Spe 204500 Ms

SPE-204500-MS
Forty-Seven–Well Case Study: How a Holistic ESP Design for Deep Deviated
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Wells with Low Flow Rates Achieved Economic Production
Lawrence Camilleri, Camilleri & Associates SAS; Jorge Luis Villalobos, Pedro Luis Escalona, and Alvaro Correal,
Schlumberger Artificial Lift; Carlos Reyes, Luis Carlos Enriquez, and Johanna del Cisne Gallegos Apolo,
Schlumberger Shaya
Copyright 2021, Society of Petroleum Engineers
This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPE Gulf Coast Section Electric Submersible Pumps Symposium held in The Woodlands, Texas, USA, 4 - 8 October
2021.
This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents
of the paper have not been reviewed by the Society of Petroleum Engineers and are subject to correction by the author(s). The material does not necessarily reflect
any position of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, its officers, or members. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper without the written
consent of the Society of Petroleum Engineers is prohibited. Permission to reproduce in print is restricted to an abstract of not more than 300 words; illustrations may
not be copied. The abstract must contain conspicuous acknowledgment of SPE copyright.
Abstract
The Shaya wells have vertical depths of 11,000 ft and are heavily depleted. They, therefore, require 10,000 ft
of lift to achieve the target drawdown. Electrical submersible pumps (ESPs) were deployed, but because of
the low flow rates (80 B/D), produced solids, and high free gas content, initial run lives were uneconomical.
This 47-well case study demonstrates how a holistic design and operating procedure achieved both the target
drawdown and an economical mean time between failure (MTBF).
"Learning from history" was the key method as there was sufficient ESP data to determine the root cause
of ESP failures based on a combination of dismantle inspection and failure analysis (DIFA) and operating
conditions. Moreover, production testing combined with real-time downhole gauge data enabled inflow
characterization with both nodal and pressure transient analysis, thereby establishing the well potential and
ensuring that the new proposed design was not only reliable but also achieved the targeted drawdown. An
additional requirement was to handle both the current low rates and higher rates associated with future
waterflooding.
A historical review of 9 wells was conducted, followed by a new ESP design that was proposed and
installed in 47 wells, which achieved an MTBF of over 940 days, whereas previous designs in the same
wells had an MTBF of only 650 days. This substantial improvement was achieved without compromising
drawdown as the wells were produced with a flowing intake pressure of approximately 250 psia at setting
depths of 9,500 ft. This result is particularly noteworthy when one considers the harshness of the well
conditions and, in particular, bottom-hole temperatures of 240°F, fines migration, deviated wells with
doglegs above 2.5°/100ft, intake pressures below bubble point and low productivity indices (PIs) of 0.2 B/
D/psi. The high depletion combined with low PIs, which resulted in very low flow rates of as low as 50
B/D, was the most challenging factor of this application. Outflow modeling and wellbore hydraulics were
also important considerations to limit solid fallback due to insufficient velocity in the production tubing as
well minimize heat rise caused by startup transients, which can be long in low-PI wells.
ESPs are traditionally best suited to wells with liquid rates providing sufficient cooling for both the motor
and the pump as well as short unloading transients during startup. This success story, therefore, provides an
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important reference for future ESP applications in very low flow rates in deep wells, which are beyond the
recommended application envelope of alternative low flow rate artificial lift solutions such as progressive
cavity pumps and sucker rod pumps.
Introduction
The Background on Low Productivity in the Inferior Layer (IL)
One of the many challenges faced by the Shaya project is that of producing low-flow rate wells in the lower
formation, also referred to as the inferior layer (IL); these wells have low reservoir pressures following
depletion. Shaya is a mature field revitalization project of a larger field development in Ecuador, which
was originally discovered in 1970. Over the years, more than 400 wells were drilled and produced without
water injection resulting in high reservoir pressure depletion from an original pressure of ~4,500 psia to a
current pressure of ~1,000 psia. A detailed explanation of the geology, production history, and revitalization
initiatives of the Shaya project can be found in three key papers, which are Fun-Sang et al. (2018), Mendoza
et al. (2019), and Piñeiros et al. (2020). The subject of this paper is how to produce the wells where it has
not been possible to date to increase productivity through stimulation as was achieved on some wells, see
Fun-Sang et al. (2018). Nor has it been possible to increase reservoir pressure as described by Piñeiros et
al. (2020). In these wells, the reservoir pressure is less than 1,200 psia and productivity indices (PIs) are
less than 0.25 STB/D/psi. Therefore, even where a 1,000-psi drawdown is achieved with artificial lift, the
liquid rate production potential is less than 300 STB/D.
It is interesting to observe the lower reservoir layer (LL) response to water injection as documented by
Piñeiros et al. (2020). The southern area of the field of study showed the best response with reservoir pressure
increasing to more than 2,000 psia, whereas other areas saw zero and mixed reservoir pressure responses.
This is due to both geological lateral heterogeneity and/or that this was an initial pilot water injection project.
It is nevertheless interesting to note that where a positive pressure was observed, it was quasi-immediate
and it is therefore hypothesized that there is no secondary gas cap despite the large pressure depletion. This
is consistent with the fluid properties of lower reservoir layer, which are summarized as follows:
