SPE 165053

Successful PCP Applications in High Deviated Wells: Breaking Away the

Paradigm of PCP Only for Vertical or Low Deviated Wells in Colombia
Sandra Correa, Weatherford Colombia, Gustavo Pertuz, Weatherford Colombia, Hipatia Cuellar, Petrominerales,
Luis Felipe Moreno, Petrominerales, Jose I Salazar, Petrominerales, Jose Romero, Petrominerales.

Copyright 2013, Society of Petroleum Engineers

This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPE Artificial Lift Conference-Americas held in Cartagena, Colombia, 21-22 May 2013.

This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents of the paper have not been
reviewed by the Society of Petroleum Engineers and are subject to correction by the author(s). The material does not necessarily reflect any position of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, its
officers, or members. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper without the written consent of the Society of Petroleum Engineers is prohibited. Permission to
reproduce in print is restricted to an abstract of not more than 300 words; illustrations may not be copied. The abstract must contain conspicuous acknowledgment of SPE copyright.

Abstract
It highlights the good performance of various Progresive other areas in Colombia.
Cavity Pumping (PCP) Systems with pumps landed in
ultra high deviated angles, superior than 54˚, and critical Introduction
dog leg severity, 3.4 - 4.5˚/100ft in Dina Terciarios field. The Dina Terciarios field, is located on the top of the
This performance goes beyond the traditional Colombian Magdalena Valley, Huila – Colombia. The field is
oil industry conception about PCP system, it can only be operated by Ecopetrol and Petrominerales Colombia
used for vertical or slightly deviated wells and there is a through an incremental production contract. The
large prevention regarding. Petrominerales Company decided to install the PCP
System in horizontal wells since the year 2010.
This paper applies for any well with fluid properties and
production conditions where PCP technically applies as an Petrominerales drilled horizontal wells in order to navigate
artificial lift system, and the critical well geometry rejects in the producing formation Doima Chicoral. The PCP
the PCP systems due to curvature characteristics, System is chosen as a method of artificial lift for these
horizontal and highly deviated wells. This specific case is wells due to its low initial investment and maintenance
focused to Dina Terciarios as an oil field and two Operator costs, low production, and for being the best choice for
oil companies, Petrominerales and Ecopetrol. handling solids after fracturing operations.

