Production Monitoring and Surveillance of ESP Wells—Maximizing Production and Recovery in a Volatile Economic Environment

Abstract

The satisfaction of completing a workover project and handing wells back to operations is just the beginning. The ongoing surveillance and constant adjustments towards optimization will ultimately determine the success or failure of such an undertaking. This is particularly true with Electrical Submersible Pumps (ESPs). In mid-2009, the first three production ESPs in Malaysia were commissioned and started offshore Sarawak in the Bokor Field. These were a step change in field operations as all other wells are produced primarily via gas lift. A great deal of planning and preparation was required to analyze well output against baseline calculations, test each well thoroughly to monitor for water breakthrough or sand, and monitor the platform infrastructure to ensure the additional loads and production expected. Online surveillance has played a key part in assisting the project team towards optimizing the wells and observing pump performance. The system as installed has allowed for remote frequency changes to adapt the pump for current conditions. Additionally, the surveillance system has been employed to protect the pump during unplanned shutdowns. The production results thus far show that the ESPs are producing several hundred barrels oil greater than the gas lift baseline. Solids have not been an issue and the production GOR has been amongst the lowest in the field. However, the objective from the project execution plan is to continue increasing to 1700 bopd incremental. To achieve this, the project team will need to continue the workflows and processes developed to ensure a successful ending.