Articial Lift for High-Volume Production

Roy Fleshman
Bartlesville, Oklahoma, USA
Harryson
Obren Lekic
Houston, Texas, USA
For help in preparation of this article, thanks to Rick Bailey
and Duane Russell, Reda, Bartlesville, Oklahoma, USA;
J ames Garner, Camco Products & Services, Houston, Texas,
USA; Peter Schrenkel, Reda, Dallas, Texas; and Dave Bergt,
Schlumberger Oileld Services, Sugar Land, Texas.
NODAL is a mark of Schlumberger. AGH (Advanced Gas
Handler), CDPS (Cable Deployed Pumping System) and
HOTLINE are marks of Reda. Camco EOR (Engineering
Optimization Resources) is a mark of Camco Products &
Services. Camco Products & Services and Reda are
Schlumberger companies.
Rod pumps bring oil to surface in many elds, but for better ow rates more than
100,000wells use subsurface electric pumps or inject external gas to lighten the
uid column. Specialized approaches are needed to optimize existing gas-lift or
submersible systems and to design new installations for more complex applications.
Less t han a f ourt h of produci ng oi l wel l s ow nat -
ural l y. When a reservoi r l acks suf ci ent energy
f or oi l , gas and wat er t o ow f rom wel l s at
desi red rat es, suppl ement al product i on met hods
can hel p. Gas and wat er i nj ect i on f or pressure
support or secondary recovery mai nt ai n wel l pro-
duct i vi t y, but art i ci al l i f t i s needed when reser-
voi r dri ves do not sust ai n accept abl e rat es or
cause ui ds t o ow at al l i n some cases. Li f t pro-
cesses t ransf er energy downhol e or decrease
ui d densi t y i n wel l bores t o reduce t he hydro-
st at i c l oad on f ormat i ons, so t hat avai l abl e reser-
voi r energy causes i nf l ow, and commerci al
hydrocarbon vol umes can be boost ed or di spl aced
t o surf ace. Art i ci al l i f t al so i mproves recovery by
reduci ng t he bot t omhol e pressure at whi ch wel l s
become uneconomi c and are abandoned.
Because reservoi r pressure decl i nes and
more wat er i s produced l at e i n el d l i f e, art i ci al
l i f t i s general l y associ at ed wi t h mat ure oi l and
gas devel opment s. However, dri ven by act i vi t y i n
deep wat er and areas t hat requi re const ruct i on
of compl ex wel l s, t he mat ure st at e of hydrocar-
bon expl oi t at i on w orl dw i de has i ncreased
demand f or hi gh l i f t i ng rat es t o produce oi l
qui ckl y and ef ci ent l y at l ow cost . Of f shore and
i n di f f i cul t i nt ernat i onal regi ons, art i f i ci al -l i f t
t echni ques accel erat e cash ow, generat e prot s
sooner and hel p operat ors real i ze bet t er ret urns,
even i n wel l s t hat ow nat ural l y.
Rod pump, gas l i f t and el ect ri c submersi bl e
pumps are t he most common art i f i ci al -l i f t
syst ems, but hydraul i c and progressi ng cavi t y
pumps are al so used. Each i s sui t ed t o cert ai n
l i f t i ng requi rement s and operat i onal obj ect i ves,
1. Brown KE: The Technology of Articial Lift Methods, vol.
2A. Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA: PennWell Books, Inc., 1980.
Spring 1999 49
but t here i s overl ap bet ween syst ems dependi ng
on subsurf ace condi t i ons, ui d t ypes, requi red
rat es, wel l i ncl i nat i on angl es, dept hs, compl e-
t i on congurat i ons, l i f t -syst em hardware and
surf ace f aci l i t i es.
Li f t opt i mi zat i on t o get t he most ui d f rom a
wel l or el d at t he l owest cost of f ers opport uni -
t i es f or subst ant i al product i on gai ns i n new wel l s
or mat ure el ds. When sel ect i ng and desi gni ng
l i f t syst ems, engi neers must consi der reservoi r
and w el l paramet ers, but f i el d devel opment
st rat egi es shoul d be f act ored i n as w el l .
Art i ci al -l i f t sel ect i on i s speci al i zed and of t en
t edi ous, but gui del i nes provi de t he rel at i ve appl i -
cabi l i t y of each met hod (previ ous page).
1
Art i ci al -l i f t t echnol ogy i s wel l est abl i shed,
but new devel opment s cont i nue t o pl ay a rol e i n
sol vi ng probl ems and meet i ng product i on chal -
l enges. Recent i mprovement s reduce l i f t i ng cost s
t hrough syst em component s t hat resi st host i l e
envi ronment s, opt i mi ze power usage and i mprove
rel i abi l i t y. Al t ernat i ve means of depl oyi ng l i f t
syst ems al l ow prot abl e product i on f rom previ -
ousl y uneconomi c wel l s or el ds. Tradi t i onal art i -
ci al -l i f t l i mi t s are expanded by usi ng more t han
one l i f t met hod i n t he same wel l , such as gas l i f t
or j et pumps combi ned wi t h el ect ri c submersi bl e
pumps and progressi ng cavi t y pumps dri ven by
el ect ri c submersi bl e mot ors. Thi s art i cl e revi ews
basi c l i f t syst ems, di scusses hi gh-vol ume art i -
ci al l i f t and present s sel ect i on, desi gn and opt i -
mi zat i on st rat egi es al ong wi t h new gas-l i f t and
submersi bl e t echnol ogy.
<Articial-lift selection. Making articial-lift
decisions is primarily a process of choosing the
lift methods most applicable to expected sur-
face, reservoir, production, uid and operational
conditions. This table provides applicability
values and selection criteria or conditions for
the basic forms of articial lift. To choose a
method that meets production requirements,
select the range that appliesgood to excellent
(1), fair to good (2) and not recommended or poor
(3)for key criteria, tally these values and weigh
the results.
Basic SystemDescriptions
The f our basi c subsurf ace art i ci al -l i f t groups
i ncl ude rod or progressi ng cavi t y di spl acement
pumps; j et , pi st on, t urbi ne or pl unger hydraul i c
pumps; gas l i f t ; and el ect ri c submersi bl e cen-
t ri f ugal pumps.
2
Rod pumps combi ne a cyl i nder (barrel ) and
pi st on (pl unger) wi t h val ves t o t ransf er wel l ui ds
i nt o t he t ubi ng and di spl ace t hem t o surf ace.
These pumps are connect ed t o surf ace by a met al
rod st ri ng i nsi de t he t ubi ng and operat ed by
reci procat i ng surf ace beam uni t s, or pumpi ng
j acks, t hat are powered by a pri me mover el ec-
t ri c or gas mot ors (bel ow). There are t wo t ypes
of l i near-di spl acement rod pumps. Tubi ng pumps
have a f ul l bore barrel wi t h st andi ng val ve and are
at t ached t o t he end of t he t ubi ng. A pl unger, or
t ravel i ng val ve, i s run i nt o t hi s barrel on t he rods.
Tubi ng must be pul l ed t o repai r or repl ace t ubi ng
pumps. Smal l er i nsert pumps consi st of a barrel ,
i nt ake val ve, pl unger and di scharge val ve com-
bi ned i n an i nt egral assembl y run i nsi de t ubi ng
on rods. Insert pumps can be ret ri eved and
repai red or repl aced wi t hout di st urbi ng t he pro-
duct i on t ubi ng by j ust pul l i ng t he rods.
Fl ui ds are pul l ed i nt o pump barrel s by cl ose-
t t i ng pl ungers wi t h check val ves t o di spl ace
ui d i nt o t he t ubi ng. St andi ng, or i nt ake, val ves
consi st of a st at i onary bal l -and-seat . The di s-
charge, or t ravel i ng val ve, moves duri ng each
reci procat i ng pump cycl e. Rod pumps are si mpl e,
f ami l i ar t o most operat ors and used wi del y.
However, rod pump capaci t y, or vol umet ri c ef -
ci ency, i s l i mi t ed i n wel l s wi t h hi gh gas/ l i qui d
rat i os, smal l t ubi ng di amet ers or deep produci ng
i nt erval s. Ot her di sadvant ages are a l arge surf ace
f oot pri nt (space requi rement ), hi gh capi t al i nvest -
ment and pot ent i al wel l head l eaks or spi l l s.
Progressi ng cavi t y pumps are based on rot ary
ui d di spl acement . Thi s spi ral syst em consi st s of
a rot or t urni ng eccent ri cal l y i nsi de a st at i onary
st at or (next page, t op l ef t ). The rot or i s a smal l -
di amet er screw wi t h deep round t hreads and
ext remel y l ong pi t ch di st ance bet ween t hread
peaks. The st at or has one more t hread and l onger
pi t ch t han t he rot or, whi ch f orms cavi t i es t hat
progress i n a rot at i ng mot i on t o creat e al most
pul sat i on-f ree l i near ow. Li ke rod pumps, t he
rot or i s general l y t urned by rods connect ed t o a
surf ace mot or. New rodl ess i nst al l at i ons use sub-
surf ace el ect ri c mot ors and a speed-reduci ng
gearbox t o t urn t he rot or.
In most cases, progressi ng cavi t y pumps are
exi bl e, rel i abl e, resi st ant t o abrasi ve sol i ds and
vol umet ri cal l y ef ci ent . Use of smal l mot ors
resul t s i n ef ci ent power usage and l ow l i f t i ng
cost s. Compared t o rod pumps, progressi ng
cavi t y pumps l ast l onger and have f ewer rod or
t ubi ng f ai l ures because of sl ow er operat i ng
speeds. Capi t al cost s are t ypi cal l y l ess t han ot her
art i ci al -l i f t met hods. Progressi ng cavi t y pumps
produce up t o 1700 B/ D [270 m
3
/ d] and are used
t o dept hs of about 4000 f t [1220 m]. El ast omer
component s l i mi t operat i ng t emperat ures t o
bet ween 212 and 302F [100 and 150C] and may
not be compat i bl e wi t h some chemi cal s or hydro-
gen sul de.
Hydraul i c syst ems t ransf er energy downhol e
by pressuri zi ng a speci al power ui d, usual l y
l i ght rened or produced oi l , t hat ows t hrough
wel l t ubi ng t o a subsurf ace pump, whi ch t rans-
mi t s t hi s pot ent i al energy t o produced ui ds
(next page, bot t om l ef t ). Common pumps consi st
of j et s, al so known as vent uri and ori ce nozzl es,
reci procat i ng pi st ons, or l ess wi del y used rot at -
i ng t urbi nes. A f ree-f l oat i ng f eat ure al l ow s
pumps t o be ci rcul at ed i n and out of wel l s
hydraul i cal l y, el i mi nat i ng sl i ckl i ne or ri g opera-
t i ons t o repl ace pumps or pul l t ubi ng. Hydraul i c
pumps are used at dept hs f rom 1000 t o 18,000 f t
[305 t o 5486 m] and produce rat es f rom 100 t o
10,000 B/ D [16 t o 1590 m
3
/ d] or more. M any
hydraul i c i nst al l at i ons produce 150 t o 300 B/ D
[24 t o 48 m
3
/ d] f r om deeper t han 12,000 f t
[3658 m]. Heavy, vi scous crudes are of t en easi er
t o produce af t er mi xi ng wi t h l i ght er power ui ds.
Because pumps can be ci rcul at ed out , syst ems
can be modi ed f or changi ng condi t i ons.