– Relatively heavy oil with densities ranging from 14 to 16 °API.
– Low bubble point of between 400 and 950 psia
– Low Bo; formation volume factor of 1.14
– Reservoir temperatures of 215 to 240°F
– Very low Rs; solution gas/oil ratio (GOR) of 80 to 150 scf/bbl
These hydrocarbon fluid properties will be an important consideration when reviewing the need for ESP
gas handling equipment.
The Shaya Inferior Layer (IL) Low Flow Rate ESP Challenge
The general ESP application challenges in the Auca field were reviewed by Villalobos Leon et al. (2018),
who explained the main failure modes and RCA (root cause analysis); however, the following is a detailed
review specific to the low flow rate wells in the IL layer. What will be demonstrated is that the combination of
deep wells, BHT of 240°F, corrosive fluid, solid production, and low flowrates means that this environment
is harsh by any standards and it is therefore challenging to achieve economic run lives. This is analogous
to the Algerian case study described by camilleri et al. (2020).
1. Meantime between failure (MTBF). In the Auca field, the cost of workovers is USD 500,000
per intervention, which is relatively high for land-based operations. This is because of the remote
operations in the Ecuadorian jungle combined with deep wells of circa 11,000 ft measured depth
(MD). This context means that the economics of wells that produce less than 300 STB/D with an
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MTBF of 650 days is at best marginal, especially when one considers that water cuts can be as high
as 60% and there are numerous interruptions to production.
2. Completion constraints. A typical casing program and ESP completion are shown in Fig. 1, which
illustrates the completion constraints in terms of depths, deviation, and inside diameters (IDs).
The liner is 7-in. outside diameter (OD) with a weight of 26 and sometimes even 29 ppf with a
drift ID between 6.125 in. and 6.151 in., respectively, if one ignores ovalization. Furthermore, some
wells also have sidetracks with liners of 5-in., 18 ppf, which have a drift OD of 4.151 in. These
diameter constraints imply that small-OD ESPs are required. The challenge is further compounded
by two factors. Firstly, the liners are directly cemented to the formation and are therefore subjected to
inevitable ovalization as explained by Last et al. (2002). One should therefore assume that the small
ID is reduced by at least 3%, which would imply a reduction in casing drift ID to 6.030 in. for the
29-lb/ft casing. Secondly, because of the depth and slanted drilling programs, the basis of design for
the ESP setting depth is a dogleg severity (DLS) of 2.5°/100 ft. Because of these factors, there is the
risk of the ESP being stuck in hole, which would require complicated fishing jobs. This was a real
concern because such events have been documented. Even if this risk is averted, there is accelerated
impeller hub wear and/or cracking of shaft bearing sleeves due to the curvature imposed on the shaft
by the casing doglegs. The impeller hub rotates inside the diffuser (see Fig. 2), which is effectively
a Ni-Resist on Ni-Resist radial hydrodynamic bearing, which requires the produced fluid to create a
film to support the shaft radial load. When there is either shaft curvature and/or loss of fluid (low flow
event), then there is metal-to-metal contact, which leads to wear in the first instance and eventually
to galling. It can also lead to cracked sleeves. Both these phenomena were observed during DIFA as
explained by Villalobos Leon et al. (2018) and shown in Fig. 3.
3. Solids. The original reservoir pressure was ~4,500 psia (Piñeiros et al. 2020). However, following 40
years of production without water injection and a weak aquifer, there has been severe depletion, and
current reservoir pressures, especially in the IL formation, are circa 1,000 to 1,200 psia. Therefore,
the overburden pressure by far exceeds the pore pressure and, irrespective of the drawdown, there is
formation breakdown and sand production. Furthermore, with 3.5-in. tubing and rates less than 600
STB/D, tubing velocities are low, which means that solids do not reach the wellhead and fall back
on top of the pump. Such solid production causes wear but, with repeated shutdowns, can also lead
to pump blockage and locked rotor conditions. An example of the solids observed during DIFA is
shown in Fig. 4.
4. The most prevalent failure mode was due to low flow rate operations and no-flow events caused
by insufficient lift. In addition to causing differed production, this also reduced MTBF because of
downthrust wear and shaft weakening due to frictional heat during these low-flow events. Both causes
were observed during DIFA as shown with sample pictures in Fig. 5 and explained by Villalobos Leon
et al. (2018). As will be explained in this paper, because of the well depth combined with low PI, at
least 10,000 ft of head is required to lift fluid to the surface at less than 300 STB/D. This was not
anticipated in the original designs, which deployed ESPs that had best efficiency points (BEPs) of
either 1,000 or 1,750 B/D and were therefore in severe downthrust at rates of less than 600 STB/D.
These low-flow events were found to be aggravated by slugging, which is to be expected at such low rates
in 3.5-in. production tubing. Fig. 6 shows a typical signature of production tubing slugging in the IL layer.
The discharge pressure fluctuation amplitude of ~30 psi is substantially greater than the intake pressure
fluctuations of ~10 psi, while motor current does not exhibit any fluctuations. Therefore, the response is
dominated by the flow regime in the production tubing. Although these fluctuations may seem small in
amplitude, when operating to the left-hand side of a pump curve, which does not have enough head rise,
they can have a substantial impact on the pump rate, as explained by Camilleri (2020), especially if the
pump flow rate range is oversized.
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Figure 1—Typical casing program and ESP completion illustrating the constraints in terms of depth, deviation, and diameter.
Figure 2—Typical cross-sectional diagram of radial stage providing nomenclature.

