Testing In-Well Dual Canned ESP Completion System to Validate Safe Deployment in Deep Water: A Collaborative Effort to Understand Surface and Downhole Requirements

Abstract

Deepwater and ultradeepwater completions employ numerous hydraulic control lines for operating downhole equipment as the primary method of actuation or as back-up systems for control and actuation. Incorporating a completion system with an in-well lift, i.e., electric submersible pumps (ESPs), increases the number of electrical lines that are needed for operation. The total number of control and electrical lines maximizes the number of hydraulic and electrical lines that can be terminated back to the tubing hanger and wellhead. On surface, managing and running the numerous control lines can be daunting. Weight and size limitation and available rig floor, deck, and sub-deck space must be considered when planning placement of reeled lines, back-up systems, and preparation of supporting systems for spooler and reels. In this paper we discuss the planning and execution of an installation test conducted in close collaboration with an operator. This stack-up test was conducted to determine whether a completion system incorporating a dual canned ESP system with multiple control lines can be efficiently and safely deployed in a deepwater, high-pressure/high-temperature (HPHT) environment. The completion system uses numerous hydraulic control lines, tubing encapsulated conductor (TEC) lines, and ESP electrical cables to support the various downhole completion equipment systems. The control lines and cables are various sizes and shapes, further complicating their manageability. Testing was successfully performed in a 500-ft test well on a land rigand the equipment and processes used were deemed scalable to a drillship operating in deep water. Results of the test suggest that safely deploying a dual canned ESP system in a deepwater well is possible. Doing so would bring increased revenue from the additional years of production enabled by the dual canned ESPs.