less intervention environment. The paper aims to present a comprehensive overview of the entire process, from the initial conceptual design and simulation studies to the selection of a retrofit gas lift system (specifically, a straddle packer- based system), as well as the subsequent operation planning and field installation. The innovative revival approach led to the successful reactivation of the well, resulting in significant production gains, which were confirmed through well testing. This paper will also emphasize the benefits of this approach, including quantifiable cost savings (with minimal CAPEX) and reduced carbon footprints. Additionally, the installation of a retrofit gas lift system can be completed in the short term without the need for an expensive rig workover. The paper will demonstrate the advantages of the "life of field" gas lift design approach that was implemented for the "receiver" well. This approach involved determining the optimal set points for gas lift depth, injection rate, orifice size, and other parameters to accommodate the varying field conditions for both the "receiver" and "donor" wells. The "receiver"/"donor" arrangement between the wells was carefully analyzed in accordance with established well integrity guidelines and industry best safety practices. This analysis was used to develop operational procedures and steps that were crucial to the success of the operation and served as a testament to the effectiveness of teamwork with aligned objectives.