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Figure 3—Cracked sleeve and impeller hub wear caused by a combination
of lack of fluid and shaft curvature due to casing dogleg severity.
Figure 4—Severe accumulation of solids and "fines" observed in the pump during DIFA.
Figure 5—Low- and no-flow conditions cause downthrust wear and shaft frictional heat.
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Figure 6—The peak-to-peak amplitude of the discharge pressure fluctuations is 30 psi whereas the intake
pressure fluctuation amplitude is less than 10 psi and motor current fluctuations are negligible at less than
0.5 amp. Therefore slugging emanates from the production tubing and not due to upstream conditions.
Solution
A solution was required to produce these wells without the ability to alter the "challenges" for the following
reasons:
– Other forms of artificial lift, such as progressive cavity pumps (PCP) and sucker rod pumps (SRP)
were considered but were found to be unsuitable for these applications due to the depth, doglegs,
and high head required, which would result in excessive load on the rods required to drive the
downhole pumps. Moreover, the large footprint required by SRPs is not available at the well sites
in the Ecuadorian jungle.
– There was limited scope for reducing the solids produced as this would require either increasing the
reservoir pressure or installing gravel packs. Piñeiros et al. (2020) had already observed that the lower
layer did not respond well to water injection, although this was a pilot project and this solution was
not completely ruled out. Gravel packing is also cost-prohibitive in such low-production wells.
– The PI of the wells also could not be improved. Although stimulation has been implemented on other
wells with success (Fun-Sang et al. 2018), the wells targeted in the IL were deemed to be unsuitable
candidates.
The following was reviewed in the development of the solution:
– Completion considerations
– Total head requirement
– Gas handling requirement
– Pump selection
– Check valve
Completion considerations
An initial screening was performed based on diameter constraints only and this is shown in Table 1. The
findings were that running into the 5-in. 18# liner would be very risky even with a very slim ESP because
of the combination of depth and DLS. In the 7-in. casing, there was sufficient clearance to run pumps and
motors with ODs of 4.00 and 4.56" respectively. However, a motor shroud would substantially reduce the
clearance and would increase the risk of the ESP getting stuck in the hole.
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Table 1—Clearance calculations. This screening exercise suggested that the ideal way to produce the Shaya wells was with
400/456 series ESP strings set in the 7-in. 29-ppf casing. For wells with a 5.5-in. sidetrack, the preference was to set the ESP
above the 5.5-in. liner to minimize risk of ESP bending and getting stuck in hole. A shroud should be avoided if possible>
Further analysis was required to consider the impact of DLS and ESP string length. For rapid screening,
a simplified geometric model was considered, as shown in Fig. 7, to calculate the maximum ESP length
that could be installed with zero curvature applied to the ESP.
Figure 7—Simplified geometric model to calculate the maximum allowable casing DLS and ESP length for zero bending of the
ESP, which enables parametric analysis and rapid screening. It assumes that the ESP has a constant OD, which is not true;
however, if the OD is selected to be that of the largest point (i.e., the motor, usually), then the calculations are conservative.
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Based on the geometric model in Fig. 7, it is possible to derive Equation 1, which assumes that the ESP
has a uniform outside diameter along its entire length. This is, of course, incorrect, however, as long as the
largest diameter is selected, then the calculation is conservative. In these applications, the largest diameter
is the motor or the motor shroud. This simple calculation methodology enables parametric analysis and
comparison of several solutions. Also, it does not require the ESP bending moment of inertia, which is often
unavailable and/or subject to considerable uncertainty.
Equation 1 – Calculation of maximum ESP length as a function of DLS, casing ID, and ESP OD
for zero ESP bending
Utilizing Equation 1, the completion options in Table 1 were compared graphically in Fig. 8. This exercise
confirmed that with a casing dogleg of 1.75°/100 ft, a 400/456 series ESP string with a length of 60 ft could
be run in 7-in. casing and not experience any curvature if there is no motor shroud. This reinforced the idea
that to increase run lives, a shroud should be avoided as far as possible. For the other two cases, the ESP
curvature would essentially be equal to that of the casing as the ESP stiffness is substantially less than that
of the casing. Note that if the ESP does not bend and conform to the casing curvature, then the ESP can
become stuck in the hole.
Figure 8—Results from simplified model illustrated in Fig. 7 for three cases, which calculates max
ESP length as a function of DLS to respect zero bending of the ESP. The results suggested that
the 400/456 series ESP without shroud provided substantially greater tolerance to casing DLS than
the other two solutions and would therefore be easier to RIH/POH as well as maximizing run life
A more complex geometric model is required to calculate the ESP curvature where the length is greater
than the zero bending maximum length calculated utilizing Equation 1. Making the same assumption of
uniform ESP string OD, the geometric model in Fig. 9 can be drawn. While this can be resolved with classic
trigonometry, the authors have found that an acceptable approximation is the one in Equation 2, which
means that for an ESP string length of 60 ft, the ESP curvature is 0.75°/100 ft if the casing DLS is 2.5°/100
ft (i.e., the basis of design).
Equation 2 – Where the DLS for zero curvature is calculated utilizing Equation 1 for a given ESP
string length.
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Figure 9—DLS experienced by the ESP if the casing DLS is greater than maximum for
zero ESP bending. The ESP DLS is linearly proportional to the casing DLS. For the ESP
string selected, the ESP DLS is less than 1.0°/100 ft for a casing DLS less than 2.75°/100 ft.
Total head requirement

