Electric Submersible Pumps

D. R. Davies

Institute of Petroleum Engineering, Heriot-Watt University

Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

Lecture Objectives
At the end of the lecture, you should be able to:
• Identify the components of an Electric Submersible
Pump (ESP).
• Describe the preferred applications and the mode of
operation of the ESP.
• Select well conditions suitable for ESP installation as
preferred Artificial Lift option.
• Evaluate the advantages of an instrumented ESP
completion.
• Make an initial ESP Completion Design

Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

 Electrical Submersible Pump (ESP)
A downhole centrifugal pump which lifts the
produced fluids to the surface.
• Subsurface equipment
– Electric motor, Downhole Sensors,
Protector or seal, Gas separator, Pump,
Cable
• Surface equipment
– Junction box, Switchboard or Variable
speed controller, Pump Monitoring
Instruments, Transformers

Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

-High Voltage electricity supply

- VFD: soft start & speed
control
- Vent box
- Wellhead penetrator
- Cable
- Pump unit {many (10-100)
rotating centrifugal impellers
with stationary diffusers
driven by shaft }
- Pump intake
- Protector/Seal
(barrier, motor oil expansion,
thrust absorber)
- Electric Motor
- Sensors (signal via cable)
Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies
 General Characteristics of ESPs

• Can be designed to pump at very high flow rates (up to

100,000 BPD) & high pressure boost (up to 6,000 psi)
• Often more efficient than other AL techniques
• Relatively expensive
• Sensitive to solids and free gas
• ESPs can run several years with favorable conditions
• ESP repair almost always requires a Heavy Workover

Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

Electric Submersible
Pumps Applications

• ESPs can be installed in deviated

wells at angles up to 80o

Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

 Electric
Submersible
Pumps
Applied to
Injection Wells
Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

ESP Motors
• Generally 3 phase and 2 pole motors.
• Consists of two main parts: the Rotor and Stator.
• Pump performance is dependent on the frequency of
the electrical power.
– The higher frequency the better the performance
– Designed to run at 60 Hz in USA & 50 Hz elsewhere
– may run at other frequencies (VFD).
• Requires sufficient cooling from fluid flow past the
motor to operate properly.
• Size ranges from 20 Hp to 1200 Hp
Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies
ESP Motor Problems
Major causes of motor
overheating & pump failure
• Overloading
• Well pumped off
• Gas locked
• Stuck pump
• Lack of cooling
– Tubing or casing leak,
scale, motor laying
against the casing
Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

Motor Protector or Seal

• An important ESP downhole component (often overlooked)
• Provides pressure equalization system for the motor.
• Provides seal system to protect the motor winding from
the well fluids
• Absorbs a significant portion of the up- & down-thrust
force.
• Two basic equipment designs:
– Labyrinth
Labyrinth: not suited to highly deviated wells or
when motor oil is denser than borehole fluid.
– Bag
Bag: not suited to environments which are
aggressive to rubber.
Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies
 Centrifugal Pump
• Multiple stages
• Each stage consists of an
impeller and a diffuser
• Impeller provides kinetic
energy by throwing fluid to
the edge of the impeller
• Diffuser changes kinetic
energy into potential energy
(pressure) by reducing the
fluid velocity
Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

Pump Unit

Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

 Gas Handling
• Efficiency of standard ESP
centrifugal impeller reduces
when gas fraction > 20%
• Mixed flow impellers can
handle up to 40% vol. gas
• Greater Gas / Liquid ratios
require rotary gas separator
or gas anchor (shroud)
• Vented casing required
Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

Junction Box
• Vents gas that diffuses out of well via the cable
• Prevents the gas from diffusing through cable and
creating an explosion hazard in the switchboard
Motor Controller
• Starts and stops the motor
• Provides current recording (amp chart)
• Downhole sensor readout possible
• Enables remote monitoring and control
• Provides under and overload protection
• Automatic shutdown following pump-off or gas-lock
• Provision for automatic restart possible
Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies
 Check and Drain Valves

• Check valve is installed to:

– prevent back spin
– reduce the volume of debris falling through
pump
– reduce pump out time
• Drain valve:
– avoids pulling wet string
– enables well killing by circulation
Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

