What happens when a well is already considered to be depleted? In the past, the wells would simply be abandoned. Today, however, advanced technology makes it possible to still recover some amount of product from the well. Swabbing can go on for several years, at which point the well is considered to be truly depleted. Here are the benefits of swabbing and how they can help.
Swabbing Improves Productivity of Individual Wells
The swabbing process is meant to claim oil and gas that would otherwise remain left inside of the well. In terms of financial gain, this can be very beneficial to a company. Rather than having to repeatedly create new wells (which involves drilling and fracking), the company can continue to swab their older wells. Due to the reduced overhead involved, the higher the per well productivity is, the lower the price per barrel. Technology has already greatly increased the amount of oil and gas that companies can acquire from each well.
The Environmental Advantages to Swabbing Old Wells
Swabbing isn’t just about financial gain; it’s also about environmental gain. Swabbing an old well does not involve the labor intensive process of drilling a new well. The more old wells are swabbed, the fewer new wells have to be drilled… and the less the environment will be disrupted overall. By swabbing old wells, companies can focus on old wells rather than simply expanding; this also means that there’s less of an area to maintain, inspect, and repair, and consequently fewer potential hazards.
The Process of Swabbing a Well
When a well is initially drilled and production begins, liquids are sent down the shaft. These liquids themselves can begin inhibiting oil and gas production. Swabbing a well involves the removal of the introduced liquids, often through the use of advanced equipment such as swab master rigs. Once the liquids have been removed, oil and gas may again rise within the shaft. On the other hand, it may also not produce additional oil and gas. It can be difficult to determine whether a well will actually produce when swabbed and what the swabbing will provide.
The Future of Oil Well Swabbing
Swabbing wells for accumulated fluids is likely to remain an industry practice for some time. Well swabbing may also be used in conjunction with other techniques, such as re-fracking, to improve the individual yields of each well and consequently improve profits. As oil well swabbing technology improves, it may be able to provide more consistent results along with fewer potential risks.
Oil well swabbing is an essential technique for oil and gas companies that want to make the most out of each well that they drill. For these companies, Tiger General, LLC doesn’t just provide best-in-class swabbing equipment, but also provides valuable information on the process of swabbing. For more information about oil swabbing or to acquire equipment such as swab master rigs, contact Tiger General, LLC today.