SPE-175239-MS

Shrouded ESP with Y-tool Enables Virtually Unlimited Access to

Completion Interval for Well Intervention and Surveillance Operations
E. Anthony, and M. Al-Mutawa, Kuwait Oil Company; G. Al-Sharhan, and A. Jha, Schlumberger

Copyright 2015, Society of Petroleum Engineers

This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPE Kuwait Oil & Gas Show and Conference held in Mishref, Kuwait, 11–14 October 2015.

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
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Abstract
Deviated wellbores are more common-place in the industry in recent years as Maximum Reservoir
Contact (MRC) is the preferred strategy in wellbore construction. These high-angle, tortuous wellbores,
however, have now limited the artificial lift options to Electric Submersible Pumping systems which are
capable of sustained life cycles in high-watercut, low-pressure, and/or low-rate completions. Production
logging and Coiled Tubing intervention in multi-layered completions and/or multi-compartment horizon-
tal laterals equipped with Electrical Submersible Pumping systems has customarily been a major
challenge, especially when the bypass fluid velocities are below the motor-cooling threshold for a
conventional Y-tool configuration.
An innovative design comprising of a shrouded Electric Submersible Pump with Y-tool combination
is able to facilitate access to any completion that requires production logging and/or CT intervention. At
relatively low fluid rates, the shroud over the Electric Submersible Pump increases the fluid bypass
velocity alongside the submersible motor for the required cooling. This shrouded Electric Submersible
Pump configuration is conventionally used where the production flow rates within the wellbore are
insufficient to generate the fluid bypass velocities necessary for optimum motor cooling. The Y-tool in
other completions allows access for any type of wireline or Coiled Tubing-conveyed intervention for
surveillance and and/or treatment operations. Previously, if a completion required a shrouded ESP,
conventional Y-tools were precluded, due to the limitation of the production casing inner diameter. A
specialty Y-tool was designed to accommodate conventional bypass tubing that has sufficient internal
clearance for standard wireline tools together with a crossover adapter for the ESP shroud.
This combination of conventional bypass tubing and Electric Submersible Pump shroud in the same
wellbore, is limited to 95⁄8⬙ casing where the shroud outer diameter and the bypass pipe outer diameter
must have sufficient clearance between each other and sufficient stand-off from the inner diameter of the
production casing. The Electric Submersible Pump shroud ensures optimum motor cooling and extended
system run life, especially at lower flow rates.
This innovative technology is now scheduled to be standard equipment in all Electric Submersible
Pump completions in production casings with Outer Diameter equal to or greater than 95⁄8⬙. Diagnostic
wireline and Coiled Tubing-conveyed surveys, remedial and stimulation treatments can now be performed
thru-tubing in Electric Submersible Pump completions without costly rig workovers. The availability of
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these services affords timely intervention to arrest increasing watercuts in Waterflood offtake producers
thereby reducing the overall baseline production decline rate.

Background
The North Kuwait (NK) Asset is located in the Arabian Basin in northern Kuwait approximately 22
kilometers (km) south of Iraq border. The traps are structural, NNW/SSE-faulted anticlinal domes (Fig.
1). North Kuwait has two major fields, Raudhatain and Sabriyah, which are connected stratigraphically
and structurally via a saddle on its western margin. Reservoirs in the Sabriyah field are not geologically
uniform and have varying rock and fluid properties based on their proximity to the underlying aquifer and
diagenetic changes that occur.

Figure 1—North Kuwait Major Producing Fields

North Kuwait production comes from stacked sandstone and carbonate reservoirs of Cretaceous age.
The major reservoirs contributing to NK production, from deepest to shallowest are Ratawi, Zubair,
Burgan, and Mauddud formations.
Field development since the 1960’s has been via vertical wells, and, to date, ⬎90% of the wells on
active production are vertical. Of these vertical wells, ⬎70% have penetrated all of the producible
reservoirs primarily for geological control and mapping of each reservoir, regardless of the primary target
reservoir.
Five gathering centers process the produced fluids, each approaching maximum liquid processing
capacity as the major reservoirs mature and watercut increase. Two of the major producing reservoirs
enjoy strong aquifer support, while the remaining reservoirs have either weak aquifer support or pure
depletion drive. The largest of the major reservoirs is an absolute depletion drive reservoir totally
dependent on water injection for pressure maintenance. At present, a total of about 900 MBWPD of both
treated Produced and Sea water is being injected for pressure support with future increase in injection
capacity planned.
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Geological Setting
The reservoirs presently being exploited in both fields are within the same geological period, but vary
significantly in geological development from field to field, and thereby perform expectedly different. The
reservoirs are geologically stacked as shown in Fig. 2, and each reservoir is further subdivided into sand/shale
or carbonate/shale sequences respectively. Each of the producing sublayers have their unique depositional
environment and perform independently from each other, though most times hydraulically in communication.

