SPE-206265-MS

Development and Evaluation of a New Electrical Submersible Pump for High

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Viscosity Environments

Laura Matheus and Oscar Anaya, Ecopetrol; Sebastián Izquierdo, Miguel Garzón, and Woon Lee, Alkhorayef

Copyright 2021, Society of Petroleum Engineers

This paper was prepared for presentation at the 2021 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition held in Dubai, UAE, 21 - 23 September 2021.

This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents
of the paper have not been reviewed by the Society of Petroleum Engineers and are subject to correction by the author(s). The material does not necessarily reflect
any position of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, its officers, or members. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper without the written
consent of the Society of Petroleum Engineers is prohibited. Permission to reproduce in print is restricted to an abstract of not more than 300 words; illustrations may
not be copied. The abstract must contain conspicuous acknowledgment of SPE copyright.

Abstract
Conventional methods of Heavy Oil production have either delivered low recovery factors or have involved
costly thermal projects. With low oil prices the new norm, Operators need to maximize their recovery factors
whilst controlling CAPEX required to exploit their assets. This paper presents a new approach to lifting
heavy/viscous oil with a Pump design that will allow Operators to increase overall field production with
reduced energy consumption.
A trial was conducted in Colombia in a harsh field (high viscosity, low water cut, high temperature and
high gas production) that had challenged conventional artificial lift systems as Electrical submersible pumps
and progressive cavity pumps. Several strategies (light oil injection, high capacity equipment, solvents
injection at surface) had been implemented to overcome fluid viscosities 6,000 cP @ 150 °F at dead oil
conditions and a mean of 250 cp inside the pump, with excellent short and medium-term results but system
hydraulic efficiency and energy consumption were still below expectations.
A new pump has been specially designed for the fluid conditions previously described, with the
main objective of reduce the friction losses inside the pump stage increasing the overall efficiency and
reducing energy consumption. Initial trial results have fulfilled the study's objectives, overcoming the issues
previously experienced with ESP operations in this field.
Designed to handle heavy, high viscosity oil, this study has demonstrated that there is significant
economic benefit through savings and improved efficiencies and, in addition, ESP capital cost savings.
Previously, oversized units were routinely used to deliver the required flow and pump power but by
optimizing the sizing of the ESP system, it is possible to select pumps with fewer stages and lower
horsepower motors to suit the new requirements.
Data from the field tests have delivered encouraging results. The pump has operated smoothly since
installation and, in comparison to standard pump, has reduced energy consumption (savings of 10-15%)
and shown a 15-20% increase in pump efficiency. The Operator has reasonable optimistic expectations for
future installations in this field in all applicable wells.
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Introduction
Electrical submersible pumps (ESP) are one of the most common methods used for artificial lift worldwide
due to the capacity of producing large flowrates at high pressures, flexibility in deviated wells, capabilities
to handle high content of gas and solids, and availability in a wide range of power.
Centrifugal pumps are normally used to fit the ESP system. Multiple stage pumps are used in several
configurations to fulfill wellhead pressure requirements by converting kinetic energy to hydraulic pressure.

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Floater and compression stages are available with radial and mixed flow designs. The impact of the viscosity
in the pump is huge, it reduces the head per stage, increasing the energy consumption and reducing the
efficiency of the overall system.
The oil and gas industry in Colombia has the challenge of exploiting heavy and extra-heavy oil reservoirs.
The state-owned energy company Ecopetrol currently operates Chichimene field, one of the major heavy
oil fields in the country. The Chichimene Field is located on the Llanos Orientales. Chichimene Field has
a surface area of 45.5 Km2of which the Cubarral Block (See Figure 1).

Figure 1—Location of Chichimene field, Colombia.

Fluids produced by a tertiary formation named San Fernando T2 generates a harsh wellbore environment
for artificial lift systems due to its high viscosity, low water cut, high temperature and gas production.
Friction losses resulting from the fluid viscosity in this environment decreases the ideal performance of the
pump and impacts the ESP in such different ways:
Start-up: High torque is demanded, especially when the fluid is cold. Stucked pump is the most common
effect in the system.
Operation: As viscous fluids have limited cooling properties for that reason, motor and pump overheat
can affect ESP stability. It is a challenge to find the adequate refrigeration and production ratio in order to
avoid trips and deferred production.
Reliability: Run life of the system decreases dramatically.
Normally, to withstand these conditions, more stages are added to the string to overcome pressure
demands and overrated motors are used to fulfill power requirements. Injection of solvents and other
strategies are being implemented as well.
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In response to the relevant need to find a different solution to these problems, Alkhorayef designed a
new pump to face the challenges of heavy oil lifting. The innovative stage design of the high viscosity
pump reduces the friction loses through an improved hydraulic design that significantly enhances the pump
efficiency, reduces energy requirements and minimizes operational costs.

