CUSTOMERS DETERMINE OUR SUCCESS

GE Delivers Production Optimization

in Chad—Increasing Run-Time
Failure frequency reduced by 70% on ESPs and over 50% on PCPs, while the number of artificial lift
completions has more than tripled.
Today’s 10% failure rate on ESPs and PCPs produces an uptime ratio substantially higher than
the industry averages in similar operating conditions.

LOCATION
Basin located in remote central Africa, Chad.
GE delivers
BACKGROUND
and installs A consortium of three leading global oil and gas companies engaged the GE Oil & Gas
team to provide artificial lift technology for a project in central Chad. The field consists
artificial lift of approximately 975 wells, about 750 of which are active today. These wells can
produce almost 1,000,000 barrels of fluid per day. Artificial lift was required to produce
equipment the wells at this site and in May 2005, GE’s ESP technology was chosen for this field.1
The project also included a unique equipment performance guarantee, whereby for a
and a monthly fee, GE provides the customer with equipment replacement and services in
the event of a failure.
customer The project includes an onsite ESP and PCP service center, with expert personnel from
experience the local community and more than 10 nations. The onsite center has been a central
piece of the success of this project. The GE staff dedicated to the project include
that yields experts in assembly, well surveillance, engineering, repairs, and quality—all are cross-
trained to work on both PCPs and ESPs.

increased
CHALLENGE
run-time. The wells in the basin presented a number of challenges, and due to the characteristics
of the field­—including remote well sites, unconsolidated formation sand, severe
emulsions, and flow impairment due to fines migration—the production teams saw
failures at multiple wells. In fact, three years after production began, nine ESPs per
month (out of a total of 242) were experiencing failures. With a performance guarantee
in place, both the operator and GE were motivated to identify the causes of failures
and to increase reliability and performance of artificial
lift systems, well operation, and operating conditions.

1
Non-GE PCP technology is also used and serviced in this field.
SOLUTION
Understanding the root causes of each failure was critically important to the team. Knowing and addressing the root
causes in a systematic way would help drive a culture of continuous improvement so they assembled an Extended
Run Lift Team (ERLT) comprised of both GE experts and representatives of the customer. The ERLT team set out to
measure the number of failures, and to examine in detail why the equipment failed through a thorough Root Cause
Failure Analysis (RCFA) and then to implement a solution and measure it.

The RCFA process included data gathering, validation and dismantling of the equipment. With the RCFA, the team
identified nearly 70 root causes of failure.
The next step was to collaboratively devise solutions to those failures, implement those solutions and monitor and
measure the results. It was essential that this team work collaboratively and remain focused on the agreed key
performance indicators to drive overall artificial lift design and operation, and ultimately project success.

RESULT
The collaborative process of the ERLT led to a significant improvement in equipment
run-time in the field. The ESP failure frequency has been reduced by 70%, PCPs by over
50%, while during that time, the number of well installs has more than tripled. By mid-
2016, there was an overall 10% failure rate, a further reduction significantly greater
than the industry averages in similar operating condition
(which can be as high as 30–40%).

This success has enabled the GE team to successfully extend the cooperation through
In May 2016,
additional performance contracts with the customers. The customers
have benefited—even in a downturn—from less well intervention, fewer
the team
equipment replacements, far less overall costs, and more production.
at the site
Monthly Average Failure Frequency
0.90
PCP
900 achieved
FF (failure/well/year

0.80 Motor End One View

Stabilizers
800
Coll Design Surveillance Tool
0.70 700
their
Active Wells
0.60 Free Flow Seal 600
0.50 Lightening 500
Arrestors
0.40 400
0.30
0.20
300
200 eleventh
0.10 100
0.00 0
year without
ay

ay

ay

ay

ay

ay

ay

ay
g

b
No

No

No

No

No

No

No
Au

Au

Au

Au

Au

Au

Au
Fe

Fe

Fe

Fe

Fe

Fe

Fe
M

Reliability Center
Fully operational
ESP VSD Open Slot
Implementation Motor Design
Tandem
Ultra Seal
PCP
Space Out
PCP
Mechanical
Seals
Implementation
CMBM
ESP FF PCP FF Active Wells
a Safety
CMBM – Condensed Modbus Map

Graph represents monthly failure frequency 2003-2013, and highlights the changes that were implemented over
time as a result of the work of the ERLT.
Lost Time
incident.

* Trademark of General Electric Company.

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

GEA32736 (11/2016)