Figure 2—North Kuwait Major Producing Reservoirs (Stacked)

Whether under weak or strong aquifer support, or under water injection, these sub-layers respond differently
to water influx, even within the same reservoir. Premature flooding of one layer usually adversely affects the
vertical lift efficiency in either natural flow or artificial lift systems, and reduces the overall oil production. The
challenge, therefore, is to identify the source of increased water influx sufficiently early, and perform timely
rig or rigless water shut-off operations in order to minimize oil production loss.
Completions
Since the early 1960’s, the North Kuwait asset has been developed using vertical wells with single or dual
completions. If any sub-layer within a particular reservoir was unable to produce at the required rate to
meet production targets, additional layers were added to these completions, either riglessly if the wells
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were on natural flow, or via rig workover if wells were on artificial lift. These multiple-layered
completions added some uncertainty to water source diagnosis when watercuts increased. Production logs
were easily run in natural flow and gas-lift wells to ascertain source of water influx. This was not possible,
however, with ESP-lifted completions where there were no Y-tools.
Over the last 3 years, a major shift in well construction was made where ⬎80% of all producers drilled
were completed horizontally, or at high angles (⬎75% inclination). Inflow Control Devices (ICD) were
the preferred completion equipment installed to normalize flow distribution across these horizontal
laterals, commonly in excess of 3000’. Most of the Inflow Control Devices were fitted with one flow port
in order to achieve maximum flow control and normalization capability at the relatively low flow rates.
With just one flow port per Inflow Control Device, however, it was very easy to plug and effectively
isolate a complete ICD unit, and thereby reduce production rates appreciably.
Plugged ICD’s were found in ⬎75% of the horizontal completions that were production logged. These
wells, however, were only in the natural flow wells where accessibility to the horizontal laterals was possible.
Newly drilled wells completed with Inflow Control Devices, but requiring Electric Submersible Pumps, were
not able to be logged since the production rates could not support Y-tool application. During one particular
workover on a producer well, a Distributed Temperature Survey (DTS) was run in Injection mode to determine
the active ICD’s. This procedure revealed that approximately 50% of the ICD’s were plugged, thus supporting
the significantly less than expected production rate from that well on initial completion. Subsequent jet washing
of these plugged ICD’s using a Coiled Tubing conveyed Straddle Packer assembly for pin point application,
resulted in a 100% increase in production. Similarly, vertical completions that were ESP lifted at rates below
Y-tool requirement, were not able to be accessed for any type of cased hole logging beyond the Electrical
Submersible Pump depth.
This rigless inaccessibility to ESP lifted completions for production logging placed an excessive
requirement for workover rigs, not only for remedial water shut off workovers, but also for concurrent
diagnostic surveys. The result was less wells able to be worked over with the existing rig fleet, and therby
less capability to maintain baseline production. Alternatively, an increased number of workover rigs and
associated services were required to meet the demands to maintain the forecasted baseline production.
Artificial Lift
Gas Lift had been the predominant method of Artificial Lift in North Kuwait until 2010 when a decision
was made to use pumping as the preferred artificial lift method. This decision came as a result of the major
and repetitive production losses incurred due to the unreliability of the existing Gas Lift compression
system serving all artificially lifted wells at the time.
Artificial Lift methods used in the Asset comprises of Electrical Submersible Pumps, Gas Lift, Progressing
Cavity Pumps, and Sucker Rod Pumps. The increase in ESP-lifted wells is shown in the Fig. 3.

Figure 3—History of Installed ESP’s within Asset

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As reservoir rock and fluid properties deteriorate towards the flanks of the dome structure, the
productivity of these completions significantly decrease and even ESP lift proves inappropriate due to low
production levels. Alternative artificial lift methods were therefore required to be implemented to suit the
depth and volume of fluid that can be optimally produced. The lift method utilized by all of the active
producers in the North Kuwait asset is summarized by Fig. 4.

