How to make your

ESP’s last longer

by
Luud Dorrestijn

European AL Forum
25-02-04
 Unocal Netherlands ESP experience

• Over 20 yrs experience with ESP’s

• Currently 37 ESP’s in operation 42 - 412 hp
• Gross production rates 500 - 9600 BFPD
• Reservoir depth 4200 - 6700’
• Partly below B.P. (GOR 150 - 600 scf/bbl)
• 1% CO2 , some scale and some sand production
• Initial pump life about 1 year
• Avg. life 5.8 yrs; max. 11 yrs 8 mo
European AL Forum
25-02-04
 AVERAGE ESP RUNLIFE
12.0

10.0

8.0
YEARS

6.0

4.0
ALL FIELDS

2.0 HELDER

HOORN

HAVEN, HrB

0.0 HORIZON

1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004

6
European AL Forum
25-02-04
 AVERAGE ELECTRIC SUBMERSIBLE PUMP RUNLIFE
1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
All ESP's
Total running 9.9 21.2 25 27 28 27 27.7 29.3 32.6 32.3 32.8 37.9 39.3 39.5 38 38 38 40 40 38 37
Total pulls / failures 8 6 11 25 18 10 10 15 15 14 12 11 10 8 8 1 7 8 12 6 6
6 yr avg. runlife 1.6 1.8 1.8 1.8 2.1 2.3 2.3 2.5 2.8 3.3 3.8 5.1 5.7 6.0 5.4 5.7 5.8
Helm Field
ESP's running 3.4 5.1 7 7.7 8 7 7.5 8 8 8 8 8 8 7.5 6 6 6 8 8 8 7
ESP's pulled / failed 1 3 0 3 6 5 1 3 2 7 2 3 1 2 1 0 2 0 1 3 1
6 yr avg. runlife 2.4 2.0 2.5 2.1 2.3 2.1 2.6 2.4 2.7 2.6 4.2 5.1 5.6 6.7 8.5 6.0 6.1
Helder Field
ESP's running 5.3 10.6 12 12 12 12 12 12 15 14.3 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14
ESP's pulled / failed 3 2 5 19 6 3 4 2 3 5 3 4 3 3 1 0 4 3 3 0 3
6 yr avg. runlife 1.5 1.7 1.6 1.8 3.5 3.8 4.0 4.1 4.0 3.9 5.0 6.4 6.4 6.4 6.4 7.0 6.5
Hoorn Field
ESP's running 1.2 5.5 6 7 7 7 7.5 7.3 7.6 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 7 7
ESP's pulled / failed 4 1 6 2 6 2 4 8 7 1 4 1 4 1 3 0 0 4 5 1 2
6 yr avg. runlife 1.4 1.9 1.7 1.6 1.3 1.7 1.6 1.9 2.3 3.6 3.1 4.4 5.0 5.0 3.3 3.9 3.8
Haven Field
ESP's running 0.3 1 1 0.7 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
ESP's pulled / failed 1 0 0 1 2 3 1 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
10 yr avg. runlife 1.3 1.1 1.1 1.0 1.0 1.3 2.0 2.5 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 9.0 10.0
Horizon Field
ESP's running 0.8 5.9 7.3 8 8 8 8 8 8 7 7
ESP's pulled / failed 1 1 2 2 3 1 1 1 3 2 0
6 yr avg. runlife 3.3 4.1 4.4 5.0 4.4 4.9 5.8

European AL Forum
25-02-04
 ESP Runlife Improvers - Hardware

• Use of 9Cr1Mo tubing

• Tandem seals TL (thrust on lower bearing); particularly
with high drawdown and/or temp. and in deviated wells
• Abrasion resistant bearings (1 of 3)
• Ferritic pump / gas separator where needed
• Monel coatings on motor/seals/lead
• Spliced packer penetrator connections
• Use of Variable Speed Drive or soft starter
• Use solid core cable
European AL Forum
25-02-04
 ESP sand “control”
oo
Old setup oo
New setup
• Low velocity of c c • Installation of
fluid. Sand / debris shroud + tail pipe.
will drop out of
fluid 0 0 0 0 0 0 • Through tailpipe
high fluid velocity.
• Gas in ESP which This will lift the
created problems sand.
• Gas better
separated. Will flow
via annulus.
• Installed ‘junk-box”
in tubing to catch
the sand.
•
oo
Divert flow away
from hole in liner
• Better ESP-motor
cooling
“Transfer sand problem from downhole
European AL Forum
25-02-04
 ESP Runlife Improvers- ’Software’

• Proper engineering & design of pump (team effort)

• Selection of components (1- 4 yrs)
• Operation within pump curve
• ESP course for Engineers and Operators
• Underload protection / Amp-charts in the control room
• Monitoring of pump performance by the engineer

