Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Artificial-Lift-System-N
Artificial-Lift-System-N
Types
Selection, requirements & identification
MKPP 2513
ARTIFICIAL LIFT SYSTEM – LEARNING OUTCOMES
– Purpose:
To maintain a reduced producing bottom hole pressure so that formation
can give desired reservoir fluids required flowing bottom hole pressure
can be maintained for certain q
– Design basis:
Maintaining required flowing bottom hole pressure for desired q
• Available types:
– Sucker rod pump
– Progressive cavity pump – PCP
– Hydraulic pump
– Electrical submersible pump (ESP)
– Electrical submersible progressive cavity pump (ESPCP)
– Rotating rod pump
– Sonic pump
– Plunger lift
– Gas lift
– etc
Most popular artificial lift type
• Philosophy :
• for maximum potential, select most economical type/system
• In most cases, what has worked best or which lift method performs best in similar field serve
as selection criteria, together with consideration on equipment services available
type/system which provides highest present value for project life will be
selected
ARTIFICAL LIFT TECHNIQUE SELECTION CRITERIA
FACTOR TO BE CONSIDERED:
1. Well & reservoir characteristics
1. Well factor
• Well geometry, performance, especially PI, q
2. Reservoir factor
• Reservoir properties especially drive & type
3. Fluid factor
• Fluid properties particularly GOR, composition, SG, viscosity
2. Field location & environment
• Well location & environment pollution
3. Operational problems
4. Economics
5. Implementation of artificial lift selection techniques
6. Long term reservoir performance & facility constraints
WELL & RESERVOIR CHARACTERISTICS
• Sand production
gas lift more tolerant to solids than centrifugal pump
• Inhibitor can be carried in the power fluid for hydraulic pump -
suitable for massive organic & inorganic deposits such as
paraffin, asphaltene, scale & hydrate
ECONOMICS
• Full life cycle of economic analysis : operating cost vs initial capital cost to
installed artificial lift
• If capital cost to installed small as compared to total project costs and benefit to
increased revenue & reduced operating cost installed artificial lift
• Need to consider:
• Capital cost vs total operating cost & benefit
• Reliability (maintenance & operator costs)
• Energy efficiency
• Maintenance cost depend on: location, service company infrastructure
• Number of well (economic scale) operating costs
• Need for automation & centralised facilities operating costs
• Operational staff skill @ artificial lift technique
Energy Efficiency Comparison
1. Equipment installed can handle well production & production condition @ lifetime
oversize equipment based on producing large water
equipment operate at poor efficiency due to underloading at early production
life
2. Design for current well producing conditions and not worry about future
many changes in type of lift equipment @ well’s producing life
low cost operation @ short term but large sums money spent later to change
artificial lift equipment and/or completion
Facility Constraints
• In new field development; fluid handling equipment may significantly increase size &
cost of facilities required
– Rod pump & ESP : only produced fluid handled through facilities
– Gas lift requires injection gas compression & distribution facilities & circulating lift gas increases size of
production facilities required
– Hydraulic pump needs power fluid volume equal to produced fluid volume
1. Well factor
– Big volume shallow well continuous flow gas lift, centrifugal pump, hydraulic pump
– Small volume shallow well sucker rod pump
– Small volume deviated deep well hydraulic pump
2. Reservoir factor
– Water drive reservoir gas lift if adequate high pressure supply available
3. Fluid factor
– High GOR Gas lift
– Crude with paraffin content Not suitable for hydraulic pump
– High viscosity & low gravity crude Not suitable for hydraulic pump
– High viscosity crude sucker rod pump
4. Environmental factor
– To reduce pollution gas lift, hydraulic pump
– Offshore, remote area or wash land area less maintenance/treatment type, such as
gas lift or hydraulic pump
Typical application areas of
artificial lift techniques
using depth-rate chart
ARTIFICIAL LIFT SYSTEM
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
1. Capital cost
2. Downhole equipment
3. Operating efficiency (hydraulic hp / input hp)
4. System Flexibility
5. Miscellaneous Problems
6. Operating costs
7. System Reliability
8. Salvage Value
9. System Total
10.Usage/Outlook
ARTIFICIAL LIFT SYSTEM
NORMAL OPERATING CONSIDERATIONS
• 4 principal parts:
– Pump
– Sucker rod string
– Pumping unit
– Prime mover
• Working principal:
– As energy transmitted from prime mover to polished rod, speed reducer @ gear box
reduces the speed
– Rotary motion translated to reciprocating motion through crank, pitman & beam
– Sucker rod string transmit horsepower from beam to pump
– Downhole plunger moved up-down by a rod connected to engine @ surface
– When pump actuated, work done on the well fluid as it is lifted to surface
– Plunger movement displaces produced fluid into tubing via pump (with travelling &
standing valves within pump barrel)
– Moved up-down → fluid displaces → surface @ q
Sucker Rod Pump Surface Equipments
• Advantages:
– New wells, lower volume cost effective over time & simple
system & easier to operate.