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
In the absence of a tangential zone in the well trajectory,
the pumps are landed in ultra high deviated angles,
between 54˚and 80˚, and critical dog leg severity of 3.4 -
4.5˚/100ft (Table 1). The pump is located according to the
perforations zone and in a zone without large changes of
angle and DLS.
This oilfield produces oil between 15 -22˚ API, with water
cuts from 12 – 80%, Gas Oil Relation (GOR) 200 – 450
scf/STB, the formation produces Sand.
Statement of Theory and Definitions
The succes of the PCP applications is based on the proper
selection of the system components which should exceed
the requirements of each well, according to the evaluation
of specific reservoir conditions, fluid properties and well
geometry.
To develop this study it will be necessary to define some
terms involved here which appear below:
2 SPE 165053
Progressing Cavity Pumps (PCP): Is an
Artificial Lift Method. The PCP is a positive displacement
pump type, composed by a Rotor and stator with different
number of stages. The rotor moves inside the stator
displacing fluid from the bottom to the top. In this system
the power is transmitted by a surface motor to the pump
through a rods system that goes inside the tubing. This
Method of ALS can be used to pump a wide range of
multiphase mixtures, including high viscosity fluids, gas
and solid particles in suspension.
Run Life: Is the expected time to operate any
equipment without presence of irreversible failures. It
depends of its reliability, while this equipment is working
under determined operation conditions according to its
design.
Contact Load: Contact load is defined as the
force exerted over the rod string by the effects of contact
between the rod string and the tubing. (Figure 1)
For deviated wells the rods will be in contact with the
tubing resulting in tubing and rod wear.
Rod/Tubing Wear
The contact between the rod and the tubing, results in a
frictional wear of both elements. The parameters affecting
the wear are the contact load pressure, fluid properties
(especially sand cutting), rotation speed of the rod string
and the rod and tubing material.
Loads of contact between tubing and rods become
operationally significant in deviated and horizontal wells.
The contact load depends on the inside diameter of the
tubing and the rod string configuration, geometry of the
well, well deviation, rod tension, and distribution of the
contact between rod string and tubing.
The contact between the sucker rod string and the tubing
tends to concentrate in the couplings. Contact loads consist
of the loads induced by gravity and those are induced by
curvature (Figure 2). Rod guides and centralizers used
with standard rods may increase the wall standoff, but may
also distribute the contact loading over several locations as
opposed to only at the rod couplings. Since the rod
element contact force is distributed over the surface
contact area, wear will be reduced if the total contact area
is increased. This can be done by adding more guides or
selecting longer guides.
The continuous rod was developed to eliminate related
operating and mechanical problems with coupling
connections of conventional rod string. The continuous
rod distributes the contact loads along the rod body
(Figure 3).
Under the same conditions, the distribution of contact
loads associated with the continuous rod is 50 to 75 times
lower than those associated with conventional rod
couplings.
The transverse length of contact in the rod continuous is
approximately 50% smaller than conventional couplings.
The contact pressure is 25 to 35 times less than in the
conventional rod.
The wear rate of a material decreases as the hardness
increases. The wear rate of the softer component (contact
with another) increases as the difference in hardness
between the two materials increases. The tubing is usually
the softer component therefore undergoes faster wear
rates.
The abrasive effect of sand has an exponential behavior
regarding wear rate. A higher speed results in greater
interaction between the two surfaces in a given period of
time, thus increasing the wear rate.
Description and Application of Equipment and
Process
The horizantal Wells from Dina Terciarios were drilled
with a J type trayectory, KOP between 180 – 400 ft. The
well depths are the range of 5500 – 6500 ft MD (Figure 7).
The wells are completed with a 9 5/8-in OD surface casing
and a 7-in OD production casing, with 3 ½-in OD
production tubing.
The PCP System consists of: On the surface, a tubing
rotator is installed to act with the swivel. A composite
blowout preventer (BOP) and the drivehead with an
electrical motor, a variable-speed drive (VSD) controls the
entire system from the surface. On the Bottom, non turn
tool, tag bar, PCP stator, tubing swivel, and continuous rod
are installed (Figure 8).
The PC-Pump software by C-fer enables to design a
complete PCP system (Figure 9). It considers wellbore
geometry, allows for essentially any type of equipment
selection and then predicts how the system will perform in
virtually any operating conditions. The program uses the
wellbore geometry input to calculate the position of the
rod string within the tubing along the entire length of the
wellbore and determines the contact loads.
The design variables that were kept in mind at the time of
choosing the PCP completment in the Dina Terciarios
field are detailed as continues:
PC Pumps with displacement capacity production between
200 and 900 BFPD. The choice of the elastomer must be
according to the characteristics of the production
formation of each well.
Rod Strings and surface equipment with available torque
for the handling of solids. The operation system torque in
these wells is of approximately 800 lbf-ft, rod strings and
an electrical motor are chosen to have an available torque
of 1300 lbf-ft.
The trajectory of the Wells reach inclinations of over 54˚
because of this it is adecuate to check the state of efforts to
SPE 165053 3

which the rods will be submitted to once they are
operating. By means of the Pc-Pump software, the contact
loads generated with the use of the conventional rod of 1”
of OD was checked. (Table 2 & Figure 6).
According to the results obtained in the tubing wear
simulation, the best option for these types of wells is the
usage of the continuous rod of 1”, which reduces the
contact loads maximum to 12 lbf-ft.
In applications which handle sand content the optimized
velocity of operation must be evaluated to reduce the
tubing/rod wear effects.
The results obtained are under the specific Dina Terciarios
well conditions.
Nomenclature

Like the most sensible part in the PCP System instalation PCP: Progressive Cavity Pump
of the Wells of high deviation angles, is the wear out of DT: Dina Terciarios
tubing and rod, it proposes the combination of two ALS: Artificial Lift System
technologies, tubing rotators ans continuous rod with the KOP: Kick off Point
idea of reducing the awaited wear out. The tubing swivel MD: Measured Depth
allows tubing rotation to reduce wear from contact with OD: Outside Diameter
the rod string. BOP: Blow Out Preventer
VSD: Variable Speed Drive
BFPD: Barrels Fluid per Day
Presentation of Data and Results RPM: Revolutions per Minute
Table 3, shows the results obtained by Run Life of pump DLS: Dog Leg Severity
and tubing/Rod of the wells being studied in the Dina GOR: Gas Oil Relation
terciarios field.

