Electric Submersible Pump Troubleshooting Guide, an Effective Way to Improve System Performance and Reduce Avoidable System Failures

Nuñez, Walter; Pino, Jessica Del; Gomez, Sebastian; Rosales, Douglas; Puentes, Juan Carlos; Rivera, Hamilton

doi:10.2118/199091-ms

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Based on their findings, the approach proposed can be applied in the new oil well to optimize and monitor ESP operating conditions. Nunez et al [28] developed an ESP troubleshooting guide that reduced failures. Using monitoring information, tearing down evidence, setting configuration, and building a database with all the information of 450 oil well data, they developed a troubleshooting manual, which quickly identifies likely conditions that impede the production and performance of ESP systems.…”

Section: Esp Fault Monitoring and Diagnosis Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Nodal Analysis Based Monitoring of an Electric Submersible Pump Operation in Multiphase Flow

et al. 2022

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Electrical submersible pump (ESP) operation is compromised by free gas, resulting in premature pump failure and production losses in new wells. It is essential to detect the onset of abnormal operations. We develop a model that predicts abnormal ESP operation when the free gas level increases in the pump. The model compares operation parameters with the parameters of normal operating ranges; it shuts down the ESP when necessary. We used a Schlumberger PIPESIM software (version 2017.01) to perform nodal analysis technique; we tested the model using the other multiphase correlation model and field case studies (where the gas problem in ESP was reported). We employ a homogenous model to calculate the differential pump pressures at various gas volume fractions. Nodal analysis of the intake and discharge point predicted the commencement of abnormal ESP conditions and the associated parameters (critical gas fraction, minimum operating pump intake pressure, and pump discharge pressure). The model results were similar to other surging correlation models (e.g., Romero, Dunbar, Turpin, Cirilo, and Zhou models); they were also identical to field case studies. We identify three performance stability phases when an ESP is exposed to free gas. These are the normal and abnormal operating ranges, as well as the ESP shutdown condition. Modeling permits careful monitoring of ESP operations that can be compromised by free gas.

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Section: Esp Fault Monitoring and Diagnosis Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Nodal Analysis Based Monitoring of an Electric Submersible Pump Operation in Multiphase Flow

et al. 2022

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Collaborative Development of a Shared ESP Troubleshooting Guidelines Document

Kennedy,

Babatunde,

Gaviria

et al. 2023

Day 2 Tue, October 03, 2023

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When an electric submersible pump (ESP) has tripped or is not operating as intended, operators need to quickly assess the underlying factors to determine if any corrective measures can be taken and if the ESP needs to be pulled. To assist, a new Troubleshooting Guidelines Document (TGD) has been collaboratively developed, incorporating the knowledge and experience of several ESP operators with diverse ESP applications and geographies. The TGD development involved a group of ESP operators agreeing on a logical and easy-to-follow document structure, reviewing and consolidating existing industry resources, and contributing technical knowledge based on the operators’ own experiences and internal practices. The focus was on documenting the knowledge and experience required to ask the right questions during a troubleshooting scenario, which is often stored only in the minds of experienced individuals (sometimes referred to as institutional knowledge). Asking the right questions during troubleshooting can help operators avoid unnecessary well interventions and reduce the time required to bring the system back online. The TGD is intended to serve as a technical reference for anyone involved in ESP troubleshooting and to provide the end-user with a structured troubleshooting workflow and list of questions to ask and probable solutions. This paper will illustrate the workflow based on two example ESP troubleshooting scenarios. The workflow starts with a set of observations describing the symptoms of the problem and leads to the identification of potential contributing factors, diagnostic checks, and corrective actions. The example scenarios will illustrate the structured workflow for complex troubleshooting situations and highlight some aspects or questions that may often be overlooked. The TGD is intended to compliment, not replace, operator site specific procedures and best practices and provides reminders that only competent and qualified personnel should execute troubleshooting tasks. The TGD is considered a "living" document, with new experience, tools, technologies, and knowledge being continually added. To the authors’ knowledge, it is the only shared, living ESP troubleshooting document of its kind that contains input from multiple ESP applications and geographies. The troubleshooting procedure outlined in the paper can be used in any ESP application and can provide a structured way for companies to capture and apply their ESP troubleshooting experience.

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Increasing Electric Submersible Pumps Run Life: How to Mitigate the Impact of Sensor Data Loss?

Guillca,

Enriquez,

Batallas

et al. 2023

Day 1 Mon, October 02, 2023

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Performing a health check on electrical submersible pumps (ESPs) is possible using measurements from the downhole and surface gauges. The downhole data lost significantly reduces the detection of operational issues (i.e., gas lock, recirculation, etc.), and shortens the life expectancy. This analysis summarizes the reasons and impact on the reliability when losing downhole sensor data in a mature field with 230 active ESPs exhibiting 1,580 days of mean time between failure (MTBF). Seventy-two cases of ESP strings with sensor data loss were analyzed during 6 years of operation using their failure reports, pulling reports, and failure analyses. Using statistical methods and root-cause analysis tools, the average running time that an ESP survives without sensor data transmission in comparison with the systems with full data transmission was calculated and plotted. In this paper, we identify the causes of sensor data loss, which are events related to data transmission system (40%), operational conditions (37%), mechanical events (19%), and electrical events (4%).

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Electric Submersible Pump Troubleshooting Guide, an Effective Way to Improve System Performance and Reduce Avoidable System Failures

Cited by 3 publications

References 0 publications

A Nodal Analysis Based Monitoring of an Electric Submersible Pump Operation in Multiphase Flow

A Nodal Analysis Based Monitoring of an Electric Submersible Pump Operation in Multiphase Flow

Collaborative Development of a Shared ESP Troubleshooting Guidelines Document

Increasing Electric Submersible Pumps Run Life: How to Mitigate the Impact of Sensor Data Loss?

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