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PE 7003
Artificial Lift Systems

Dr. Holden Zhang

McDougall School of Petroleum Engineering
The University of Tulsa

Chapter 3
Electrical Submersible Pump
Sizing

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Sizing of ESP System

 Standard:
 API Recommended Practice 11U (RP 11U)
“Recommended Practice for Sizing and Selection of
Electric Submersible Pump Installations”
 Variants:
 Viscosity and gas degradation effects
 Since ESP application in the petroleum industry is
relatively recent, there are no general models for
viscosity and gas effects, so each manufacturer
employs a different approach to handle these
problems.

Static vs. Flowing Conditions

Wellhead

 Total Dynamic Head Concept

Pressure
Total Dynamic Head

Friction
Tubing
Losses

Pressure
0 Tenv Pr
Static
Level
Fluid

Dynamic Fluid
Pump Depth

Level
Well Depth

Depth

Pr Pr Pwf
Twh Temperature Tr

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Static vs. Flowing Conditions…

Wellhead
 Total Dynamic Head Concept

Pressure
Total Dynamic Head

Friction
Tubing
Losses
Pressure
0 Pwh Pr
Static
Level
Fluid

Dynamic Fluid
Pump Depth

Level
Well Depth

PIP
Depth

DP

Pr Pr Pwf
Twh Tr
Temperature

Sizing of ESP System – Required Data

 Well & Reservoir Data

 Casing specifications
 Tubing specifications
 Well depth
 Reservoir Performance (IPR)
 Bottomhole temperature
 Geothermal gradient

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Sizing of ESP System – Required Data…

 Fluid Characteristics & PVT

 Oil, gas and water specific gravities
 Volumetric fraction for each phase, bubble point
pressure, viscosity of oil, solution GOR (can be
computed using correlations)
 Produced water-oil ratio (water cut)
 Produced gas-oil ratio

Sizing of ESP System – Required Data…

 Production Data
 Separator/wellhead pressure
 Flowline specifications
 Desired production rate

 Electrical Data
 Available primary voltage

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Sizing of ESP System – Data Example

 Well & Reservoir Data

 Casing: 7”, 35 lb/ft
 Tubing: 2 7/8”, 6.5 lb/ft, 8EU, 90°
 Well depth: 5350 ft
 Reservoir Performance: J = 1.5 bpd/psi, Pr = 1700
psig
 Bottomhole temperature: 180 °F
 Geothermal gradient: 0.018 °F/ft

Sizing of ESP System – Data Example…

 Fluid Characteristics & PVT

 Oil gravity: 30 °API
 Water gravity: 1.02
 Gas gravity: 0.80
 Oil viscosity: 0.70 cp
 Bubble point pressure: 1500 psig
 Produced water cut: 90%
 Produced gas-oil ratio: 30 scf/bbl

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Sizing of ESP System – Data Example…

 Production Data
 Separator pressure: 100 psig
 Flowline: 2000 ft, 4”, sch 40, 0°
 Desired production rate: 2000 bpd

 Electrical Data
 Available primary voltage: 12500 V

1. Analyze Data and Identify Problem

Type
 The oil viscosity is low (0.7 cp) and the water
cut is high (90%), so we should not have
emulsion problems. Also, viscosity corrections
don’t need to be performed.
 On the other hand, the gas-oil ratio is low and
with 90% of water the GLR is even lower.
 GLR = GOR × (1 - fw) = 30 × (1 - 0.90) = 3 scf/bbl

 Conclusion: We can design the system

neglecting free gas and viscosity effects.

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2. Determine Specific Gravity and

Pressure Gradient of Fluid

SG  f o SGo  f w SGw  (1  f w ) SGo  f w SGw

141.5 141.5
SGo    0.876
131.5  API 131.5  30

SG  (1  0.90) (0.876)  (0.90) (1.02)  1.006

P  0.433 SG  0.433 psi / ft (1.006)  0.4356 psi / ft

3. Determine Pump Intake Pressure or

Pump Setting Depth
 In this case, as the water cut is high and the gas-oil
ratio is very low, the linear behavior between flow rate
and bottomhole flowing pressure can be used:
q q 2000 bpd
J  Pwf  Pr   1700 psi   367 psi
Pr  Pwf J 1.5 bpd / psi

dP
PIP  Pwf  ( well depth  Pump setting depth)  100 psi
dz

Pwf  100
Minimum Pump setting depth  well depth 
dP
Oil

dz
Oil + Water

367  100
Minimum Pump setting depth  5350 ft   4737 ft
0.4356
Pwf

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4. Determine Pump Intake Temperature