Sensor Package
• Measurements include:
– Fluid intake & motor temperature
– Pump suction / discharge pressures & temperatures
– Vibration
– Current leakage
• Provides data on pump / motor operating conditions
• Prevents dangerous motor conditions e.g. well pumped
off & attempt motor restart under backspin conditions
due to unloading of fluid in string
• Data triggers alarms - analysed at wellsite or main office
• Provides continuous FBHP measurements - data
transmitted to the surface via the power cable
• Well test analysis after each pump shut down
Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies
 The “Y” Tool
gives access below the ESP

Bypass (Y-Tube) Applications:

• Well stimulation
• Cased hole logging & perforating
• Setting bridge plugs (water shut off)
• Setting/recovering downhole memory gauges
• Revised
Running
2010 and retrieval bridge plugs, downhole sampling
HWU MSc. PT -etc.
David Davies

Basic Pump Selection

• Max. Pump pressure is 6,000 psi
• Total Dynamic Head equals:
+ Fluid Hydrostatic head from
ESP to the surface is product
of:
- (average) fluid density (ρ)
- ESP vertical depth (TVD)
- acceleration due to gravity (g)
+ Friction loss in the tubing (Pfth)
+ The surface pressure (Psurf)
required to overcome flowline
back pressure (may be a high
value e.g. satellite wells 50 miles
Revised 2010 from the host platform)
HWU MSc. PT - David Davies
 Pump Performance
• The “pump head”, or increase in pressure per stage
(∆P), is expressed in terms of the pressure generated by
an equivalent column of water (h).
∆P = ρ*g*h
N.B. This needs correction for any changes in viscosity
• Pump power = pump rate * the generated pump head or
Mechanical Power = work done / time = q*∆P
• Converted to required electric motor power via pump
efficiency (E)
E = hydraulic power / mechanical Power
• Operate Pump operation within 10% of max. efficiency

Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

Pump Performance Chart

• ESP is a dynamic pump:

– pump rate is high for low pressure head generation
– pump rate is low for high pressure head generation
Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies
 Simplified Pump Design (1)
• The pipe friction loss (∆Pf) is given by:
 L  ν 
2
∆pf = ( f )( ρf )    
 d   2g 
where f is the friction factor, v is the fluid velocity and g
the acceleration due to gravity {32.173 (ft/s2) (lbm/lbf)}
• v is calculated from the pipe dimensions while the
friction factor is found from the Moody Diagram
• ∆Pd =Pm +∆Pf +∆PHH is the pump discharge pressure
where Pm is the safety margin
• Pump intake pressure = Pin = FBHP = Pres - Q/PI
Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

Simplified
Pump
Design (2)

• Pump performance chart shows head per stage (H) and

Power {Kilowatt} or brake horsepower per stage (BHP)
{where 1 BHP = 0.746 KW}
• Check robustness of design against a wide range of
(possible) future operating conditions
Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies
 Simplified
Pump
Design (3)

• Pump performance chart is at 2,915 rpm & 50 Hz

2
pump rate (2) pump speed (2) hydrostatichead(2)  pumpspeed(2) 
= , = 
pump rate (1) pump speed (1) hydrostatichead(1)  pumpspeed(1) 
3
motor power (2)  pump speed (2) 
& = 
motor power (1)  pump speed (1) 
• Variable Frequency Drive alters electricity frequency
Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

Simplified
Pump
Design (4)

• Select optimum seal section & cable

• Reliable ESP operation requires correct ESP design
• Reliability or “Mean time before failure” increases with
Revised evaluation
2010 of failed equipment HWU MSc. PT - David Davies
Ammeter Chart -
normal operation

Chart shows:
• Motor starts
with initial
current surge
• Steady
operation
thereafter

Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

Monitoring ESP Operation – the ammeter

Chart shows:
• Motor starts with
initial current surge
as it “speeds up”
• Current demand
begins to oscillate
after period of steady
production as well
“pumped-off”
• Pump shuts down
• Cycle repeated after
well shut-in to allow
fluid level to build up
Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies
Modern ESP Motor & Pump Condition Monitoring