The design review was based on the real-time data from nine wells in the IL layer, which were considered to
be representative of the requirement. Nodal analysis was performed on all the wells utilizing the real-time
downhole gauge measurements as well as validated well tests. The measured total dynamic head (TDH) and
intake pressure from this analysis are plotted in Fig. 10. It suggests that the required TDH ranges between
7,500 and 10,500 ft. However, on closer inspection and, after the intake pressures are cross plotted on the
same graph, the low values of TDH are due to high intake pressures, which are greater than 600 psi, and/
or the water cuts are lower.
Figure 10—TDH and intake pressure for nine target wells.

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A more accurate statement of the TDH requirement is provided by Table 2, which uses the measured
discharge pressures and average pump specific gravity (SG) but replaces the measured intake pressures with
the target intake pressure of 350 psia. Although 350 psia may seem high, one should bear in mind that when
the casing is vented, the surface backpressure is between 250 and 450 psia due to the well distance from
the gathering stations. Therefore, intake pressures need to be 100 to 150 psi greater than the casing pressure
to ensure sufficient submergence, which is why the design pressure was set at 350 psia. Nodal analysis
combined with real-time pump discharge pressure measurements was also indispensable to establishing the
average pump SG of 0.84 to 0.88 for water cuts ranging between 5 and 60%, respectively. This analysis
defined the range of the TDH basis of design, which is represented by the two red lines in Fig. 10.
Table 2—Design TDH calculations.
Nodal analysis also confirmed that the gas volume fraction (GVF) at the pump intake after gas separation
utilizing a rotary gas separator is less than 5% and, in most cases, less than 1%. The key to this analysis
is matching the pressure drop in the production tubing with a multiphase correlation, which requires
measurement of discharge pressure as well as wellhead tubing head pressure. This low GVF is corroborated
by the following factors:
– The fluid properties are that of a heavy oil where the solution GOR is low, <150 scf/bbl.
– Piñeiros et al. (2020) identified that it is unlikely that there is a secondary gas cap because of depletion.
– Rotary gas separators have efficiencies, which are greater than 90% at low flow rates, as explained
by Harun and Prado (2003) in laboratory conditions and by Camilleri et al. (2020) with field
measurements.
Based on this analysis, the conclusion was to include a rotary gas separator in the ESP string but that an
advanced gas handler would not be required or, at best, is optional, which would reduce the ESP length as
well as the downthrust force. This analysis also confirmed that the historical no-flow conditions were more
likely to be a result of a combination of slugging and insufficient lift as opposed to gas locking.
Pump selection
Several pump hydraulic designs were available for the application, which raised the question of which would
best meet the requirements. To perform a comparison on an equivalent basis, the designs were compared
for a TDH of 10,000 ft at 200 reservoir B/D at 60 Hz. Fig. 11 shows the comparison of the head-flow
curves of the three hydraulic designs available as well as the number of stages required and the pump-only
length, which is an important consideration because of the expected DLS as explained above. To finalize
the selection, the pump absorbed power curves and pump efficiency had to be considered concurrently and
are shown in Fig. 12 and Fig. 13 respectively.
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Figure 11—Pump curve comparison based on 10,000 ft at 200 res bbl/D using an assumed 60-Hz design
speed. Downthrust and upthrust limit operating envelopes are compared as well as the head rise to shut-in.
Figure 12—Pump power requirement comparison at 60 Hz and for an SG=1.0 efficiency comparison.
