This proposal describes a Joint Industry Project (JIP) for “Dewatering of Deep Low Rate Gas Wells” to provide strategies that will increase deep (and usually tighter) gas well recoveries. These deep wells have been defined as being deeper than 10,000 ft (3000 m). As these wells deplete and the gas rates decrease, the rate of gas recovery can be significantly curtailed because liquids can no longer be lifted from the wellbore. This results in wells frequently becoming uneconomic at recovery factors of less than 60%. Economic solutions need to be developed to recover the large volumes of gas currently being left in the formation and/or to accelerate the current rate of reserve recovery. The realization of solutions to this problem will then increase the cash flow, profitability, and overall economics of these gas assets.

The primary technical objectives of the “Dewatering of Deep Low Rate Gas Wells” JIP are as follows:

- Provide an review and analysis of the current state of the industry deep well dewatering technologies

- Define the technical and economic limits of traditional (current) dewatering techniques and expand their existing limits

- Identify and provide implementation strategies for unusual techniques or products as well as emerging technologies

Several of the numerous benefits of participation will be:

- To gain a better understanding of the wellbore hydraulics issues
- To obtain a clear understanding of the limitations of traditional dewatering techniques
- To obtain a road map for completion/lifting selection and economics
- To design appropriate initial completions and recompletions
- To learn from and with many other companies
- To provide a training tool for new entrants into these well environments
- To identify and rank emerging technologies