Patent ID: 8078444

Claim:
A method for lift resource allocation, comprising: optimally allocating a lift resource under at least one selected from a group consisting of a total lift resource constraint and a total produced gas constraint, allocating the lift resource comprising: distributing the lift resource among a plurality of lifted wells in a network so as to maximize a liquid/oil rate at a sink; obtaining lift curve data comprising an operating curve for each of the plurality of lifted wells, taking a derivative of the operating curve to obtain a derivative curve for each of the plurality of lifted wells, forming an inverse of the derivative curve to obtain an inverse derivative curve for each of the plurality of lifted wells, summing the inverse derivative curve of all the plurality of lifted wells to convert a multiple variable problem with a linear inequality constraint into a single variable problem with a linear equality constraint, solving the single variable problem using the lift curve data to obtain a solution, and running a network simulator to generate a real network model for determining new wellhead pressures, wherein the new wellhead pressures are compared to previous wellhead pressures used in the solution to the single variable problem.