Chart shows:
• Pump discharge pressure increase & suction decrease
• Discharge pressure oscillates while surface choke adjusted
• Motor vibration follows same pattern
• Motor
Revised 2010 temperature increases HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

New Technology

Coiled Tubing
Deployed ESP

• Cable on outside (conventional) of Coiled Tubing

• 2010Coiled Tubing allows rapid replacement of
Revised HWUfailed
MSc. PT - ESP
David Davies
 New Technology
Coiled Tubing
Deployed ESP

• Cable can also be installed

on inside of CT
– simpler & faster
installation
– can be installed in live
well

Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

New Technology - Auto “Y” Tool

Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

New Technology -
Dual Zones &
Dual Pumps

• Upper & lower zones

produced simultaneously &
independently via own ESP
• Completion configurations
• tubing/annulus
• concentric completion
• dual tubing

Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

New Technology
Dual Pump
• Second pump increases maximum installed
pump power
• For wells with limited access e.g. high cost,
offshore operations
– lower ESP replaces Upper ESP upon
failure
– auto “Y”tool operation allows transfer
between ESPs without workover

Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

 Example ESP Design (1)
Well conditions

Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

Example ESP Design (2)

 L  ν 
2
Pipe Friction at the planned rate ∆pf = ( f )( ρ f )    
 d   2g 

F = 0.03

 7000   3.28 
2
∆Pf = ( 0.03)( 0.433)    = 81psi
 0.188   2.32.173 
Total pressure required above pump ∆Pd =Pm +∆Pf +∆PHH
∆Pd = 50 + 81 + (0.433 psi/ft) (7000 ft) = 3162 psi
Flowing Bottom Hole Pressure PIn = PR - Q/PI
= 1700 - 1400/2 = 1000psi
Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies
 Example ESP Design (3)

Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

Example ESP Design (3)

• Head per stage at 1400 b/d is 58 ft

Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies
 Example ESP Design (3)

• Head per stage at 1400 b/d is 58 ft

• Power per stage at 1400 b/d is 0.52 BHP
Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

Example ESP Design (4)

Number of pump stages (N) required & motor power @ 2,915 rpm

Pd -PIn ( psi ) ( 3162-1000 )

N= = = 86stages
H ( ft ) *0.433 ( psi/ft ) 58*0.433

• HHP = 86 (stages)*0.52 (BHP/stage)*(γf) = 45 HHP

{no correction for fluid density (γf) is required}
• The pump electric motor may now be chosen.
• Allow for power loses in the motor & oversize to
increase run life
• Choosing a pump speed other than 2,915 rpm
introduces extra complications
Pump rate of an ESP is proportional to the speed
Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies
 Example
ESP Design
(5)

• Pump performance chart is at 2915 rpm & 50 Hz

2
pump rate (2) pump speed (2) hydrostatic head (2)  pump speed (2) 
= , = 
pump rate (1) pump speed (1) hydrostatic head (1)  pump speed (1) 
3
motor power (2)  pump speed (2) 
& = 
motor power (1)  pump speed (1) 
• VFD drives alter electricity frequency
Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

Nodal Analysis Example ESP Design (6)

relates pump
intake curve &
well PI
• PI = 2 b/d/psi
What is effect
Q of Well b/d
= 1400 PI?
– Fluid level is
1000psi or 2310 ft
above the pump
• Q = 1190 b/d if
PI = 1 b/d/psi
• Well is “pumped
off” if PI = 0.5 b/d
Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies
 Example ESP Design (6)
• Well “pumping-
off will damage
pump very quickly
• Cable selection
depends on:
– Power required
– Voltage,
– Max Temp.
– Etc.

• See API RP 1154

Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

Lecture Summary
During this lecture we have:
• Identified the components of an Electric Submersible
Pump (ESP).
• Described the preferred applications and the mode of
operation of the ESP.
• Selected well conditions suitable for ESP installation as
preferred Artificial Lift option.
• Identified the application areas where an ESP is NOT
suitable.
• Evaluated the advantages of an instrumented ESP
completion.

Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies