Illustration; Source: Upwing Energy

Upgrade of ‘incredibly powerful tool’ enables gas production boost while downsizing emissions

Technology

U.S.-headquartered Upwing Energy, an offshoot of Calnetix Technologies formed to focus on the production of hydrocarbons, has tweaked its Enhanced Production Simulator (EPS), which it sees as a critical tool to simulate gas production and well response when leveraging the firm’s patented Subsurface Compression System (SCS). This is expected to enable operators to ramp up gas production by optimising well performance.

Illustration; Source: Upwing Energy

Following a series of trials, Upwing, a carbon-neutral company, explains that the EPS now accurately predicts multiphase behaviour and optimises the effects of phase change, liquid drop out, placement of the SCS, and wellbore geometry. Previously, this tool proved effective in evaluating the production enhancement achieved with subsurface compression, and in predicting reservoir response. 

David Biddick, Director of Technical Field Operations for Upwing Energy, commented: “We know the Enhanced Production Simulator (EPS) is an incredibly powerful tool to enable operators to recover more gas from their wells using the Subsurface Compression System (SCS). Each time we equip the EPS with a new capability, we’re empowering increasingly more production returns for our clients.”

The company further elaborates that the progress in expanding the capabilities of the EPS came through increased deployments of the SCS into its clients’ wells. Through each deployment, the U.S. player gained insights leading to ongoing development and optimisation of the simulator. This allowed Upwing to achieve a deeper understanding of multiphase behaviour and its impact on gas well performance.

As a result, the EPS now incorporates these learnings, enabling accurate prediction of phase change phenomena and liquid drop out, says the company while adding that optimising SCS placement and wellbore geometry based on these predictions ensures operators can maximise production rates and enhance well recoverability to a greater degree.

“While we celebrate the success we have achieved in further understanding multiphase behaviour and optimising gas well performance, we recognise that there is always more to learn. We’re continuing to pursue ongoing research and collaboration to further strengthen the EPS and provide our clients with cutting-edge solutions to meet their evolving needs,” added Biddick.

Upwing Energy’s EPS is a simulator tool used in conjunction with the SCS, an artificial lift solution that increases natural gas production and recoverability while minimising greenhouse gas emissions associated with production. The use of the SCS is available within the U.S. firm’s End2End Service, encompassing analysis and predictions, planning and completions, deployment and startup, and operations and monitoring. 

The company claims that its SCS provides greater efficiencies and lower emissions in natural gas production by reducing the need to drill new unconventional wells and eliminating the use of surface wellhead compressors on existing wells, enabling operators to meet the demand for natural gas production in “an environmentally responsible way.”