ESP Recirculation System in Artificial Sump

Eagle Ford Shale (EFS) wells are comprised of a combination of challenges that can quickly limit production potential. This paper will review a case history of a well where conventional lift methods were crippled by these challenges, so an electrical submersible pump (ESP) was tested after previous installations were uneconomical. Utilizing artificial sumps in gassy wells has proven valuable in larger casing sizes, but this well included an additional set of unique challenges. The challenges for the ESP system for this specific test included: (i) deviated wellbore; (ii) scale and corrosion issues; (iii) tight casing; (iv) high gas-to-liquid ratio; (v) gas slugging. To overcome these challenges, a slimline ESP system was installed inside an artificial sump to separate gas and operate smoothly during gas slug events. The system was equipped with a recirculation system to maintain cooling for the motor and a capillary line for continuous chemical treatment. This paper presents comparisons between different forms of artificial lift producing separately in the same well, as well as different forms operating concurrently in offset wells. Uncommon design and operation methods are presented with production results. The test concluded that a comprehensive design for downhole ESP equipment, including a chemical treatment plan, can increase production in an EFS well. Results included an improved drawdown rate, improved production, and no evidence of scale buildup. Additional benefits would include significantly increased time between well work overs and reduced number of system failures due to corrosion, resulting in a substantial reduction in non-productive time. The positive results of the test demonstrate how to achieve the beneficial economic impacts of a properly designed ESP system in the Eagle Ford Shale as compared to traditional artificial lift designs.

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Enhance Production in Tight-Casing with ESP in Artificial Sump

Bridges

Sikes

Kirk

et al. 2016

Day 1 Tue, October 25, 2016

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Extending ESP Run Life in Gassy Wells Application

Kadio-Morokro

Curay

Fernandez

et al. 2017

Day 3 Wed, April 26, 2017

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The Electrical Submersible Pump (ESP) technology has dramatically evolved not only to cover wider inflow ranges but also to deal with abrupt gas conditions observed into unconventional applications. Gas production increment through the life of the well can cause multiple intermittent shutdowns which will constrain the overall well's production and eventually shorten the run life of the ESP. Therefore in order to avoid costly interventions and deferred production, it is fundamental to have the proper gas handling system sized since the beginning of the well's life. This material will encompass different cases which occurred in the Permian Basin area; (1) Tapered system with gas handling stages deployed in new drill wells with gas' increment observed through the life of the well (2) Tapered system with multi-vane pump installed in existing producing wells with high gas level, low production and low pump intake pressure (3) Encapsulated system in wells with high and repetitive gas slugs conditions. The present study describes performance of different scenarios in gassy wells and technologies applied to stabilize the challenging conditions; the benefits are demonstrated through those case histories. The primary goals of those applied technologies are to reduce or even avoid gas interference with the pump. As a result of reducing or eliminating cycling conditions due to gas, non-productive time was able to get reduced, production rate maintained and the run life of the wells extended successfully. A daily monitoring system is also a further help to achieve those goals. The use of ESPs have been increasing through the years, especially in the unconventional market. Therefore, it is crucial to provide new technologies as solution to tackle those challenging conditions. Data uncertainty is a well-known and common challenge regarding an ESP systems'design, observed mainly in new wells, but specifically in unconventional reservoirs. Unconventional reservoirs can be defined in many different ways, but in this study we will limit that definition on horizontal wells that have a rapid production declination curve but also tremendous gas increment through the life of the wells. Running a cost-efficient equipment is a must. Most of the new drills' population have been traced in those reservoirs.

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Improve Production in Unconventional Oil Wells Using Artificial Sump Pumping System

Elmahbes

Quintero

2017

Day 1 Tue, October 17, 2017

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Unconventional oil wells represent a combination of challenges to electrical submersible pump (ESP) systems and can limit the production potential for those types of wells. Unconventional wells with steep decline curves and high amounts of free gas challenge the operating envelop of current ESP systems to economically and reliably produce these wells. The challenges that unconventional wells present for all forms of artificial lift forms are: (a) highly deviated wellbore; (b) high gas-to-oil ratio (GOR); (c) gas slugs; and (d) tight casing. When a large amount of free gas is present in the production fluid, the gas enters the ESP pumps and drastically affects its performance. In many cases the gas can lock the pump, leading to a production cut. This paper discusses a case history for an unconventional field where traditional ESP methods were used as the primary form of lift. The challenges in using this form of lift to economically produce from those wells are also discussed. The use ofan artificial sump pumping system in unconventional oil wells with steep decline curve and high amount of free gas has a proven record of operating reliably and economically under unconventional wells challenges. Artificial sump pumping systems are configured and designed to fit inside 7-in. casing and bigger to tight casing sizesof 5½ in.through the use of slim-line ESP systems. The artificial sump pumping system uses an inverted shroud to naturally separate gas and block it from entering the pump. This blocking actionprevents the pump from experiencing gas lock due to unpredicted gas slugs. In addition, the system is equipped with a recirculation system to continue cooling the motor during gas slugs, enabling the ESP to continue producing efficiently during slug events. Moreover, a capillary tube could be installed with the system to enhance system run life for wells where corrosion and scale are issues. This paper presents a comparison between the use of conventional ESP methods and artificial sump systems in unconventional, conventional, and mature fields where free gas and gas slugs are a challenge. The results shows how an artificial sump system improves production from those wells and how it significantly improves ESP run life operating under unconventional challenges. In addition, the benefit of using this system for protecting the motor lead extension during installation especially for deviated well and wells with high DLS. This paper discusses how the system reduced the number of failures and enhanced the run life for wells where corrosion and scale-related failures are an issue.

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ESP Recirculation System in Artificial Sump

Cited by 4 publications

References 2 publications

Enhance Production in Tight-Casing with ESP in Artificial Sump

Enhance Production in Tight-Casing with ESP in Artificial Sump

Extending ESP Run Life in Gassy Wells Application

Improve Production in Unconventional Oil Wells Using Artificial Sump Pumping System

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