Successful Application of Homogenization Principle in ESPs: Case Study in South America

Abstract

Sand management has become in one of the most vital factors in today's upstream oil and gas industry, more and more are the cases where the sand control systems play an important factor to determine the economic viability of each project. This paper will focus in a solution for sand problems in ESP systems applying to sand slug breakdown using a 10 V-Mesh Sand Screen to homogenize the solid inflow in the system so it would be easier to handle the solids through the ESP's stages. The implementation of the screen intake for the homogenization of solids in an ESP well allowed to efficiently manage sand slugs, improving the pump efficiency and avoiding blocking problems in the pump caused by sand. Furthermore, the system allows increasing the frequency of operation of the ESP motor to have a greater drawdown, increasing the production of the fluid from 1600 BFPD to 1800 BFPD. The behavior of the sensor data such as vibration, current, and voltage remained stable throughout the period evaluated, extending the run life of the system.