Starting a loaded or dead gas-lift well takes more push than keeping a flowing one going. That initial effort, the burst of higher pressure or extra gas needed to break the well loose and get it lifting, is the kickoff. It is a distinct event that happens before the well settles into its normal unloading and steady lift. This guide explains what a kickoff is, when it is needed, why it demands more pressure than routine operation, and how automation sequences and watches a kickoff before handing the well to steady lift.
Gas Lift Kickoff in one line: A gas lift kickoff is the act of starting a loaded or dead well, using a higher-than-normal injection pressure or a temporary kickoff gas supply to first get gas down to the top valve and begin unloading. It is the initial break-loose event that gets a static well flowing, after which the well transitions into its normal unloading sequence and steady lift.
When a gas-lift well is shut in or dead, the tubing and annulus fill with liquid up to the static fluid level. To start it, injection gas must first push the liquid in the annulus down far enough to uncover the top gas-lift valve, so gas can begin entering the tubing. Overcoming that full static liquid load requires more surface pressure than the well needs once it is already unloaded and lifting, which is why kickoff pressure is characteristically higher than operating pressure.
The extra pressure is a start-up phenomenon, not a steady-state one. Once gas reaches the first valve and the well begins to unload, the annulus liquid is displaced, the fluid column lightens, and the pressure required drops back toward normal. The kickoff is the brief, high-demand phase at the very front of that process, before the valve-by-valve transfer down to the operating point has even begun.
Not every start needs a special kickoff. A well that was flowing recently and is only lightly loaded may pick right back up when injection is restored at normal pressure. It is the fully loaded, long-shut-in, or genuinely dead well, one that has taken a heavy liquid column, that needs the deliberate higher-pressure or auxiliary-gas kickoff to break loose.
The most direct way to kick a well off is simply to raise the injection-gas pressure above the normal operating level for a period, giving the annulus enough pressure to push liquid down and uncover the top valve. Where the standard injection header cannot supply that, a dedicated kickoff gas source or kickoff manifold provides a temporary higher-pressure supply just for start-up, which is then removed once the well is unloading on its own. Some operations also use a kickoff from a higher-pressure line or a separate compressor discharge.
The kickoff has to be managed carefully. Applying too much gas too fast can over-pressure the annulus or drive a violent, uncontrolled unloading surge that upsets the well and the surface facility. The aim is enough pressure to break the well loose, then a controlled hand-off to the normal unloading sequence, easing back to operating pressure as the valves transfer down. It is a short, deliberate operation, not simply cranking gas wide open.
The kickoff is distinct from the unloading sequence that follows it, even though the two run back to back. The kickoff is the initial break-loose that gets gas to the top valve; the unloading sequence is the subsequent valve-by-valve transfer that walks the point of injection down to the deepest operating valve. Confusing the two leads operators to either under-pressure the start or leave the extra kickoff gas on too long.
Because a kickoff is a defined start-up sequence, it is a natural fit for automation. A controller can ramp injection pressure up to the kickoff level, hold it while it watches for the well to break loose, then step it back toward operating pressure as unloading begins, all while logging the casing and tubing pressures. Sequencing it this way makes the start repeatable and avoids both the under-pressured false start and the over-aggressive surge.
Monitoring during kickoff is as important as the pressure ramp. Casing head pressure will climb during the push and then relieve as the top valve uncovers and gas breaks through; tubing pressure and flow will respond as the well starts to unload. Watching these signals confirms the well is actually kicking off rather than just building dead-ended pressure, and it flags a well that will not start so an operator can intervene before wasting gas.
A cloud SCADA such as Merobix reads the wellsite pressures and injection rate into a browser dashboard, so an operator can run and watch a kickoff without standing at the wellhead. The moment the casing pressure rolls over and the tubing responds, the successful break-loose is visible; a well that fails to kick off is equally obvious. Once the well is unloading and steady lift is established, the same dashboard carries it into normal continuous monitoring.
It is the start-up event that gets a loaded or dead well flowing, using higher-than-normal injection pressure or a temporary kickoff gas supply to push annulus liquid down and uncover the top gas-lift valve. Once gas reaches that valve and the well begins to unload, the kickoff is complete and the well moves into its normal unloading sequence and steady lift.
Because a shut-in or dead well is loaded with liquid up to its static fluid level, and injection gas must first push that liquid down far enough to uncover the top valve. Overcoming the full static liquid load takes more surface pressure than the well needs once it is unloaded and lifting. After gas reaches the first valve and unloading starts, the required pressure drops back toward normal operating levels.
The kickoff is the initial break-loose that first gets injection gas down to the top valve and starts the well. The unloading sequence is what follows: the valve-by-valve transfer that walks the point of injection down to the deepest operating valve. They run back to back, but the kickoff is the high-pressure start-up burst and unloading is the staged descent to the operating point.
Merobix reads your field devices into a cloud SCADA - the real thing behind these terms, live in days from any browser.