Figure 4 —Lift method – NK Wells

Additionally, the production associated with each lift method is summarized in Fig. 5. This clearly
shows that ESP lift is responsible for ⬎50% of the North Kuwait asset production, and, as watercuts
increase and/or reservoir pressures decline, conversion from natural flow to ESP lift will continue to
increase and become even more critically important to monitor and optimize.

Figure 5—NK Production by Lift Method

Closer monitoring, proactive diagnostics, and timely remedial intervention is critical to maintaining
production levels and optimum reservoir management. Access to the completion interval in these
ESP-lifted wells can only be achieved through a Y-tool. To date, however, Y-tools are limited only to
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wells that have sufficiently high flow rates (⬍20% of all ESP completions) that will provide adequate
fluid by-pass velocity across the electric motor for required cooling.
Since Y-tools were unable to be deployed in relatively low rate ESP completions, either of two methods
were used to meet the motor cooling requirement. Though 400 series motors were adequate to meet the
horsepower requirement of the relatively low production rates (⬍2000bpd), 500 series motorsa were
installed instead. These motors reduced the annular clearance between the motor and the production
casing. For 7⬙ casing, the 500 series motor had a sufficiently large outer diameter to increase the bypass
fluid flow or optimum motor cooling. In 95⁄8⬙ casing, however, the annular clearance between the motor
and production casing was inadequate to meet the fluid velocity required for optimum motor cooling. For
that reason, a 7⬙ Shroud was installed over the 500 series motor, thereby increasing the fluid velocity
alongside the motor, even at relatively low production rates (approx. 800 bpd). Figs. 6 and 7 show the
completion scenarios presently deployed:

Figure 6 —500 Series Motor without Shroud in 7ⴖ Csg

SPE-175239-MS 7

Figure 7—500 Series Motor with 7ⴖ Shroud in 95⁄8ⴖ Csg

With the absence of Y-tools in greater than 80% of the ESP completions, the inventory of 500 series
motors dominated. The challenge, therefore, was how to equip lower-rate producers, already designed for
shrouded ESP’s, with Y-tools for rigless diagnostic surveys and remdial well intervention.

Diagnostics and Treatment Opportunities

As these layers breakout with water, either from flooded or aquifer water, the increase in produced
watercut has the following effects on the ESP system’s overall production:
● Intake pressure increases
● Oil Inflow to the wellbore decreases
● Potential increase in Scale deposition
● Pump requires higher Horse power to deliver similar fluid volume to surface
● ESP potentially operates outside optimum range and shortens run life
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These conditions all adversely affect the optimum producing conditions and require early detection and
remedial intervention. 80% of the ESP-lifted wells in the Asset have production rates below the required
minimum for conventional Y-tool application. These wells were therefore never equipped with Y-tools,
and thereby unable to be surveyed proactively for early water detection. All water detection and
remediation has been reactive, and is usually limited to on-the-fly diagnosis and execution during rig
workovers. The typical process is as follows:
● Pull out the ESP assembly and schedule for Dismantle, Inspect, Failure Analysis (DIFA) to
determine root cause for system failure
● Run in a ‘Test’ ESP production string equipped with a Y-tool and Wireline or Coiled Tubing
logging plug. Depending on the method of conveyance of the production logging suite
● Energize the ‘Test’ ESP system and displace workover fluid from wellbore and formation. Salinity
of produced water will indicate when is ideal stage to start running in Production log
● Run in Production logging suite of tools for Flow Rate, Fluid Saturation, Pressure and Temper-
ature measurements, calibrate and conduct PLT across the vertical intervals or horizontal ICD’s
making appropriate station stops
● Make rush print and anlyze survey after PLT is complete to determine layer(s) responsible for
major water production
● Pull out ‘Test’ ESP string and send back to workshop
● Run in and perform either Mechanical (bridge plug / casing patch / straddle packer), Chemical
(RPM, Resin/Gel squeeze, etc.), or conventional Cement Squeeze water shut off operation
● Redesign ESP for new expected production rate and run in final ESP was as shown in Fig. 8:

Figure 8 —Previous Diagnostic and Remedial Process

At an average reservoir depth of 7500ft, this process consumes approximately 15 rig days, one third
of which can be eliminated if the diagnostic phase can be completed before the rig moves onto location.
Execution of production logs riglessly will ensure detailed analysis and planning that would assure the
best remdial technique selected.
Eliminating the diagnostic operations from the rig workover process reduces the overall rig days to ten,
thereby affording an extra workover per month, and an additional twelve remdial workovers per year. This
SPE-175239-MS 9

increase in workover efficiency directly improves the maintenance of production targets and reduction of
produced water processing at the gathering facilities.
The improved workover process is shown in Fig. 9.

