High Pressure Gas Lift

HPGL has been a popular method of artificial lift in deepsea drilling for years. Up until recently, however, it was not practical for use on onshore wellpads. This changed when the requirements of hydraulic fracturing led to new, advanced, and widely available materials. Casings in horizontal wells have seen a structural redesign making them capable of handling well over 10,000 psi. This increase in durability makes HPGL more viable and desirable. Additionally, compressor cylinders designed for compressed natural gas have also seen design overhauls and many can now handle up to 6000 psi. These advancements eliminate the need for total reliance on conventional gas lift, with its numerous lift valves and fail points, making HPGL a streamlined, low-maintenance artificial lift method.

Wellpad maintenance and cascading efficiency is a concern for every well. HPGL is the solution. HPGL can provide up to three times the injection pressure using precision-engineered surface compression technology. Estis Compression engineers have designed a surface compressor that makes it possible to utilize an artificial gas lift method that used to be limited to offshore wells.

High pressure gas is injected from the surface, so all operations can be addressed above ground. Zero downhole intervention is required during installation and throughout the operation of the HPGL system. This is a significant improvement over conventional gas lift designs. According to the conclusions of a study conducted by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE-195189-MS), HPGL delivers a rate of flow comparable to ESPs. The primary benefit of HPGL, sometimes called single point HPGL, is just what the name suggests—it’s a single point. Rather than successively activating gas lift valves installed throughout the the tubing string, gas is simply injected through a single point at the bottom of the tubing (either through the tubing or the annulus). That means there are no valves to repair, replace or maintain. Fewer moving parts, fewer points of failure, and reduced maintenance mean more uptime and maximum productivity. Consequently, Estis Compression systems provide a significant uplift in production potential.