IPTC-18801-MS

Unlock the Liquid Loaded Gas Wells with ESP Technology: The Successful
ESP Dewatering Application in China Sichuan Gas Field

Y. Peng, PetroChina Southwest Oil & Gas Field Co.; T. Liao, Baker Hughes Inc; Y. Kang, Amerlink Energy
Development Services Ltd.; Q. Zhu and C. Li, PetroChina Southwest Oil & Gas Field Co.

Copyright 2016, International Petroleum Technology Conference

This paper was prepared for presentation at the International Petroleum Technology Conference held in Bangkok, Thailand, 14-16 November 2016.

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Abstract
The operator in China Sichuan gas field is often faced with challenges of efficiently removing water
from aged gas production wells in which reservoir pressure depletes and liquid loading problem ensues.
Applying the proper dewatering method is essential to keep the well flowing and avoid water accumulating
in bottom hole. Among the many proven dewatering artificial lift methods, ESP (Electric Submersible
Pump) technology has its advantage in wells which need a high volume of water produced with maximum
pressure drawdown, which are beyond the capability of other artificial lift methods.
First introduced in year of 1984, the operator and ESP provider have made considerable progress
to develop an ESP application method in the field through theoretical studies, field trials and regular
production.
This paper concentrates on discussing the ESP sizing and optimization practice to tackle the corrosive,
extremely gassy, fluctuating liquid inflow environment typically seen in gas wells - an area used to be
perceived as infeasible for ESP technology. The methodology of well selection, completion string design
and production management could be used for reference where there are similar challenges with Sichuan
gas field.

Introduction
Sichuan gas field is among the earliest area in China where the exploration and production of natural gas
began. The gas reservoir in the entire area are mostly water-bearing, thus the production of gas is often
accompanied with formation water. The operator is often faced with challenges of efficiently removing
water from aged gas production wells in which reservoir pressure depletes and liquid loading problem
ensues. The liquid loading problem will deteriorate and eventually choke the well if effective measures are
not taken in time.
Started from the 1970s, the operator of Sichuan gas field has been practicing different gas well
dewatering technologies, to ensure gas production in the mature gas fields. ESP (Electric Submersible
Pump) technology is selected due to its capability of producing high volume of water and maximum
2 IPTC-18801-MS

head. To deal with the corrosive, extremely gassy, fluctuating inflow environment in gas wells - an area
used to be perceived as infeasible for ESP technology, special consideration must be made to ensure the
successful application. Improvements were made in production string design, gas avoiding and separation
technology, multiphase fluid handling, selection of different rated pump, surface control system algorithms
and production management.
With properly designed equipment, the ESP system has proved reliable in various applications in the field,
ranging from gas-water production wells, gas reservoir dewatering wells to revival of aged gas wells. The
ESP technology has been successfully applied in wells requiring high volume of water with high pressure
drawdown, which are beyond the capability of other artificial lift methods.
First introduced in the year of 1984, a total number of 19 wells have successfully deployed ESP
dewatering technology, assisting producing 182,000 m3/y of water and unlocking 28,000,000 m3/y of natural
gas in Sichuan gas field.

Main challenges
In the early time of applying ESP dewatering technology in Sichuan gas field, the reliability and performance
were challenged by various factors, which resulted in short system run life and poor performance. The
challenges include reservoir complexity, well depth, high temperature, corrosive environment and scale
problems.

Gas interference
The ESP is comprised of multiple stages of centrifugal pumps, which imparts velocity to fluid to produce
energy to lift the fluid to surface. Due to the difference of density between liquid and gas, the total energy
imparted to gas is much less than to liquid. Consequently when gas is present in the fluid, the lifting head
and efficiency of pump will be impaired. When the amount of gas reaches to a certain extent, the pump
cannot generate enough pressure to lift the fluid to surface, production ceases causing the "gas locking"
phenomena. This could lead to substantial temperature increases in the pump, seal, cable and motor. Taking
G12 well in Sichuan gas field as an example, gas interference has become a problem since the ESP was put
into production. In the later stage the ESP had to stop 2 to 4 times per day due to gas locking, causing very
low operating time, and so the dewatering was unsuccessful.

