APPLICATION OF EXTENDED TAIL PIPE IN PCP AND SRP WELLS IN THE ORINOCO OIL BELT (OOB),

AYACUCHO DIVISION, SAN TOME, VENEZUELA.

Written by: Emmanuel Ortiz, Senior Eng. at Petroreconcavo, 16 years of experience at PDVSA; M.Sc. Victoria Peña, Senior Eng. at Petroreconcavo,
20 years of experience at PDVSA; M.Sc. Reinaldo Figuera, Technical Manager at Nakasawa Mining & Energy LLC, 20 years of experience at PDVSA.

The Orinoco Oil Belt (OOB) reservoirs consist primarily of unconsolidated a high hydrostatic column above the pump. Nevertheless, as reserves are
sands containing predominantly heavy and extra-heavy crude oil drained, reservoir energy decreases and well completion challenges
reserves, with densities ranging from 8 to 9 API. The production appear, due to low PIP and higher production rates of gas that can lead
mechanisms include the expansion of gas in solution, compressibility of to low pump submergences, even below the depth of settlement;
the rock, and the expansion of the secondary layer of gas. Although consequently, premature failures and low system efficiencies can occur.
drilling horizontal wells is the prevailing method, there are also deviated
and vertical wells utilized in the region.
Table 1. Characteristics of the OOB reservoirs
One of the major challenges, especially in horizontal wells, lies in the
design of Artificial Lift Systems (ALS) due to their complex geometry. High API 8-9
degrees of inclination and severe doglegs make it difficult settling the Permeability (K) 4000 - 5000 milidarcys
pumps at depths closer to the reservoirs; thereby limiting the range of Average depth 3000 - 4000 Ft
Pump Inlet Pressure (PIP) and the submergence. Optimizing the design Original reservoir pressure ~ 1100 psi
Bubble Pressure Close to or equal to P*
of ALS becomes a more challenging task as a result. The aforementioned
Rs (SCF/SBPD) 250
is not a concern during the initial stages of production, as the reservoir's
OGR (SCF/SBPD) 400 - 2000
energy is enough to ensure an adequate liquid inflow and, consequently,

Implementation and application of the extended tail pipe

Tubing 4-1/2”
The standard design of an ALS takes into account the reservoir's energy and
the geometric characteristics of the well to determine the suitable
volumetric and lifting capacity of the equipment. Consequently, the depth of
the pump becomes a crucial variable. In the OOB wells, completion designs
typically incorporate one or two tubes beneath the pump to ensure fluid
ALS Pump @ +/- 2500 ft
entry. Alternatively, one or two perforated tubes with a blind plug may be
utilized. Another configuration involves the use of two tubes with a Tubing 3-1/2”
downhole gas separator.

The application of the extended tail pipe involves positioning as many

production tubes as possible beneath the pump intake, followed by two
perforated tubes with a blind plug for fluid inlet. Likewise, it can be Extended Tail pipe 2-7/8”
considered to extend the tail pipe inside the production liner, depending on
Casing Shoe 9-5/8” @ 3000 to 4000 ft
the geometric complexity at that depth; taking into account the dog legs
severity in the horizontal or slant section, and thus avoiding any damage to Perforated Tubing 2-7/8” + Blind plug

the mechanical integrity of the well. This application can be considered

Unconsolidated sand
whenever submergence levels are critical, and pumps cannot be settled
Casing 7”
deeper due to:

1. Geometric complexity.
2. Settlement depth of the ALS. Figure 1. Well Completion diagram with extended tail pipe

Technical principles considered:

Theoretical principles that support the application of the extended tail pipe positioned beneath the pump's settling depth (ALS) are explained as
follows:

Existing theories of capillary Considerations:

pressure: 1. The capillary pressure is greater when the area is smaller. Based
Water Oil
on this concept, the extended pipe should be as small in diameter as
- Law of Capillarity possible. The liquid mass is inversely proportional to the square of
Water
- Law of Communicating vessels the tube diameter, the smaller the diameter of the capillary tube,
- Poiseuille's Law the higher the capillary pressure and the height reached.
- Jurim’s Law
2. Deeper intake points prevent higher fractions of gas to be handled
inside or through the pump.

3. PCPUMP software considers the application of the extended tail

pipe for ALS design, enabling the simulation of multiple scenarios
Figure 2. Capillary Pressure and the generation of predictive results.