Electric Submersible Pumps –

design with pressure gradient curves

Total Dynamic Head – What I am not going to talk about !
Wellhead
Wellhead Pressure
3
Ground Level Flow

1
2 Net Vertical Lift
Total Friction Loss

Producing Fluid Level

Pump Set Depth

Flow Flow
Pressure gradient curve
Pwh

Pump dP
Pump setting depth PIP PDP

Pwf
PR
Pump curves

• The two main pump design parameters are:

•The pump delta P converted to head by fluid density.

•The pump flow rate in rb/d

Pump curves

Efficiency

Pump Range

Head

HP per Stage
Systematic Pressure Analysis

 Above the pump:

P discharge = WHP + Pgravity + Pfriction (wellhead to pump)

Validates : oil density, water cut, pressures and depths)

 Across the pump:

P intake = Pdischarge - Ppump
Where Ppump = Head (ft) x Density (psi/ft)

Validates : pump performance, flowrate, effect of wear/viscosity/gas)

Systematic Pressure Analysis

 Below the pump:

P wf = P intake + Pgravity + Pfriction (pump to reservoir)

 In the reservoir:
PI = Q / (PR – Pwf ) (reservoir inflow performance)

Validates : IPR, flowrate, PI, PR

Downhole flowrate (rb/d) = Qoil(stbo/d) x Bo + Qwater (stbw/d)

 ESP Head/Pressure Calculations
• ESP generates head by movement of fluids through the
impeller and diffuser changing kinetic energy (movement)
into potential energy (head)

• Head is dependent on
Speed of rotation of impeller
Flow rate through the impeller
Size and shape of impellers (flow types)
Viscosity of fluids
Amount of gas
Mechanical factors such as wear
 ESP Head/Pressure Calculations

• Head (ft) = Ppump (psi) / pressure gradient of well fluids (psi/ft)

• remember pressure gradient (psi/ft) = S.G. / 2.31

• Questions:
1. For a pump generating 2500 feet of head and
pumping seawater, what is P ?
2. For the same pump which is now pumping 34°API
oil what is P ?
3. What would this scenario be typical of ?
 ESP Head/Pressure Calculations

• Fluid level above Wellhead

Flow
the pump Ground Level

Producing Fluid Level

Pump Set Depth

Flow Flow

Given : pump set depth = 6000 ft, top of perforations = 6750 ft, the
measured Pintake = 600 psi and zero casing pressure in the well producing
100% 34°API oil , what is the fluid level above the pump ?
 ESP Head/Pressure Calculations

• For the case of this well with no measurement of Pintake but with
40% water cut and a measured fluid level= 4379 ft, what would
be the Pwf ?

Oil ??

Downhole measurement will reduce uncertainty

Produced Fluid
Measurements for ESP systems
What’s measured
Pump discharge pressure
Well head pressure
Pump intake pressure
Ppump
Motor temperature
Motor amps
Current leakage
Vibration
What it can help with
Water cut, tubing GOR estimation and well
shut in protection
Water cut and tubing GOR
Gas locking (Pb and free gas volumes),
reservoir drawdown, sand control, coning
Upthrust and downthrust protection; flow
estimation, pump performance (wear,
viscosity,materials)
Overheating
Overload/underload protection
Overheating – insulation breakdown
Fatigue, loading
ESP design process (manual)
1. Assume design conditions: flow rate, water cut, WHP, pump setting depth
and IPR
2. Determine Pwf from IPR
3. Calculate upwards to find PIP using a flow correlation or simplifying
assumptions
4. Determine gas entering pump after gas separation (if any)
5. Calculate downwards from WHP to find PDP using a flow correlation or
simplifying assumptions
6. Find pump head requirement: Head (ft) = Ppump (psi) / pressure gradient of well fluids
(psi/ft)
 Total dynamic head (TDH)

7. Find average flow rate Qpump in pump (rb/day)

ESP design process (manual)
8. Select pump size from casing ID and pump operating range
9. From pump curves read head per stage for Qpump
10. Calculate number of stages required = TDH / head per stage
11. From pump curves read power required per stage at Qpump
12. Calculate total motor horsepower required =
power per stage x no. of stages x S.G. of fluid
13. Select voltage/amps combination for selected motor size
14. Select cable size from amps required
15. Run sensitivities that consider changing well conditions
ESP design and analysis exercises

 Exercise 1 : manual pump design

 Exercise 2 : using PIPESIM for pump design
 Exercise 3 : using PIPESIM for pump diagnostics
ESP diagnostics examples
ESP Diagnostic Examples
ESP diagnostics and Time slice analysis
ESP diagnostics and Time slice analysis