Fluctuating inflow
Because of the geological complexity and fractural reservoir type of Sichuan gas field, the water production
rate is difficult to estimate. Moreover, in the different production stages, the water production rate can
fluctuate drastically. An example is well S9, in the early production stage, the water production is 90m3/d,
and gas 5.15×104m3/d. During the later stage water production rate increased to 150m3/d and gas production
declined to 3×104 m3/d, causing the problem of selecting a flow for the ESP.

System reliablity
The ESP performance record of Sichuan gas field reveals that cable and motor lead extension related failures
account for the largest portion of ESP failures. The "decompression" effect is the one which contributes most
to the failures. Lab test and field experience have shown gas could migrate into cable insulation layers easily
under the downhole high pressure environment. When the environment pressure declined drastically, the
gas trapped in the cable insulation layers will expand and eventually the cable integrity will fail and short the
downhole cable, due to the so called "decompression". In the gas wells where the pressure changes rapidly
this phenomenon has often been seen. The other factor is mechanical damage during the installation and
pulling process. The loose banding and tight clearance can cause cable drag on wellbore and compromise
IPTC-18801-MS 3

electric integrity. Reusing the cable must be done with cautioun. Besides, the ESP is often set deep where
the temperature can be very high. The insulation material selection, field splice quality is critical.

Well selection
ESP dewatering technology has its advantages and disadvantages. Not all liquid loaded gas wells are suitable
for ESP. Since it is one of the most complex gas well dewatering technologies, involving high investment
and massive application work, the selection of candidate wells for ESP dewatering technology is critical.
Improper selection of the candidate wells can lead to ineffectiveness of the dewatering result, or poor
ESP performance. Based on the Sichuan gas field experience, the designs which account for the only the
initial period of production stage will often find that the ESP is not compatible with gas, water, and power
consumption needs in the late stage. Furthermore, the selection of dewatering well should consider the need
of the whole gas reservoir, so that to fully make use of the ESP dewatering capability.

Engineering improvements
Based on the theoretical studies and experience in the field, considerable improvements have been made to
optimize ESP dewatering technology performance.

Well selection principle

Based on the field experience in Sichuan area, the well selection principles have been developed to better
make use of the capability of ESP dewatering technology, and ensure the longevity of ESP run life.
Geological requirements. Gas reservoir dewatering: the gas well is located on the direction of water
breakthrough, the well is of high permeability, the water production rate is high.
Single well dewatering: the gas well has high residual gas reservoir, the well is deep with low bottom
hole pressure, the water production rate is high.
Requirements of the wellbore. The casing ID is suitable for ESP to pass and set in place. The clearance
should be optimized for gas production within proper speed. The wellbore should be clean with no dirt on
casing wall and no fish downhole. The casing should be with endurable material to match the run life of
the ESP. Little or no sand and abrasive production. Bottom hole temperature should not exceed 150°C, or
special consideration should be taken to applications. The corrosive environment should be within material
limits of ESP metallurgy. The dog leg severity should be less than 15 °/30m for ESP to pass through. The
ESP should be set in tangent with dog leg severity less than 3 °/30m.
Requirements for surface facility. Power source and the capacity should satisfy the requirement of ESP.
A complete water transferring pipeline or water treatment device.

Optimization of ESP sizing process

The traditional ESP design practice is based on given production rate situation, which covers very limited
conditions. This practice can work in most oil wells and less gassy applications, but does not account for
the dynamic production of gas wells. A new methodology of ESP sizing in use of gas well dewatering was
developed to involve the dynamic gas well inflow performance and gas liquid ratio in different production
stages, to match with the pump curves. With the assistance of professional ESP sizing software, the
simulations were made on the initial pure liquid stage, low gassy stage and high gas stage to ensure all the
ESP sections could work reliably in all the possible scenarios.