Gas l i f t uses addi t i onal hi gh-pressure gas t o
suppl ement f ormat i on gas. Produced ui ds are
l i f t ed by reduci ng ui d densi t y i n wel l bores t o
l i ght en t he hydrost at i c col umn, or backpressure,
l oad on f ormat i ons. Pri mary cri t eri a f or t hi s
met hod are gas avai l abi l i t y and compressi on
cost s. M ost gas-l i f t wel l s produce by cont i nuous
i nj ect i on, whi ch i s t he onl y l i f t met hod t hat f ul l y
ut i l i zes f ormat i on gas energy (next page, t op
ri ght ). Ext ernal gas, i nj ect ed i nt o speci al gas-l i f t
val ves at speci c desi gn dept hs, mi xes wi t h pro-
duced ui ds and decreases t he pressure gradi ent
f rom t he poi nt of i nj ect i on t o surf ace. Bot t omhol e
pressure i s reduced t o provi de a di f f erent i al , or
pressure drawdown, f or requi red ow rat es. If
drawdown i s i nsuf ci ent , i nst ant aneous hi gh-
vol ume i nj ect i on, or i nt ermi t t ent gas l i f t , can be
used t o di spl ace sl ugs of l i qui d t o surf ace. The
on-of f nat ure of t hi s opt i on causes surf ace gas-
handl i ng probl ems as wel l as surges downhol e
t hat may resul t i n sand product i on.
Gas l i f t i s exi bl e and adj ust abl e. Sl i ckl i ne-
ret ri evabl e gas-l i f t val ves can be pul l ed and
repl aced wi t hout di st urbi ng t ubi ng i f desi gns or
syst em perf ormance need t o be changed. Cost s
vary dependi ng on gas source and pressure, but
can be hi gh i f addi t i onal surf ace compressors
and processi ng f aci l i t i es are needed. Gas-l i f t
i nst al l at i ons handl e abrasi ve mat eri al s l i ke sand
and can be used i n l ow-product i vi t y, hi gh gas/ oi l
rat i o (GOR) wel l s or devi at ed wel l bores. Nat ural
gas short ages l i mi t or prevent gas-l i f t use.
Freezi ng and gas hydrat es are probl emat i c, as i s
sl i ckl i ne val ve ret ri eval i n hi gh-angl e w el l s.
Scal e, corrosi on and paraf n i ncrease syst em
f ri ct i on or backpressure and reduce l i f t ef ci ency.
Tubi ng si ze and l ong owl i nes al so l i mi t syst em
pressure and rest ri ct ef ci ency. The mai n di sad-
vant age of gas l i f t i s di f cul t y depl et i ng l ow-
pressure, l ow-product i vi t y wel l s compl et el y. In
some gas-l i f t wel l s, a change i n l i f t met hod may
be requi red bef ore abandonment .
El ect ri c submersi bl e syst ems use mul t i pl e
cent ri f ugal pump st ages mount ed i n seri es wi t hi n
a housi ng, mat ed cl osel y t o a submersi bl e el ec-
t ri c mot or on t he end of t ubi ng and connect ed t o
surf ace cont rol s and el ect ri c power by an armor-
prot ect ed cabl e (next page, bot t om ri ght ).
50 Oileld Review
Insert pump
Rods
Tubi ng
pump
Tubi ng
Casi ng
Pri me mover Beam pumpi ng uni t
Perf orat i ons
Produced
f l ui ds
Pl unger
Ful l bore barrel
Travel i ng val ve
St andi ng val ve
>
Reciprocating displacement rod pumps.
2. Bradley HB (ed): PetroleumEngineering Handbook, First
Printing. Richardson, Texas, USA: Society of Petroleum
Engineers, 1987.
Spring 1999 51
El ect ri c mot or
Rods
Tubi ng
Casi ng
St at or
Rot or
>
Progressing cavity displacement pumps.
Power-f l ui d
st orage
Hi gh-pressure
pump
Perf orat i ons
Tubi ng
Power f l ui d
Casi ng
Jet , pi st on or t urbi ne
downhol e pump
Produced
fluids
>
Hydraulic-lift pumping systems.
Perf orat i ons
Produced oi l and gas,
and i nj ect i on gas
Produced
oi l and gas
Inj ect i on gas
Gas-l i f t ed
produced
f l ui ds
Fl owi ng
produced
f l ui ds
Si de-pocket
mandrel s
Gas-l i f t
val ves
>
Injection gas lift.
Electric drives and controllers prot ect
syst ems by shut t i ng of f power i f normal
operat i ng l i mi t s are not mai nt ai ned.
A vari abl e-speed dri ve
adj ust s pump out put
by varyi ng mot or speed.
Produced
fluids
Gas separators segregat e some f ree gas f rom
produced f l ui ds i nt o t he t ubi ng-casi ng annul us
by f l ui d reversal or rot ary cent ri f uge bef ore
gas ent ers t he pump.
Submersible motors are t wo-pol e,
t hree-phase i nduct i on mot ors.
Pump intakes al l ow f l ui ds t o ent er t he
pump and may be part of t he gas separat or.
Electric transformers
convert source vol t age
t o requi red downhol e
mot or vol t age.
Motor protectors connect pumps t o mot ors;
i sol at e mot ors f rom wel l f l ui ds; serve as a
mot or-oi l reserve and equal i ze pressure
bet ween wel l bore and mot or; and al l ow
expansi on or cont ract i on of mot or oi l .
Pump housings cont ai n mul t i st age rot at i ng
i mpel l ers and st at i onary di f f users. The
number of cent ri f ugal st ages det ermi nes
rat e, pressure and requi red power.
Power cables suppl y el ect ri ci t y t o submersi bl e
mot ors t hrough armor-prot ect ed, i nsul at ed
conduct ors. Cabl es are round except f or a f l at
sect i on al ong pumps and mot or prot ect ors
where space i s l i mi t ed.
Downhole monitoring tools i ncorporat e
pressure and t emperat ure sensi ng i nst rument s
t hat send si gnal s t hrough t he power cabl e t o
a surf ace readout uni t .
Perf orat i ons
Gas
>
Electric submersible centrifugal pump systems.
Submersi bl e syst ems have a wi de perf or-
mance range and are one of t he more versat i l e
l i f t met hods. St andard surf ace el ect ri c dri ves
power out put s f rom 100 t o 30,000 B/ D [16 t o
4770 m
3
/ d] and vari abl e-speed dri ves add pump-
rat e exi bi l i t y. Hi gh GOR ui ds can be handl ed,
but l arge gas vol umes can l ock up and dest roy
pumps. Corrosi ve ui ds are handl ed by usi ng spe-
ci al mat eri al s and coat i ngs. M odi ed equi pment
and procedures al l ow sand and abrasi ve part i cl es
t o be pumped wi t hout adverse ef f ect s. Operat i ng
submersi bl e pumps at t emperat ures above 350F
[177C] requi res speci al hi gh-t emperat ure mot ors
and cabl es.
Hi st ori cal l y, el ect ri c submersi bl e pumps were
used i n hi gh-wat er, l ow-oi l producers t hat per-
f orm l i ke wat er wel l s. A submersi bl e pump can
operat e i n hi gh-angl e and hori zont al wel l s, but
shoul d be pl aced i n a st rai ght or vert i cal sect i on.
Subsurf ace submersi bl e equi pment may be sev-
eral hundred f eet l ong, so bendi ng reduces run
l i f e by causi ng i nt ernal wear on mot or and pump
beari ngs. Wel l s deeper t han 12,000 f t can be pro-
duced ef ci ent l y wi t h el ect ri c submersi bl e sys-
t ems and t hese pumps can be used i n casi ng as
smal l as 4.5-i n. out si de di amet er (OD). At 20 t o
70% ef ci ency, el ect ri c submersi bl e pumps are
perhaps t he most ef ci ent and economi cal l i f t
met hod on a cost -per-barrel basi s, but dept h and
hi gh GOR rest ri ct capaci t y and ef ci ency.
Anot her di sadvant age i s t he need f or expen-
si ve ri g i nt ervent i ons t o pul l t ubi ng f or pump
repai rs or repl acement . In addi t i on, i ndi vi dual
i nst al l at i ons have l i mi t ed product i on ranges di c-
t at ed by t he number of pump st ages. Al t ernat i ve
depl oyment met hods and vari abl e-speed surf ace
dri ves address t hese l i mi t at i ons.
Current Applications
Because hydrocarbon devel opment s worl dwi de
are i n vari ous st ages of mat uri t y, produci ng wel l s
can be grouped i nt o cat egori es (bel ow). At one
end of t hi s spect rum, whi ch i ncl udes subsea
compl et i ons and wel l s requi ri ng advanced con-
st ruct i on met hods or new equi pment t echnol o-
gi es, t here i s a l i mi t ed but growi ng number of
compl ex, hi gh-cost wel l s t hat produce at hi gh
rat es. Si zabl e i nst al l at i on and operat i ng cost s,
combi ned wi t h t echnol ogy or equi pment con-
st rai nt s, l i mi t use of art i ci al l i f t i n t hese wel l s.
In general , t hi s sect or i s not very act i ve, but i s
undoubt edl y t he di rect i on of f ut ure hydrocarbon
devel opment . Of f shore, because of rel i abi l i t y and
exi bi l i t y, robust gas-l i f t and el ect ri c submersi bl e
syst ems are now used al most excl usi vel y when
art i ci al l i f t i s requi red. Expl oi t at i on of deep-
wat er reserves requi res i mproved t echnol ogy.
Al t ernat i ve depl oyment met hods and combi ned
l i f t syst ems f or subsea wel l s i n conj unct i on wi t h
permanent downhol e moni t ori ng al l ow ef ci ent ,
economi c art i ci al l i f t and process cont rol .
At t he ot her ext reme, st ri pper and devel op-
ment , or harvest , wel l s produce l i mi t ed rat es and
vol umes. Increment al product i on due t o art i ci al
l i f t i s smal l . Rod, progressi ng cavi t y or hydraul i c
pumps are of t en appl i ed i n t hese wel l s. Al t hough
wel l numbers are hi gh, act i vi t y i n t hi s sect or i s
l i mi t ed t o l ow-cost new i nst al l at i ons and syst em
sal vage or repl acement .
Bet ween t hese cat egori es are many medi um-
vol ume wel l s, of t en i n secondary recovery el ds,
t hat produce si gni cant rat es and oi l vol umes.
Increment al gai ns i n t hese w el l s represent
i mport ant pot ent i al product i on. These wel l s dri ve
a maj ori t y of engi neeri ng and t echnol ogi cal
devel opment s, generat e cash ow, and represent
t he most act i ve and hi gh-val ue art i ci al -l i f t sec-
t or. M edi um- t o hi gh-vol ume l i f t met hods, l i ke
gas l i f t or el ect ri c submersi bl e pumps, are
appl i ed i n t hese wel l s. Ease of i nst al l at i on and
operat i onal si mpl i ci t y make t hese t wo syst ems
pref erred and popul ar among operat ors.
Sel ect i on of art i ci al -l i f t met hods and syst em
desi gns are best accompl i shed by st udyi ng el ds
as a whol e, i ncl udi ng reservoi rs, wel l s, surf ace
f aci l i t y i nf rast ruct ure and overal l proj ect eco-
nomi cs. Servi ce compani es pl ay an i mport ant
rol e by provi di ng i nst al l at i on, operat i on, t roubl e-
shoot i ng and opt i mi zat i on servi ces i n addi t i on t o
art i ci al -l i f t t echnol ogy, equi pment and desi gns
f or speci c appl i cat i ons.
52 Oileld Review
Number of wel l s
P
r
o
d
u
c
t
i
o
n

r
a
t
e
Subsea
Hi gh-rat e wel l s
St ri pper wel l s
Harvest f i el ds and i nf i l l wel l s
Compl ex compl et i ons
Remote environments
Secondary recovery f i el ds
>
Articial-lift applications. Across the spectrum
of producing wells, articial lift is applicable
from simple, low-cost stripper wells where
low-volume sucker-rod, progressing cavity and
hydraulic lift are used most often to high-cost
subsea developments. In between, there are
large numbers of development, inll and sec-
ondary recovery wells that produce signicant
volumes of gas and oil, primarily by gas lift
and electric submersible pumps. Increasingly,
articial-lift methods are being combined to
overcome single-system limitations in these
complex, high-volume wells.