 Using the Shiu’s correlation and taking into account the

motor effect:
PIT  BHT  T [ Z  A (1  e  Z / A )]  DTmotor

where:
BHT = Bottomhole temperature, °F Z = (well depth - pump setting depth), ft
T = Temperature gradient, °F/ft A = Relaxation distance, ft

A  Wtot rL d 0.2904 SGo e 4.2051

0.5253 2.9303 0.2608 4.4146
SG w

where:
Wtot = total mass flow rate, lbm/sec rL = stock tank liquid density, lbm/ft3
d = inside diameter of the tube, in SGx = Specific gravity (oil and water)

4. Determine Pump Intake Temperature…

h (1  E m )
DTmotor 
778 C E p E m

Em = Motor Efficiency, fraction

h = Pump head, ft
C = Specific heat capacity, BTU/(lbm °F) C  (1  f w ) C o  f w C w
Ep = Pump Efficiency, fraction

 Iterative procedure

 Negligible for high water cut, shallow wells or light crude

 In our case assuming: h = 6000 ft, Em = 0.85, Ep = 0.65, Co = 0.5, Cw = 1.0

6000 (1  0.85)
DTmotor   2.2  F
778 (0.1 (0.5)  0.9 (1.0)) (0.65) (0.85)

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4. Determine Pump Intake Temperature…

A  Wtot rL d 0.2904 SGo e 4.2051

0.5253 2.9303 0.2608 4.4146
SG w

Wtot  QL r L  GOR (1  f w ) QL SGg 0.0764

r L  (1  f w ) r o  f w r w  62.4 (1  f w ) SGo  f w SGw   62.4 SG

r L  62.4 (1.006)  62.77 lbm / ft 3

bbl D  lbm ft 3 ft 3 lbm 

Wtot  2000  62.77 3 5.615  30 (1  0.9) (0.8) 0.0764 3  
D 86400 sec  ft bbl bbl ft 
lbm
Wtot  8.16
sec

5. Determine PVT and Fluid Conditions

at Pump Intake
1
1.2048
P 100.0125 API   100 100.0125( 30)  0.83 scf
Rs  SG g   0.00091T (  F )   0.8   0.00091(181.6 )   4.2
 18 10   18 10  bbl
1.175
  SG g  0.5 
 o  0.972  0.000147  Rs    1.25 T  
  SGo  
1.175
  0.8 
0.5
 bbl
 o  0.972  0.000147 4.2    1.25 (181.6)  1.06
  0.876   stb

Z T ( R ) 0.98 (181.6  460) ft 3

 g  0.02827  0.02827  0.155
P (100  14.7) scf

 w  1  1.2 x 104 (T  60)  1 x 106 (T  60)2  3.33 x 106 P (no gas in solution )

bbl
 w  1  1.2 x 10  4 (181.6  60)  1 x 10  6 (181.6  60) 2  3.33 x 10  6 (114.7)  1.03
stb

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6. Determine Total Flowrate at Pump

Intake Conditions


Qtot  QL f w  w  (1  f w )  o  (1  f w ) (GOR  Rs )  f w Rsw   g 

Assuming no gas in solution in the water (Rsw  0) :

stb   ft 3 1 bbl   stb

Qtot  2000 0. 9 (1. 03 )  0 . 1  1.06  ( 30  4.2 ) 0.155   2208
3 
D   scf 5 . 615 ft  D

7. Do I Need a Gas Separator?

Gas fraction at pump intake :

1  f w GOR  Rs   f w Rsw  g

fg 
f w  w  (1  f w )  o  1  f w GOR  Rs   f w Rsw  g

Assuming no gas in solution in the water :

0.1 ( 30  4.2) 0.155 / 5.615

fg   6.4%
0.9 (1.03)  0.1 1.06  ( 30  4.2) 0.155 / 5.615 

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8. Gas Fraction Entering Pump

 (1  Esep ) f g
enter pump
fg

Qgvented
E sep   E sep  E sep
free natural mechanical

Qgtotal
free angular speed
(rotary separators)
Pump flowrates
Vented Annulus
Gas geometry
Esep ??
Flow
Cable
pattern
Gas out Fluid
Ports slippage
Separator properties
90%, 40%,
65%, 50%, ...

Protector/Seal
Intake
ports

8. Gas Fraction Entering Pump…

 Since the total gas fraction at pump intake 6.4% is less
than 10% (rule of thumb), no gas separator is needed.
 For design purposes let’s assume that the natural
separation efficiency of gas is zero (worst case).
 Since the total gas fraction is low, as a first approach
let’s also assume that no gas degradation occurs in
the pump performance.

