Artificial lift Technology

Electrical Submersible Pumping (ESP)

System Fundamentals

Dr. M. Ghareeb , Oct 2022

AL Technologies by Energy Source
Plunger Foam Rod
Gas Lift PCP Hydraulic ESP
Lift Lift Lift
Lift

Formation Pressure Mechanical Assist

Dr. M. Ghareeb , July 2020

Electric Submersible Pumping (ESP) System

Electrical Submersible Pumping

• Electric Submersible Pumping (ESP) Systems are a

type of artificial lift that utilize a multi-staged
centrifugal pumps to lift production fluids to the
surface utilizing centrifugal force

• It is second most used method worldwide

Dr. M. Ghareeb , Oct 2022

 Artificial Lift Applications Criteria
Hydraulic Hydraulic
Form of Lift System Rod Lift PCP Gas Lift Plunger Lift ESP
Lift Jet
16,000 12,000 18,000 19,000 17,000 15,000 15,000
Maximum Operating Depth, TVD (ft , m)
4,878 3,658 4,572 5,791 5,182 4,572 4,572
Maximum Operating Volume (BFPD) 7000 4,500 50,000 200 8,000 20,000 60,000
550o 250o 450o 550o 550o 550o 400o
Maximum Operating Temperature (oF, oC)
288o 121o 232o 288o 288o 288o 204o
Good to Fair Good to Excellent Good Excellent Good
Corrosion Handling
Excellent Excellent

Gas Handling Good Fair Excellent Excellent Fair Good Fair

Solids Handling Fair to Good Excellent Good Fair Fair Good Fair

Fluid Gravity (oAPI) >8o <40o >15o >15o >8o >8o >10o
Workover or Pulling Rig Wireline or Wellhead Hydraulic or Wireline Workover or
Servicing Rig Catcher or Pulling Rig
Wireline
Gas or Gas or Compressor Well’s Natural Multicylinder or Electric Electric Motor
Prime Mover
Electric Electric Energy
Offshore Application Limited Limited Excellent N/A Good Excellent Excellent
System Efficiency 45% to 60% 50% to 75% 10% to 30% N/A 45% to 55% 10% to 30% 35% to 60%

 Values represent characteristics and ranges for each form of artificial lift. Parameters will vary according to well situations and
requirements and must be evaluated on a well-by-well basis.

Dr. M. Ghareeb , July 2020

 Electric Submersible Pumping System

Advantages Motor Control

• High volume and depth capability compared to positive Vent Box

displacement types pumps for vertical and deviated wells Produced

Hydrocarbons Out

• There are a variety of sizes, capacities, horsepower's, and

Production
voltage ranges available in various operating ranges. Tubing

• Minor surface equipment needs Pump

• Adaptable to all wells with 4-1/2” casing and larger

Flat Cable
Extension

Seal Section

Motor

Dr. M. Ghareeb , Oct 2022

 Electric Submersible Pumping System
Limitations Motor Control

• They requires a source of high-voltage electric power at the Vent Box

surface to compensate for the voltage drop in the power cable,
which can be significant in deep installations requiring long Produced
Hydrocarbons Out

power cables.
Production
Tubing

• The presence of a power cable alongside the tubing string can

make it more difficult to run or pull especially in deviated wells Pump

• They are not particularly good at handling high viscosity and

solids production. Flat Cable
Extension

Seal Section

• High temperature conditions will effect on Motor and power

cable performance and running lives

• Limited adaptability to major changes in reservoir

Motor

• Difficult to repair in the field

• Higher pulling costs

Dr. M. Ghareeb , Oct 2022

Electric Submersible Pumping (ESP) System
ESP System Components:
• Downhole equipment
• Three-phase electric motor,
• Seal section (protector),
• Pump intake,
• Multi-stage centrifugal pump,
• Electric power cable and cable bands
• Optional equipment……..

• Surface equipment
• Motor controller
• Transformers
• J Box
• Variable Speed drive (optional)
• ESP Wellhead

Dr. M. Ghareeb , Oct 2022

ESP Downhole System Components
The basic ESP downhole system components are ...

 Tubing

 Power Cable

 Pump

 Intake

 Seal Section

 Motor

 Monitoring System (optional)

Dr. M. Ghareeb , Oct 2022

ESP System Downhole Components : Pump
ESP System
Bolt-on
• Submersible pump is Dynamic displacement multi- Discharge
staged centrifugal pump. Head
• It attaches to the production tubing with a bolt-on Pump
discharge head.
Pump
• The pump is producing a total dynamic head by Intake
converting shaft horsepower to velocity energy moves
the production fluid up to tubing
• Stages stacked on a shaft and compressed in a housing.

Dr. M. Ghareeb , Oct 2022

ESP System Downhole Components : Pump

• A pump stage consists of :

• A rotating impeller
• Stationary diffuser and
• Thrust washers.

• The impeller imparts velocity energy to the fluid which is

converted to pressure energy in the diffuser, lifting the fluid
to the surface.

• The type or geometry of the stage controls the volume of

fluid that can go through it, and the number of stages
determine the TDH generated.

• Stage type:
• Radial Flow
• Mixed Flow
• Axial Flow

Dr. M. Ghareeb , Oct 2022

 Impeller & Diffuser
Impeller spins and gives energy to
fluid which exits around the outside

Diffuser redirects the fluid up

into the eye of the next impeller
and turns fluid energy into head Pump “Stage

Dr. M. Ghareeb , Oct 2022

 ESP Downhole Components : Intake
ESP System
Pump
• The intake section is attached to the base of the
pump, providing an entrance for production
fluids to enter the pump Intake

• Intake can be either a standard ported intake or,

as shown here, a gas separator Seal

• Often times the intake holes are screened to keep

out debris that would damage internal pump
components.

