1.

Introduction

2. Well performance analysis

3. Review on artificial lift techniques

4. Selection of artificial lift criteria

2
At the end of this topic, students should be able to

• Design artificial lift systems

 Artificial lift - Any method used to raise oil to the surface through a well
after reservoir pressure has declined to the point at which the well no
longer produces by means of natural energy.

 It may prove necessary from the beginning of production for oil wells
when the reservoir does not have enough energy to lift the fluid to the
surface process facilities or when the productivity index is deemed
inadequate.

 The most common of artificial lift are: rod pumps, electrical

submersible pumps, hydraulic pumps, progressive cavity pumps, Gas
Lift.
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Gas Lift Rod pump

PC Pumps Hydraulic Pumps

ESP’s

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ARTIFICIAL LIFT ASSISTEDPROION

6500 INITIAL PRODUCTION PERFORMANCE

Outflow
6000
NATURAL FLOW

5500

Reservoir Inflow
Pwf, psi

Performance
5000

4500

4000
0 3000 6000 9000 12000 15000

Flow Rate ( STB/day )

ARTIFICIAL LIFT ASSISTED PRODUCTION

6500 FINAL PRODUCTION PERFORMANCE

Outflow
6000
NOT FLOWING

5500
Pwf, psi

5000

Reservoir Inflow
4500 Performance

4000
0 3000 6000 9000 12000 15000

Flow Rate ( STB/day )

ARTIFICIAL LIFT ASSISTED PRODUCTION

6500

6000 BACK TO PRODUCTION BY

ARTIFICIAL LIFT
5500 Outflow
Pwf, psi

5000

Reservoir Inflow
4500 Performance

4000
0 3000 6000 9000 12000 15000

Flow Rate ( STB/day )

 The most popular forms of artificial lift are illustrated in the figure
below.

The most popular types of artificial lift

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Rod Pump – A downhole plunger is moved up and down by a rod

connected to an engine at the surface. The plunger movement

displaces produced fluid into the tubing via a pump consisting of

suitably arranged traveling and standing valves mounted within a

pump barrel.

Electric Submersible Pump (ESP) – employs a downhole centrifugal

pump driven by a three phase, electric motor supplied with electric

power via a cable run from the surface penetrates the wellhead

and is strapped to the outside of the tubing.

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 Hydraulic Pump uses a high pressure power fluid to:

• Drive a down-hole turbine or positive displacement pump

(or)

• Flow through a venturi or jet, creating a low pressure area

which produces an increased drawdown and inflow from

the reservoir.

 Progressing Cavity Pump (PCP) – employs a helical, metal rotor

rotating inside an elastomeric, double helical stator. The

rotating action is supplied by down-hole electric motor or by

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Factors influencing the preferred form of artificial lift –

 Well and Reservoir Characteristics

 Field Location

 Operational Problems

 Economics

 Implementation on Artificial Lift Selection Techniques

 Long Term Reservoir Performance and Facility Constraints

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Advantages of artificial lift methods

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Disadvantages of artificial lift methods

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The first type of artificial lift introduced to oil field; most widely
used for the following reasons
 Low cost
 Mechanical simplicity
 Easy installation and operation

Rod pumps can lift

o moderate volumes (1000 bfpd) from shallow depths (7,000 ft)
o Small volumes (200 bfpd) from greater depths (14,000 ft)

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Pumping Unit
The surface equipment for a rod pump is illustrated in
the following figure.

 Prime mover – electric motor or gas engine, 600

rpm and reduces the speed to 20 strokes per
minute (spm) or less.
 Polished rod and sucker rods – connection between
pumping unit and downhole pump.
 Polished rod moves up and down through a stuffing
box which seals against the polished rod and
prevents surface leaks. 16
Fig.3 The surface equipment for a rod pump
17
Pump

• Located near perforations at the bottom of the sucker rods

string

• Consists of a hollow plunger with circular sealing rings

mounted on the outside circumference

• Moves inside a pump barrel which is either inserted into the

tubing or is part of the tubing

 Standing Valve – mounted at the bottom of pump barrel

 Traveling Valve – installed at the top of plunger

 Standing and Traveling valves contain a ball which closes

the passage in the plunger and the pump inlet.
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Rod pump
operation

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Electric submersible pumps are used
as an artificial lift method to produce
from 150 to 60,000 bpd.

Effective and economical means of

lifting large volumes from great depths

Performs at highest efficiency when

pumping liquid only

Operating life expected 1 to 3 years

Motor and pump rotates at 2,900 rpm

for 50 Hz power

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 The differences Electrical
between four(4) artificial lift
in terms of capital cost, Submersible Jet Pump Gas lift Rod pump
operating cost, flexibility
and flow stability Pump
Capital cost Low, but Relatively low to Equipment cost Low to moderate.
increases as moderate. Cost low but Increases as
depth and pump increases with higher compression cost depth and unit
rate increases. horsepower. Wellhead may be high. size increases
equipment has low Central
profile. Requires compression
surface treating and system reduces
high pressure overall cost per
pumping equipment. well.
Operating Varies. If high High power cost due Low cost of well. Low for shallow to
costs horsepower, high to horsepower Compression cost medium depth
energy costs. requirement to pump varies depending (<7,000 ft) land
High pulling power fluid. Low on fuel cost and location with low
costs result from pump maintenance compressor production (<400
short run life cost with properly maintenance BFPD)
especially in sized throat and
offshore nozzle for long run
operation. Repair life. No moving parts
costs often high. in pump, simple
repair procedures.
 Electrical
Submersible Jet Pump Gas lift Rod pump
Pump
Flexibility Poor, for fixed Good to excellent, Excellent, gas
speed. Requires power fluid rates and injection rate Excellent, can
careful design pressure adjusts the varied to change control production
VSD provides production rate and lift rates. Tubing rate
better flexibility capacity from no-flow needs to be sized
to full design capacity correctly.
of installed pump
selection of throat and
nozzle sizes extend
range of volume and
capacity.
Flow stability Not Continuous and Gas lift able to Not recommended
recommended for smooth flow of handle all types of for unstable flow.
unstable flow. produced fluids. Not flow regimes
recommended for whether the flow
unstable flow. is stable or
unstable.
Thank You