European AL Forum
25-02-04
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 Thrust Forces in Pump

Recommended
Operating Range

Thrust at optimum
efficiency point
Down-thrust

Up-thrust
Thrust

= Optimum design point

Recommended Operating Range (Rate)

with acceptable down thrust and high efficiency
 ESP Runlife Improvers- Installation

• Experienced WO Supervisor / workover crew

• Install ESP in straight hole section
• Make splices under protected conditions
• Take sufficient time to make up pump assembly
• Fill tubing before starting the pump
• Check pump performance immediately after start-up

• Pump/motor/seal disassembly for failure analysis

European AL Forum
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 Failure Analysis

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25-02-04
 Teardown and Failure Analysis –
Before Workover & Ordering new ESP

Offshore
• HV megger test power cable + motor
• Megger/ check surface systems (cables, VSD, transf.)
• Echoplot (el.) to check location of short circuit
• If doubt, connect ESP to power supply of other well
In Office
• Review/ assessment of:
¾ Amp-charts
¾ Well tests/ inlet pressure etc.
¾ ESP performance by simulation

European AL Forum
25-02-04
 Teardown and Failure Analysis –
During Workover

• Rotation checks: Pump/ separator/ seal/ motor

• Shaft/ bearing play
• Check for water in upper/ lower seals
• Check motor oil color/ water content
• Visual inspection corrosion housings
• Check for sand and scale (take samples)
• Megger motor/ cable

European AL Forum
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 Explosive decompression
of power cable

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25-02-04
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European AL Forum
25-02-04
 Teardown and Failure Analysis –
After Workover

• Teardown after failure to establish root cause

• Find solution to problem (preferably with vendor)

European AL Forum
25-02-04
 C.S. bolts between tandem
motors corroded after 5 yrs

European AL Forum
25-02-04
 Helder A-03 ESP failure
after 2 yrs 3 mo
due poor cable protectors

June 2003

European AL Forum
25-02-04
 Helder A-9 ESP failures
After 7 yrs After 3 mo

March 2003 June 2003

European AL Forum
25-02-04
 A9 SS centralizers

European AL Forum
25-02-04
 Broken shaft caused by: …

European AL Forum
25-02-04
 Scale inside pump
bearings due
operation below B.P.
Solution:
Acid injection line with
entry above pump and
below check valve

European AL Forum
25-02-04
European AL Forum
25-02-04
 Tandem motor connections
failed due design error

European AL Forum
25-02-04
 Failure Analysis – Lessons Learned
Problems and Solutions
Corroded/ eroded tubing by • All tubing changed to 9 Cr 1 Mo tbg w/
gas/ CO2 VAM couplings
Corroded pup joints • Checked all pups to be ss and scrapped cs
Cable plug failures • Splice below packer + conn. Above (init.)
• Splices below packer + 300’ lead above
• Eliminate SSSV’s
Reservoir mgt. + ESP • Pressure gauge w/signal on power cable
performance analysis • Now Baker CAC gauge w/ external wire/tbg
Water in seals/ bags failing • Tandem seals w/ 2 bags
• Deviated wells w/ 4 bags
Limited clearance 675 series in • 90 Ft flat lead also for installation in 7” liner
9 5/8” csg for round cable (up to above pump)
Operator error • ESP course
Pulled ESP’s that had not • HV megger/ echoplot (el.)/ checking of
failed VSD etc./ connect system of other ESP
European AL Forum
25-02-04
 Failure Analysis – Lessons Learned
General
• Proper ESP design/ installation/ operation/ failure analysis is
a team effort (Prodn. & Res. Eng./ WO Sup’r/ Vendor)
• ESP sizing software is essential
• Working with vendor pays off, but do not blindly rely on them
for pump selection
• Consider with design of pump that it may last 4 - 6 yrs
• Try to keep operating within recommended operating range
of pump curve
• Teardowns - although expensive - pay off
• Sharing through EESPOG etc. is valuable
• Experienced Workover Supervisor / crew are crucial
European AL Forum
25-02-04
 ESP Economics

European AL Forum
25-02-04
 T-39 workover rig

European AL Forum
25-02-04 Horizon/Seafox
European AL Forum
25-02-04
 ESP Economics

• UN reduced workover cost to < $ 120,000 (excl. ESP)

• There is a lot more value in proper ESP engineering than
many managers seem to think
• Often not appreciated by Management how much money
could be saved in workover costs and what it takes to
achieve proper engineering:
¾ ESP specialist with basic reservoir engineering
skills and a back-up for continuity;
¾ Training of engineers and operators;
¾ Team effort to achieve optimum results.
European AL Forum
25-02-04