Gas Well Deliquification Workshop

Sheraton Hotel, Denver, Colorado

February 23 – 26, 2014

Shane Myers & Kelli Poppenhagen

Encana

Development of a Plunger Lift Playbook

Focused Problem Solving Groups – “Focus Groups”

• Good knowledge sharing framework base • How can we be even more effective?

• Topics determined in annual meeting, steering committee, etc. • What do people have energy to work on?

• Chairs for focus groups are not the same as subgroup facilitators • Delegate, preferred engineer-run

• Set their own goals, meetings, run separately from main quarterly meeting • Specific project milestones

• Goals do not have to be earth-shattering • Develop contact list, set up a regular discussion, compile

what others have done, post a result to SharePoint

• Report progress to Steering Committee

• Never more than 4-5 at a time to focus resources

• Follow DMAIC or DMEDI problem solving process 2

Plunger Lift Playbook Focus Group

• Need identified at 2012 Summit

• Kick-off September 2012

• Key Playbook deliverables rolled out July 2013

• Presented lessons learned and best management

practices at 2013 Summit

3

Charter – Problem Statement

• Limited communication and uniformity company-

wide regarding plunger lift operation

• Lacking consistent set of operating practices:

– Encana currently operates ~5300 (36%) plunger lift wells

and counting

– 91% of surveyed prod ops personnel believe plunger

operation is somewhat consistent to not at all

consistent

• Successes and failures of formal and informal

testing of tools, techniques and concepts are not

always shared effectively

4

Total Production from Plunger Lift (Mmcfd) & Wells on Plunger Lift

5

Production Ops Survey – Consistency?

6

Production Ops Survey – Resources?

7

Developing Focus Areas

2011 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Denver, Colorado 8

Goals

• Document current plunger lift usage and

operating practices of each SBU, distribute this

information via SharePoint

• Establish consistent communication and

knowledge sharing via Focus Group

• Develop a playbook for plunger operation,

including Best Management Practices (BMPs)

• Conduct formal testing of new technologies,

equipment and processes, incorporate findings

into the Playbook

9

Completed Work

• Recurring Focus Group meetings held to improve knowledge sharing and communication

• Surveys completed by 11 of Encana’s SBUs and analyzed using Spotfire visualizations

– Results posted to SharePoint

– Used to quickly identify SBU plunger lift details and personnel

• An Action Workout was completed April 24-25, 2013 to develop top four priority deliverables:

– Plunger Lift General Guidelines

– Operational Guidelines for Non-traditional Plungers

– Plunger Safety and Maintenance Guide

– Plunger Lift Operational Guide for Deviated and Horizontal Wells

10

Survey Sample Data – Wellbore Issues

Maximum Deviated Well Inclination

Action Workout

• Two-day Kaizen-style event

– Pre-defined protocol was followed:

• No non-emergency email and/or phone calls

• No unrelated work nor internet browsing unrelated to the project

• Each location had a facilitator

– First day was focused on data dump and documentation

– Second day was focused on review and refinement

– Mid and end of day meetings

• Held jointly in Denver and Calgary

– Communication via video conference and WebEx

– Subgroups organized by location

• Members included office and field personnel / experts from 8 SBUs

• Developed full guides and condensed field guides

13

Playbook Deliverable Examples

Plunger Safety and Maintenance Guide

Next Steps for Focus Group

• Gather feedback on and improve Plunger Lift

Playbook as needed (repeat survey)

• Turn focus towards new / emerging / improving

technologies

– Fluid measurement technologies

– Investigate new plunger lift technologies/ideas/needs

with staff and vendors

– Compile database of plunger equipment with real-world

learnings

• Improve communication between Focus Group

and rest of Production Operations

15

Best Management Practices

• Build momentum early

– Build and involve focus group early and often

– Start small and advertise achievements, especially

initially

– Meet regularly and often, especially at the onset

– Continually solicit group feedback for improvements or

ideas

• Keep it fun!

– Face-to-face meetings, ice-breakers

• Use technology to bridge distance gap, i.e.

SharePoint, video conference, and WebEx

16

Acknowledgements

• Encana

• Lean Coach – Brent Chance

• Focus Group Members

• Encana Technology Exchange

Partnership

17

Back-up

18

Process Map – Standardizing Focus Group Approach

19

Typical Meeting

• Every two weeks, 1 hr

• Prepared agenda

– Recap last meeting, purpose for this meeting

– Review action items from last meeting

– New business / open discussion

• Goal / progress check-in vs charter

• Maintain member participation by having 10-15

minute knowledge share (rotate among SBUs)

– Assign action items, Bs&Cs

Control

• Follow-up survey

– Is improvement having the desired effect?

• SharePoint discussion boards for feedback and

Focus Group governance

• Key Challenges

– Handling member position changes

– Maintaining participation

– Assessing playbook use, value, and feedback

throughout Encana as a whole

Feb. 23 - 26, 2014 2014 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop

Denver, Colorado

22

Copyright

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Feb. 23 - 26, 2014 2014 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop

Denver, Colorado

23

Disclaimer

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The Artificial Lift Research and Development Council and its officers and trustees, and the Gas Well Deliquification Workshop Steering Committee members, and their supporting organizations and companies (here-in-after referred to as the Sponsoring Organizations), and the author(s) of this Technical Presentation or Continuing Education Training Course and their company(ies), provide this presentation and/or training material at the Gas Well Deliquification Workshop "as is" without any warranty of any kind, express or implied, as to the accuracy of the information or the products or services referred to by any presenter (in so far as such warranties may be excluded under any relevant law) and these members and their companies will not be liable for unlawful actions and any losses or damage that may result from use of any presentation as a consequence of any inaccuracies in, or any omission from, the information which therein may be contained.

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