Gas handling technologies

To avoid large amounts of gas entering the pump, there are various approaches available. The most efficient
method which requires the least changes required on the completion string, is installing a rotary gas separator
below the centrifugal pump. The gas separator works by use of the mechanism of impelling centrifugal
4 IPTC-18801-MS

force on the fluid with higher density fluid to the periphery while the lower density gas towards the shaft.
The crossover on the discharge of gas separator directs the gas to the annulus while the liquid enters the
centrifugal pump. With new technologies in recent years, the separation efficiency and work range have
increased significantly. The properly designed gas separator could separate as much as 90% of gas at intake
conditions. The separation could be enhanced by deploying a tandem gas separator in extremely gassy
environments.
When the free gas entering pump is still a problem after use of gas avoidance techniques, increasing pump
gas handling ability becomes critical. The theoretical studies and field experience suggest tapered pump is
a key to handling the gas in the fluid and ensure stable production. A tapered pump uses two or three stage
types to achieve a volumetric taper within the pump. The designed lower pumps are of higher volume range
and can generally handle higher gas content. The total fluid volume decreases as it progresses from the
lower pump to upper pump as a result of free gas being compressed and some free gas going into solution.
The tapered design can keep the different stage types pumps operating within its recommended operating
range and maintain efficiency. From field experience, the use of mix flow stages or special multi-phase gas
handling stages gas handling pumps as lower pumps can effectively enhance the ESP gas handling ability
and lower the gas interference.

Figure 1—Gas handling stage

Cable improvement
Cable related failures account for the largest portion of all ESP failures. Improvements have been made:
a. The cable insulation material temperature rating should be always higher than the maximum estimated
temperature during operation. When temperature is high or dynamic situation is expected, select a
higher level of temperature rating cable;
b. Improved motor lead connectors and cable splicing;
c. Lead sheath is always required in gas wells, to avoid gas migrating into cable insulations;
d. Use stainless steel armor cable to account for the gas cavitation and corrosion.

Variable Speed Drive

Variable Speed Drive is required in ESP gas well dewatering applications. The VSD can be used to change
the motor frequency therefore change the pump performance. It has many advantages: First, it can start
the ESP with low frequency (soft start), lower starting current, protecting the motor. Second, the motor
frequency can be adjusted within the range of 35Hz ~ 65Hz, adjusting pump performance to cover the
fluctuating gas and water production range. Third, changing the motor frequency and pump speed can be
very effective with dealing with the gas lock situation.
IPTC-18801-MS 5

Wellhead penetration system

High pressure is one of the risks in gas wells, thus a reliable wellhead cable penetration system is necessary.
The traditional pack-off method of penetration has been gradually replaced due to its poor reliability in high
differential pressure situations. The insulation and lead sheath failures during production would compromise
the wellhead safety. The use of cable penetrator has improved both reliability and application range. The
allowable wellhead pressure rating increased from 5MPa to 18MPa. It also eliminates the potential hazard
of sulfur gas migrating from cable to wellhead and causing a HSE hazard.

Figure 2—Wellhead penetrator system

Figure 3—Traditional pack-off with burned lead sheath

Cable transposition splice

For ESP using flat cable set deeper than 2440m, it is recommended to do a transposition splice on the main
cable, to reduce the current imbalance and extend power cable run life. Below table shows the difference
in current imbalance with and without transposition splice.

Table 1—ESP operating data comparison using transposition splice technique

Pump Frequency, Amps(A) Imbalance,

Well Remark
depth, m Hz Ia Ib Ic %

No.1 4078 50 418 428 419 1.5 Transposition

No.2 3195 55 331 335 333 0.6 Transposition

No.3 3232 50 326 356 339 4.6 No transposition

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Application case histories

In Sichuan gas field, the application of ESP dewatering technology can be categorized into two main types:
single well dewatering and gas reservoir dewatering. The two categories will require ESP to play different
roles so the focus of design, sizing and management differ. Since the year of 2009, with the above mentioned
improvements and optimizations, there have been 8 ESPs successfully deployed in Sichuan gas field, which
include the deepest pump setting depth of 4000 meters, maximum flow 1000 m3/d, inclination 43 degrees,
with average run life over 3 years.