>
Spring 1999 53
SystemEvaluation and Selection
Vari ous approaches are used t o devel op oi l and
gas asset s, add val ue or si mpl y t o reduce t he
cost s associ at ed wi t h pot ent i al prospect s, new
el ds and l at e-l i f e st rat egi es f or exi st i ng devel -
opment s. Choosi ng t he best met hods i nvol ves
hydraul i c, mechani cal and el ect ri cal engi neeri ng
consi derat i ons. Ideal l y, art i ci al -l i f t eval uat i ons
i ncorporat e product i on syst em paramet ers f rom
reservoi r boundari es t o process pl ant s.
Equi pment requi rement s, t he si ze and com-
pl exi t y of product i on syst ems and t he power
requi red t o l i f t wel l ui ds make hi gh-vol ume art i -
f i ci al l i f t expensi ve t o i nst al l and operat e.
Sel ect i ng t he most sui t abl e met hods and equi p-
ment i s i mport ant , because one art i f i ci al -l i f t
i nst al l at i on may produce more oi l t han t he pro-
duct i on of some smal l mat ure el ds. Sel ect i ng
t he ri ght syst em or combi nat i on of met hods i s
even more cri t i cal when eval uat ed i n t erms of
f ai l ure, downt i me and i nt ervent i on cost s.
Engi neeri ng t eams revi ew t echni cal , eco-
nomi c and ri sk f act ors, generat e opt i ons and
make recommendat i ons. The best approach i s an
i t erat i ve t ot al syst ems eval uat i on, w het her
appl i ed a short t i me af t er di scovery when more
reservoi r i nf ormat i on i s known, f ol l owi ng i ni t i al
devel opment at a st age bef ore f urt her dri l l i ng or
w hen revi ew i ng l at e-l i f e st rat egi es (ri ght ).
Art i ci al -l i f t st rat egi es shoul d maxi mi ze opt i ons
t hat are avai l abl e over t he l i f e of a el d.
Ini t i al eval uat i on mi ght i ndi cat e an art i ci al -
l i f t met hod l i ke el ect ri c submersi bl e pump t o
obt ai n hi gher product i on rat es, but l at er anal ysi s
may reveal t hat gas l i f t i s best . Conversel y, gas
l i f t mi ght be consi dered sui t abl e i ni t i al l y because
of poor submersi bl e pump economi cs and equi p-
ment perf ormance, but a revi ew mi ght show sub-
mersi bl e syst ems t o be t he ri ght approach as
l ong as proper desi gn, i nst al l at i on and operat i on
are carri ed out . In some cases, el ect ri c sub-
mersi bl e pumps are i nst al l ed and operat ed, but
when sand, scal e or emul si on probl ems devel op
and act ual product i on i s reeval uat ed, gas l i f t or
progressi ng cavi t y pumps mi ght be bet t er.
For exampl e, a el d i n Nort h Af ri ca wi t h
decl i ni ng pressure and i ncreasi ng wat er rat es
appeared t o be a candi dat e f or el ect ri c sub-
mersi bl e pumps. The reservoi r has a st rong
wat erdri ve, and pressure decl i nes about 100 psi
[690 kPa] per year. No wat er i nj ect i on i s pl anned.
The wel l s ow t o el d-gat heri ng mani f ol ds t hat
connect wi t h a pi pel i ne l i nked t o a di st ant pro-
cessi ng pl ant . Increased wat er rat es l ed t o ces-
sat i on of nat ural ow i n some wel l s, i ndi cat i ng
t hat art i ci al l i f t or pressure support was needed.
Thi s el d appeared t o be a candi dat e f or el ect ri c
submersi bl e pump i nst al l at i ons.
Three members of t he Camco EOR Engi neer-
i ng Opt i mi zat i on Resources group conduct ed an
art i ci al -l i f t eval uat i on. Fl owi ng gradi ent surveys
hel ped sel ect t he best vert i cal -ow correl at i on.
Fi el d owl i ne net work and export pi pel i ne pres-
sures and rat es were recorded t o sel ect a hori -
zont al ow correl at i on. Wat er rat es at whi ch
nat ural ow ceased were predi ct ed and mat ched
by NODAL t echni ques and wel l perf ormance
model s.
3
Reservoi r pressure and wat er produc-
t i on f orecast s were used t o proj ect when t he
el d woul d requi re art i ci al l i f t t o produce hi gh
wat er-cut wel l s.
El ect ri c submersi bl e pump eval uat i on det er-
mi ned rat es t hat coul d be achi eved gi ven reser-
voi r and wel l l i mi t at i ons. Pump desi gns were
generat ed and product i on benet s were quant i -
ed. Al so est i mat ed were t he expect ed pump run
l i f e and power requi rement s f or devel opi ng t he
el d wi t h submersi bl e t echnol ogy. Gas l i f t was
eval uat ed f or a range of wel l condi t i ons over t he
l i f e of t he el d. Inj ect i on pressure, gas-l i f t rat e
and t ubi ng si ze were cal cul at ed t o maxi mi ze
product i on under exi st i ng processi ng f aci l i t y con-
st rai nt s. Compressor requi rement s were det er-
mi ned f rom sol ut i on gas and l i f t -gas usage.
Pi pel i ne pressure and capaci t y wi t h l i f t gas
added t o t he product i on st ream were anal yzed.
Gas-l i f t desi gns were generat ed and 20 t o 40%
product i on i ncreases were est i mat ed.
Team eval uat i on
of art i f i ci al -l i f t
met hods
Commerci al
anal ysi s
Ri sk
anal ysi s
Generat e
opt i ons
Make
recommendat i ons
Inst al l
art i f i ci al l i f t
Eval uat e resul t s
and revi ew opt i ons
Techni cal i nput
f rom equi pment
provi ders and
servi ce compani es
Inst al l at i on
i nf rast ruct ure
Envi ronment al
consi derat i ons
Reservoi r
consi derat i ons
Dri l l i ng
consi derat i ons
Int ervent i on
consi derat i ons
Top-si de process
consi derat i ons
Wel l bore
consi derat i ons
Syst em dat a
consi derat i ons
Technol ogy
present and f ut ure
Saf et y
consi derat i ons
>
Articial-lift evaluation. Because there are many strategies for developing oil
elds, articial-lift alternatives need to be identied and evaluated based on
technical, commercial, risk and overall system factors. Engineering teams recom-
mend development strategies and articial-lift methods from the options generated
by these evaluations. When additional reservoir, well and facility information or
performance data are available, perhaps after initial eld development or later
during mature stages of production, these techniques are used to cycle through
the process loop again to assess performance, investigate late-life strategies or
reevaluate and change articial-lift methods.
3. Bartz S, Mach J M, Saeedi J , Haskell J , Manrique J ,
Mukherjee H, Olsen T, Opsal S, Proano E, Semmelbeck
M, Spalding G and Spath J : Lets Get the Most Out of
Existing Wells, Oileld Review9, no. 4 (Winter 1997): 2-21.
Reservoi r const rai nt s l i ke wat er and gas con-
i ng, sand product i on and gas breakout at perf o-
rat i ons were i dent i ed. Gas-l i f t and submersi bl e
pump perf ormance were compared, and down-
t i me was est i mat ed based on el ect ri c pump run
l i f e and requi red gas-l i f t val ve changes.
Operat i onal capabi l i t y and saf et y i ssues were
i dent i ed and cost s were est i mat ed. A compari -
son cl earl y i dent i ed gas l i f t as t he opt i mal art i -
f i ci al -l i f t met hod. Int ervent i on and pump
repl acement s made el ect ri c submersi bl e pumps
uneconomi c even t hough product i on coul d be
i ncreased by 30 t o 40% i ni t i al l y. The EOR t eam
recommended gas-l i f t i mpl ement at i on t o avoi d
l ost product i on. Thi s eval uat i on was compl et ed
i n one mont h.
Anot her exampl e shows t he compl exi t y of l i f t
sel ect i on. Pet robras-operat ed Ceara of f shore
product i on area i n Brazi l consi st s of ni ne pl at -
f orms produci ng f our f i el ds At um, Curi ma,
Espada and Xareu. Product i on f rom t hese el ds
was 10,550 B/ D [1680 m
3
/ d]. As a resul t of l ow
reservoi r pressures, al l but 6 of 63 wel l s requi re
art i ci al l i f t . Because of poor pump perf ormance
and scal e-rel at ed f ai l ures, a proposal was made
t o swi t ch f rom el ect ri c submersi bl e pumps t o gas
l i f t i n al l f our el ds.
The obj ect i ve was t o reduce expenses and
i ncrease product i on by recompl et i ng wel l s wi t h
si ngl e produci ng i nt erval s t o dual -zone produc-
ers. In general , commi ngl i ng zones was rest ri ct ed
by wi de pressure di f f erent i al s. Gas l i f t was pro-
posed as a sol ut i on t hat al l owed dual zones t o be
produced. However, l arge capi t al expendi t ures
were needed t o convert f rom current el ect ri c sub-
mersi bl e syst ems.
Dual submersi bl e pump syst ems al so al l ow
si mul t aneous product i on of t wo i sol at ed zones
and are an al t ernat i ve t o dual gas-l i f t compl e-
t i ons. Usi ng dual submersi bl e pumps i n each
wel l achi eves t he same product i on rat es, and
i nvest ment i s l i mi t ed t o new compl et i ons f or
onl y 26 proposed dual wel l s. Forecast oi l -rat e
i ncreases of 725 m
3
/ d [4560 B/ D] t o 1190 m
3
/ d
[7485 B/ D] f rom dual zones can be achi eved wi t h
gas l i f t or el ect ri c submersi bl e pumps. Exi st i ng
submersi bl e i nst al l at i ons and opt i onal sol ut i ons
were revi ewed, and gas-l i f t vi abi l i t y as a repl ace-
ment f or submersi bl e pumps was assessed.
Based on a ow correl at i on veri ed by ow-
i ng pressure-gradi ent surveys i n a t ri al gas-l i f t
wel l and NODAL anal ysi s, el d economi cs over-
al l are not af f ect ed by swi t chi ng f rom el ect ri c
submersi bl e pump t o gas l i f t i n exi st i ng wel l s.
Scal e probl ems are not al l evi at ed. Gas-l i f t val ves
must be pl aced at dept hs where scal e bui l ds up,
so chemi cal i nj ect i on i s st i l l requi red t o ensure
t hat wel l s remai n product i ve and servi ceabl e.
Gas l i f t does not draw reservoi r pressure down
as much as submersi bl e pumps, whi ch resul t s
i n l ower product i on rat es. However, t hi s l oss
of out put i s bal anced by l ess downt i me f or gas-
l i f t compl et i ons.
Several wel l s produce at l ow rat es, part i cu-
l arl y i n t he Xareu el d, and ow woul d not be st a-
bl e under cont i nuous gas l i f t . In t he Ceara
product i on area, gas l i f t i s not t he i deal art i ci al -
l i f t met hod f or every wel l , si nce some wel l s
woul d not cont i nue t o produce. Int ermi t t ent gas
l i f t or progressi ng cavi t y pumps may be needed
f or l ow-rat e wel l s. A subsea compl et i on wi t h l ow
reservoi r pressure t hat was t t ed wi t h gas-l i f t
val ves woul d not ow nat ural l y. A st and-al one
compressor was proposed t o get t hi s wel l on l i ne.