Dr. M. Ghareeb , Oct 2022

ESP Downhole Components : Protector (Seal)

Seal (Protector)

Dr. M. Ghareeb , Oct 2022

 ESP Downhole Components : Protector (Seal)
ESP System
The seal section, also called the motor protector.
Its main purpose is to protect the motor.

The seal section serves five important functions: Pump

Intake
• Isolates and protects the motor from well fluids

• Expansion of motor oil (thermal expansion) Seal

• Equalizes pressure between well and motor

• Absorbs shaft thrust

• Transmits torque from motor to pump

Motor

Three primary types of sealing mechanisms are:

• Labyrinth chambers
• Bag chambers
• Mechanical seals

Dr. M. Ghareeb , Oct 2022

ESP Downhole Components : Motor
ESP System

• The ESP motor is bolted to the bottom of the seal section.

• It is providing the horsepower necessary to turn the pump.
• The motor converts electric power to rotation to turn the
pump through a series of shafts coupled together in each
component (seal, intake, pump).
• ESP motors are built on voltages that typically range from Seal
460 to 4,200 V at 60Hz for oilfield applications.
• Motors can be run in tandem to increase power capacity

Motor

Sensor

Dr. M. Ghareeb , Oct 2022

ESP Downhole Components : Power Cable

• Carries current, from the motor controller at the surface down to the motor
• There are two cable con-figurations: flat and round
• It is available is different sizes ( #1, #2, #4 and #6)

• The cable consists of several sections:

• Surface cable
• Wellhead feed-through
• Main power cable
• Motor lead cable
• Pothead

85
Dr. M. Ghareeb , Oct 2022
 Surface Components

Transformer VSD Transformer J-Box Wellhead

Dr. M. Ghareeb , Oct 2022

ESP Performance Curve
• A centrifugal pump produces "constant head" regardless of the fluid
being pumped, it will be lifted to the same height for the same flow rate.

• At the same speed the head will decrease with increase the flow rate

Head 60
• Performance Curves for
50 centrifugal pumps are normally
shown as flow versus head in
40 feet, meters, or some other
consistent unit.
30

20

10

0
0 200 400 600 800 1000

Flow,
Dr. M. Ghareeb , Oct 2022
 ESP Performance Curve

• The performance curves of ESP

represent the relationship between
flow rate capacity (X-Axis) and:
•Head capacity
•Pump efficiency
•Brake Horsepower Power Requirements

• It also show Best Efficiency Point (BEP)

and ESP operating range.

• These curves are for a fixed power cycle

i.e. 60Hz, and can be changed with variable
frequency controllers.

Dr. M. Ghareeb , Oct 2022

Pump Performance Curve

Ideally pumps will

operate in light to
moderate
downthrust.

Dr. M. Ghareeb , Oct 2022

 ESP System Sizing :
• Step 1 - Collect and analyze all the well data that will be used in the design.

• Step 2 – Based on well productivity , Determine the production and consequently pump
depth.

• Step 3 – Calculate the fluid volumes, including gas, at the pump intake conditions .

• Step 4 - Calculate the total Dynamic Head

• Step 5 - Select the pump that will have the highest efficiency for the desired flow rate.

• Step 6 - Optimum Size of Components Select the optimum size of pump, motor, and seal
section and check equipment limitations.

• Step 7 - Select the correct type and size of the Electric Cable

• Step 8 - Select the motor controller, transformer, tubing head and optional equipment.

• Step 9 - The Variable Speed Pumping System For additional operational flexibility,

Dr. M. Ghareeb , Oct 2022

 ESP System Design
IPR Curves for total fluid production including gas

1200

1000

Stock tank barrel

800 Reservoir barrel
Pressure, psi

Total reservoir fluid ( Liquid plus gas)

600

400

200

0
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
Flow rate,bpd

Dr. M. Ghareeb , Oct 2022

 ESP Monitoring and Control Systems

• Many condition can be properly diagnosed, and corrective action can be

taken without the need to pull the equipment

• The Recording Ammeter (amp chart) :

• It is basic and valuable diagnostic tool
• It is monitoring only the Amp
• It is not the only tool for the engineer to make diagnosis, but it is important
since it can show mostly what happen to the unit in the well over time

• Remote Real-Time Monitoring and Control

Dr. M. Ghareeb , Oct 2022

Recording Ammeter
Some common problems 4
5
6 AM

60
7 8
9
50
3
40
Startup

10
30
20

11
10
5 6 AM 7 8

NOON
4 60 9

1
3
50
40 Free Gas

10

MIDNIGHT
30
in Pump

1
20
2

11
10

NOON

2
1

11
N o rm al
MIDNIGHT

3
1

10
4

2
11

9
5
3
8
7 6 PM
10

4
9 5

8
7 6 PM Spikes
6 AM 7 8
5
5 6 AM 7 8
4 60 9
4 60 9
50
50 3
40

10
3
40 30
10

30 20

2
20

11
10
2

11

10
Prim ary

NOON
1
NOON

Pow er
1

Pump Off MIDNIGHT

Fluctuation
MIDNIGHT

1
with Gas
1

"Spikes"
Interference

2
11
2
11

3
3

10
10

4
4 9
5
9 5
8
7 6 PM
8
7 6 PM

Dr. M. Ghareeb , Oct 2022

 ESP Monitoring & Control System
Remote Real-Time Monitoring and Control
Advanced ESP monitoring system used A gauge placed
underneath the ESP motor in line with the completion
string and can measure all or some of the following
parameters depending on the gauge chosen :
• Pressure
• Temperature
• Pump motor operating parameters
• Vibration on the x, y and z axes
• Intake pressure
• Discharge pressure
• Current leakage

Dr. M. Ghareeb , Oct 2022