Design Methodology

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Scientific method used was based on classic mechanic theories and numerical analysis through
computational fluid dynamics. Several experimental and theoretical studies of the centrifugal pumps
performance under highly viscous environments were analyzed and considered as well for pump design.
The main objective was to optimize impeller vanes geometry to reduce friction losses in the boundary layer
(layer of a flowing liquid in contact with a surface), and to verify the performance of different configurations.
The design process of the new stage considered the following 5 phases:
Phase 1: Fluid Characterization
A fluid sample was collected from the field and was analyzed to identify its properties. Furthermore, for
the laboratory tests, a synthetic oil with similar properties was selected because of volume limitation of the
sample. Figure 2 shows the behavior of the oil viscosity at different temperatures and as expected, viscosity
reduces as fluid temperature is increased.

Figure 2—Fluid viscosity vs temperature

Phase 2: Simulation
Different pump configurations were analyzed and tested. Finite elements approach was used to compare
all these alternatives.
Considering the nature of the pump design and fluid specifications, standard simulation software for
pump selection cannot be used because it does not consider all elements required for an adequate calculation.
A polynomic equation that is generally used to model the pump head and power requirements as per
theoretical calculations and experimental tests using water at a fixed frequency does not match the new
pump performance.
A program was written in a specialized software to evaluate the pump performance stage by stage with
different configurations and geometries. Simulation concept included the following items:

• Considers motor heat

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• No viscosity correction factor required

• Continuously applied heat generated by pump stages

• Calculate new viscosities for each temperature

• Stage by stage performance calculation

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For comparison purposes a typical well was evaluated with the following input data:
Several calculations varying the flow rate between 300 and 1600 BPD were performed. Figure 3 shows
the comparison between standard pump and the best stage obtained after design phase.

Figure 3—Theoretical comparison between standard and new pump.

Simulation results show at best efficiency point of the new pump an increase of 19% of efficiency and a
decrease of 10.2% of Brake Horsepower requirements compared to the standard pump but most important,
significant improvements in all the operating range.
Phase 3: Prototype manufacture and tests
Standard pumps for ESP applications are normally tested at 60 Hz using fresh water with specific gravity
(SG) of 1 as per API 11RS2. A similar approach had been considered however due the conditions of a
viscous fluid; a special test bench was manufactured in order to execute all required experiments to evaluate
the new pump performance.
The layout of the facility used in this study is illustrated in Figure 4.
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Figure 4—Test Bench

The bench consists of a closed loop system as used in the API recommended practice RP 11S2 for pump
tests. The key components are the controller, drive motor, coupling, horizontal thrust chamber, intake flange,
centrifugal pump and discharge flange. Pressure gages to calculate pump head, thermal sensor to evaluate
the fluid temperature and a torque cell to record pump torque requirements were also used.
Additionally, a charge pump was included to feed the high viscous fluid to the submersible pump from
a storage tank.
The pump is started with the discharge valve fully open. After the pump stabilized at a specific flow rate,
operation data was recorded: flow rate, temperatures (fluid, tank, and air), pressures (intake, discharge, and
tank), torque, and energy consumption. The process continued by gradually closing the choke valve until
zero flow condition.
Flow rates were varied from 0 BPD to 2500 BPD in 100 bpd increments. The tests were started with fluid
at room temperature (highest viscosity), and as a result of the continuous operation of the pump, a gradual
increase in the fluid temperature was seen, leading to a reduction in fluid viscosity as per figure 1.
Generated head was calculated from intake and discharge pressures, as follows:

(1)

Where:
H, Head
Pd, Pump discharge pressure
Pi, Pump intake pressure
ρ, oil density
g, gravity
Efficiency was calculated with the following formula:
(2)
Where:
η, Efficiency, %
H, Head, Ft
Q, Flow rate, GPM
HP, Break horsepower
The figure 5 shows the results of the test, a typical behavior of the head reduction and flowrate range
suffered by the pump due to an increase in the fluid viscosity.
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Figure 5—Test Bench results of new pump

A degradation of 52% of head capacity was recordered as the viscosity of the fluid changes from 132 Cp
to 970 Cp that is excellent compared to 74% with standard pump.

