Downhole gauges for ESP systems typically use the motor power cable for communicating data to surface. This type of gauge technology, also known as "Comms on power," has been in use for many years and has become a reliable method for monitoring pump and well performance. Downhole data acquisition also delivers benefits in reservoir management where continuous data from the well is required. Any loss of this downhole data has a significant impact to accurately understanding the well performance and reservoir recovery.Current gauge technology is susceptible to problems when the insulation on the motor cable ages or is damaged. This means that the gauge signal will be lost when a ground fault occurs, even if the ESP motor continues to drive the pump and the gauge itself is undamaged. Current ESP gauges also typically provided slower data rates than permanent gauges that have dedicated instrument lines to surface.In such situations there are two options to recover the downhole data; conventional data acquisition using wireline or workover to repair the ground fault. Both required additional operational cost. Furthermore, any opportunities to obtain improved ESP monitoring and continuous data acquisition for reservoir management are gone.Saudi Aramco has been engaged in several years of technology trials carried out in Saudi Arabia leading to a successful field trial of a new downhole sensor system. Saudi Aramco's drive for continuous data when the ESP has experienced a ground fault has been the catalyst for the support given to this system. The system was installed in April 2013 in the Khurais field and is currently still running today -the system was confirmed to be fully functional in ground fault conditions. This paper presents the new technology, the history of trails and the installation, outlining the potential for future use.
Electric Submersible Pumps (ESPs) is very popular artificial lift systems to boost oil production now days. Home ofmany ESP installations, with high frequency of change outs per year and with the harsh production environment, a development of ESP technologies to reduce change-out time and improve run life is keep ongoing. These technologies address business challenges timely in a proactive approach. Currently deployed ESPs require a time-consuming rig installation on jointed tubing. With several factors such as: an average run life of three years for ESPs, a rig-based change-out time of up to two weeks offshore, and an uncertainty of when a rig can be scheduled; the need for a more rapid rigless solution is critical for future operations. Majority of the ESP installation are completed as part of tubing completion and deployed by drilling rig which requires high spending to recover the well during ESP replacement. Several types of technologies to deploy ESP rig-lessly were introduced into industry to optimize the retrieval and deployment cost during ESP replacement. Limited success story was recorded and open more thought to overcome the challenges. The first worldwide new reliable cable rigless deployed electrical submersible pumping (ESP) system was successfully installed and put on production. What makes this system unique concept and the first worldwide of its kind are two main components. The first component is the innovative cable hanger design that insures total cable isolation while providing a non-restricted flow through the tubes that are built into the body of the spool. The second component is the specially designed and manufactured CT from selected material that has high resistance to H2S and CO2 and it was made exactly fit the ESP cable providing full protection from corrosive wellbore fluid. This design aimed to boost production of oil wells with lower ESPs installation and replacement cost. The new system eliminates the need for and expensive rig to replace the ESP and accelerate production restoration. This system will be a great addition especially for offshore environments where not only the rig intervention costs are expensive, but also limited rig availability can delay ESP replacement. This paper will share the concept, design, field implementation planning and technical challenges, lesson learnt during preparation and installation of this first of kind system.
The technologies for rigless electric submersible pump (ESP) deployment were introduced in the oil industry to reduce expenditure during ESP replacement. Most of the technology is used to avoid rig utilization, which will reduce significant cost and safety risk during operations. At the same time, production restoration will be faster since some wellsite job preparation, such as for flowline strip-out and re-manifold, can be eliminated. The new cable rigless deployed ESP system was successfully deployed and put on stream for the first time worldwide. The system has a unique concept and components, which consist of a specially designed cable hanger and coiled tubing. The cable hanger design offers cable isolation while providing a nonrestricted flow through the flow path built into the body of spool. The coiled tubing was manufactured to have resistance to H2S and CO2 as well as for isolating the cable from any corrosive fluid from the well. Part of the technology assessment was to ensure the system should be able to retrieve and redeploy riglessly. A rigless job successfully retrieved and reinstalled the ESP after the pump had been on operation for more than 2 years. The most challenging operation is the killing procedure since the operation deals with high fluid losses while the gas from the well can be released at any time. Job preparation is key for success during retrieval activities, which involve a special study to find the proper kill fluid selection to control the well during activities. The kill fluid should be able to pump through the ESP, which is nondamaging for the formation and provides adequate weight to control the pressure and fluid losses. This paper will share the experience from concept, design, field implementation planning and technical challenges, and lessons learned during preparation and installation.
Electric Submersible Pump (ESP) is the most appropriate artificial lift method for moderate to high production rate wells. However, there are shortcomings in ESP technology for applications in slim casing wells with high rate production potential. These applications include wells in which liners as small as 4 ½′ have been installed inside the original casing for well integrity remediation. Some of these wells can produce high rates, however after the slim liner installation, production in these wells must be curtailed to the maximum production allowed by existing slim ESP technology. In addition to that, performance and reliability of current slim ESP technology is subpar compared with larger diameter ESPs. This paper discusses the development of a new High-Speed High-Rate Slim ESP system that can be installed in casing applications as slim as 5′ and 4 ½′ and it is able to produce higher rates than standard technology. The discussion includes the considerations for the design, the testing plan and the qualification testing results. There are many challenges associated with the design of an ESP to produce high rates in small diameters. This paper discusses mechanical and hydraulic considerations and the evaluation of trade-offs between efficiency, rotational speed and production rate, among others. Since this is a new technology with much higher operating speeds than standard ESPs, there are currently no applicable industry test standards. This paper presents the approach taken to develop the testing and qualification plan, as well as the results obtained during the testing phase. This new ESP technology was demanded to operate under very challenging conditions including tight clearances, harsh environment and high fluid velocities. The testing results showed that the system design met the production requirements while maintaining appropriate levels of performance. The newly high-speed/high-rate slim ESP incorporates multiple innovative design features developed to increase both performance and reliability of the system. Some of these features include a new Permanent Magnet Motor (PMM) design with an advanced control system, a high-frequency variable speed drive, a shaftless protector design, a new slim ESP sensor with high speed data transmission and ground fault capabilities, as well as a new flow/power crossover system with highly reliable electrical connections.
The oil industry has been for many years, growing and innovating technology over time. Economic cost is the main driver for changes that occur in our industry and the need to overcome a variety of challenges from reservoir to production to have a profitable well. Saudi Aramco as one of the largest operators worldwide have several fields that run completely on artificial lift, mainly ESPs, to produce. These ESPs are known to be prone to wear and tear, requiring replacement every few years. Conventionally through the use of a workover rig, these ESP and upper completion are replaced every so often. In recent years, the decline of the oil prices worldwide has cited the need to reduce capital & operational expenses to maximize the profitability in our economic analysis. Saudi Aramco, as a lead oil & gas operator is paving the way in alternative deployments method of ESP completion. This paper details Saudi Aramco’s successful deployment and qualification of a high rate, slim design alternative deployed ESP system. As part of the qualification criteria the system was successfully installed, removed and reinstalled three times over a six month period on slick-line.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.