Si gni cant ef ci ency and oi l out put coul d be
gai ned by addressi ng submersi bl e pump perf or-
mance. A bet t er chemi cal i nhi bi t i on program was
needed t o reduce f ai l ures due t o scal e and
i mprove pump operat i ons. Increasi ng run l i f e
f rom 16 mont hs t o 24 mont hs reduces t he num-
ber of workovers. Bet t er desi gns coul d el i mi nat e
i nef ci ency, and i nst al l i ng t wo submersi bl e pump
syst ems per compl et i on woul d cut workover f re-
quency by hal f . When one pump f ai l s, t he ot her
can be used wi t hout pul l i ng t ubi ng and compl e-
t i on equi pment . Increasi ng submersi bl e pump run
l i f e and i mprovi ng ef ci ency reduce expenses.
Af t er eval uat i on, submersi bl e syst ems st i l l
appear t o be best , but rel i abi l i t y and l i f e-cycl e
cost s need t o i mprove.
The Camco EOR group recommended t hat
submersi bl e pumps be ret ai ned as a pri mary art i -
ci al -l i f t met hod and t hat al t ernat i ves f or reduc-
i ng cost and i ncreasi ng product i on be revi ewed.
One opt i on was t o use more t han one art i ci al -
l i f t met hod. By usi ng redesi gned submersi bl e
pumps and bet t er operat i ng pract i ces i n t he
At um, Xareu and Espada el ds, and convert i ng
t he Curi ma f i el d t o gas l i f t , product i on and
expense t arget s were achi eved at reduced capi t al
expendi t ure f or f aci l i t i es. Thi s approach addresses
t he el d wi t h hi ghest l i f t i ng cost s due t o short sub-
mersi bl e pump run l i f e and al l ows i nst al l at i on of
dual gas-l i f t compl et i ons i n t he Curi ma el d,
whi ch has t he best product i on pot ent i al .
Expert i se i s requi red t o sel ect , i nst al l and
operat e hi gh-rat e art i ci al l i f t . Asi de f rom t echni -
cal eval uat i on, syst em desi gns must be depend-
abl e t o real i ze opt i mal val ue i n t he f ace of
probabl e commerci al and ri sk scenari os. To mi ni -
mi ze t echni cal and nanci al ri sks, and address
speci al i zed appl i cat i ons, out sourci ng and resul t s-
based cont ract s are becomi ng st andard pract i ce
among operat ors f or procuri ng equi pment and
i mpl ement i ng art i f i ci al l i f t t hrough syst ems
desi gn and engi neeri ng servi ces (see Art i ci al -
Li f t and Fi el d Opt i mi zat i on, page 61).
54 Oileld Review
Ni t rogen-f i l l ed
bel l ows
Casi ng port s
Tubi ng port s
>
Subsurface gas-lift valves. The choice of
valve and operating principle depends on well
parameters and well intervention costs. Con-
ventional gas-lift valves and mandrels are run
as part of the production tubing string. Retriev-
able valves in side-pocket mandrels that are
offset from the centerline of the tubing are
used offshore and in remote locations where
rig interventions are expensive. Closing force
for pressure-operated valves is provided by
a spring, nitrogen-charged bellows, or both.
Using a surface test rack, valves are preset to
open at the required operating pressure for a
well. Smaller miniature values are available for
limited clearance and slimhole applications.
Spring 1999 55
High-Rate Gas-Lift Systems
Al t hough t rai l i ng el ect ri c submersi bl e pump use
w orl dw i de, gas l i f t general l y t he most eco-
nomi cal art i f i ci al -l i f t met hod i f a cost -ef f ect i ve
gas suppl y i s avai l abl e i s common i n Nort h
Ameri ca, t he US Gul f Coast and of f shore. Unl i ke
submersi bl e syst ems, gas l i f t does not add
energy, or l i f t i ng pow er. Reservoi r pressure, sup-
pl ement ed by gas i nj ect ed i nt o t ubi ng val ves at
speci f i c dept hs t o l i ght en t he f l ui d col umn, st i l l
dri ves f l ui d i nf l ow and out f l ow. There are many
t ypes of gas-l i f t val ves t hat use a vari et y of
operat i ng pri nci pl es (previ ous page). Product i on
engi neers choose t he val ves t hat f i t w el l and
f i el d condi t i ons.
In gas-l i f t syst ems, downhol e equi pment and
surf ace f aci l i t i es are cl osel y rel at ed. Because
wel l paramet ers and condi t i ons l i ke reservoi r
pressure are dynami c, produci ng operat i ons
change over t i me. By usi ng sophi st i cat ed sof t -
ware t o l i nk wel l bore, surf ace f aci l i t i es and pre-
di ct ed reservoi r response i n a si ngl e model ,
i nt egrat ed engi neeri ng t eams can bal ance sur-
f ace and subsurf ace consi derat i ons. Reservoi r
paramet ers are product i vi t y, changes i n perf or-
mance wi t h t i me and speci c probl ems l i ke sand
or wat er i nux. Wel l f act ors i ncl ude t ubi ng and
casi ng si ze as wel l as dept h, compl et i on congu-
rat i on packers, perf orat i ons and sand-cont rol
screens t ype of gas-l i f t val ve, w el l bore
hydraul i cs and ui d-ow regi mes. Surf ace f aci l i -
t i es i nvol ve compressors, separat ors, mani f ol ds,
el d owl i nes and export pi pel i nes (bel ow).
Compressor di scharge pressure i mpact s
i nj ect i on val ve set up and operat i on, and i s t he
rst gas-l i f t desi gn consi derat i on. Avai l abl e pres-
sure at t he wel l head est abl i shes gas i nj ect i on
dept h, w hi ch det ermi nes l i f t ef f i ci ency. The
deeper gas i s i nj ect ed, t he hi gher t he product i on
rat e. The cost of i nj ect i ng deeper i s rel at ed t o
addi t i onal compressi on, pl ant upgrades and
operat i ng expenses, as wel l as f act ors rel at ed t o
ot her surf ace f aci l i t i es, l i ke separat or perf or-
mance and pressures. There are, however, sol u-
t i ons t hat bal ance compressi on cost wi t h t he
product i on rat es t hat can be achi eved.
It i s i mport ant t o ensure dependabl e gas pres-
sure and vol umes t hrough mechani cal rel i abi l i t y
and operat i ng procedures. Trai ned operat ors and
properl y i nst al l ed and mai nt ai ned compressi on
equi pment are cruci al t o gas i nj ect i on. In some
el ds, gas l i f t i s l i mi t ed by exi st i ng i nf rast ruct ure.
Li ke gas-l i f t val ves, compressors can al so be
changed. Ski d-mount ed, port abl e compressi on
f aci l i t i es can be modi ed f or use i n ot her l oca-
t i ons or appl i cat i ons t o i mprove out ow and
mi ni mi ze cost s.
Oi l st orage
Product i on
mani f ol d
Compressor
st at i on
Gas export
pi pel i ne
Produced
gas
Inj ect i on gas
mani f ol d
Met eri ng
and cont rol
Produci ng
wel l s
Produced
f l ui ds
Gas and oi l
separat or
Wat er
di sposal
wel l
Oi l export
pi pel i ne
Produced
wat er
Produced
oi l
Wel l head
t ubi ng and
casi ng
pressure
Inj ect i on
gas
>
Gas-lift networks and facilities. On the surface,
gas-lift infrastructure includes compressors,
separators, manifolds, eld owlines and export
pipelines, which are closely related to subsur-
face equipment operation and performance.
Changes in facility or reservoir performance inu-
ence both systems. Often, there is not enough gas
to lift every well at maximum efciency. Produc-
tion can be enhanced by optimizing gas injection
within existing eld networks. If gas lift is limited
by existing surface infrastructure, skid-mounted,
portable compression facilities can be used to
improve eld output. [Adapt ed f rom Book 6 of t he
Ameri can Pet rol eum Inst i t ut e (API) Vocat i onal Trai ni ng
Seri es: Gas Li f t . Dal l as, Texas, USA: API, 1984.]
Surf ace gas compressors and subsurf ace
val ves need t o operat e i n a st abl e manner, but
changes i n f aci l i t y or reservoi r perf ormance i nu-
ence bot h syst ems. M ost of t he t i me t here i s not
enough gas t o l i f t every wel l at maxi mum ef -
ci ency. Requi red i nj ect i on rat es of t en cannot be
achi eved because of gas source, equi pment ,
pressure, economi c or ot her l i mi t at i ons. Product i on
out put can be enhanced by ef f ect i ve and ef ci ent
i nj ect i on gas di st ri but i on wi t hi n exi st i ng el d
net works.
M any cri t eri a are consi dered when choosi ng
t he best i nj ect i on rat e. For exampl e, wel l s wi t h
hi gh product i vi t y or l ow i nj ect i vi t y need more
gas vol ume or hi gher gas-i nj ect i on pressure.
Sensi t i vi t y anal yses det ermi ne how wel l s af f ect
each ot her and dene i nj ect i on rat es t hat resul t
i n opt i mal product i on. Gas-l i f t val ve port , or ori -
ce, si ze can be cal cul at ed and adj ust ed f or
requi red gas i nj ect i on. Subsurf ace gauges suppl y
dat a f or subsequent eval uat i ons. Surf ace and
nanci al const rai nt s of t en rest ri ct gas t hroughput
and need t o be addressed usi ng an i nt egrat ed
syst ems approach.
4
In such cases, el d out put
i nst ead of si ngl e-wel l rat es are opt i mi zed. For
t hi s purpose, el d-wi de model s are bui l t based
on product i on syst em dat a such as compressors,
separat ors, owl i nes and chokes. Al ong wi t h
wel l perf ormance curves, dat a are gat hered i nt o
a el d-wi de NODAL anal ysi s program.
Maxi mi zi ng gas-l i f t perf ormance one wel l at
a t i me was st andard i n t he past . Today, ongoi ng
product i on opt i mi zat i on and management on a
syst em-wi de basi s, whi ch i ncl udes compressors,
i ncrease revenue, enhance prot abi l i t y and pro-
vi de l ong-t erm val ue more ef f ect i vel y. Thi s sys-
t ems approach i s made possi bl e by i mprovement s
and advances i n comput i ng, downhol e moni t or-
i ng, dat a-col l ect i on and i nf ormat i on t echnol ogi es.
Camco, now a Schl umberger company, manu-
f act ures surf ace and subsurf ace f l ow -cont rol
devi ces, si de-pocket t ubi ng mandrel s and gas-l i f t
val ves, l at ches, runni ng and ki ckover t ool s f or
gas-l i f t syst ems (l ef t ). New t echnol ogy, l i ke el ec-
t ri c gas-l i f t val ves, are al so bei ng devel oped.
Convent i onal val ves have one port si ze wi t h t he
capabi l i t y t o open and cl ose. Si mpl e ori f i ce
val ves have no open-cl ose mechani sm. El ect ri c
val ves al l ow port si ze t o be adj ust ed remot el y
f rom surf ace over a range of f ul l y open t o cl osed.
Thi s provi des bet t er cont rol when unl oadi ng u-
i ds duri ng wel l st art up, real -t i me gas-l i f t opt i -
mi zat i on and t he opt i on of changi ng gas i nj ect i on
poi nt s wi t hout wel l i nt ervent i on. Thi s exi bi l i t y
wi l l hel p meet f ut ure oi l and gas expl oi t at i on
chal l enges by reduci ng gas-l i f t cost s f or deep-
wat er and subsea wel l s.
In f ut ure opt i mi zat i on ef f ort s, val ves wi l l be
run wi t h gauges t o read casi ng and t ubi ng pres-
sure. Combi ned wi t h i nf ormat i on current l y avai l -
abl e, such as wel l t est s and surf ace pressure
measurement s, t hese readi ngs wi l l val i dat e mod-
el s and f orecast s, and be used t o est abl i sh opt i -
mum gas-i nj ect i on rat es. Based on requi red
rat es, port si ze wi l l t hen be adj ust ed remot el y.
