The Texas Tech Gas Lift Consortium is a joint-industry research project with a mission to improve production from gas-lifted wells. Spearheaded by Dr. Smith Leggett, an assistant professor of petroleum engineering at Texas Tech University, the gas lift consortium's inaugural research program will focus on optimizing intermittent gas lift and gas-assisted plunger lift. The objectives of the proposed research are:

• Equip the Red Raider #2 test well for gas lift experiments.
• Improve intermittent gas lift design and application.
a. Validate a model for estimating slug velocity form design and perating conditions
b. Test the model's performance against test well and field data.
c. Inform the optimal timing to transition between lift types considering conventional gas lift, PAGL, GAPL, and IGL.
• Determine the relationship between fallback factor and slug velocity, slug length, and presence or absence of a plunger.
• Deliver an automated method for optimizing intermittently operated gas lift systems (GAPL and IGL) based on commonly measured well parameters.
• Provide recommendations to mitigate and manage the impacts of liquid slugs on surface facilities and operations.

Operators and services companies have contributed research funding as well as donated equipment and services to enable the project. Contact Dr. Smith Leggett at sleggett@ttu.edu for inquiries related to the consortium, including membership. The annual due for Red Raider Members is $50,000 per year, providing access to all results and products generated from the research.

Consortium board members at the ribbon cutting ceremony after the inaugural annual meeting

The 1,500-foot Red Raider #2 test well is located at the Texas Tech Oilfield Technology Center (OTC). As OTC is only a 15-minute drive from the petroleum engineering building, the gas lift test well also serves as a demonstration well for students in artificial lift classes.

Dr. Leggett and students observe the workover on the Red Raider #2 test well