Standards Development

Scope

This document proposes the principles, contents, methods, and requirements for plunger downhole equipment of gas wells. The contents involved in this document selection of plunger tools, parameter design, procurement and operation requirements, evaluation, etc.

Purpose

With the oil and gas fields around the world continuous development, many large gas fields with high level of development have entered the production decline period, and wellbore liquid accumulation in gas wells is one of the important reasons why production rapidly decline. At the same time, the residents' demand for green energy is still increasing, contradiction is aggravating between supply and demand. Plunger gas lift is the economical and efficient key technology for gas well stable production, which can cover the whole life cycle of gas well production. Many international energy enterprises in the world selected this technology and applied in production. More than 70,000 gas wells have been applied plunger lift technology around the world, and the demand is still increasing. Plunger downhole equipment is the key part of this technology.

Many large international energy enterprises ,such as CNPC BP Total Shell have practised in developing different gas fields efficiently together as a way of cooperation. All of these cooperation made great achievements including co-financing in developing the international gas fields, incubate core technology of stable production in gas fields, cultivate international technical talents. At the same time, some representative problems were put on the table, for example, there lack of an unified international standardization of plunger lift downhole equipment, it may cause extra cost from products made, application, maintain, if it is available to invite the experts in developing plunger lift downhole equipment international standard together, the energy enterprises may promote the development efficient of gas fields. The manufacturers can improve the quality of plunger lift downhole equipment products, promote international trade and cooperation. There is a significant meaning for the countries and its gas fields which apply plunger lift technology, staff of products innovation and academic research institute.

By now, the plunger lift downhole equipment international standard development project work group made sufficient preparatory work. First of all, the work group researched and developed series industrialized plunger lift downhole equipment, it can cover the scope of all pressure grades gathering system. Secondly, they have made enough investigation about plunger lift downhole equipment of global application situation, many large enterprises, such as CNPC, BP, Total, Shell, etc, they all made plunger lift downhole equipment as the optimized solution, especially in developing tight gas fields. Thirdly, the work group communicated with ISO TC 67 SC 4 secretary for several times, and then made a representation of new project proposal at the annual meeting in October 17th, 2023, and secretary accepts the presentation and draft Form 4 for new project proposal (NP) Plunger Lift downhole equipment and wrote it into the meeting resolution. Fourthly, the work group organized regular meeting via virtual or face to face, introduced the plunger lift downhole equipment new proposal to the experts from P member countries, including UK, U.S, Australia, France, Germany, the experts agreed to join in developing this new documents and then establish an international work group.