Of the obtained results run lifes over 652 days can be References
verified for the rod usage cycle and the production tubing.
1. D.J Wiltse, B.A Weir, Highland/Corod Inc.
The DT-137 well is considered the most critical in means “Eliminating Sucker Rod Couplings Can Reduce
of possible tubing/Rod wear for the contact loads Progressing Cavity Pump Operating Costs”. SPE
presented of 958 lbf-ft (Figure 6). The DT-137 well pump 30275.
is located in an angle of 65˚ with a dog leg of 3.9˚/100 ft
(Figure 4 & 5). The well has operated in a velocity range 2. H. Ariza, C. Rojas, V. Rivera, F.Torres.
between 90 and 340 RPM, having an average velocity of “Decreasing Well Downtime in Guando Oil Field
202 RPM (Table 4). The PCP system was installed on by Using Continuous Sucker Rod” SPE 102744.
March 13th 2010, it presented a pump failure on the 143rd
day. Up to date the well has been operating 1041 days 3. C-FER Technologies (1999). PC-PUMP
without presenting any tubing and rod rupture fails. (Table Software.
3).
4. Weatherford International, COROD Businnes
The DT-136 well presented a rod failure within the 995th Unit, Technical information.
day of run life. The DT-138, DT-137 and DT-160 wells
continue operating without presenting failure in rod and
tubing production.

Conclusions
With the obtained results the paradigma is broken of not
considering the PCP system as an artificial lift system for
the horizontal Wells.

The pumps were located in high deviated angle áreas and

DLS which is a critical condition for the PCP system
performance. Undoubtedly, the results obtained show
liability in not presenting premature failures of rod, tubing
and rotor rupture.

The combination of technologies like continious rod and

tubing rotators turns into an excellent alternative for wells
which present high angles of deviation and DLS.
4 SPE 165053

Tables Figures

Table 1. Deviation & DLS at Landing Pump Figure 1. Contact Load Types

LANDING PUMP DEGREES OF DOG LEG

WELL
(Ft) DEVIATION SEVERITY

DT-136 4080.37 54˚ 4.5˚/100 ft

DT-137 4396.55 65˚ 3.9˚/100 ft
DT-138 4681.7 73˚ 0.3˚/100 ft
DT-160 4699.65 80˚ 3.4˚/100 ft
DT-162 4834.35 78˚ 1.2˚/100 ft

Table 2. Distributed Contact Loads

CONTACT LOADS (Lbf-ft)

WELL Concentrated on Distribute Over
SUCKER ROD 1" COROD 1" the Coupling the Body of the
Rod
DT-136 902 11
DT-137 958 12
DT-138 904 11 Figure 2. Contact Induced by Curvature - Tension
DT-160 726 9
DT-162 658 9

Table 3. Rod/ Tubing & Pump Run Life

INSTALATION RUN LIFE ROD/ RUN LIFE

WELL
DATE TUBING PUMP
DT-136 13-Mar-10 995 744
DT-137 13-Apr-10 1041 143
DT-138 13-Jun-10 980 657
DT-160 19-Mar-11 701 576
DT-162 7-May-11 652 237
Concentrated on Distribute Over
the Coupling the Body of the
Rod

Table 4. Operating Speed

Figure 3. Contact Loads Comparison
OPERATING SPEED (RPM)
WELL
MINIMUM MAXIMUM AVERAGE
DT-136 52 250 87
DT-137 90 340 202
DT-138 52 340 111
DT-160 52 350 133
DT-162 94 330 241
SPE 165053 5

Figure 4. Measured Depth Vs Dog Leg Severity, DT-137 Well

Figure 5. Measured Depth Vs Hole Angle, DT-137 Well

Figure 6. Contact Loads - Sucker Rod 1”, DT-137 Well

6 SPE 165053

Figure 7. Vertical Section & Plan View Plot, DT-137 Well

Figure 8. PCP Completion Diagram, DT-137 Well

SPE 165053 7

Figure 9. Analysis Results of “PC-Pump” Simulation, DT-137 Well