Coiled tubing · Intervention
Nitrogen Lift
Nitrogen pumped down the coiled tubing to lighten the fluid column in the well.
What it does
Displaces liquid and lowers the pressure of the column so the reservoir can flow again, usually to bring a well back after a workover or a kill. When the well flows on its own, the coiled tubing is pulled.
Basics
| Source | Liquid nitrogen pumped and vaporized at surface |
| Delivered by | Coiled tubing to depth |
| Used to | Kick off wells, unload liquids, foam cleanouts |
Common failures
- Well dies again after the nitrogen is stopped
Troubleshooting
- Symptom
- Flow stops soon after lifting
- Likely cause
- Reservoir pressure too low to sustain flow
- What to check
- Plan artificial lift instead of repeated nitrogen jobs