Figure 9 —Improved Diagnostic and Remedial Process

Solution: Shrouded ESP with Reduced-ID Motor and Y-tool

Though the installation of Y-tools in each ESP-lifted well, for rigless diagnostics and treatment, is the
preferred completion, production rates and casing size are the dominant factors that preclude this facility.
To achieve adequate electric motor cooling, recommended produced liquid bypass velocity must equal or
exceed 1 ft/sec. If the optimum well liquid production is insufficient to achieve the minimum liquid bypass
velocity, a Shroud must be installed over the motor to reduce the cross-sectional area between the motor
OD and shroud ID, thereby increasing the effective fluid velocity.
For a given motor size, the increased outer diameter of the shroud reduces the clearance between the
shroud and bypass pipe combination, and the ID of the casing. In order to increase that clearance, a motor
with reduced OD is required, thereby facilitating a reduced shroud OD, and creating sufficient clearance
to facilitate safe deployment of Y-tool/ESP assembly. The bypass pipe must also be capable of allowing
standard 1–11/16⬙ OD wireline/slickline diagnostic tools.
Fig. 10 shows the typical combination is a 400 series motor shrouded with 5½⬙ casing with 27⁄8⬙ or 23⁄8⬙
bypass pipe. The minimum ID of the Y-tool provides sufficient clearance to allow safe passage of standard
production logging tools. This combination, however, is restricted to casing sizes equal to or greater than
95⁄8⬙ 43.5#.
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Figure 10 —New design of shrouded ESP with Y-tool combination

The Y-tool simultaneously allows rigless diagnostic surveys, whether wireline, tractor, or CT-
conveyed, for more accurate and timely remedial or stimulation intervention.
SPE-175239-MS 11

Conclusions
● All reservoirs being exploited are multi-layered, with each layer having its own depositional
environment, and performing independently with respect to water influx
● As reservoir pressures decrease and watercuts increase, NK production will increasingly depend
on Artificial Lift, especially ESP lift
● Monitoring of reservoir response to aquifer support and water injection is critical to optimum ESP
performance
● Previously, diagnostic surveys were only conducted during remedial workovers thereby consum-
ing considerable rig time, and on-the-spot decision-making yielded unpredictable results
● Owing to average production flow rates not meeting minimum motor-cooling requirements,
Y-tools were previously not installed in most ESP systems to facilitate Rigless diagnostic surveys
● New and innovative ESP Y-tool, with adaptor for accommodating an ESP shroud, provides
virtually unlimited access to the producing completion for not only Rigless diagnostic surveillance,
but also for Rigless remedial operations, where applicable
● Reduction in rig days on location as a direct result of previous rigless diagnostic intervention, has
afforded a 50% increase in the number of wells accessible to the existing rig fleet
● Increased number of wells worked over directly impacts the baseline production significantly

Acknowledgements
Authors are highly thankful and obliged to the KOC management & the Ministry of Oil/Gas, Kuwait for
permitting the paper to be presented & shared with the international technical communities. Thanks are
also due to all team members from supporting Service companies and internal support teams within KOC
who contributed to the success of implementation of this novel design and subsequent reduction in rig
days per remedial workover.

References
Azancot et al; ⬙New Approach for Reservoir Management Through the Implementation of Slim ESP
with Bypass System for Production Logging in a Field with Rod Pumping Systems; SPE-
173953—SPE Artificial Lift Conference, Bahia, Brazil, 27—28 May, 2015
R. W. Dudley; ⬙Reperforation of North Sea Electric-Submersible-Pump Wells with an ESP / Y-tool
/ TCP System; SPE-16534; SPE Offshore Europe Conference, Aberdeen, Scotland; Sept 08 –11,
1987