The resul t i ng ef f ect on casi ng and t ubi ng pres-
sure i s moni t ored and t hen used as f eedback f or
t he next generat i on of cl osed-l oop aut omat ed
cont rol syst ems.
High-Rate Electric Submersible Systems
Wi t h l i qui d-l i f t i ng capaci t i es up t o 30,000 B/ D
[4770 m
3
/ d], dependi ng on el ect ri c power l i mi t a-
t i ons, oi l el d submersi bl e pumps are used pri -
mari l y f or medi um- and hi gh-vol ume product i on.
Wi t hi n t hi s art i ci al -l i f t sect or are several t ypes
of appl i cat i ons and conf i gurat i ons, i ncl udi ng
st andard i nst al l at i ons, boost er or i nj ect i on ser-
vi ce, bot t om i nt ake or di scharge, shrouded
i nst al l at i ons, of f shore pl at f orms and surf ace
hori zont al syst ems (next page). Desi gn and
i nst al l at i on of submersi bl e syst ems combi ne
hydraul i c, mechani cal and el ect ri cal component s
i n a compl ex subsurf ace envi ronment , so rel i a-
bi l i t y i s a key t o success. If run l i f e i s short ,
ret ri evi ng an el ect ri c submersi bl e pump t hat
f ai l s premat urel y i s expensi ve and det ri ment al t o
proj ect economi cs.
56 Oileld Review
Si de-pocket
mandrel
Gas-l i f t
val ve
Sl i ckl i ne
ki ckover
t ool
>
Retrievable gas-lift valves. Slickline-retrievable valves can be installed or removed without
pulling tubing. Kickover tools are designed to selectively locate side-pocket mandrels.
Spring 1999 57
Wel l st i mul at i on or chemi cal i nj ect i on are
of t en requi red, so i t i s i mport ant t o ensure com-
pat i bi l i t y bet w een chemi cal s and dow nhol e
equi pment . Treat ment ui ds can damage coat -
i ngs and el ast omer component s l i ke cabl e, mot or,
pump and mot or-prot ect or seal s. Improved
desi gns and advanced const ruct i on mat eri al s,
i ncl udi ng new met al al l oys and el ast omers f or
handi ng corrosi ve ui ds and harsh subsurf ace
condi t i ons such as ext reme t emperat ures or hi gh-
rat i o gas producers, are cont i nui ng t o be devel -
oped. These new t echnol ogi es, coupl ed wi t h
al t ernat i ve met hods of depl oyi ng el ect ri c sub-
mersi bl e pumps, are expandi ng t he range of
appl i cat i ons f or t hi s versat i l e art i ci al -l i f t f orm.
Hi gh t emperat ures For many years, el ect ri c
submersi bl e pumps were used i n t he Wi l mi ngt on
oi l el d, whi ch consi st s of about 600 wel l s dri l l ed
f rom man-made i sl ands i n t he harbor of Long
Beach, Cal i f orni a, USA, near San Di ego. A subset
of t hese wel l s i ncl udes l ow-rat e, hi gh-oi l -cut pro-
ducers wi t h 9
5
8-i n. casi ng. The THUM S Long
Beach Company operat i on had probl ems wi t h
mot ors t hat f ai l ed premat urel y i n about 20 of
t hese i nst al l at i ons.
5
Pumps were subj ect ed t o
t emperat ures above 400F [205C] because of
l i mi t ed oi l rat es and l ow wat er product i on t hat
di d not cool mot ors adequat el y. Pumps ran f or
onl y 30 t o 60 days.
An advanced desi gn, HOTLINE mot or seri es
wi t h capabi l i t y t o run cont i nuousl y at up t o 550F
[228C] w as devel oped by Reda, al so a
Schl umberger company. Hi gh-t emperat ure t her-
mopl ast i c mot or-w i ndi ng i nsul at i on i ni t i al l y
devel oped and pat ent ed f or geot hermal and
st eamood wel l s was appl i ed. Thi s successf ul
new t echnol ogy resul t ed i n average runs i n
excess of 1000 days and annual savi ngs of over
$200,000 per wel l , i ncl udi ng f ewer wel l i nt erven-
t i ons, l ess equi pment repai r and reduced
>
Submersible pump congurations. In booster service, a standard pump, protector and motor unit are used to lift uid from owlines or other sources
and simultaneously provide injection for waterood, pipeline or other applications. In bottom-intake congurations, uid enters the pump through a stinger
in a permanent packer. Pump and motor are inverted from conventional installations. This setup is used when casing clearance limits production because
of tubing friction loss or pump diameter interference. A bottom-intake conguration pump and motor can also be suspended by small diameter, high-
strength cables, conventional tubing or coiled tubing to improve output. The bottom-discharge pump is used to inject water from shallow aquifers into
deeper producing zones. A shrouded conguration directs uid past the motor for cooling or allows free gas to separate from uids ahead
of the intake and allows pumps to be set below perforations or producing zones. To save space on platforms and in other surface operations, submersible
pump surface units are used for mixing mud, washing down and re protection, sump and water supply pumps and off-loading oil from storage.
4. Lekic O and Watt GW: SystemApproach Optimizes
Gas Lift, The American Oil & Gas Reporter 41, no. 6
(J une 1998): 124-128.
5. The THUMS (Texaco, Humblenow Exxon, Unocal,
Mobil and Shell) Long Beach Company name was
derived fromthe rst letter of the ve companies that
joined together to bid successfully for the rights to
develop and produce oil fromunder the city and harbor
of Long Beach, California.
BottomIntake
BottomDischarge Shrouded
Booster Service
Pump
Int ake
Cabl e
M ot or
Pump
Int ake
Mot or prot ect or
M ot or
Cabl e
M ot or
M ot or prot ect or
Pump di scharge
Pump
Packer
M ot or
M ot or prot ect or
Int ake
Pump
Packer
Cabl e
Cabl e
M ot or prot ect or
def erred-product i on cost . A l i f e-cycl e cost com-
pari son bef ore and af t er i nt roduct i on of t hi s t ech-
nol ogy shows a si gni cant l y expanded range of
submersi bl e appl i cat i ons (above). These mot ors
are used i n convent i onal submersi bl e pumps f or
bet t er rel i abi l i t y, even at l ow t emperat ures.
6
Hi gh gas vol umes Li ke any art i f i ci al -l i f t
met hod, submersi bl e pumps reduce owi ng bot -
t omhol e pressure t o obt ai n bet t er i now. In gassy
wel l s, however, more vapor evol ves f rom crude
oi l at l ower pressures. At hi gher vapor/ l i qui d
rat i os, pump perf ormance begi ns t o det eri orat e.
If a cri t i cal vapor-l i qui d l i mi t i s reached, pump
operat i on becomes unst abl e, surgi ng, cavi t at i ng
or st oppi ng as gas bl ocks l i qui d ow i nsi de
pumps. Cent ri f ugal f orce does not accel erat e
l ow-densi t y vapor. In f act , gas t ends t o l ag
behi nd l i qui ds and separat e f urt her, accumul at -
i ng i n l ow-pressure, l ow-vel oci t y areas of pump
i mpel l ers and di f f users. Vapor rest ri ct s f l ow
t hrough t hese component s, causi ng poor l i f t per-
f ormance. Dependi ng on ui d t ypes, wel l charac-
t eri st i cs and hydraul i c desi gn of i ndi vi dual
pumps, vapor can compl et el y bl ock ow i nt o and
t hrough submersi bl e pumps. Cat ast rophi c f ai l -
ures resul t i f pumps are not prot ect ed f rom t hi s
gas-l ock condi t i on (l ef t ).
The t radi t i onal sol ut i ons t o gas probl ems
were shrouded, or t ai l pi pe congurat i ons, and
rot ary separat ors t o remove vapor ahead of pump
i nl et s. Product i on rat e coul d al so be l i mi t ed, so
t hat i nl et pressure i s hi gh enough t o avoi d det ri -
ment al vapor/ l i qui d rat i os i nsi de pumps. None of
t hese sol ut i ons are opt i mal . Gas separat ors
i nt roduce ot her l i mi t at i ons and mechani cal com-
pl i cat i ons whi l e robbi ng t he syst em of energy i n
t he f orm of gas, whi ch l i ght ens ui d densi t y i n
t he t ubi ng j ust as i t does i n gas-l i f t i nst al l at i ons.
However, keepi ng i nl et pressure hi gh l i mi t s pro-
duct i on and may make art i ci al l i f t uneconomi c.
Fi el d experi ence shows t hat , dependi ng on
hydraul i c desi gn and ui d charact eri st i cs, cen-
t ri f ugal pumps t ol erat e vapor concent rat i ons of
onl y about 10 t o 20% at moderat e i nl et pres-
sures. New mul t i phase ui d-condi t i oni ng devi ces
l i ke t he AGH Advanced Gas Handl er component
provi de a way t o produce at hi gher rat es and
l ower owi ng bot t omhol e pressures wi t h great er
rel i abi l i t y and l ess wast ed energy. The AGH
modul e homogeni zes l i qui d and gas ent eri ng
t he pump t o reduce separat i on and accumul at i on
i n t he rst f ew pump st ages, al l owi ng sub-
mersi bl e syst ems t o t ol erat e vapor concent ra-
t i ons great er t han 50%.
7
Fi el d t est i ng perf ormed by Int evep S.A., t he
research branch of Pet rol os de Venezuel a S. A.
(PDVSA), conrmed t hat t he AGH component can
al l ow st abl e pump operat i on wi t h 48% vapor
ent eri ng t he pump. In Lake Maracai bo, Venezuel a,
where AGH t echnol ogy was di rect l y appl i cabl e i n
product i on operat i ons previ ousl y rest ri ct ed by
gas-l i f t l i mi t at i ons or gas i nt erf erence w i t h
submersi bl e pumps, Int evep est i mat ed t he
val ue of t hi s capabi l i t y t o be at l east 75,000 B/ D
[11,920 m
3
/ d] of i ncrement al oi l product i on
f rom 250 w el l s.
8
The AGH modul e can be used
al one or wi t h a t radi t i onal rot ary gas separat or.
Al t ernat i ve depl oyment Techni ques f or run-
ni ng el ect ri c submersi bl e pumps i n subsea com-
pl et i ons and on cabl e or coi l ed t ubi ng expand
art i ci al -l i f t appl i cat i ons and i ncrease product i on
exi bi l i t y f or of f shore syst ems, remot e l ocat i ons
w i t h l i mi t ed ri g avai l abi l i t y and hi gh-cost
workover areas (next page).
A cabl e-depl oyed submersi bl e-l i f t al t ernat i ve
l i ke t he Reda CDPS Cabl e Depl oyed Pumpi ng
Syst em t echnol ogy reduces i nt ervent i on cost s by
el i mi nat i ng dependence on workover ri gs. The
syst em i s l owered i nt o wel l s wi t h a power cabl e
58 Oileld Review
HOTLINE i nsul at i on
455F
[235C]
St andard i nsul at i on
S
u
b
m
e
r
s
i
b
l
e

s
y
s
t
e
m

l
i
f
e
500F
[260C]
>
High-temperature electric submersible pump performance. Through advanced materials, sub-
mersible technology has developed to the point that operating temperatures greater than 400F
are possible, but many factors, including design and installation, must be addressed. Critical
among these are cable type, equipment sizing, cable bands and elastomers. Each component of
the HOTLINE production system is modied to operate up to 550F [288C], which expands sub-
mersible lift use to steamoods, geothermal applications and wells with poor cooling conditions.
