Successful PCP Applications in High Deviated Wells: Breaking Away the Paradigm of PCP Only for Vertical or Low Deviated Wells in Colombia

Abstract

It highlights the good performance of various Progresive Cavity Pumping (PCP) Systems with pumps landed in ultra high deviated angles, superior than 54°, and critical dog leg severity, 3.4 - 4.5°/100ft in Dina Terciarios field. This performance goes beyond the traditional Colombian oil industry conception about PCP system, it can only be used for vertical or slightly deviated wells and there is a large prevention regarding. This paper applies for any well with fluid properties and production conditions where PCP technically applies as an artificial lift system, and the critical well geometry rejects the PCP systems due to curvature characteristics, horizontal and highly deviated wells. This specific case is focused to Dina Terciarios as an oil field and two Operator oil companies, Petrominerales and Ecopetrol. Five PCP Systems have successfully been working in this field since March 2010 with pumps landed at deviation angles of up to 80 degrees and 4.5°/100 ft dog leg severity. The average Run Life for those wells is higher than 652 days, including a maximum performance in the DT-137 well of 1041 days and counting. Technically speaking the key factors of these PCP applications are the use of continuous rod, instead of conventional sucker rods, tubing rotators in surface and an appropiate management of application (lifting and pumping capacities, speed and torque control), all oriented to minimize contact loads and wearing effect associated to the well survey and operational conditions. For both Operator companies this new PCP scope has shown economic advantages in terms of equipment and maintenance costs, well services and spare parts, changing their technical point of view and being a reference for other areas in Colombia.