Desenvolvimento de uma ferramenta computacional para dimensionamento de sistemas de elevação artificial por Gas Lift Contínuo

Abstract

This work describes and presents a computational tool that aims to realize the design of artificial lift systems by the Continuous-Flow Gas Lift method. The continuous injection of gas into the production tubing, through a valve located in the annulus of the well, provokes the decrease of the specific weight of the produced fluid and, consequently, the decrease of the flowing pressure at the bottom of the well, which is the principle of Continuous-Flow Gas Lift. Besides the high reliability, this method presents tolerance to sand presence and it is suitable to be used on offshore platforms, which has provided the growth in its application. The quick and correct design of artificial lift systems is essential, since its result will provide the necessary information for performing technical and commercial analysis as well as generate the executable project of the installation. The program, implemented using the Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) with Microsoft Office Excel platform, provides to the user the parameters of artificial lift systems by the method of Continuous-Flow Gas Lift, such as: seat depth of the operator valve, quantity and depth of the discharge valves and, gas injection flow rate. The procedures for calculations take into consideration the use of empirical correlations to obtain the properties of the fluids, as well as the physical properties of the multiphase flow.