Acoustic pressure wave gas lift diagnostics

1. A method of identifying and diagnosing open gas lift valves in a gas lift production well, the gas lift production well including a production tubular having a plurality of mechanical gas lift valves spaced along at least a portion thereof, each of the plurality of mechanical gas lift valves set to a selected minimum design opening pressure, and a casing surrounding at least a portion of the tubular to form an annulus, the annulus in fluid communication with the interior of the tubular upon the opening of one or more of the mechanical gas lift valves, the method comprising:

reducing injection pressure below the minimum design opening pressure of each of the plurality of mechanical gas lift valves to close each of the plurality of mechanical gas lift valves;

incrementally increasing injection pressure to the design opening pressure to open one of the plurality of mechanical gas lift valves;

measuring at least one of pressure, amplitude, frequency and wave patterns, and combinations thereof, produced by the opening of the one of the mechanical gas lift valves;

incrementally further increasing injection pressure to the design opening pressure to open another of the plurality of mechanical gas lift valves;

measuring another of at least one of pressure, amplitude, frequency and wave patterns and combinations thereof, produced by the opening of the another of the mechanical gas lift valves;

determining the location of the one mechanical gas lift valve and the location of the another of the plurality of mechanical gas lift valves, from the measured at least one of the and the another at least one of, pressure, amplitude, frequency and wave patterns, and combinations thereof, wherein the location of the one mechanical gas lift valve and the location of the another of the plurality of mechanical gas lift valves are determined based on travel times of the at least one of pressure, amplitude, frequency and wave patterns that travel in both directions from the one mechanical gas lift valve and the another of the mechanical gas lift valves; and

determining whether at least one of the one mechanical gas lift valve and the another mechanical gas lift valves are operating according to the selected minimum design operating pressure.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of forming a data set comprising the measured pressure, amplitude, frequency and/or wave patterns and mechanical gas lift valve locations.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising the step of monitoring mechanical gas lift valve pressure, amplitude, frequency and/or wave patterns during production conditions and comparing the information obtained therefrom to the data set to assess and diagnose operating conditions.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein a first pressure sensor measures the pressure, amplitude, frequency and/or wave patterns produced by the sequential opening of the plurality of mechanical gas lift valves.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein data obtained from the first pressure sensor are used to determine the location of an opened mechanical gas lift valve.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein a second pressure sensor simultaneously measures the pressure, amplitude, frequency and/or wave patterns produced by the sequential opening of the plurality of mechanical gas lift valves.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein data obtained from the first and second pressure sensors are used to determine the location of an open mechanical gas lift valve.

8. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first pressure sensor is placed at the wellhead of the gas lift production well.

9. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first pressure sensor is placed at the injection header of the gas lift production well.

10. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first pressure sensor is placed at the gas lift injection line of the gas lift production well.

11. A system for identifying and diagnosing open gas lift valves in a gas lift production well, the gas lift production well including a production tubular having a plurality of mechanical gas lift valves spaced along at least a portion thereof, each of the plurality of mechanical gas lift valves set to a different opening pressure, and a casing surrounding at least a portion of the tubular to form an annulus, the annulus in fluid communication with the interior of the tubular upon the opening of one or more of the mechanical gas lift valves, comprising:

a first pressure sensor for monitoring pressure, amplitude, frequency and/or wave patterns produced by the opening of one or more of the mechanical gas lift valves; and

a data acquisition system for monitoring, collecting, and analyzing pressure, amplitude, frequency and/or wave patterns produced by the opening of one or more of the mechanical gas lift valves, wherein the data acquisition system is configured to determine the location of one or more of the mechanical gas lift valves based on travel times of the at least one of pressure, amplitude, frequency and wave patterns that travel in both directions from the one or more of the mechanical gas lift valves.

12. The system of claim 11 , further comprising a second pressure sensor for monitoring pressure, amplitude, frequency and/or wave patterns produced by the opening of one or more of the mechanical gas lift valves, the second pressure sensor positioned in a spaced-apart relationship from the first pressure sensor.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the first pressure sensor and/or the second pressure are high-resolution, high frequency, dynamic pressure sensors.

14. The system of claim 11 , further comprising pressure wave analysis tools, the pressure wave analysis tools residing on a portable computing device.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the pressure wave analysis tools identify injection point depths.