Gas
i nt erf erence
Gas l ock
Pump i mpel l ers
AGH
Advanced
Gas
Handl er
Rot ary
gas
separat or
>
Submersible pump performance in high gas/liquid ratio wells. When gas is present in produced
uids, lift efciency deteriorates as gas takes up space inside pump stages and interferes with per-
formance. Eventually, the system becomes gas-locked and stops producing or fails catastrophically.
Traditionally, high gas volumes are handled by rotary gas separators that segregate gas into the
tubing-casing annulus. Research and dynamic modeling prove that uids can be homogenized by
reducing pressure differentials within the pump. The AGH Advanced Gas Handler module conditions
uid to behave as a single phase before it enters pumps.
Spring 1999 59
banded t o a t orque-bal anced t ensi on cabl e, and
seat ed i n a prol e l andi ng ni ppl e of 5- or 7-i n. t ub-
i ng. A cust omi zed drawworks, whi ch can be t rans-
port ed by hel i copt er t o of f shore pl at f orms and
remot e or envi ronment al l y sensi t i ve areas wi t h
l i mi t ed access, i s used t o run and pul l submersi bl e
syst ems.
9
The CDPS l i f t syst em i s i nvert ed. Unl i ke
t ypi cal submersi bl e i nst al l at i ons, runni ng t he
mot or on t op and pump on bot t om al l ows l arger
di amet er, hi gher vol ume pumps t o be used si nce
t here i s no need f or a at mot or cabl e and guard t o
run besi de t he pump and mot or prot ect or. Bl owout
prevent ers are avai l abl e t o seal around t he cabl es.
The economi cs t hat make coi l ed t ubi ng
at t ract i ve f or ot her oi l el d appl i cat i ons i n hi gh-
cost workover areas al so appl y f or art i ci al -l i f t
syst em depl oyment . El ect ri c submersi bl e pumps
on coi l ed t ubi ng pump f l ui ds convent i onal l y
t hrough t he coi l ed t ubi ng or can be i nvert ed t o
produce ui ds up t he annul us. Power cabl es may
be i nst al l ed i nsi de coi l ed t ubi ng or banded t o t he
out si de. Int ernal cabl es are prot ect ed f rom
mechani cal damage, chemi cal s and wel l ui ds.
In t he M i ddl e East , ARCO Qat ar used coi l ed
t ubi ng wi t h i nt ernal power cabl es t o depl oy sub-
mersi bl e pumps and produce ui ds up t he annu-
l us i nsi de 7-i n. product i on t ubi ng.
10
In Brunei ,
Shel l convert ed a wel l f rom gas l i f t t o hi gh-rat e
el ect ri c submersi bl e pump w i t h a ri gl ess
w orkover made possi bl e by a coi l ed t ubi ng
depl oyed syst em.
11
Of f shore, coi l ed t ubi ng
expands submersi bl e pump appl i cat i ons when
t hrough-t ubi ng i nst al l at i on i s f easi bl e, reduci ng
t he need f or convent i onal ri g workovers and mi n-
i mi zi ng downt i me as wel l as def erred product i on.
Thi s uni que, exi bl e t echni que has pot ent i al i n
smal l or margi nal of f shore el ds where no gas-
l i f t i nf rast ruct ure exi st s.
Subsea compl et i ons Fl ow f rom subsea wel l s
i s dri ven by reservoi r pressure suppl ement ed wi t h
gas i nj ect i on when necessary. However, i f wel l s
are f ar f rom host pl at f orms, gas l i f t i s i nef ci ent
because of l ong f l ow l i nes. Wel l -t o-pl at f orm
di st ance i s l i mi t ed by t he capaci t y of gas-l i f t
i nj ect i on and reservoi r pressure, whi ch decl i nes
as el ds are depl et ed and wat er cut i ncreases,
t o dri ve out ow. Di st ances great er t han 8 mi l es
[13 km] are consi dered uneconomi c.
12
Compared wi t h gas l i f t , submersi bl e pumps
are not as adversel y af f ect ed by wel l -t o-pl at f orm
di st ances and of f er i ncreased ow rat es. Subsea
submersi bl e i nst al l at i ons were not f easi bl e unt i l
recent advances i n wet mat eabl e connect i ons.
These connect ors al l ow seaoor el ect ri cal t i e-i ns
and el i mi nat e t he need f or dry connect i ons t o be
made at t he surf ace. Of f shore reservoi rs t hat are
uneconomi c t o operat e by convent i onal means
El ect ri c
submersi bl e
pump syst em
El ect ri c
submersi bl e
pump syst em
Coi l ed t ubi ng
depl oyed
Cabl e depl oyed
Packer
Cabl e bands
Armored
power
cabl e
Perf orat i ons
Torque-
bal anced
wi re rope
>
Alternative deployment techniques. Cable-deployed and coiled tubing submersible pump systems
are designed to reduce expenses and production downtime associated with remote or high-cost
wells and offshore platforms where space and rig availability are limited.
6. Fuller D, Fickes B and Dowdy R: Electric Submersible
Pumping Systems Applied in High-Temperature
Environments, presented at the SPE Electrical
Submergible Pump Workshop, Houston, Texas, USA,
April 27-29, 1994.
7. Kallas, P and Way K: An Electrical Submergible
Pumping Systemfor High GOR Wells, presented at the
SPE Electrical Submergible Pump Workshop, Houston,
Texas, USA, April 26-28, 1995.
8. Castro M, Pessoa R and Kallas P: Successful Test of
New ESP Technology for Lake Maracaibo Gassy Oil
Wells, presented at the SPE Electrical Submergible
Pump Workshop, Houston, Texas, USA, April 28-30, 1999.
9. Toubar M, Bahaa H and Guindi R: Cable Deployed
Pumping SystemCase Study, presented at the SPE
Electrical Submergible Pump Workshop, Houston, Texas,
USA, April 2830, 1999.
10. Patterson J C, Stamey RC, Penny R and Dwiggins J L:
Coiled Tubing and Electrical Submersible Pump
Technology Improve Field Evaluation Cost, presented
at the SPE Electrical Submergible Pump Workshop,
Houston, Texas, USA, April 30-May 2, 1997.
11. Pastor G, Knoppe R and Shepler R: South China Sea
Gas Lifted Well Conversion Utilizing Coil Tubing Electrical
Submersible Pumping Systems, presented at the SPE
Electrical Submergible Pump Workshop, Houston, Texas,
USA, April 28-30, 1999.
12. Al-Mashgari A, Breit S, Christmas D, Leslie D and
Smith J : Subsea Electrical Submersible Pumps at
Large Step-Out Distances, paper SPE 38537, presented
at the 1997 SPE Offshore Europe Conference, Aberdeen,
Scotland, September 9-12, 1997.
can now be produced wi t h submersi bl e l i f t .
Operat i ng sat el l i t e wel l s at great er di st ances
means t hat f ewer pl at f orms are needed; host
pl at f orms can be i n shal l ow wat er; and margi nal
el ds can be produced wi t hout pl at f orms, whi ch
reduces i ni t i al cost s and operat i ng expenses.
El ect ri c submersi bl e pumps of f er many bene-
t s over ot her art i ci al -l i f t met hods i n subsea
appl i cat i ons. The capabi l i t y t o operat e wel l s f ar-
t her f rom host pl at f orms i s t he most i mport ant ,
but ot her benet s i ncl ude i mproved wel l perf or-
mance, reduced capi t al cost s and l ead t i mes,
i mproved energy ef ci ency and l ess envi ronmen-
t al i mpact . The rst subsea submersi bl e pump
was i nst al l ed i n Brazi l f or Pet robras i n 1994.
13
To
maxi mi ze recovery over a ve-year product i on
cont ract , t he BP Amoco pl c Li uhua el d i n t he
Sout h Chi na Sea empl oys 24 of 29 subsea sub-
mersi bl e pumps i n operat i on t oday, al l i nst al l ed
by Reda (above).
14
For el ect ri c submersi bl e pump syst ems, Reda
manuf act ures and suppl i es mul t i st age cent ri f ugal
pumps, mot ors, prot ect ors, gas-handl i ng equi p-
ment , power cabl es, surf ace vari abl e-speed dri ves
(VSD) and cont rol l ers, and ot her accessori es.
In f ut ure submersi bl e syst ems, vi t al operat i ng
st at i st i cs f rom el ds or wel l s can be gat hered by
surf ace i nst rument at i on and rel i abl e permanent
downhol e gauges t o be t ransmi t t ed by Supervi sory
Cont rol and Dat a Acqui si t i on (SCADA) syst ems t o
of ces where dat a are processed.
Pump i nl et and out l et pressures, wel l and
mot or t emperat ures, i nsul at i on resi st ance, sys-
t em vi brat i on and power suppl y can be i nt er-
pret ed usi ng sof t ware t o make deci si ons, i dent i f y
or prevent pump probl ems and premat ure f ai l -
ures, moni t or perf ormance and eval uat e operat -
i ng opt i ons. Then, bef ore act i ons are t aken,
NODAL anal ysi s i s used t o si mul at e new syst em
condi t i ons and val i dat e mot or f requency. If
resul t s l ook good, execut abl e commands are
t ransmi t t ed t o t he wel l or el d. Advanced vari -
abl e-speed dri ves wi l l be abl e t o change operat -
i ng speeds aut omat i cal l y based on downhol e
measurement s and est i mat ed t orque t o avoi d
el ect ri c current uct uat i ons i n mot ors.
Design, Installation and Operation
Art i ci al -l i f t met hods work wel l i f syst ems are
desi gned and i nst al l ed properl y. Changi ng reser-
voi r and wel l condi t i ons need t o be ant i ci pat ed
so t hat proper equi pment i s sel ect ed and
i nst al l ed t o ensure exi bi l i t y. Avai l abi l i t y of dat a
i s i mport ant t o achi eve good desi gns t hat work
ef f ect i vel y i n t he el d. In gas-l i f t desi gn f or
exampl e, wel l dat a, compl et i on di agrams, wel l
devi at i on, gas-l i f t equi pment , surf ace product i on
syst em i nf ormat i on, and reservoi r and ui d char-
act eri st i cs are basi c requi rement s. Good pres-
sure-vol ume-t emperat ure (PVT) dat a wi t h owi ng
pressure and t emperat ure surveys i mprove
desi gns. The l ess uncert ai nt y, t he more economi -
cal t he desi gn.
Thi s pri nci pl e al so appl i es t o ot her art i ci al -
l i f t desi gns. In el ect ri c submersi bl e desi gns, over-
si zed or undersi zed pumps and mot ors, whi ch
cause i nef ci ent energy consumpt i on and short er
pump l i f e, are of t en t he resul t of l i mi t ed or poor
dat a. Vari abl e speed dri ves can avoi d t hese prob-
l ems, but may add t o proj ect capi t al expendi t ures.
Good dat a may have been avai l abl e i n t he
past , but t hose desi gni ng art i ci al -l i f t syst ems
di d not al ways have access t o t hi s i nf ormat i on
due t o i nadequat e communi cat i on wi t hi n operat -
i ng compani es or wi t h pump manuf act uri ng and
servi ce compani es. Reorgani zed and real i gned
busi ness uni t s f ocus i nf ormat i on and experi ence
l ocal l y rat her t han company-wi de. Thi s t rend
requi res more openness bet ween operat ors and
servi ce provi des t o share noncondent i al i nf or-
mat i on. Compani es and operat i ng areas need t o
share knowl edge and dat a ef ci ent l y t o benet
f ul l y f rom i sol at ed pocket s of i ndust ry expert i se
and experi ence.
