Efficiency Analysis of ESP Lifted Wells in the Context of Virtual Flow Metering

Abstract

Due to need for optimal management of a large wells stock with a relatively limited amount of conditioned data, the need for a focus rapid detection of implicit complications in the work (mechanical wear of the working bodies of the pump) and an increase in overhaul period of submersible equipment increases. Real-time monitoring of all wells in the debit is limited due to infrastructure problems and high costs of measuring activities. Despite this, the possibility of such monitoring is not excluded due to the availability of field information that correlates with the well flow rate and the mode of its operation. The article presents an algorithm that, based on telemetry ESP to estimate the parameters that affect the performance of the well and submersible equipment, such as the coefficient of degradation of the outlet characteristics of the pump, the actual efficiency (coefficient of performance) of ESP and the thickness of the deposition of paraffin on the inner walls of the tubing. When processing field data, the parameters correlating with the well flow rate were revealed, which allowed to build a model of a virtual flow meter to verify the existing flow rate measurements and restore the missing values. The basis of the physical and mathematical approach is an algorithm that connects the parameters of the ESP system with the flow rate through the power consumption and hydraulic calculations of the gas-liquid mixture flow in the tubing. After preliminary calibration of pressure-flow characteristics of ESP for real mode of operation, daily measurements of fluid flow rate with a periodicity of 1 hour were calculated.