Opportunities for Metha

Reductions from 

f

Producers Technolo

EPA’s Natu
Agenda

Smart Automation Well Venting

Methane LossesMethane Recovery Is Recovery Profitable?Industry ExperienceDiscussion Questions

Reduced Emissions Completions 

Rusty Werline, Devon Energy
Smart Automation Well Vent

Automation can enhance the performlifts by monitoring wellhead paramete

Tubing and casing pressureFlow ratePlunger travel time

Using this information, the system is plunger operations

To minimize well venting to atmosphereRecover more gasFurther reduce methane emissions
Methane Losses

There are 390,000 natural gas and co(on and offshore) in the US

1

Accumulation of liquid hydrocarbons well bores reduces, and can halt, proCommon “blow down” practices to temrestore production can vent 80 to 160

the atmosphere per well

Estimate 9 Bcf/year methane emissioonshore well venting

1

1 - Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks 1990 - 22 – Mobil Big Piney Case Study 1997
What is the Problem?

Conventional plunger lift systems use gas pressure buildups to repeatedly lift columns of fluid out of wellFixed timer cycles may not match reservoir performance

Cycle too frequently (high plunger velocity)

Plunger not fully loaded

Cycle too late (low plunger velocity)

Shut-in pressure can’t lift fluid to topMay have to vent to atmosphere to lift plunge
Conventional Plunger Lift Op

Manual, on-site adjustments tune pluto well’s parameters

Not performed regularlyDo not account for gathering line pressudeclining well performance, plunger wea

Results in manual venting to atmosphplunger lift is overloaded
Methane Recovery: How Smart AReduces Methane Emissions

Smart automation continuously varies to match key reservoir performance in

Well flow rate

Measuring pressure

Successful plunger cycle

Measuring plunger travel time

Plunger lift automation allows producatmosphere less frequently
Automated Controllers

Low-voltage; solar repowerMonitor well parametAdjust plunger cycling

Source: Weatherford

Remote well management

Continuous data loggingRemote data transmissionReceive remote instructionsMonitor other equipment

Source
Plunger Lift Cycle
Methane Savings

Methane emissions savings a second

Optimized plunger cycling to remove liquproduction by 10 to 20%1Additional 10%1 production increase fro

500 Mcf/year methane emissions savaverage U.S. well

1 – Reported by Weatherford
Other Benefits

Reduced manpower cost per wellContinuously optimized production coRemotely identify potential unsafe opconditionsMonitor and log other well site equipm

Glycol dehydratorCompressorStock TankVRU
Is Recovery Profitable?

Smart automation controller installed cost: ~

Conventional plunger lift timer: ~$5,000

Personnel savings: double productivityProduction increases: 10% to 20% increaseSavings = 

(Mcf/year) x (10% increased production

+ (Mcf/year) x (1% emissions savings) x 

+ (personnel hours/year) x (0.5) x (labor 

$ savings per year
Economic Analysis

Non-discounted savings for average 

(50,000 Mcf/year) x (10% increased product

+ (50,000 Mcf/year) x (1% emissions savings) + (500 personnel hours/year) x (0.5) x ($30/hr

- ($11,000) cost

$35,000 savings in first year

3 month simple payback
Industry Experience

BP reported installing plunger lifts witcontrol systems on ~2,200 wells

900 Mcf reported annual savings per we$12 million costs including equipment an$6 million total annual savings

Another company shut in mountaintoinaccessible during winter

Installed automated controls allowed coproduction throughout the year1

1 - Morrow, Stan and Stan Lusk, Ferguson Beauregard, Inc. Plunger

Lift: Automated Control Via Telemetry. 2000.
Discussion Questions

To what extent are you implementing opportunity?Can you suggest other approaches fventing?How could this opportunity be improvaltered for use in your operation?What are the barriers (technological, of information, regulatory, focus, manthat are preventing you from implempractice?