Development and field application of a jetting and helical combination tool

Abstract

Liquid loading occurs in gas wells after a period of production, and the vortex drainage gas recovery technology can alleviate this problem by removing liquid. To substantially enhance the efficiency of this technology, a novel tool combining jetting and helical mechanisms has been introduced. To validate its effectiveness, a laboratory system for detailed analysis of pressure drops by using various tools at multiple gas flow rates has been set up. The analysis approach encompasses both single-factor and orthogonal analyses of tool structure parameters to find out the optimal tool structural parameters under different operating conditions. Consequently, a correlation between the gas flow rates observed in controlled laboratory environments and those in actual gas wells has been established. The study indicates that the tool’s main structural parameters significantly impact pressure drops along the wellbore. Furthermore, it is evident that distinct well profiles require unique tool setups to minimize such pressure drop. Field tests of the optimized tool have shown notable enhancements: The average gas flow rate increased by 25.9%, reaching 5.39 × 10⁴ m³/d (1.90 × 10⁶ scf/d), while the average liquid flow rate increased by 20.1%, reaching 1.46 m³/d (9.18 bbl/d). These results highlight the superior drainage stimulation effect of the new jetting and helical combination tool, presenting novel insights and methodologies for enhancing gas recovery in liquid-loaded gas wells.