Smith Leggett has secured $850,000 from industrial sponsors to lead a collaborative research

A Texas Tech University assistant professor has secured $850,000 from industrial sponsors to lead a collaborative research partnership aimed at boosting production and cutting costs for aging oil and gas wells.

The funding awarded to Smith Leggett, an assistant professor in the Bob L. Herd Department of Petroleum Engineering, will support the "Texas Tech Gas Lift Consortium."

The consortium brings together university researchers and leading oil companies to combine advanced modeling, test well experiments and real-world field implementation. Based at Texas Tech's Oilfield Technology Center, the project features hands-on work on the Red Raider #2 test well to better understand and improve lifting methods.

Gas lift is an artificial lift method used to bring fluids to the surface when a well no longer has enough natural pressure to flow on its own. By optimizing these methods, researchers hope to reduce operational costs, extend the lifespan of wells and enhance energy production.

Leggett said the research could yield massive benefits for energy operators, particularly in the region's prominent oil fields.

"With more than 10,000 wells in the Permian alone that could benefit, the potential impact is enormous, from reducing lift gas requirements by billions of cubic feet per day to increasing production and accelerating reserves," Leggett said. "Ultimately, this work helps operators improve profitability while extending the productive life of existing gas lift wells."

More information about the project can be found on the consortium's website.