The novel dual electric submersible pump (ESP) completion was designed to maximize oil recovery by improving waterflooding efficiencies while minimizing capital expenditures (capex) and surface facilities. The design enables the operator to produce oil and formation water from the same well. The injection of water, produced from the same oil producer, is part of a waterflooding project to boost secondary recovery. Based on the dual concentric completion (DCC) concept, this novel solution integrates an inverted flow architecture to provide the upper ESP with direct access to the lower reservoir zone, which is the water-producing zone. This single ESP is then used as the only equipment to lift the produced water and then provide sufficient pressure for direct injection into a neighboring well, without the need for surface treating and handling facilities. Oil production is lifted by the encapsulated lower ESP. The complete solution includes a monobore anchor with an automatic release tool to eliminate oil-zone damage during the completion phase and maximize water-zone productivity. The upper reservoir expected to produce approximately 700 BOPD with 1% water cut; after the successful implementation and commissioning of this novel architecture and its impact on the secondary recovery process, the recorded production reached more than 1,000 BOPD, with an overall 35% oil production increase in the field. Using a monobore anchor with an automatic release tool to perforate the lower sand allowed to combine the underbalance technique with clean perforations system and high impact penetration charges, which resulted in greater water zone productivity and improved pump efficiency, reducing power consumption by 33%. Considering that the project was implemented with a local diesel generator, the total CO2 emissions reduction was approximately 700 metric tons per year in just one well. Because the novel inverted DCC solution does not require the construction of traditional surface facilities for water injection, which include horizontal pumping systems (HPSs), capex was significantly reduced. In addition, because this solution was developed, designed, and implemented in far less time than a traditional method would have been, production was increased earlier than otherwise possible, helping the operator meet production targets and increase cash flow.

It is a common practice to evaluate an injection pilot before a field-level implementation of waterflooding, but this requires early investment in facilities and construction time. An alternative solution is proposed as a modification of the dump flooding concept: Produce water from a low-salinity aquifer and inject it into an oil reservoir within the same well, using a closed system. The modification of the conventional dump flooding design consists of adding surface monitoring and control capabilities, which for this mature field is a local regulatory requirement A comprehensive process for the completion design considered reservoir, well and operational conditions as both new and existing wells were considered as candidates for these completion systems. The design consists of a concentric completion with packers to isolate both the water aquifer and oil reservoir. Water is produced from a deeper low-salinity aquifer with excellent water quality through an Electric Submersible Pump (ESP) that also serves as an injection pump. At surface, the water rate is measured by a flowmeter and then injected into the same well through a concentric string to a shallower oil reservoir for secondary recovery. A simple closed-loop system at surface eliminates contact with oxygen, minimizing future corrosion problems. The high quality of the water (low salinity, without solids, O2, H2S or Fe) eliminated the need for water treatment. Four wells have been successfully completed using this design, currently injecting at the required rates without presenting any functionality problem. Additional three wells are in schedule to be completed in order to accelerate waterflooding implementation in areas either remote or environmentally sensitive with no nearby water source. In these areas, implementing a waterflooding conventional pattern that requires connecting water producers and injector wells would require lengthy permission processes for long high-pressure lines and additional time for the construction of those water transport pipelines. The completed modified dump flooding wells decreased the implementation time of the waterflooding pilot project from 2.5 years to 5 months. Additionally, the environmental footprint and facilities investment has been reduced by an estimated 90%. This is the estimated cost savings when comparing the investment in dump flooding well construction versus conversion of existing wells to water producers or injectors and the investment in facilities, including water treatment plants, to connect those wells. This paper presents the main design and operational considerations before execution, deployment challenges, and lessons learned and recommendations from the execution of the first campaign