Single well dewatering

The main purpose of using ESP in single gas well dewatering applications is to fully take advantage of the
capability of maximum lifting head, to pump large amounts of water and drain the liquid loaded well, in
order to bring gas production back. After the initial period of removing the liquid loaded in bottom hole,
the well could come back to natural flow, or produce with ESP assisting continuously operating. In this
type of application, the key of design is to make sure the ESP can handle the extensive gas in different
operational periods.
W57 and J26 wells in Sichuan gas field are typical representatives of such application. The two wells prior
to application of ESP technology were using foam and gas lift method for dewatering. The liquid loading
problems were not addressed, and the production was intermittent. After switching to ESP, the production
has significantly improved.
W57 Wells.
Background
This well is an intermittent low production gas well and the production wells layers are from 1900m to
1950m. The original formation pressure was 8.7MPa, with downhole temperature 65 °C, the production
casing diameter is 7″ in avertical well. The well contains corrosive H2S 16.78g / m3 and CO2 of 4.99g / m3.
Since year of 2006 the liquid loading problem occurred and it has been using foam assisted intermittent
dewatering method. In this period the average production time was 40 days per year, producing 1~1.5 × 104
m3/d of gas and, removing 100 m3/d of water. The well was shut in for pressure recovering. The recovery
factor was only 48%.
Artificial lift method selection
After analyzing the production and well history, the liquid loaded problem has become the focus of
improving the production. The well gas recovery is still relatively low and has good potential of gas
production. As the foam assisted intermittent dewatering method found difficulty to fully remove the water
and bring the well back to production, it was necessary to turn to other artificial lift method to increase the
water removing rate and make continuous production. The selection is between continuous gas lift and ESP.
Since the well is absent with available gas source, the gas lift method becomes impractical and costly. By
increasing the power station capacity, the ESP method could be put online.
ESP design and sizing
The target water flow rate is expected to be 80 ~ 150 m3/d, gas-liquid ratio of 200 ~ 300m3 / m3 and the
bottom hole free gas can be up to 75%. Such gassy environment can cause gas locking problems in normal
designed ESPs. Where there is no place to set the ESP lower than perforation, to allow natural separation
to take place, the gas avoidance and gas handling technologies are critical. The design of using tandem
gas separators with tapered pumps of gas handling stages with mix flow stages was chosen. The tandem
gas separator can efficiently separate the gas to annulus and lower the free gas content in fluid entering
the pump. The tapered pump design can cover the free gas and work stably in the given conditions. All
the separator and pump sections are equipped with abrasive resistance modules to cope with the low flow
scenarios when gas interference becomes severe. In consideration of the when the liquid is fully removed
IPTC-18801-MS 7

and the well is back to natural flow, the automatic diverting valve (ADV) is installed above the pump, thus
allowing the natural flow to take place when the ESP is shut down.

Figure 4—W57 pump curve

The motor selected is 450 series motor, nameplate of 100HP. The software assisted simulation has shown
the maximum motor temperature is 93°C, which is well in the range of the selected high temp rating motor.
The main cable is AWG#4 flat cable with lead sheath and stainless steel armor, the cable temperature rating
is 232°C. The seal section is using tandem bag and labyrinth chambers design, which can handle well of
the corrosive environment and provide good protection in the gassy application. A sensor is attached to the
bottom of motor to provide real time monitoring of motor temperature, intake temperature, intake pressure,
vibrations and current leakage, to allow for real time optimization and controlling purpose.
Production analysis
Installed in 2012, the ESP has been removing 150 ~ 200 m3/d of water, and producing 1.3 ~ 1.8 × 104 m3/
d of gas in the stable production period. The well was brought back to continuous production and achieved
superior performance in comparison to the prior artificial lift method. After the initial continuous ESP
assisted production completely cleaned the loaded liquid, in the later stage of dewatering, the operating
method was shifted to ESP dewatering assisted natural gas mode, which periodically starts the ESP to
remove the loaded liquid and shut for natural flow. The ESP has stayed online for over three years since
installation.

