Improving ESP LifeTime Performance Evaluation by Deploying an ESP Tracking and Inventory Management System

Abstract

One of the most popular and efficient artificial lift mechanisms is the electrical submersible pump (ESP). According to recent statistics, there are more than 100,000 ESPs worldwide. With the increasing number of wells equipped with ESPs, operators are making substantial efforts to improve ESP performance and achieve longer runlife. The primary focus has been on tracking ESPs sensors real-time data, along with failures prediction as proactive measures. It is however, still difficult to keep track of historical ESP pull and run jobs, ESP equipments, and benchmark pump runlife. Typically there are no structured datastores for ESP movements. ESP runlife statistics are stored in multiple individual spreadsheets and are resource-intensive to compile. This paper presents a solution that enables to track within database software ESP operations, equipments movements and failures along with classical production data to enable better ESP lifetime evaluation and equipments management. The solution encompassed ESP operations and equipment tracking within a next-generation production volumes management system. The software and database were expanded to ensure that data was generated through a single point of reference, so that operators could capture and store downhole and surface equipments tracked via serial-number along with operations details and failures. ESP runlife, failure and equipment statistics were also calculated and reported graphically. More accurate ESP lifetime was calculated using well production uptime, installation and pull dates. Using these key statistics, the asset team was able to benchmark equipments and vendors. Each time the team needed to design or redesign an ESP, the solution enabled them to browse current and historical production, ESP operations, and both installed and warehoused equipments data. Used equipments historical installations can be tracked to make informed decisions before any reinstallation in other wells. In addition, the solution allows through reports to track wells with longer pull operations time providing input to improve rig workover planning. In summary, the proper capture, validation, data browsing, and accurate performance evaluation enabled by the pilot solution reduced routine work time, positively impacting the asset team. More time could thus be dedicated to recurrent problems identification, in-depth investigations for remedial actions for underperforming ESP wells.