– Lifting moderate volume from shallow depth (1000 BPD @
7000 ft)
– Lifting small volume from intermediate depth (200 BPD @
14000 ft)
• Disadvantages:
– Most incompatible with deviated (doglegged) wells
– Limited ability to produce sand-laden fluids
– Paraffin & scale can interfere
– Free gas interference can reduces pump efficiency
– Leaking problems @ polished-rod stuffing box
Sucker Rod Pump Operational Diagnosis
• Two types:
– Hydraulic jet pump
– Reciprocating positive displacement pump
Hydraulic Pump Completion
Hydraulic Pump
Hydraulic Pump – Positive Displacement Pump
Tubing size (in.) Working Fluid Level (ft) Max.Pump Disp. (BPD) Production (BPD)
•Shroud :
• to make use of casing ability to separate
produced gas from liquid
• Increase maximum ESP diameter
•Suitable for low rate well with large annular clearances
& large bubbles gas (free gas)
•Protector or seal:
• Unit connects electric motor drive shaft to
pump or gas separator shaft
• Isolation barrier between clean motor oil & well
fluid
• Expansion buffer for motor oil
• Equaliser for internal motor pressure & well
annular pressure
• Absorber for thrust generated by pump
•Electric motor : 15 – 900 HP
•Downhole sensor package: Measurement of:
• Pump suction & discharge P & T
• Fluid intake T
• Electric motor T
• Motor & pump vibration
• Electrical current leakage to earth
ESP Incorporating Packer & @ Surface Controlled
Subsurface Safety Valves
•Regulatory requirement
•Venting gas to surface
Typical ESP Applications
1. Adaptable to highly deviated wells; up to horizontal but must be set in straight section.
Crooked hole present no problem
2. Adaptable to required subsurface wellheads, 6 ft apart for maximum surface location density
3. Permit use of minimum space for subsurface controls & associated production facilities
4. Quiet, safe & sanitary for acceptance operation in offshore & environmentally conscious
area. Unobtrusive in urban locations
5. Generally considered a high volume pump. Can lift up to 20000BPD in shallow wells with
large casing. Available for different sizes, controllable production rate
6. Provides for increased volumes & water cut by pressure maintenance & secondary recovery
operations
7. Permits placing wells on production even while drilling & working over wells in immediate
vicinity
8. Simple to operate
9. Easy to install downhole pressure sensor for telemetering pressure to surface by cable
10. Corrosion & scale treatment easy to perform
11. Lifting cost for high volume generally very low
12. Efficient energy usage (>50% possible)
13. Access below ESP via Y tool
14. Comprehensive downhole measurements available
15. Quick start after shut down
ESP DISADVANTAGES
•Technique:
• Surface measurement of
current supplied to pump
along with well test
• Supervisory Control &
Data Acquisition
system(SCADA)
ESP Ammeter Chart Monitoring
Pumped off well
Advantages Disadvantages
•Simple design •High starting torque
•High volume efficiency •Fluid compatibility problems with
•Efficient design for gas anchors available elastomers in direct contact with aromatic
•High energy efficiency crude oil
•Emulsion not formed due to low shear •Gas dissolves in elastomers, at high
pumping action bottom hole pressure
•Capable of pumping viscous crude oil •Upper T limit for stator material H2S
•Can be run into horizontal & deviated chemical deterioration
wells •Frequent stops & starts several
•Q can be varied with variable speed operating problems (wear & leaking)
controller & cheap downhole pressure •Best efficiency occurs @ gas is separated
sensor bottomhole separator needed
•Moderate cost •If unit pump off the well or gas flows
•High electrical efficiency continuously, stator will be permanently
damaged (overheating by gas compression)
•Gearbox in ESPCP is source of failure if
wellbore fluid or solid leak inside it or if
excessive wear occurs
Progressing Cavity Electric Submersible Pump -
PCESP
•Simple, basic design •Extremely high •High volume •Solids tolerant •Solids and viscous
volume lift using up to crude tolerant
•Unit easily changed 1000 kw motor •Can use water as •Large volume in high
power fluid PI wells •Energy efficient
•Simple to operate •Unobstrusive surface
location •Remote power source •Simple maintenance •Unobstrusive surface
•Can achieve low location with
BHFP •Downhole telemetry •Tolerant high well •Unobstrusive surface downhole motor
available deviation / doglegs location / remote
•Can lift high power source
temperature viscous •Tolerant high well
oils elevation / doglegs •Tolerant high well
deviation / doglegs
•Pump off control – •Corrosion / scale
pump motor off @ treatments possible •Tolerant high GOR
fluid level reached reservoir fluids
minimum safety level
above the pump •Wireline maintenance
DISADVANTAGES
•Increased praduction
casing size often
HYBRID SYSTEMS