Published September 2026, Pg. 33-41

Section: Oil and gas field development and exploitation

UOT: 622.276

DOI: 10.37474/0365-8554/2026-09-33-41

Analysis of the influence of geological parameters (Filtration-Capacitive Properties – FCP) on the hydrodynamic efficiency of gas lift systems: a review of models and approaches

F.S. Zeynalov - Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University

M.A. Dadash-zade Cand. in Tech. Sc. - Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University

The article addresses the pressing problem of improving the efficiency of gas lift oil production through systematic accounting of the reservoir’s filtration-capacitive properties (FCP). The relevance of the study is driven by the widely observed instability of two-phase flow in gas lift wells, manifesting as pressure and flow rate pulsations, which are often caused by the geological nature of the reservoir.
The objective of the study is to systematize existing models linking reservoir FCP with the hydrodynamic characteristics of gas lift systems, as well as to identify unresolved scientific and practical problems at the interface of reservoir geology and two-phase flow mechanics.
In the course of the study, an analytical review of the key inflow performance relationship (IPR) models was conducted: Darcy’s linear model, Vogel’s empirical model, and Fetkovich’s semi-analytical model. Vertical lift performance (VLP) models were examined – ranging from the Hagedorn-Brown and Beggs-Brill empirical correlations to mechanistic approaches. The coupling of IPR and VLP was analyzed for three characteristic geological scenarios: high-quality, degraded, and complicated reservoir FCP.
It was established that permeability, skin factor, fluid viscosity, and lithological heterogeneity of the reservoir govern the stability of the operating point of a gas lift system and are the primary cause of transient flow regimes. The inadequacy of static nodal analysis for predicting pulsations in the “reservoir-wellbore” system was demonstrated.
As a promising solution, the concept of adaptive “smart” gas lift systems capable of real-time dynamic control with consideration of geological uncertainties is substantiated. The findings of the study are of practical value for designing artificial lift at mature and structurally complex fields.

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