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PHKT operates marginal offshore fields, with 75% of its artificial lift systems using gas lift. Currently, reservoir pressure in the wells has declined, and the static fluid level has dropped below the existing gas lift injection point. As a result, fluid cannot be lifted, causing the wells to be shut in.

In 2021, PHKT has developed an insert string with a gas lift packoff to reach the liquid level. However, offshore conditions made this method ineffective and costly. Installing a Deepening Gas Lift (DGL) requires a snubbing unit, a barge, workspace adjustments, and well-killing procedures, which pose a risk of reservoir damage due to low pressure.

To address these challenges, PHKT improved the Deepening Gas Lift packoff by implementing a pipe extension spacer. This setup creates a gas lift injection path by inserting the spacer into the existing 3-1/2” tubing, enabling efficient fluid lifting. The method requires only a slickline with a 10 ft spacer pipe and can extend up to 800 ft into the well.

This method has been successfully applied to reactivate 8 (eight) offshore wells, achieving a 90% success ratio rate. It is suitable for wells with a water cut of less than 75%, pressure ≥2.3 ppg, and a maximum DGL installation length of 800 ft (80 joint pipe spacers).

The cumulative production gain from this method is 240 MBO, with individual well production gain ranging from 50 to100 BOPD (as of December 2024), Additionally, 50% of the DGL wells have maintained a lifespan of over 12 months. The estimated potential additional reserves are 33 MBO.

This approach is highly cost-effective (US$ 50,000 – 100,000 per job), simple, and quick, as it only requires a slickline operation. Furthermore, the Deepening Gas Lift installation is retrievable and reusable in other wells. The product is manufactured in Indonesia.