In mature gas and gas condensate wells, the accumulation of fluids in the well can decrease and sometimes stop gas production. Gas flow is typically maintained by removing the accumulated fluids (also termed liquid loading) through the use of either a reciprocating rod lift (RRL) system or remedial treatments, such as swabbing, soaping, or venting the well to atmospheric pressure (referred to as "blowing down" the well). Installing a plunger lift system is a cost-effective alternative for removing liquids. With proper candidate well selection and plunger lift application, technology can be very effective and reliable to restore and maintain production in naturally flowing wells This paper discusses the candidate well selection process and application benefits of plunger lift on a well example in Kazakhstan. The use of the plunger-lift system reduced capital costs by more than 3 times compared with using a traditional RRL system.
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