 (1  0) 6.4%  6.4%  f g
enter pump
fg

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9. Total Volumetric Flowrate Entering

Pump

  
Qtot  QL f w  w  (1  f w )  o  1  Esep 1  f w GOR  Rs   f w Rsw  g 

stb
Qtot  2208
D

10. Determine Total Dynamic Head

TDH  Separator Head  Flowline Friction Loss  Flowline Net Lift 

Tubing Friction Loss  Vertical Net Lift
SH

FFL
Psep 100 psi
SH ( Separator Head )    230 ft
P 0.4356 psi / ft FNL

TFL
PIP
VNL  Pump setting depth 
0.433 SGo
VNL

100 psi
VNL  4737 ft   4473 ft
Oil

0.433 psi / ft (0.876)

Oil + Water

FNL   ( segment length) sin  

segments
0 ( horizontal )
Pwf

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10. Determine Total Dynamic Head…

 Since specific gravity of fluid is close to water specific
gravity and gas fraction is very low, friction loss charts
for water can be used:

 loss  Flowline length

FFL   
 1000 ft  1000

2000
FFL  1.8 ft  3.6 ft
1000

10. Determine Total Dynamic Head…

 loss  Pump setting depth

TFL   
 1000 ft  1000

4737
TFL  28 ft  133 ft
1000

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10. Determine Total Dynamic Head…

 Finally
TDH  ( 230  4  0  133  4473)  4840 ft

 In multiphase flow where the

used friction loss charts are not
valid, the discharge pressure can

Intake Pressure
be evaluated starting with
DPpump
wellhead or separator pressure
and using any multiphase
correlation or mechanistic model.
Then: Qo

Pdischarge PIP  DPpump

TDH  
P P

11. Select Pump and Determine Number

of Pump Stages
 Select pump from manufacturer catalog
 Suitable with casing internal diameter
 Maximum possible diameter
 As the diameter increases the efficiency increases
 Larger diameter units are usually less expensive
 Unit runs cooler due to higher fluid velocity in annulus
 Desired total flowrate in operating range
 As a rule of thumb, better if between best efficiency point (BEP) and
upper limit, to take into account the well declination
 Selected pump: model GC2200, series 513

TDH 4840 ft
# st    103 stages
head / stage 47 ft / stage

 Check catalog if permissible

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12. Determine Power Requirement for

Motor
HP  pump HP  separator HP  protector HP

 HP 
pump HP  # stages   SG
 stage 

 HP 
pump HP  103  1.11  1.006  115 HP
 stage 
HP vs Total Dynamic Head - 513 Series Seal Section

4.0

 Diameter (“series”) of separator

3.0
and seal usually same as pump

Power (HP)
2.0

HP  (115  6  3.2) HP  124.2 HP 1.0

0.0
0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000 14000 16000
Total Dynamic Head (ft)

13. Select Motor from Catalog

 Suitable with casing internal diameter and well temperature
 If no model for required power, select next higher HP motor
 Preferable standard motor – pump series combination
 Higher voltage (lower current) motors require smaller conductor
sizes
 Higher motor voltages, imply more expensive VSD or switchboard
 An economical analysis may be needed

562 series motors are standard for 513 series pump. From catalog
selected motor: 130 HP, 2145 V, 35 Amp

HPrequired 124.2 HP
Loading during normal operation  100   95.5%
HPmotor 130 HP

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14. Select Power Cable for Application

 Select round or flat cable according to clearance of annulus
 Select a cable that gives voltage drop < 30 volts/1000 ft
 Check cable operation temperature and make corrections

Pump M S 
Cable Clearance  CD     C  B  G  or CD  M (lower one)
Guard 2 2 
Seal
Band
S/2
where:
Cable CD = Casing drift diameter

M/2 S = Seal diameter

C = Cable thickness/diameter (catalog)
Motor
M = Motor diameter
B = Band thickness (0.03 in)
Casing Drift
G = Cable guard thickness (0.16 in)

14. Select Power Cable for Application…

 Volt drop 
Volt losses / 1000 ft    T factor
 1000 ft 

Select cable # 4. Then from specifications on catalog, cable temp. ~ 200 °F:

 16 V  20.6 V
Volt losses / 1000 ft    1.288 
 1000 ft  1000 ft

 5.62 5.13 
Clearance  5.98     0.39  0.03  0.16  0.025 in
 2 2 
CD  M  5.98  5.62  0.36 in