Figure 5—W57 production

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J26 wells.
Background
The well was originally an intermittent production well and the production wells layers are from 2600m
to 2640m. The original formation pressure was 12MPa, with downhole temperature 72 °C, the production
casing diameter is 7″ to depth of 2400 meters and 5″ from 2400 to 2600 meters, in a vertical well. Water is
present in the very early production stage. Gas lift was used as the initial dewatering method and the water
production rate is around 160 m3/d, unable to fulfill the need for water removal. The recovery factor was
only 20% and has good remaining reserves.
Artificial lift method selection
After analyzing the production and well history, efficiently removing sufficient amount of water is the
key to bring the well back to production. The gas lift method performance was constrained by the high back
pressure generated during production, causing the gas injected to not return to the surface continuously.
The removal of loaded liquid could be not effectively removed and production cannot be sustained. ESP
dewatering is considered to replace gas lift due to its ability to handle the high back pressure and produce
target volume of water.
ESP design and sizing
The target water flow rate is expected to be 400 m3/d, to maximally dewater the well, remove the loaded
liquid, lower the bottom hole flow pressure and achieve gas production. In consideration of the casing
diameter, the ESP was set in depth of 2390 meters in the 7″ casing. The design of using tandem gas separators
with tapered pumps of gas handling stages with mix flow stages is chosen. The tandem gas separator can
efficiently separate the gas to annulus and lower the free gas content in fluid entering pump. While the
tapered pump G42 gas handling with P34 mix flow design can well cover the free gas and work stably in
the production range from 200~500 m3/d. All the separator and pump sections are equipped with abrasive
resistance modules to cope with the low flow scenarios when gas interference becomes severe.

Figure 6—J26 wells G42 + P35 pump curve

The motor selected is 450 series motor, nameplate of 336HP. The software assisted simulation has shown
the maximum motor temperature is 102°C, which is well in range of the selected high temp rating motor.
The main cable is AWG#2 flat cable with lead sheath and stainless steel armor, the cable temperature rating
is 232°C. The seal section is using tandem bag and labyrinth chambers design, which can handle well of
the corrosive environment and provide good protection in the gassy application. A sensor is attached to the
bottom of motor to provide real time monitoring of motor temperature, intake temperature, intake pressure,
vibrations and current leakage, to allow for real time optimization and controlling purpose.
IPTC-18801-MS 9

Production analysis
After the ESP was installed and put to production, in the initial dewatering stage the water production
was as high as 450 m3/d, which increased the production by 90~150% in comparison to previous artificial
lift method. After the first two months period of dewatering, the gas production revived to 10.2 × 104m3/d,
removing 210 m3/d of water. With the gas production increased water could be brought to surface without
ESP assistance, and so the well was shifted to natural flow. The natural flow was sustained for three years
until liquid problem occurred again and choked the well. A new set of ESPs was deployed again to dewater
the well, and maintain the gas production. Due to the depletion of formation pressure, the well cannot return
to natural flow and is in continuous production assisted by ESP. The ESP is still operating in good condition,
removing 100 m3/d of water and producing 3.6~4 × 104m3/d of gas. In comparison to gas lift, the higher
volume with maximum lifting head is the key to bring the well back to production.

