ESP's: On and Offshore Problems and Solutions

Lea, James F.; Bearden, J.L.

doi:10.2118/52159-ms

Cited by 9 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 24 publications

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“…The wide diffusion of ESP, either for on-or offshore application, can lead to underestimation of some potential operational problems, and care has to be taken in the design, development, and operation phases to avoid undesired effects, such as premature failure of the electrical motor or rotating parts. An extensive literature review on ESP problems was performed in 1999, 2 and a first indication about potential problems as a result of asphaltene deposition was reported. Asphaltene precipitation problems in ESP were also reported by Shimokata and Yamada, 3 who acquired big experience in applying an artificial lift with ESPs in offshore fields.…”

Section: ■ Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of Electrical Submerged Pumps in Enabling Asphaltene-Stabilized Emulsions

2015

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Many oilfield development projects require artificial lift systems, i.e., methods to enhance well fluid production that are needed when the reservoir pressure is too low to allow for the produced fluid to reach the surface. Such an approach is of particular interest for mature oilfields (such as those in the Middle East and North Africa) and for many of the upcoming deepwater and ultra-deepwater fields under development around the world. Artificial lifting can be achieved by gas lifting or through a pump installed into the well. For subsea downhole applications, a progressive cavity pump (PCP) or (centrifugal) electrical submersible pump (ESP) is employed. ESP systems are having, in particular, wide spreading, essentially as a result of the good efficiencies and high rates and depth. In search of means for maximizing the productivity of each well that sometimes leads to looking for producing the maximum in the shortest possible time, these pumps are seen as a sort of panacea. In this work, a dangerous possible drawback is highlighted: if the system is not correctly designed, it can result in a perfect tool to generate very viscous asphaltene-stabilized emulsions. The behavior of the system is described along with the impacts generated on the pump. A verification criterion is proposed to be used during ESP design and selection of correct working conditions, and a case study is presented.

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Section: ■ Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of Electrical Submerged Pumps in Enabling Asphaltene-Stabilized Emulsions

2015

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Effect of Near Wellbore Condition on Electrical Submersible Pump Design

Mehidi

Nabil²

2011

SPE Middle East Oil and Gas Show and Conference

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The number of electrical submersible pumps (ESPs) used as an artificial lift process is increasing worldwide, due to their efficiency and their ability in increasing production rate substantially. Yet ESP's field implementation needs a proper design to achieve the lift efficiency needed. In case of deep and ultra deep wells, which are drilled frequently, selecting the right ESP configuration and arrangement is critical to the success of the lifting operation. The wellbore space, the rate targeted and the costs involved are among the crucial parameters for the choice of an ESP system. Reservoir conditions or at least near wellbore conditions are not taken directly into consideration while designing the ESP system. The overall ESP design -including the number of stages and motor size -is determined by pre-defined wellbore parameters, and intake and discharge pressure. The present analysis reveals the effect of skin on the targeted ESP design and the associated system characteristics. IntroductionWhen oil wells are not able to flow naturally, the well production is sustained by artificial means, known as artificial lift. Usually artificial lift is applied when the wellbore pressure drop is larger than the bottom hole flowing pressure, and therefore to overcome the pressure difference several techniques are used. The main artificial lift methods are: (i) gas lift to lower the pressure gradient in the production tubing and (ii) pumps to lower the bottomhole flowing pressure. Different types of pumps were used at the early stages of artificial lift operations. Examples include as positive displacement pumps, e.g, sucker rod pumps; and thrust pumps, e.g., electrical submersible pumps (ESP). This latest technology was possible as operators could deploy it deeper in the well and extract higher production rates (Sachdeva, et al., 1994, Macary, et al., 2003, Qahtani, 2007and Zhou & Sachdeva, 2010. A successful design of an ESP system relies on both economics and technical complications. Several authors have previously summarized the effect of each of these factors (Lea and Bearden, 1999 and Naguib, et al., 2000).Still the industry faces challenges in understanding the reasons and causes of ESP system failure, due to the complexity of the environment and the harsh media that these systems are designed for. The run life of an ESP system is shorter in some cases than the expected design life time. Near-wellbore conditions are not considered a crucial part in the design of an ESP system. Formation damage could impact substantially on the well flow performance. Therefore expected design parameters could lead to an ESP system under design for particular well scenarios. The presence of a skin in the near-wellbore region can result in additional pressure considerations. Wattenbarger and Ramey (1970) described the effect of skin on well performance and that skin was an obstruction to the flow, caused by an infinitesimaly thin damaged region around the wellbore. The present paper discusses the effect of the near-wellbore region condi...

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Offshore ESP Selection Criteria: An Industry Study

et al. 2012

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Most offshore wells that require artificial lift are gas lifted, as gas typically is readily available and compared to other lift systems, gas lifting is relatively inexpensive and low maintenance. However, electric submersible pumps (ESPs) can efficiently and economically increase oil production and reserves recovery under the appropriate operating conditions. This may translate to a lower abandonment pressure in the long term—possibly reducing the total number of wells required to deplete an asset. Since few ESPs currently are installed in offshore wells, an ESP screening "Rules of Thumb" was created as a simple guide for prioritizing offshore ESP candidates. The selection criteria focus on feasibility of installation, operability conditions and operating practices to maximize run life, and economic considerations. ExxonMobil† and industry experience from North America, South America, West Africa, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and the North Sea provided the basis for the study.

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ESP's: On and Offshore Problems and Solutions

Abstract: This paper was prepared for presentation at the 1999 SPE Mid-Continent Operations Symposium held in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 28-31 March 1999.

Cited by 9 publications

References 24 publications

Role of Electrical Submerged Pumps in Enabling Asphaltene-Stabilized Emulsions

Role of Electrical Submerged Pumps in Enabling Asphaltene-Stabilized Emulsions

Effect of Near Wellbore Condition on Electrical Submersible Pump Design

Offshore ESP Selection Criteria: An Industry Study

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