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14. Select Power Cable for Application…

Cable required length  Pump setting depth  200 ft

Cable required length  4737 ft  200 ft  4940 ft

Selected Cable: #4 Cu, flat, 3KV, 4940 ft

15. Determine Surface Required Voltage

Surface requierd voltage  Motor nameplate volt  Cable drop

Pump setting depth  Volt drop 

Cable drop    T factor
1000 ft  1000' 

Cable #4 drop 
4737
16 V  1.288  98 V
1000

Surface required voltage  2145 V  98 V  2243 V

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16. Select Transformer

 Calculate KVA
 If no model for required power, select next higher KVA
transformer
 Decide between a triphase-transformer and 3 single
phase transformers
3
3  Surface voltage  Motor current
KVA 
1000
3
3  2243V  35 A
KVA   136 KVA
1000

 Selected transformer: 150 KVA triphase-transformer

 12500 V Primary voltage; 2250 V Secondary voltage (~ 2243 V)

17. Other Equipment and General

Considerations
 Strong synergy is recommendable between field engineer and
manufacturer representative
 Select a switchboard from catalog according to required surface
voltage
 Select a rotary separator, as a rule of thumb, if free gas fraction at
pump intake is greater than 10% for radial pumps or 15% for mixed
flow pumps
 Select a seal section from labyrinth, chamber or
labyrinth/chamber. High thrusts, temperature, well inclination
might require tandem equipment.
 Check compatibility of tubing thread with pump discharge section

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17. Other Equipment and General

Considerations…
 If a Variable Speed Drive is used, special considerations are
needed about pump and motor power.

3
Pump  Hz 
BHPHzpump  BHP60  
Power (HP)

 60 
Motor
 Hz 
motor
MHPHz  MHP60  
Design

 60 
Frequency (Hz)

 Check for corrosive fluids or sand production

 Check limitations of max shaft power in pump, seal, separator and

burst and collapse of equipment housings
 Check fluid velocity around motor (> 1 ft/sec water/light crude)

Design for Gassy Well

 The fluid properties and volumetric flowrates change
continuously along the pump. Therefore, an incremental
procedure must be used.
 Select number of steps (i.e. n = 4)
Pdischarge PIP  DPpump
TDH  
P P PDP = PIP + nDP/n

DP
PX  PIP  X X  0, 1, 2, ..., n
n
 At standard conditions: P2 = PIP + 2DP/n
DP

r L  (1  f w ) r o  f w r w  62.4 (1  f w ) SGo  f w SGw  P1 = PIP + DP/n

28.97 SGG P lbm

rG 
P0 = PIP
 0.0763 SGG
Z RT ft 3

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Design for Gassy Well…

Wtot  QL r L  GOR (1  f w ) QL r g

 Between PX and PX+1


Qtot  QL f w  w  (1  f w )  o  (1  Esep ) (1  f w ) (GOR  Rs )  f w Rsw   g 
Mass fluid Wtot
SGmixture  
Mass of water r w Qtot

Pmixture  0.433 SGmixture PDP = PIP + nDP/n

SGmixture X  SGmixture X  1
SG mixture 
2 P2 = PIP + 2DP/n
Pmixture X  Pmixture X 1

DP
P mixture  P1 = PIP + DP/n
2
Qtot X  Qtot X 1
Q tot  P0 = PIP
2

Design for Gassy Well…

 Select a pump for average flowrate between P0 and P1
 Calculate number of stages as before

TDH X  X  1  DPX  X  1  1
# stages for DPX  X  1    
head / stage  P X  X  1  head / stage

 Iterate for another DPX . Finally:

-> X+1

PDP
Total # stages   # stages
PIP

 Size the other equipment as before

 Special care required for free gas fraction at pump intake. For high
GOR wells, use of tandem separators and new technologies could
help.

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Design Limitations for Gassy Wells

PROBLEM Recent Studies

 Degradation Effect of Gas over Pump Performance Sachdeva, R.

Cirilo, R.

 Gas Limit Tolerance Turpin

 Rotary Gas Separators Efficiency Alhanati, F.

Sambangi, R.
Amrin H.

 Natural Efficiency Serrano, J.

 New Technologies Meudys, R.