60 Oileld Review
Power cabl e
9
5
/ 8-i n. casi ng
Packer
7-i n. l i ner or
open hol e
Bypass t ubi ng
4
1
/ 2-i n. t ubi ng
Y-t ool bypass
El ect ri c submersi bl e pump
30-i n. casi ng
Subsea wel l head
Subsurf ace saf et y val ve
13
3
/ 8-i n. casi ng
Wet -mat eabl e connect or
>
Subsea electric submersible installations. Under certain conditions, submer-
sible pumping systems may offer advantages over other forms of articial lift
in subsea applications, including improved well performance, reduced capital
cost and lead time, improved energy efciency, reduced environmental impact
and more efcient operations at longer distances from host platforms.
Spring 1999 61
Once i nst al l ed, art i ci al -l i f t syst ems must be
operat ed and managed. In gas-l i f t syst ems, st a-
bl e gas-i nj ect i on pressure and rat e are i mport ant
t o prevent gas f rom bei ng i nj ect ed i nt o mul t i pl e
val ves or short ci rcui t i ng above t he operat i ng-
val ve desi gn dept h. Ef f ect i ve moni t ori ng provi des
earl y i ndi cat i on of submersi bl e pump probl ems,
so prevent i ve st eps can be t aken or f ut ure wel l
i nt ervent i ons can be schedul ed. If art i ci al l i f t
f ai l s, t hese dat a can be used i n f ai l ure anal ysi s
and cont ri but e t o a process of cont i nuous i mprove-
ment . Teamwork among product i on, reservoi r,
compl et i on and art i ci al -l i f t engi neers, rel at ed
di sci pl i nes, equi pment provi ders and servi ce sup-
pl i ers i s a key t o product i on opt i mi zat i on.
Articial-Lift and Field Optimization
M axi mi zi ng el d val ue i s an i mport ant , but di f -
cul t and of t en negl ect ed t ask. Opt i mi zi ng produc-
t i on wel l by wel l i s one way t o i mprove el d
out put , but t hi s approach i s l i mi t ed by const rai nt s
f rom ot her wel l s and f aci l i t i es. Anot her approach
i s t o l ook at ent i re product i on syst ems wel l s,
reservoi rs over t i me and surf ace net works. In t hi s
way, const rai nt s can be i dent i ed and el i mi -
nat ed. On an i ndi vi dual -wel l basi s, opt i mi zat i on
i s carri ed out usi ng si ngl e-rat e and mul t i rat e wel l
t est resul t s. When a group of wel l s i s addressed,
more i nvol ved met hods f rom spreadsheet s t o
el d model s may be needed.
The val ue of product i on opt i mi zat i on may be
di f cul t t o quant i f y and vari es f rom case t o case.
Increment al product i on above basel i ne decl i ne
curves t hrough f ocused product i on management
and cont i nuous opt i mi zat i on i s t he obj ect i ve
(ri ght ). The area under product i on curves
bet ween opt i mi zed and basel i ne rat es represent s
cumul at i ve i ncrement al product i on and ul t i -
mat el y addi t i onal reserve recovery, part i cul arl y
when ul t i mat e abandonment pressure can be
reduced. Added val ue can be si gni cant , espe-
ci al l y i n l arge el ds. Experi ence shows t hat 3 t o
25% i ncrement al product i on can be achi eved
wi t h product i on opt i mi zat i on. Thi s percent age
vari es, dependi ng on t he degree of opt i mi zat i on
t hat has al ready been achi eved and t he qual i t y or
age of t he ori gi nal product i on syst em.
A modest 1% i mprovement i n product i on
rat es may del i ver mi l l i ons of dol l ars i n added
val ue. Three t o 25% i ncreases equat e t o t ens of
mi l l i ons of dol l ars per year i n added revenue.
M oreover, val ue i s del i vered not j ust f rom
i ncreased product i on, but al so by bet t er gas or
power usage, reduced operat i ng cost s and l ower
capi t al expendi t ures. For exampl e, af t er exi st i ng
wel l s are opt i mi zed, f ewer new or i nl l devel op-
ment wel l s may be requi red. What ever t he l evel
of product i on perf ormance f rom basi c dat a
acqui si t i on, syst em cont rol and communi cat i on
t o t he act ual opt i mi zat i on process more i s
achi eved wi t h a syst emi zed pl an i mpl ement ed
and f ol l owed i n a di sci pl i ned, st ruct ured approach.
When opt i mi zat i on i s consi dered, of t en t he
rst t hought i s i n rel at i on t o gas-l i f t oi l el ds.
Today, how ever, t he approach and t ool s t o
achi eve opt i mi zat i on al l ow al l produci ng sys-
t ems nat ural ow, gas l i f t , el ect ri c submersi bl e
pump and gas w el l s t o be consi dered.
M oreover, t hi s process l ends i t sel f t o perf ormi ng
short st udi es t o assess commerci al and t echni cal
i mpact s of al t ernat i ve devel opment scenari os
and provi de i mport ant dat a f or deci si on-maki ng
and f i el d management . Bef ore opt i mi zat i on
begi ns or st rat egi c, economi c and desi gn choi ces
are made, i t i s necessary t o eval uat e product i on
syst ems. Thi s i ncl udes t opsi de compressors,
owl i nes, mani f ol ds and separat ors; wel l bore
submersi bl e pump or gas-l i f t desi gn and opera-
t i on, ui d hydraul i cs and compl et i on desi gns;
reservoi r product i vi t y and changes wi t h t i me,
sand or wat er probl ems; and operat i ng envi ron-
ment s f rom geographi c l ocat i on t o t ype of i nst al -
l at i on and export met hod.
Comput er model s ai d i n product i on syst em
opt i mi zat i on. It i s essent i al t o have si mul at i ons
t hat mat ch real i t y by adj ust i ng wel l and surf ace
paramet ers f ormat i on damage, t ubi ng, owl i ne
compressors, separat ors, mani f ol ds, pi pel i nes
and a ow correl at i on i n model s. Of t en si mul a-
t i ons t hat mat ch measured, or known, cases are
used as a predi ct i ve t ool . Theref ore, regul arl y
schedul ed wel l t est s are an i mport ant component
of model i ng and opt i mi zat i on. As predi ct i ve t ool s,
model s are used t o perf orm what -i f scenari os
and sensi t i vi t y anal yses on di f f erent paramet ers
t o eval uat e opt i ons. Cont i nuous moni t ori ng of
compressor pressures, gas-i nj ect i on rat es or
el ect ri cal amp chart s i n submersi bl e syst ems i s
needed. These dat a are used t o updat e model s
regul arl y and mat ch act ual wel l t est s so t hat el d
condi t i ons are represent ed accurat el y.
By st udyi ng oi l and gas operat i ons as com-
pl et e syst ems, t he most economi c devel opment
st rat egi es are i dent i ed. Surf ace equi pment and
f aci l i t i es, wel l compl et i on congurat i ons, reser-
voi rs and operat i ng envi ronment s are al l t aken
i nt o consi derat i on. Over t he product i ve l i f e of a
el d, opt i mi zat i on i ncl udes wel l model i ng and
moni t ori ng, l i ai son bet w een f i el d and of f i ce
personnel , reconci l i ng model predi ct i ons wi t h
measured dat a, updat i ng recommendat i ons peri -
odi cal l y, t rai ni ng, dat a management and regul ar
report i ng of act ual perf ormance agai nst t arget s.
How f ar t hi s process i s t aken depends on exi st -
i ng condi t i ons and l i mi t at i ons. In some cases,
dri l l i ng new wel l s mi ght cost l ess t han opt i mi za-
t i on work. Theref ore, a comprehensi ve st udy i s
needed bef ore maki ng deci si ons.
Economi c l i mi t
Wel l l i f e
Nat ural
f l ow
Gas
l i f t
El ect ri c
submersi bl e
pump
P
r
o
d
u
c
t
i
o
n

r
a
t
e
>
Unlocking value: area under the curve. Incremental production value may be difcult to dene
because it varies from case to case, but output above a baseline decline is the target of articial-lift
optimization. The difference between initial output and enhanced production is cumulative additional
production, or reserve recovery. Articial lift increases the area under decline curves by improving
production rate, extending well life and reducing ultimate abandonment pressure. Changing from one
articial-lift method to another may be necessary to further reduce owing bottomhole pressure and
maximize reserve recovery.
13. Mendonca J E, Hodge RC, Izetti R, Nicholson A, Dwiggins
J L, Morrison D, Cia M and Alfano PP: First Installation
of an Electrical Submersible Pump in a Subsea Well,
presented at the SPE Electrical Submergible Pump
Workshop, Houston, Texas, USA, April 26-28, 1995.
14. Baillie AR and Chen J ing Hue: Liuhua 11-1 Field
Development: An Innovative Application of Technology,
presented at the SPE Electrical Submergible Pump
Workshop, Houston, Texas, USA, April 29-May 1, 1992.
Fort i es el d i s a decade-l ong exampl e of
ongoi ng art i ci al -l i f t opt i mi zat i on i n a harsh of f -
shore envi ronment where bot h gas l i f t and el ec-
t ri c submersi bl e pumps are ut i l i zed. Thi s Nort h
Sea devel opment consi st s of f our mai n pl at f orms
produced predomi nant l y by gas l i f t and a smal l er
pl at f orm l i f t ed excl usi vel y by el ect ri c sub-
mersi bl e pumps. Wi t hi n t he mai n el d pl at f orms,
submersi bl e syst ems have been used st rat egi -
cal l y f or t asks rangi ng f rom st art i ng up pl at f orms
t o provi ng new t echnol ogi es. Submersi bl e pump
operat i ons began i n t he l at e 1980s and gas l i f t
was i ni t i at ed i n t he earl y 1990s. Increment al
gai ns f rom gas-l i f t opt i mi zat i on cont i nue t o
i ncrease, and el ect ri c submersi bl e pump rel i abi l -
i t y as wel l as run l i f e have i ncreased st eadi l y
wi t h i mprovement s i n operat i ng t echni ques. A
val ue-pri ci ng arrangement l ed t o $50 mi l l i on i n
proj ect savi ngs over ve years.
Ini t i al l y, a gas-l i f t group f ocused on support i ng
more t han 40 gas-l i f t ed wel l s t hrough st udi es,
desi gns, moni t ori ng, perf ormance anal ysi s, t rai n-
i ng and t roubl e-shoot i ng probl ems. Over t i me, a
st ruct ured management process evol ved t hat
i ncl uded gas l i f t , reservoi r survei l l ance and pro-
duct i on engi neers and encompassed al l aspect s of
provi di ng gas l i f t t o t he el ds. Anot her t eam con-
cent rat ed on a syst ems approach t o el ect ri c sub-
mersi bl e pump i nst al l at i on and operat i on wi t h t he
goal of i mprovi ng run l i f e and est abl i shi ng an
agreement bet ween operat i ng and servi ce compa-
ni es t hat shared t he nanci al ri sk of pump f ai l ures
as wel l as t he benet s of prol onged product i on.
Team members are i nvol ved di rect l y i n anal yz-
i ng and sel ect i ng art i f i ci al -l i f t met hods best
sui t ed t o meet short - and l ong-t erm el d devel -
opment goal s. Thi s approach bri ngs new t ech-
nol ogi es f orward t o address a vari et y of i ssues
f rom reservoi r const rai nt s t o cost reduct i on.
Combi ni ng gas-l i f t and el ect ri c submersi bl e pump
expert i se hel ps t o bet t er dene and manage pro-
duct i on. Today, an i nt egrat ed t eam i s model i ng
t he el d, and net worki ng al l t he wel l s and asso-
ci at ed i nf rast ruct ure. Thi s wi l l al l ow st rat egi c and
economi c deci si ons t o be made t hat t ake i nt o
account a vari et y of const rai nt s f rom pl at f orm
el ect ri ci t y generat i on, gas compressi on, ow-
l i nes, separat ors, gas avai l abi l i t y and wat er han-
dl i ng t o subsurf ace pump perf ormance, mot or
power, pump st ages, pressure drawdown l i mi t s
and wel l geomet ry.
