Register Now for the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Denver General Meeting November 2026 – Nov 10, 2026 – Denver, CO

Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2026
Time: 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM MST
Location: Paris Ballroom at Hotel Monaco

About the Presentation

Gas lift has been used in the oil and gas industry for more than a century, but ongoing innovation and field testing continue to create opportunities for better performance. This presentation will explore more than a decade of gas lift technology projects and the lessons gained along the way, covering equipment reliability, surveillance, optimization, troubleshooting, and production improvement.

The discussion will examine several challenges and technology developments, including:

• Equipment reliability: More than 20 gas lift check valve models were evaluated through erosive flow loop testing to identify weaknesses and determine which designs could withstand demanding conditions, particularly in wells with solids-related reliability issues.
• Improved surveillance: Wireless sensors were deployed at legacy offshore assets to improve data collection and support optimization where existing measurements were limited. Ultrasonic gas flow meters were also evaluated in laboratory and field settings for gas injection measurement applications.
• Injection point verification: CO₂ tracing and a radioactive tracing pilot were used to investigate methods for identifying where gas lift gas enters the well.
• Lift performance: Surfactants were tested across different gas lift configurations to evaluate whether reducing fluid slip could improve lift hydraulics.

These projects highlight the importance of an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to gas lift optimization. The presentation will demonstrate how asking a simple question—“Why can’t this be better?”—can lead to practical technology improvements and stronger production results.

Featured Speaker

Michael C. Romer, P.E.
Principal Artificial Lift Engineer, ExxonMobil

Michael C. Romer is a Principal Artificial Lift Engineer at ExxonMobil, where he works with the Upstream Production Optimization team in Houston. With more than 19 years at ExxonMobil, his work has primarily focused on artificial lift applications worldwide.

He has developed ExxonMobil training courses covering gas lift, electric submersible pumps (ESPs), rod pumps, and deliquification, and regularly delivers these courses internationally.

Romer also holds several industry leadership positions, including Chair of the API 19G Gas Lift Task Group, Secretary of the Artificial Lift Research and Development Council (ALRDC) Board, Vice Chair of the SPE Americas Artificial Lift Conference, and member of the SPE ESP Symposium committee.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Tennessee and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois.

Join SPE Denver for an in-depth discussion of gas lift technology, field-tested innovations, and practical approaches to improving artificial lift performance.