(Energy Analytics Institute, Piero Stewart, 22.Feb.2020) — The Boquerón joint venture, comprised of state oil company Petróleos de Venezuela, SA (PDVSA) and Russian oil company Rosneft, is incorporating artificial gas lift technological with aim at increasing its production of light crude oil which is currently produced by natural flow.
Use of the “coiled lift” gas injection technology through a continuous pipeline segment within the production pipeline, instead of the traditional artificial gas lift method, assists with movement of oil to the surface, PDVSA announced in an official statement.
The partners are currently working on a pilot plan at one well. To date, the Boquerón production operations team has achieved the 90% completion mark with manual operations, and procurement of some missing equipment is being advanced to achieve a fully automated operation, PDVSA said.
Once the expected success has been verified, the next phase of testing will commence with selection of new wells for a more massive process, which if successful could assist in the incorporation of additional light oil production.
The Boquerón joint venture currently produces oil by natural methods from three fields with oil of an average API gravity of 38.4 degrees, PDVSA said.
Light oil from the fields can be used in the formulation of diluent, which is used to facilitate treatment and dilution of heavy and extra-heavy crude oil (EHCO) from the Hugo Chávez Orinoco Oil Belt or Faja.
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