Research on Optimization of Intermittent Production Process System

Abstract

As gas wells enter later production stages, the formation pressure decreases and liquid accumulates at the bottom of the gas well. The formation pressure is insufficient to lift the accumulated liquid from the bottom of the well to the surface. At this time, a large number of gas wells need to undergo intermittent production to maintain their production capacity. This article focuses on the four stages of intermittent production in gas wells, considering the changes in slip gas holdup, pressure, and gas–liquid flow in and out of tubing and casing, and establishes a transient mathematical model for intermittent production in gas wells in stages. By using the dynamic tracking technology of moving liquid slugs to divide the wellbore grid and solve it in stages, the optimal shut-in time for intermittent production of gas wells was obtained. The transient mathematical model developed for intermittent gas well production achieved a high historical fit accuracy of over 90%. This indicates that the simulation results are in line with the actual situation of gas well intermittent production and can effectively guide intermittent production. The optimized intermittent production system of gas wells has a higher cumulative gas production compared to the original system, achieving the optimization of intermittent production system. This method is beneficial for guiding efficient production of gas wells in low-pressure formations.