Design for Various Fluids

 Viscosity effect on friction must be considered for Total
Dynamic Head calculation.
 Degradation of pump head performance curve and
increasing in brake horse power is required.
 How much degradation?
 American Hydraulics Institute:
 Single stage pump
 Volute type diffuser

 PDVSA-Intevep (lab tests)

 Empirical (range 1 - 1700 cP)

 Factors from manufacturer

 Empirical

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Design for Various Fluids…

 Since viscosity changes with temperature along the pump, an
incremental iterative procedure, similar to the one for gassy wells,
must be carried out.

 For each calculation between PX and PX+1, temperature effect must

be reflected on properties, therefore it must be estimated:

BHPloss = Lost Power, HP

DT pump 
5.1 BHPloss
 F  SG = Specific Gravity
SG C Q
C = Specific Heat Capacity, BTU/(lbm °F)

h (1  E m ) Q = Flowrate, GPM
DTmotor   F 
778 C E p E m h = Pump Head, ft
Em = Motor Efficiency, fraction
Ep = Pump Efficiency, fraction

Alternatives for High Free Gas

Percentage Wells
Rotary Gas Separators
 Efficiency varies with flowrate as
predicted by Alhanati’s model
 Can handle from 85 to 99% free gas
at low flowrates
 As flowrate increases a breakpoint
occurs where efficiency can go
below 20%
 Can be connected in series, but
behavior is not well understood

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Alternatives for High Free Gas

Percentage Wells…
Shrouded Configuration
 Fluid direction reversed to maximize
natural separation due to gas
buoyancy
 Requires a jacket or shroud to
achieve fluid reversion or motor
cooling
 Classical case is when ESP unit is
set below perforations
 Two additional cases are the closed
shroud with stinger and the inverted
shroud

Alternatives for High Free Gas

Percentage Wells…
New Technologies
 Gas handler REDA of Schlumberger. It
employs additional or wider recirculating
holes in strategic areas of the impeller.
The recirculation of liquid, pushes the
trapped gas to flow.
Recirculating
 Low NPSH stages by Centrilift. Those are Holes
almost axial stages, which can handle
high volume flowrates but generate low
head. They are installed at intake to
improve suction conditions of main
pump. (Similar to Tapered Pump
concept).
 Both technologies have proved a lower
tendency to allow gas lock.

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Alternatives for Viscous Crude Oil

Production
 Higher temperature corresponds to lower viscosity. So bottomhole
heating can be done using electric resistance, special undersized cable,
etc. Special care is needed with motor limits.
 Lower viscosity can also be achieved injecting some type of diluent like
kerosene or high API crude. Some cables with injecting lines are
available.

 Water injection at pump intake is also used as a method to lift high

viscosity crudes.

Special Applications
Cable Suspended Unit
 The unit is lowered in the well without using a tubing. It is suspended
from a cable and the power cable is bound to it.
 A special seating element supports the pump and provides locking to
avoid excessive torque on the cable.
 Different from the conventional installations, the motor is located over
the pump.
 A pump change can be made without killing the well by the use of a
lubricator system on the wellhead.
 The system produces from the annulus.

 Its main advantage is the reduction in all costs associated with tubing
pulling job, specially offshore.

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Special Applications…
Coiled Tubing Deployed System
 The principle is similar to the cable suspended unit, but a coiled tubing
provides the support instead.
 There are two systems: Cable is bound externally to the coiled tubing;
Cable is inside the coiled tubing and the production is through the
annulus – most accepted.
 This system (cable inside) provides extra protection for the cable, which
is one of the most delicate elements during the lowering job.
 The motor is also located over the pump.

Special Applications…
Downhole Water Separation
 This system combines the ESP system with the
hydrocyclone separation technology to produce with
a lower water cut.
 The separated water is injected in an adjacent
formation or if an aquifer exists and the formation
thickness is adequate.
 Separating and disposing of produced water within
the well itself can avoid operating/economic
problems.
 The treatment cost of the crude and produced water
is reduced.
 Some systems use two pumps, one to feed the
hydrocyclone and another to lift the fluid.

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Equipment Dimensions and Pump Range

Applicable

Pump Performance

stages 8 17 27 36 45 55 65 74 84 93 103 112 122 131 141 150 160 170 178 187
197 206 215 225 235 244 254 263 273 282 292 301 311 320 330 340 348 357 367

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562 Series Motor

Cable Voltage Drop & Temperature

Correction Factors

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Well Temperature vs. Current

35

Viscosity Effects

28
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562 Series Motor Performance

Gas Allowed vs. PIP

% free gas pump can handle vs PIP (after Turpin)

40
35
30
% free gas

25
20
15
10
5
0
0 100 200 300 400 500
Pump Intake pressure (psi)

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Equipment Dimensions and Motor Range

Applicable

30