Phase 4: Laboratory results and comparison

After the pump wa successfully tested the new model shows a better performance than the standard pump.
At lower viscosities pump head remains similar for both pumps but the impact is relevant as soon as the
viscosity increases.
Brake horsepower difference is less in proportion, however better results are obtained through the pump
range.
Overall efficiency of the new pump is higher in overall pum range and keeps similar trends with fluids
of different viscosities.

Phase 5: Large-Scale manufacturing

The result of this research led to the manufacturing process considering the following details:
Simulation and test results
Manufacturing recommendations
Inventory availability and standardization
Ni-resist metallurgy was used for stage manufacturing while tungsten carbide stabilization was used to
increase abrasion resistance.

Well selection and field test planning

After the successful design and laboratory testing of the new pump model, next step was a test in a well.
The criteria for the selection of the candidate well comprised 3 items (Figure 9): First, it was based on
key reservoir and fluid characteristics such as: low water cut (<20% BSW), heavy or extra-heavy oil (7<
°API<12), high viscosity (> 250 Cp). Second, it was required that the new installation had the same setting
depth of previous run and the same production tubing in order to make appropriate comparisons. Finally
the candidate well shall had updated information related to power consumption measurements and fluid
production tests; this was required to ensure a baseline performance for future comparison with the new
pump model.
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Figure 7—Power consumption comparison between the two pump models

Figure 6—Head comparison between the two pump models
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Figure 8—Efficiency comparison between the two pump models

Figure 9—Criteria for the selection of the candidate well

After the well was selected it was necessary to make a flowchart model to determine the appropriate
follow-up and step-by-step planning for the field test (Figure 10).
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Figure 10—Flowchart of Test Planning

Once the candidate well required intervention, the conventional pump was pulled-out and the new pump
was installed. It is worth mentioning that the new ESP configuration was the same as the previous run:
same number of stages, same motor nameplate, same tandem protectors and same gas separator. After the
successful commissioning of the high viscosity pump, the next step was to stabilize its BHP and reservoir
parameters to obtain the same flow rate from the previous run, to properly compare both pumps.
To determine the validity of the test production data, energy consumption, pump efficiencies and
downhole sensor parameters were evaluated and compared.

Field Tests and Results

Several challenges have been faced in order to compare pump performance of current runs with previous
ones including:

• Changes in the well inflow production rate

• Increase of the fluid water cut

• Changes in the pump setting depth

• Availability of energy consumption data

For wells where these issues were found, analysis have been performed using the in-house simulation
software and widely available commercial software‥
In all analyzed cases, efficiency of the new pump design is between 15 to 20% above the standard model
with energy savings between 10 to 15%.
For wells with incomplete information and no compatibility of the test, comparison included the inherent
wear of the pump installed in the previous run.
The figure 11 show the results of a trial performed in the same well used on table 1 for theoretical
calculations. Energy readings were recorded directly from the step-up transformer using a device for power
quality measurements. The following equipment was used for both runs:
Pump: 208 STG - New pump
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Gas processing unit: Standard

Intake: Standard gas separator
Protector: Standard tandem seals
Induction motor: 574 HP / 3720 V.

Table 1—Fluid properties

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This comparison was done at a production of 620 BPD (Typical of the Field) and 15% of water cut.
Energy savings of 14% were achieved after two months of continuous surveillance. This well has been
running in steady stable conditions for more than 2 years.
To quantify the impact of the energy savings for each well, net present value is calculated with the
following equation:

(3)

Where:
Rt: Net cash outflows during a single period t
i: Discount rate
t: Number of time periods
Considering an average run life of the wells in this field of 550 days and stable operation during this
time, 32 KUSD of savings in energy consumption is achieved. An extrapolation of around 80 candidate
wells brings a total of 2,6 MUSD in savings.
Operation of equipment installed with high viscosity pump has also been part of this research. Under strict
surveillance ESP data from downhole sensor and surface readings, wells show stable trends and a reduction
in the overall trips. Although no experimental data has been collected from the tests performed, new pump
behavior has showed better performance to handle gas which is other common issue whe operating an ESP
in heavy oil conditions.
Figure 12 shows the behavior of the new pump in a well with a production of 380 BPD, 18% of water
cut, gas oil ratio of 450 SCFD/BPD and a pump intake pressure of 380 psi compared with the previous run.
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Figure 11—Comparison of field test results

Figure 12—ESP sensor data (New pump in the right)

Pi, Pd: Intake and discharge pressure

Ti, Tm: Motor and intake temperature
Some conclusions hava been taken:

• Reduction of gas lock events

• Operation at less frequency

• Reduction in motor temperature

Considering that the ESP systems with the new pump model have reached the desired flow rate at a lower
frequency (5-10%), with lower motor load (10%), and with less motor operating temperature (5%) than
the ESPs with conventional pumps, there is room for optimization in the sizing of the equipment for future
wells from this Field. Savings of 10-15 kUSD per well are estimated based on the use of smaller equipment
(pumps with fewer stages, smaller motors and surface equipment).
Once the installation of the first high viscosity pump was declared successful, the Operator is planning
to run more systems with the new technology.
Up to date, a total of 12 wells have been successfully commissioned using the new pump. Figure 13 shows
run time for these wells. It is worth noting that the well where this technology was first installed has 1122
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days (at the time of writing) of run time and is still running under stable operating conditions, surpassing the
Target Run Time of the field (730 days). So far, no mechanical failures have occurred on these wells which
also highlights the good performance in terms of reliability of this pump compared with previous runs.

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Figure 13—Run Life of installations with the new pump model

Conclusions
Analytical studies, experimental data and field tests were performed in order to develop and manufacture
the new pump with the following results:

• Increased lift per stage.

• Improved hydraulic efficiency between 15-20%.

• Reduced energy requirements between 10-15%.

• Lower operating costs and OPEX investments.

• Proven reliability with 12 successful installations to date.

• Pump has showed good performance under gassy conditions.

Acknowledgments
A special recognition is raised to Ecopetrol for all the support and contribution to the project and the research
and development department of Alkhorayef Petroleum, for the design, manufacturing and testing of the
new pump.

Nomenclature
°F - Fahrenheit
API - American Petroleum Institute
BEP - Best Efficiency Point
BHP - Bottom Hole Pressure
BHT - Bottom Hole Temperature
BPD - Barrels per Day
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BSW - Basic Sediments and Water

CAPEX - Capital Expenditure
Cp - Centipoise
ESP - Electric Submersible Pump
Ft - Feet
g- Gravity

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GPM - Gallons per Minute
H- Head
HP - Horse Power
Hz - Hertz
i- Discount rate
NPV - Net Present Value
Pd - Pump Discharge Pressure
Pi - Pump Intake Pressure
Psi - Pound per Square Inch
Q- Flow Rate
Rt - Net cash outflows during a single period t
Run time - operating tyme of a system currently running.
Run life - total operating time of an ESP since installation until failure.
SCFD - Standard Cubic Feet per Day
SG - Specific Gravity
STD - Standard
STG - Stages
t- Number of time periods
Ti - Intake Temperature
Tm - Motor Temperature
V- Volts
ρ- Density
η- Efficiency

References
1. Jianjun Zhu, Haiwen Zhu, Guangqiang Cao, Jiecheng Zhang, and Jianlin Peng, 2019. A New
Mechanistic Model to Predict Boosting Pressure of Electrical Submersible Pumps ESPs Under
High-Viscosity Fluid Flow with Validations. SPE-194384-MS.
2. Barrios Lisett, Scott Stuart, Ribera Robert, Prado Mauricio, 2012. Surveillance Models of Large-
Scale ESP Performance with High Viscosity Fluids and Gas. SPE-152217.
3. API RP 11 S2, 1993, Reaffirmed in 2008. Recommended Practice for Electric Submersible Pump
Testing. American Petroleum Institute. Dallas, Texas.
4. Atika Al-Bimani&Samuel Armacanqui; Buthaina Al Barwani; Iqbal Sipra; Said Al- Hajri &
Halima Al-Riyami. Electrical Submersible Pumping System: Striving for Sustainable Run life
Improvement in Oman Oil. IPTC-1206; 2008 Kuala Lumpur-Malaysia
5. API RP 11 S5, 1993, Reaffirmed in 2008. Recommended Practice for the application of Electrical
Submersible Pumps. American Petroleum Institute. Dallas, Texas.
6. Ana Sosa, Emmaris Manrique, Marcelo Ramos, Juan Brown, Jesús Viloria and Farral Gay, 2007.
Evaluation of Electric Submersible Pumps for heavy oil. Well CIB 260 – Morichal District,
Venezuela. ESP Workshop.
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7. Ana Sosa, Emmaris Manrique, Marcelo Ramos, Juan Brown, Jesús Viloria and Farral Gay, 2007.
Evaluation of Electric Submersible Pumps for heavy oil. Well CIB 260 – Morichal District,
Venezuela. ESP Workshop.

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