An Integrated Approach Utilizing ESP Design Improvements and Real Time Monitoring to Ensure Optimum Performance and Maximize Run Life

Abstract

Electrical submersible pumps (ESP's) have become a necessity to support reservoir pressure and sustain production. ESP failure and replacement is a major concern for wells with high gas oil ratio (GOR) and erosion related issues due to the nature of the wear & tear that these ESP's undergo through its life time. Consequently, these ESP failures have an important economic implications for oil and gas operators, including non-productive time, high cost of ESP replacements and production deferral. The objective of this paper is to provide a comprehensive and systematic approach to maximize the ESP run life by optimizing both the design process and operation standards in which sand production and erosion are growing concerns. The improved design will integrate best practices from several field applications and downhole technology including new concepts, features, and materials that were specifically designed and tested to withstand challenging downhole conditions. Furthermore, this paper will employ i-field data as a proactive means to safeguard ESP health based on a numerical model of the production system which served as a decision support tool to determine ESP frequencies that maximize oil production while honoring multiple operational constraints and minimize preventable trips that can lead to undesired failures. A comprehensive engineering thought process including initial installations, subsequent well interventions, operation standards, completion improvements, ESP configuration enhancements and equipment Dismantle Inspection and Failure Analysis (DIFA) were conducted for several cases to assemble improved ESP components that were specifically designed, fabricated, and tested to meet well requirements. These components were integrated and subjected to a rigorous performance based tests prior to field application. After the comprehensive manufacturer tests, field applications were implemented for the newly developed system and was carefully monitored to measure its effectiveness. Additionally, an analytical framework software utilizing smart field applications was developed towards proactive ESP performance monitoring based on data-driven predictive modeling and analysis. This framework was utilized to automatically identify patterns and assess ESP condition in real time, thus offering detection of impending problems before they occur for mitigation and prevention of ESP service interruptions and consequently preserving the ESP health. This paper will provide a detailed step by step process to create a robust ESP system that will adopt to challenging wellbore conditions where high GOR and erosion have resulted in premature ESP failures and offer firm enhancements to operation standards by leveraging real-time data obtained from downhole sensors for predicting and preventing ESP shutdowns using data analytics. Field application performance data will be shared in which these methods were successfully implemented to extend ESP run life.