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<p>Global electrical energy consumption continues to increase, creating a growing demand for sustainable energy sources. Geothermal energy represents a reliable renewable resource, but the economic performance of geothermal wells strongly depends on production efficiency. Artificial lift techniques such as gas lift have the potential to enhance production in geothermal wells. This study investigates the application of gas lift in liquid-dominated geothermal wells to increase the production rate of hot water/steam and improve the energy recovery. The study is conducted using field data from a geothermal well in the Brawley Geothermal Field, California, USA. A steady-state multiphase flow simulator is coupled with a surface process simulator to model the impact of gas lift on the geothermal well’s energy production. The model considers various parameters such as fluid properties, wellbore geometry, and operational conditions. Factors such as fluid temperature, flow rate, gas injection temperature, and thermal properties of the materials are incorporated into the model to accurately simulate thermal dynamics. Different gas types, including compressed air, methane, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide, are analyzed for their suitability as gas lift agents under varying reservoir conditions. Application of gas lift results in up to an 80% increase in liquid production, with production rising from 110 lbm/s to about 200 lbm/s at a 1 MMSCFD gas injection rate. As a result, a substantial improvement is observed in power generation, with net electrical power increasing by 118%. Energy consumption of surface compressors and ORC system loads are considered in the analysis. Methane provides the highest lift efficiency, resulting in a net power increase of approximately 3.68 MWe (128%), while air and nitrogen show about 3.37 MWe (117%) increase. Carbon dioxide exhibits the lowest performance, with 3.21 MWe (112%) power increase, and introduces a significantly higher corrosion risk. The combination of multiphase flow and thermal modeling, along with comprehensive sensitivity analyses, provides a robust framework for evaluating gas lift applications in liquid-dominated geothermal wells. These findings highlight the potential of gas lift in the transition towards sustainable and renewable energy resources.</p>

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Modeling of gas lift in liquid-dominated geothermal wells in Brawley field

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月3日

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  • Orkhan Khankishiyev,
  • Hamid Karami

摘要

Global electrical energy consumption continues to increase, creating a growing demand for sustainable energy sources. Geothermal energy represents a reliable renewable resource, but the economic performance of geothermal wells strongly depends on production efficiency. Artificial lift techniques such as gas lift have the potential to enhance production in geothermal wells. This study investigates the application of gas lift in liquid-dominated geothermal wells to increase the production rate of hot water/steam and improve the energy recovery. The study is conducted using field data from a geothermal well in the Brawley Geothermal Field, California, USA. A steady-state multiphase flow simulator is coupled with a surface process simulator to model the impact of gas lift on the geothermal well’s energy production. The model considers various parameters such as fluid properties, wellbore geometry, and operational conditions. Factors such as fluid temperature, flow rate, gas injection temperature, and thermal properties of the materials are incorporated into the model to accurately simulate thermal dynamics. Different gas types, including compressed air, methane, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide, are analyzed for their suitability as gas lift agents under varying reservoir conditions. Application of gas lift results in up to an 80% increase in liquid production, with production rising from 110 lbm/s to about 200 lbm/s at a 1 MMSCFD gas injection rate. As a result, a substantial improvement is observed in power generation, with net electrical power increasing by 118%. Energy consumption of surface compressors and ORC system loads are considered in the analysis. Methane provides the highest lift efficiency, resulting in a net power increase of approximately 3.68 MWe (128%), while air and nitrogen show about 3.37 MWe (117%) increase. Carbon dioxide exhibits the lowest performance, with 3.21 MWe (112%) power increase, and introduces a significantly higher corrosion risk. The combination of multiphase flow and thermal modeling, along with comprehensive sensitivity analyses, provides a robust framework for evaluating gas lift applications in liquid-dominated geothermal wells. These findings highlight the potential of gas lift in the transition towards sustainable and renewable energy resources.