The challenges of producing and lifting unconventional oil and gas economically is probably the most daunting phase of unconventional oil and gas development. The traditional approach of lift selection is no longer sufficient to manage unconventional wells effectively, with high decline rates between 40 and 80% in the first year. This paper presents an artificial-lift selection process to maximize the value of unconventional oil and gas assets.
Introduction
As the industry began developing unconventional oil and gas, the only options available for lift were the traditional artificial-lift systems that were developed for conventional oil and gas applications. These were adopted and applied to unconventional wells without major changes in technology or application.
