In this article we discussed the meaning of raw natural gas well, explained the different types, and the characteristics of natural gas well.
Raw Natural gas well are holes drilled into the earth’s surface to access and extract natural gas from underground reservoirs. The extracted gas is called raw natural gas, which contains various hydrocarbons and impurities.
A gas well is specifically drilled and completed to produce natural gas. Gas wells are designed to extract natural gas from underground reservoirs, which can be found in shale, sandstone, limestone and other tight formations. They are drilled using similar techniques and equipment as oil wells, but they are specifically designed to target natural gas reservoirs.
Types:
Crude oil wells: Natural gas that comes from crude oil wells is typically called associated gas. This gas could exist as a separate gas cap above the crude oil in the underground reservoir or could be dissolved in the crude oil, ultimately coming out of solution as the pressure is reduced during production. Condensate produced from oil wells is often referred to as lease condensate.
Dry gas wells: These wells typically produce only raw natural gas that contains no condensate with little to no crude oil and are called non-associated gas. Condensate from dry gas is extracted at gas processing plants and is often called plant condensate.
Condensate wells: These wells typically produce raw natural gas along with natural gas liquid with little to no crude oil and are called non-associated gas. Such raw natural gas is often referred to as wet gas.
Coal seam wells: These wells typically produce raw natural gas from methane deposits in the pores of coal seams, often existing underground in a more concentrated state of adsorption onto the surface of the coal itself. Such gas is referred to as coalbed gas or coalbed methane (coal seam gas in Australia). Coalbed gas has become an important source of energy in recent decades.
This gas wells are the starting point for the natural gas production process, which involves processing and refining the extracted gas to meet pipeline specifications and produce various products like pipeline-quality gas, natural gas liquids (NGLs), and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
Characteristics:
- Depth: Can range from 1,000 to 20,000 feet or more.
- Pressure: High pressure, often requiring special equipment to control.
- Temperature: High temperatures, often exceeding 200°F (93°C).
- Composition: Varies, but typically includes methane, ethane, propane, butane, and impurities like water, sulfur compounds, and solids.
Natural Gas Well Fluids:
- Natural Gas: The primary component, consisting of various hydrocarbons.
- Water: Present in varying amounts, often requiring separation.
- Condensate: Liquid hydrocarbons that separate from the gas.
- Impurities: Sulfur compounds, solids, and other contaminants.