Applications

• Flow control from annulus to tubing (tubing-to-annulus configuration also available)
• Continuous-flow gas lift production
• High-performance gas lift installations

Benefits

• Enhances safety and wellbore integrity
• Reduces downtime with reliable, robust performance
• Lowers costs through versatility and efficiency
• Operates uniformly across a range of injection pressures to increase production

Features

• Field-proven design and operation
• Qualified to API Spec 19G2 V0 and TR2385
• Corrosion resistance with premium metallurgy
• Zero-bubble seal stack
• Computer-generated injection gas flow profile to stabilize gas injection and increase production
• Barrier-qualified back-check system that provides a robust seal between tubing and annulus
• Compatible with oval and round gas lift mandrels

How it improves performance

Nova™ 15-B 1.5-in Barrier Series single-point-injection venturi orifice gas lift valves are used for continuous-flow gas lift production applications. Based on field-proven technology, these 1.5-in-OD retrievable valves feature a barrier-qualified integral back-check system, incorporating a metal-to-metal seal that has been developed and tested to meet API Spec 19G2 V0 standards. The back-check system has enhanced geometry to minimize erosion while maintaining dart stability during high-rate operations.

The seal stack has been tested beyond API specifications to meet zero-bubble requirements. The increased performance and reliability enabled by these features permit installing the Nova 15-B valve as a well barrier element.

The venturi has an exclusive, dynamically tested flow profile to promote a constant gas injection rate. This profile produces maximum gas passage with minimal differential pressure across the valve. The flow regime eliminates most of the effects of tubing pressure on the gas injection rate and stabilizes gas injection pressure. Stable injection rates can result in more stable tubing pressure, increased production, and reduced operating expenses.

Even slight variations in the tubing flow regime can lead to wide fluctuations in tubing pressure and unsteady injection rates, instability, and slugging. Nova 15-B valves replace traditional orifice valves in applications with inherently unstable injection rates caused by the effect of tubing pressure. Traditional square-edged orifice valves require a pressure drop of approximately 40% to achieve critical gas flow, and in most cases, operating with this much pressure loss is not practical. Nova 15-B valves achieve critical flow with a pressure drop of 10% or less. Within the critical flow regime, injection rate is constant because the tubing pressure does not affect the injection volume.

How it works

For standard operation, the valve is installed in a side pocket mandrel. Injected high-pressure gas enters the mandrel inlet and the Nova 15-B valve through the ports between the seal stacks and travels across the orifice, down to the back-check system, and into the production conduit.