Challenges of Using handling technologies is maximum

Electrical becoming common. achievable pump

size and rate.
Submersible Pump The methods used, the
3. ESPs can handle
(ESP) In High Free results and learning from
free gas up to
Gas Applications the application of ESPs
approximately
with various gas handling
SUMMARY 20% volume
technologies in real field
fraction without
Limitations of achieving data showed below.
gas separation or
full potential in pumped Present natural flow
gas handling
wells is the presence of conditions were
equipment.
excessive free gas at simulated-determine the
pump intake. operating envelope for FIELD
each well. APPLICATIONS
Presence of free gas at
pump intake affects : The operating envelopes Ratawi field, Kuwait
for each selected well - Shrouds and XGC
 The pump were established over its gas handler- used to
performance life cycle with various control gas
negatively. free gas volumes and production. Several
 Reducing the water cuts. cases of “Gas Lock”
liquid rates. were faced where the
INTRODUCTION
 The pressure annulus (casing &
added by the Artificial lift can tubing or tubing &
pump. potentially improve the pump) were full of
production performance gases. At this stage
This performance the pump will be
in the short to medium-
reduction may sometimes operated without
term by compensating for
be quite severe: producing any fluid-
the low reservoir energy
 In unstable pump levels, adding significant lead to over heat the
operation. reserves in the long term motor as well as
 Significant by combating the pump.
production losses. negative lift impact of
The types of failures:
 Lower reliability. increasing water cuts.
 Increased I. Burnt cable/motor
Electric Submersible
operating costs- II. Stuck pumps.
Pump (ESP):
due to premature In this application, the
equipment failure. 1. The size (pump
shroud “Jacket” is
outer diameter) of
Some operators need to covering pump intake,
the pump- the
produce wells under seal section & motor. The
maximum
challenging operational production liquid is
capacity of the
conditions with very high directed from the
ESP at a given
free gas ratios. ESP in perforations downwards
rotational speed.
wells with a high free gas along the OD of the
2. The production
liquid ratio that requires shroud and is further
casing size
the use of special gas routed to the pump intake
determines the
through the annular space
between motor OD and
shroud ID.
The gas is accumulated in
the annulus above the
perforations, which
should be vented through
the casing valve.
The result of this
modification the mean
time to failure of the
pump on that Ratawi well
was raised from 24 days
to 371 days.
The main purpose in the
use of XGC gas handlers :
 To pressurize the
gas back into
solution.
 Produce it in the
oil through the
pump.
In this application, this
device was limited with
GLR, that it was used
adequately with a range
of GOR from 500 to 1000
scf/bbl. As a result of this
modification the mean
time to failure of the
pump on that well was
raised from 65 days to
292 days (Mubarak et al.
2003).