12 SPE-204500-MS
Figure 13—Pump efficiency comparison.
The pump with a BEP of 200 B/D was immediately eliminated from the selection list as in addition to
being 13 ft longer, it has a limited operating range. It would therefore not be possible to "capture the upside"
if productivity is increased through, for instance, water injection. Moreover, the horsepower curve exhibits a
steep rise at higher flow rates, which would potentially be difficult to control during manufacturing. Between
the two pumps with BEPs of 280 B/D (red curves) and 460 B/D (blue curves), the first had an improved head
rise at the left-hand side of the head-flow curve, which would provide the additional head required during
low flow events [e.g., slugging as explained by Camilleri (2020b)]. Furthermore, the power requirement
curve is for the most part flat across the entire flow-rate range. Despite these two distinct advantages, the
pump with a 460 B/D BEP was selected. The low head rise at low rates could be overcome by adding
more stages and/or operating at higher frequencies, which is why the initial design considered a maximum
frequency of 63 Hz, as shown in Fig. 10, with a motor suitably sized as a function of the maximum expected
flow rate. Moreover, the rising horsepower curve could be handled by installing a larger motor, which was
in any case required at low rates to handle low cooling velocities without a shroud. The pump with a 460 B/
D BEP had the distinct advantage of being shorter, which was important for these applications (see above)
as well as being able to capture the production upside should the well productivity be higher.
Pump construction and material selection

The pump mechanical design was upgraded with the addition of tungsten carbide bearings and bushings
fitted every 18 in. (approximately) along the shaft utilizing a bearing stage as shown in Fig. 2. This provided
continuous radial support along the full length of the shaft and enhanced resistance to abrasive wear. The
use of type 4 Ni-Resist instead of type 1 was also considered, however, this decision was deferred despite
having shown good results in similar sand-producing reservoirs such as the experience described by Hughes
et al. (2011) in the Forties on the UK Continental Shelf.
Check valve
A check valve was installed to reduce pump-up time and was set approximately 150 ft above the top of
the pump so that there is extra space for gas to be trapped below the valve and the pump does not restart
in gas but in liquid, although free gas was not anticipated as explained above. Note that constant current
is possible with a check valve, but automatic gas lock protection is not. The check valve was wireline
retrievable to provide the option of back-flushing by pumping down through the production tubing. Also
SPE-204500-MS 13
during workovers, retrieval of the check valve avoids pulling a wet string. Finally, the check valve, avoids
starting the pump in upthrust.
Results
While the main driver of the redesign of the ESP for the IL layer was an improvement of MTBF, the
drawdown and continuous production were equally important. At the time of writing this paper, 48 ESPs
were running in the low productivity IL, and all included the new 460 B/D BEP pump with sufficient stages
and motor power to generate more than 10,000 ft as explained above. In 83% of the wells, the drawdown
was achieved and the intake pressure was measured to be less than 300 psia at gauge depth. Fig. 14 provides
the exact distribution of the wells by rate and intake pressure. Only the wells producing more than 350
STB/D, had an average intake pressure of ~900 psia because the pump could not produce sufficient head at
higher rates to achieve the target drawdown. The main reason for the lack of drawdown on the higher rate
wells is the increase in productivity due to water injection, which is why some wells justify a preemptive
workover to upsize the pump and achieve the target drawdown.
Figure 14—Distribution of rate and intake pressure for the 48 wells

