Engineering Commons^™

Improving Gas Well Economics With Intelligent Plunger Lift Optimization Techniques, Atsu Atakpa, Emmanuel Farrugia, Ryan Tyree, Daniel W. Engels, Charles Sparks

SMU Data Science Review

In this paper, we present an approach to reducing bottom hole plunger dwell time for artificial lift systems. Lift systems are used in a process to remove contaminants from a natural gas well. A plunger is a mechanical device used to deliquefy natural gas wells by removing contaminants in the form of water, oil, wax, and sand from the wellbore. These contaminants decrease bottom-hole pressure which in turn hampers gas production by forming a physical barrier within the well tubing. As the plunger descends through the well it emits sounds which are recorded at the surface by an echo-meter that …