Figure 7—J26 production

Gas reservoir dewatering

The application of ESP dewatering in gas reservoirs focuses on matching ESP performance with
the dewatering requirement from gas reservoirs. The candidate wells should be located in the water
breakthrough direction, with good permeability and good water inflow. The removal of water from the
well can cover the whole gas reservoir, control the water breakthrough and improve the whole gas
reservoir recovery. The ESP sizing should be focused on covering as wide as possible flow range and head
requirement, to fulfill the whole life cycle of gas well.
Z35 well.
Background
Z35 well is a gas production well of ZB gas field, the production wells layers are from 2500m to 2640m
and the production casing diameter is 7″ in a vertical well. From geological perspective, the well is located
in the direction of water breakthrough, which makes it an ideal gas reservoir dewatering well. The initial
dewatering method was gas lift and had good production removing 50 ~ 90 m3/d of water and producing
0.3 ~ 0.5 × 104 m3/d of gas. As the reservoir pressure depleted to around 8MPa, the gas lift method became
inefficient.
10 IPTC-18801-MS

Artificial lift method selection

Through analysis, the constraint gas lift had was the slight differential pressure between the gas lift well
flowing pressure and reservoir pressure, which was calculated as around 0.5~0.7MPa. Through engineering
it is very difficult to further lower the flowing pressure to maintain a proper dewatering rate. Besides the
reservoir pressure is still declining with production going on. ESP is considered as the alternative artificial
lift method to fully draw down the well and maintain gas reservoir dewatering.
ESP design and sizing
Since the well has long served as a dewatering well, the water inflow performance is stable. The target
water flow rate is expected to be 80~150 m3/d. Considering the declining reservoir pressure, the ESP must
be sized to provide sufficient head at its extreme condition, which is a fully draw down scenario and the
free gas could be an issue in the lower pressure environment.
The design of using gas separator with tapered pumps of gas handling stages with mix flow stages was
chosen. The gas separator can efficiently separate the gas to annulus and lower the free gas content in fluid
entering pump, in the late stage low pressure scenario. The tapered pump G12 gas handling with F10 mix
flow design can well cover the free gas and work stably in the wide production range from 70~200 m3/d.
ESP is set in depth of 2590 meters.

Figure 8—Z35 well G12 + F10 pump curve

The motor selected is 450 series motor, nameplate of 180HP. The software assisted simulation has shown
the maximum motor temperature is 99°C, which is well in range of the selected high temp rating motor.
The main cable is AWG#2 flat cable with lead sheath and stainless steel armor, the cable temperature rating
is 232°C. The seal section is using tandem bag and labyrinth chambers design, which can handle well of
the corrosive environment and provide good protection in the gassy application. A sensor is attached to the
bottom of motor to provide real time monitoring of motor temperature, intake temperature, pump intake
pressure, pump discharge pressure, vibrations and current leakage, to allow for real time optimization and
controlling purpose.
Production analysis
After Z35 ESP was installed, the initial stage water production increased to 100 m3/d, in comparison
of gas lift of 80 m3/d. The water production was then increased to 150 m3/d gradually after production
optimization. The bottom hole flowing pressure was lowered to 5MPa, comparing to 7MPa with gas lift.
The gas production rate increased to 1.5×104 m3/d from 0.3~0.5×104 m3/d.
IPTC-18801-MS 11

Figure 9—Z35 production

There are four production wells in the same gas reservoirs near Z35. After the ESP was deployed in Z35
well, the four production well performance increased consequently. The result has shown the Z35 acting as
a gas reservoir dewatering well has been successful, controlled overall water production and improved the
stable production of the whole gas reservoir.

Figure 10—Z35 dewatering effect on whole gas reservoir

Conclusions and outlook

Selecting the proper well for use of ESP dewatering technology is the base of a successful application. Other
than the water and gas production information, the whole gas reservoir, wellbore status, surface facility
should also be taken into consideration.
Overcoming the challenges from gas interference, system reliability and dynamic inflow conditions are
critical for a successful application. By the development of new methodology in sizing process, new gas
handling techniques, improved cable and connector quality, the main challenges have been addressed during
the years.
With the properly designed equipment, the ESP system has proved reliable in various dewatering
applications in the gas field, especially targeted to the low formation pressure and high volume water gas
wells.
At present, the use of ESP gas well dewatering technology is still in continuous development, to satisfy
the different challenges from the gas fields. The remote control and automation is the trend in the near future.