15
Thi s asset i s i n decl i ne, but
subst ant i al recoverabl e oi l remai ns.
The next t echnol ogi cal st ep i s f or opt i mi za-
t i on t o be perf ormed i n real t i me wi t h aut omat ed
cl osed-l oop syst ems. Aut omat i on can be appl i ed
at di f f erent l evel s, f rom semi -aut omat i c st i l l
i nvol vi ng el d personnel t o gat her dat a or adj ust
val ves and engi neers t o make deci si ons t o f ul l y
aut omat i c comput eri zed syst ems. Aut omat i on
can be done usi ng si mpl e proport i onal -i nt egral -
di f f erent i al (PID) or compl i cat ed f uzzy-l ogi c con-
t rol syst ems.
Combining Systems Downhole
There i s a t rend t oward art i ci al -l i f t met hod com-
bi nat i ons t o yi el d hi gher rat es at l ower cost ,
under bet t er operat i ng condi t i ons and wi t h more
product i on exi bi l i t y t han coul d be expect ed f rom
j ust one met hod. These approaches overcome
rest ri ct i ons and l i mi t at i ons of i ndi vi dual met hods
such as t ubi ng si zes, operat i ng dept h, hi gh wat er
rat es and corrosi ve condi t i ons. Combi ned l i f t sys-
t ems are al so more adapt abl e t o changi ng oper-
at i onal condi t i ons, resul t i ng f rom reservoi r
pressure depl et i on, gas i nj ect i on f or pressure
mai nt enance and secondary recovery w at er-
oods. Combi ned l i f t met hods reduce equi pment
requi rement s and power consumpt i on, and yi el d
beneci al resul t s i n t erms of cost s, i nvest ment s
and asset val ue.
For exampl e, combi ni ng gas l i f t and el ect ri c
submersi bl e pumps i n t he same wel l of f ers many
opport uni t i es t o enhance product i on, opt i mi ze
ow rat es and ensure uni nt errupt ed operat i on.
Gas l i f t i n a combi ned i nst al l at i on provi des a
backup i n case el ect ri c submersi bl e pumps f ai l
and can be used pri or t o pump st art up t o unl oad
wel l s or st abi l i ze wel l s t hat produce excessi ve
gas or sand (bel ow). Appl i cat i ons t hat operat e
bot h syst ems concurrent l y i ncl ude usi ng a sub-
mersi bl e syst em t o ext end t he l i f e of an exi st i ng
gas-l i f t i nst al l at i on. The submersi bl e pump act s
as a bot t omhol e pressure boost er t o i ncrease t he
owi ng pressure at t he gas-i nj ect i on dept h. From
t he st andpoi nt of desi gn, el ect ri c submersi bl e
pumps devel op great er owi ng bot t omhol e pres-
sure di f f erent i al s t han gas l i f t f or a gi ven rat e.
Si mul t aneous gas l i f t and submersi bl e pump
operat i on al l ows smal l er pumps and mot ors t o be
used. Cost -savi ngs can be ut i l i zed t o i nst al l sys-
t ems wi t h advanced mat eri al s and desi gns t hat
handl e harsh condi t i ons and ext end pump and
mot or l i f e.
16
62 Oileld Review
Gas-l i f t val ves
Packer
Inj ect i on gas
El ect ri c
submersi bl e
pump syst em
Produced
l i qui ds
Perf orat i ons
>
Combining gas lift and electric submersible
pumps. Combined articial-lift systems perform
better in terms of improved production rates
and reduced initial investments or operating
expenses than can be expected from using only
one method. Combining submersible pumps with
gas lift allows smaller pumps or fewer stages to
be used and wells can continue to produce even
if submersible equipment fails.
15. Lekic O: Enhancing Production, Harts Oil
and Gas World 90, no. 3 (March, 1998): 38-41.
16. Divine DL, Eads PT, Lea J F and Winkler HW: Com-
bination Gas Lift/Electrical Submersible Pump System
Increases Flexibility, World Oil 211, no. 4 (October
1990): 77-82.
Borja H and Castano R: Production by Combined
Articial Lift Systems and Its Application in Two
Colombian Fields, presented at the 1999 SPE Latin
American and Caribbean PetroleumEngineering
Conference, Caracas, Venezuela, April 21-23, 1999; and
SPE Electrical Submergible Pump Workshop, Houston,
Texas, USA, April 28-April 30, 1999.
Kahali KK, Deuri B and De SK: Electrical Submersible
Pump-Gas Lift CombinationA Successful Trial for the
First Time in ONGC, India, presented at the SPE
Electrical Submergible Pump Workshop, Houston,
Texas, USA, April 28-April 30, 1999.
17. Chachula RC and Mann J S: Selecting the Appropriate
Rodless Progressing Cavity (PC) Lift Systemfor a Highly
Deviated Wellbore, presented at the 1999 SPE Latin
American and Carribean PetroleumEngineering
Conference, Caracas, Venezuela, April 21-23, 1999.
Mann J , Ali I and Keller M: Wireline Retrievable
Progressing Cavity Electric Submergible Pumping
SystemUpdated Field Case Study, presented at the SPE
Electrical Submergible Pump Workshop, Houston, Texas,
USA, April 29-May 1, 1998.
Haworth CG: Updated Field Case Studies on
Applications & Performance of BottomDrive
Progressing Cavity Pumps, presented at the
SPE Electrical Submergible Pump Workshop,
Houston, Texas, USA, April 30-May 2, 1997.
18. Carvalho PM, Podio AL and Sepehrnoori K: Perform-
ance and Design of an Electrical Submersible-J et Pump
Systemfor Articial Lift, presented at the SPE Electrical
Submergible Pump Workshop, Houston, Texas, USA,
April 28-April 30, 1999.
Spring 1999 63
Progressi ng cavi t y pumps are popul ar f or pro-
duci ng ui ds wi t h hi gh-sol i ds cont ent , aromat i c
condensat es and t i ght emul si ons as wel l as
heavy crudes, especi al l y i n hi gh-angl e wel l s. In
nonvert i cal wel l s, however, convent i onal sur-
f ace-dri ven syst ems experi ence rod f ai l ure and
wear-i nduced t ubi ng l eaks. Vari ous rodl ess sys-
t ems are bei ng used t o sol ve t hese probl ems.
One al t ernat i ve i s a bot t omdri ve congurat i on
t hat uses a power cabl e, submersi bl e mot or, pro-
t ect or and exi bl e gearbox t o dri ve progressi ng
cavi t y pumps. Thi s el i mi nat es rod breaks, t ubi ng
wear and wel l head l eaks, whi ch reduces down-
t i me and repai r cost s. The pri mary cause of pro-
gressi ng cavi t y syst em f ai l ure i s pump wear.
Harsh subsurf ace condi t i ons reduce pump perf or-
mance and ef ci ency, but el ect ri c submersi bl e
pump mot ors and dri ve component s are usual l y
unaf f ect ed and can be rerun.
17
Depl oyment al t ernat i ves i ncl ude convent i onal
t ubi ng or coi l ed t ubi ng. Usi ng sl i ckl i ne or coi l ed
t ubi ng t o repl ace pumps wi t hout pul l i ng t he dri ve
assembl y of f ers order-of -magni t ude cost -savi ngs
and makes combi ned syst ems at t ract i ve i n hi gh-
cost areas i f pumps f ai l f requent l y (l ef t ). Sl i ckl i ne-
ret ri evabl e, bot t omdri ve progressi ng cavi t y
pumps were eval uat ed ori gi nal l y f or t he Al askan
Nort h Sl ope of t he USA, where convent i onal
workovers cost $200,000, but sl i ckl i ne operat i ons
cost $20,000. Wi rel i ne-ret ri evabl e progressi ng
cavi t y l i f t syst ems were recent l y used i n hi ghl y
devi at ed wel l s i n Sout heast Asi a wi t h sand, scal e
or heavy-oi l probl ems and smal l -di amet er t ubu-
l ars. When a f ai l ure occurred, t he operat or was
abl e t o ret ri eve and repl ace t he pump.
In subsea appl i cat i ons, art i ci al l i f t must
operat e ef f ect i vel y wi t h mul t i phase gas-l i qui d
mi xt ures si nce i t not pract i cal t o use t he t ubi ng-
casi ng annul us f or downhol e separat i on or vent
produced gas f rom t he casi ng t o an ext ra owl i ne
f or each wel l . Prot ot ype t est i ng proved t hat
hydraul i c j et pumps can be operat ed i n combi na-
t i on wi t h el ect ri c submersi bl e pumps t o al l ow
product i on of hi gh gas/ l i qui d rat i o wel l s i n deep
wat er. A rot ary gas separat or (RGS) t o reduce t he
vol ume of f ree gas t hat ent ers t he pump i nt ake,
i ncreases pump perf ormance. Pl aci ng a j et pump
i n t he t ubi ng above t he el ect ri c submersi bl e
pump di scharge al l ows gas segregat ed i nt o t he
annul us by rot ary separat i on t o be compressed
and i nj ect ed back i nt o t he l i qui d ow st ream t hat
i s pumped t o surf ace by t he submersi bl e pump
(above). The power ui d i s t he l i qui d produced
ui ds l ess f ree gas pumped by t he el ect ri c sub-
mersi bl e pump. The j et -pump i nt ake ui d i s t he
f ree gas t hat was separat ed upst ream of t he
el ect ri c submersi bl e pump i nt ake.
18
Gas l i f t and el ect ri c submersi bl e pumps have
been used f or decades, but new devel opment s
are st i l l bei ng i nt roduced. Separat i ng oi l and gas
downhol e, subsurf ace dewat eri ng and di sposal ,
and hori zont al el ect ri c submersi bl e pump sys-
t ems f or surf ace oi l and gas operat i ons are j ust
some of t he f ut ure appl i cat i ons f or art i ci al -l i f t
t echnol ogy. Combi ni ng product i on processes
downhol e t o provi de envi ronment al l y f ri endl y
sol ut i ons t hat i mprove prot abi l i t y bl urs t he di s-
t i nct i ons bet ween vari ous art i ci al -l i f t met hods,
and bet ween subsurf ace equi pment and surf ace
f aci l i t y f unct i ons. M ET
Bol t -on head
Progressi ng cavi t y pump
Casi ng
Int ake
Cabl e
Gearbox and f l ex dri ve
Mot or prot ect or
Mot or
Tubi ng
Sl i ckl i ne f i shi ng head
Tubing-
Conveyed
Slickline-
Retrievable
>
Subsurface-motor-driven progressing cavity
pumps. Using progressing cavity pumps is a
way to lift heavy oil and high-solids content
fluids. Rodless, bottomdrive progressing cavity
pumps eliminate rod failures, tubing wear,
rod torque and back spinning, and surface
wellhead leaks, which are major problems
in conventional surface-driven systems.
Di scharge
Produced
l i qui ds
Suct i on
Casi ng
Tubi ng
Sl i di ng sl eeve
Fl owl i ne
Pl at f orm
Power cabl e
El ect ri c
submersi bl e
pump
Jet pump
Perf orat i ons
Subsea
wel l head
Gas
Gas
Produced
f l ui ds
>
Combining submersible and jet-pump lift systems. Using a jet pump above the discharge of electric
submersible pumps allows gas segregated into the tubing-casing annulus by a rotary gas separator
to be compressed and injected back into the liquid stream being boosted to surface by the submersible
pump. Prototype testing proved that this combination of articial-lift methods can be used offshore,
especially in deep water, where individual owlines to vent annulus gas are complex and expensive
to install.