When the price of oil spikes, production companies want to extract as much crude as possible, as quickly as possible. The Slimline® TAC has a proven ability to help them accomplish that.
Recently, two separate E&P companies both reported a 100% increase in daily crude production, just by switching from standard B2 anchors to Slimline TACs.
Why was the improvement so dramatic?
Part of the answer is found in the design of standard B2 tubing anchors. They have an outside diameter (OD) that’s nearly as large as the internal diameter (ID) of the well casing. Research studies have shown that that tiny annular area creates a choke point in rod-pump wells. In turn, that choke point leads to scale formation, gas locking and a myriad of other problems. In contrast, the Slimline TAC helps to mitigate those issues by creating up to 245% more flow-by area.
Gas Discharge and Pump Fillage
One of those two E&P companies found success with TechTAC’s new patent-pending Slimline® Full Bore TAC. The tubing anchor features a reduced OD and a full bore ID (2.40” on the 5.5” model). It can be safely positioned above the seat nipple in wells with 2-7/8” tubing.
According to a production superintendent with the company, the rig crew encountered no issues running in the new TAC as part of the tool string in three mature wells. As he described it, “We have had good luck with the Slimline Full Bore TAC so far. They are very easy to set and release. We haven’t had a single issue setting or releasing one.”
The production superintendent also noted a significant increase in the volume of gas coming out of the wells. He noted the anchor’s slim design was “work[ing] well for gas interference issues in our wells with 5.5-inch casing.” Specifically, the wells each saw a 25 to 30% increase in the volume of gas being discharged on the surface.
In addition, pump fillage rates improved in each of the wells, according to dynamometer card data. The production superintendent noted, “We have seen increased pump fillage on wells we converted to the Slimline Full Bore TAC. Increases of 15 to 25 percent are common.”
Doubling Production
During five months of production, all three mature wells continued producing without any need for workovers or interventions. The tubing anchors continued to hold tension in the production string, enabling efficient operations and avoiding unnecessary wear and tear. The increased volume of gas coming off the wells remained consistent, mitigating the risk of gas locking, despite the gassier composition of this particular area.
The most significant benefit, however, came in the form of increased production. Without making any notable changes to the production strings of these three wells other than using the new Slimline anchor, each one saw a marked increase in production. All three wells went from producing roughly 40 barrels per day to approximately 80 barrels per day – a 100% increase.
How Does it Work?
The increased production experienced in the three test wells is largely tied to the greater flow-by area a slim-style anchor provides. A recent independent computational fluid dynamics (CFD) research study compared a 5.5” standard B2 anchor with a Slimline TAC of the same size. The study provided “a comparison CFD analysis of a gas flow within the annular space around [two] types of a 5.5-inch tubing anchor catcher to assess the differences between them in terms of flow parameters.”
Among several findings, the study noted the significant increase in kinetic turbulence and vorticity around the standard B2 TAC when compared to the Slimline Tubing Anchor Catcher. The report highlights “how significant the turbulence kinetic energy is produced in the standard TAC’s case compared to the Slimline….” In addition, it notes “the vorticity strength in the flow field of the standard TAC is expected to be significantly present compared to that of the Slimline TAC’s case as illustrated in [the figure below] in which the vorticity field of strength ranges between 0.0001 to 0.005 is plotted.”
This turbulent flow, which can trap formation gas and lead to deposits of scale, paraffin and iron sulfide, is largely the result of the reduced flow-by area of the standard B2 TAC when compared to the Slimline anchor.
Conclusion
For operators looking to maximize production, making one small change to the production tool string could deliver big benefits. While every well is different and results will vary, two E&P companies have already reported 100% increases in production just by replacing standard B2 anchors with Slimline TACs. In addition to the original Slimline TAC, TechTAC now offers the patent-pending Slimline Full Bore TAC, which combines a slim-style design with a full bore ID. To learn more, contact the TechTAC team today.