equipped with redesigned ESP including the 480 B/D BEP pumps.
Another achievement with the new design is that, despite the low rates, continuous uninterrupted
production was achieved. An example is shown Fig. 15, where 130 days of production is achieved without
any trips with an intake pressure of ~250 psia. This is attributed to ensuring that the pump could achieve the
required head. For instance, in the example below, a differential pressure of 3750 psi (i.e. ~10,000ft) was
achieved with a frequency of only 48 Hz, which ensured that the pump maintained the target rate. However,
this is not the sole reason; key enablers were the availability of both real-time data and surveillance. The
real-time data provided the data required to find the right choke and variable speed drive (VSD) speed
setting to maximize drawdown while not pumping off. Surveillance also allowed the operator to relax trip
settings while protecting the ESP from no-flow conditions on a 24/7 basis.
So what was the run life improvement? Survival analysis was conducted, and the Kaplan-Meier (KM)
curves are presented in Fig. 16, which demonstrates conclusively that the run life improved. The calculation
method is explained by Lastra and Rueda (1997).
SPE-204500-MS
Figure 15—Example of ESP producing at rates less than 200 STB/D without any interruptions.
Figure 16—KM curves and single parameter Weibull model matching.

14
SPE-204500-MS 15
There are two ways to estimate the MTBF and therefore the improvement achieved with the new ESP
design. The first is by measuring the area under the KM curve, which is the historically achieved average run
life. The second is by fitting a mathematical model to estimate the projected run life based on the historical
KM data. Various models are available, such as a single or two-parameter Weibull model. In this case, a
simple quick estimation can be made using the single parameter Weibull model, which fits an exponential
function to the KM, with the projected MTBF calculated using Equation 3.
Equation 3 – MTBF equation for single parameter Weibull model.
The results for both methods are summarized in Table 3. Based on the area under the KM curves,
the MTBF increased from 565 to 914 days, which is a 62% improvement. If one bases the estimate on
the projected MTBF calculation, then the MTBF improved from 602 to 1929 days, which is a 220%
improvement. Also shown in the table is the mean time between pull (MTBP), which includes all workovers
even where these are not attributed to ESP failures. For instance, where there is a tubing hole due to
corrosion, the well requires an intervention, which is not due to an ESP failure. It is interesting to remember
that the real cost of interventions for the operator is not only ESP failures but also any well-completion
component failure, which is why a holistic approach is essential.
Table 3—Run life results.
Conclusions
By any measurement, the application presented harsh ESP conditions because the wells are deep (~11,000
ft) with severe doglegs in small casing combined with high temperature, corrosive environment, high
solid content due to formation breakdown, and low flow rates. Despite these challenges, this case study
demonstrates that it is possible to produce economically by achieving both drawdown and world-class ESP
run lives. The key enablers were:
– DIFA
– Real-time data, which included both intake and discharge pressure measurements
– Pump technology that provided shaft stabilization with wear-resistant product lubricated
hydrodynamic radial bearings
– Motor technology rated to 400°F
– Reservoir and fluid property characterization
– Application engineering expertise
Does this case study establish a new lower flowrate limit for ESP applications? This is for the reader to
decide, however it does demonstrate that successful application of technology requires a holistic approach.
16 SPE-204500-MS
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Villalobos Leon, J., Correal, A., Pancho, J. et al. 2018. Data Management for Appropriate ESP Selection, Procedures and
Operation Results in a Significant Reduction of Early Failures. Paper presented at the SPE Middle East Artificial Lift
Conference and Exhibition, Manama, Bahrain, November 2018. SPE-192507-MS. https://doi.org/10.2118/192507-
MS.

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Figure 2—Typical cross-sectional diagram of radial stage providing nomenclature.

Total head requirement

Figure 10—TDH and intake pressure for nine target wells.

Table 2—Design TDH calculations.

Pump construction and material selection

Figure 14—Distribution of rate and intake pressure for the 48 wells

Figure 16—KM curves and single parameter Weibull model matching.

Table 3—Run life results.

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