Optimization of lift-gas allocation using dynamic programming

The continuous gas-lift method is one of the most used artificial lifting techniques in which the allocation of gas injection rates is a very important optimization problem. In this work, we develop a dynamic programming (DP) algorithm that solves the profit maximization problem for a cluster of oil wells producing via gas lift, with multiple well performance curves (WPCs) and constrained by the amount of lift gas available for injection. The algorithm is a low-cost and high-efficiency decision support tool that outperforms alternative methods found in the literature.

[1]  R. K. Shyamasundar,et al.  Introduction to algorithms , 1996 .

[2]  H. Mukherjee,et al.  Improve Your Gas Lift Design , 1986 .

[3]  Dale Doty,et al.  An Improved Method for Gas Lift Allocation Optimization , 1995 .

[4]  E. R. Martinez,et al.  Application of Genetic Algorithm on the Distribution of Gas-Lift Injection , 1994 .

[5]  G. A. Virnovsky.  Optimization Techniques Application in Oil Recovery Problems , 1992 .

[6]  S. Buitrago,et al.  Global Optimization Techniques in Gas Allocation for Continuous Flow Gas Lift Systems , 1996 .

[7]  Carlos F. Torres,et al.  Global Optimization of Gas Allocation to a Group of Wells in Artificial Lift Using Nonlinear Constrained Programming , 2002 .

[8]  David S. Johnson,et al.  Computers and Intractability: A Guide to the Theory of NP-Completeness , 1978 .

[9]  J. David Redden,et al.  Optimizing Gas-Lift Systems , 1974 .

[10]  Kermit E. Brown,et al.  A Nodal Approach For Applying Systems Analysis To The Flowing And Artificial Lift Oil Or Gas Well , 1979 .

[11]  E. P. Kanu,et al.  Economic Approach to Oil Production and Gas Allocation in Continuous Gas Lift (includes associated papers 10858 and 10865 ) , 1981 .

[12]  Kurt Mehlhorn,et al.  LEDA: a platform for combinatorial and geometric computing , 1997, CACM.

[13]  Paolo Toth,et al.  Knapsack Problems: Algorithms and Computer Implementations , 1990 .

[14]  Dimitri P. Bertsekas,et al.  Dynamic Programming and Optimal Control, Two Volume Set , 1995 .

[15]  Kunal Dutta-Roy,et al.  A New Approach to Gas-Lift Allocation Optimization , 1997 .

[16]  K. K. Lo.  Optimum Lift-Gas Allocations Under Multiple Production Constraints , 1992 .

[17]  K. Aziz,et al.  Optimization of Production Operations in Petroleum Fields , 2002 .

[18]  C.J.N. McKie,et al.  Economic Benefits From Automated Optimization of High Pressure Gas Usage in an Oil Production System , 2001 .

[19]  Pengju Wang,et al.  OPTIMIZATION OF PRODUCTION FROM MATURE FIELDS , 2002 .

[20]  Papsrpsarapprowd Fob,et al.  A Generalized Well-Management Scheme for Reservoir Simulation , 1996 .