Chapter 4

Artificial Lift
Production increase with artificial lift depends on: Increase in drawdown. Well inflow characteristics.

Operational problems: Sand: formation fines production. Solid deposition: 1. Paraffin (temperature reduction). 2. Asphaltene (pressure reduction). 3. Inorganic scale. 4. Hydrates (low temperature). Construction materials: 1. Bottom hole temperature. 2. Corrosive condition (H2s, Co2). 3. Producing velocities (erosion).

Advantages of artificial lift methods: 1. Rod pumps: Simple system design. Unit easily changed. Simple to operate. Can achieve low BHFP. 2. ESP: High volume production. Unobtrusive surface location. Corrosive / scale treatment.

3. Venture hydraulic pump: High volumes. Can use water as power fluid. Remote power source. 4. Gas Lift: Solids treatment. Large volume in high PI wells.

Simple maintenance. Tolerant high well deviation/dogleg.

5. PCP. Progressive Cavity Pump: Solid and viscous crude tolerant. Energy efficient. Unobtrusive surface location with down hole motor. Disadvantages of artificial lift methods: 1. Rod pump: Friction in holes. Pump wear with solid production. Free gas reduces pump efficiency. 2. ESP: Not suitable for shallow wells, low volume wells. Full workover required to change pump. Gas and solids intolerant.

3. Venture hydraulic pump: High surface pressure. Free gas reduces pump efficiency. High minimum FBHP. 4. Gas lift: Lift gas may not be available. High minimum FBHP. Casing must withstand lift gas pressure. 5. PCP: Elastomers swell in some crude oil. Pump off control difficult. Rod pumps: Main applications to reservoir with: 1. Shallow to middle depth (< 10,000 ft). 2. Low to medium liquid production rate (< 1,000 BLPD).

Sonolog survey: - Measurement of dynamic or static fluid level and the fluid level in annulus is just above the pump. Gas separator: - Gas must be vented out of the pump to the annulus before it enters the pump because gas entry reduces the pump efficiency. - Placing pump below perforations maximizes gas separation capacity Pump problems: 1. Normal wear. 2. Abrasion from solids. 3. Corrosion (H2S, CO2). 4. Scale build up. 5. Gas locking.

ESP: Subsurface equipment: 1. Electric motor. 2. Down hole sensors. 3. Protector or seal. 4. Gas separator. 5. Pump cable. Surface equipment: 1. Junction box. 2. Switch board. 3. Variable speed drive, VSD. 4. Transformers. 5. Variable frequency drive, VFD. 6. Vent box. 7. Wellhead penetrator. General characteristics of ESP: 1. Can be designed to very high rates (up to 100,000 bpd) and high pressure boost (up to 6,000 psi). 2. Often more efficient than other AL techniques. 3. Relatively expensive. 4. Sensitive to solids and free gas. 5. Repairs of ESP always need a workover rig.

ESP applications: - Can be installed in deviated wells up to 80 angles. ESP problems: The major causes of motor over heating and pump failure: 1. Over loading. 2. Well pumped off. 3. Gas locked. 4. Stuck pump. 5. Lack of cooling. Centrifugal pump: - Multiple stages. - Each stage consists of: 1. Impeller. 2. Diffuser. Gas handling: - The efficiency of ESP centrifugal impeller reduces when gas fraction > 20%. - Greater gas liquid ratio requires a gas separator or gas anchor shroud. Junction box: 1. To vent gas that diffuses out of well via the cable. 2. Prevents the gas from diffusing through cable. Motor controller: 1. Provides current recording (amp chart). 2. Provides under and overload protection. 3. Automatic shut down following pump off or gas lock. 4. Provision for automatic restart possible. Check valve: 1. Prevent back spin. 2. Reduce the volume of debris falling through pump. 3. Reduce pump out time. Drain valve: 1. Avoids pulling wet string. 2. Enables well killing by circulating.

Sensor package: a. Measurements include: Fluid intake and motor temperature. Pump suction/discharge pressures and temperatures. Vibration. Current leakage. b. Provides data on pump/motor operating conditions. c. Prevent dangerous motor conditions. d. Provides continuous FBHP MEASUREMENTS. e. Well test analysis after each pump shut down. The Y-tool: By pass Y-tool applications: 1. Well stimulation. 2. Cased hole logging and logging. 3. Setting bridge plug (water shut off). 4. Setting/recovering down hole memory gauges. Basic ESP pump selection: 1. The hydrostatic head must be equal to average density multiply by TVD at which the ESP installed (h) and acceleration due to gravity (g). 2. The friction pressure loss in the tubing. 3. The surface pressure required to overcome flow line back pressure and flow the produced fluid to the separator at required production rate. TDH = fluid * g *TVD + P fric + P surf Pump performance: - ESP is a dynamic pump: - Pump rate is high for low pressure head generation. - Pump rate is low for high pressure head generation. Dual zones and Dual pumps: 1. Upper and lower zones produced simultaneously and independently via own ESP. 2. Completion configurations: Tubing/annulus. Concentric completion. Dual tubing. 3. Second pump increases maximum pump power. 4. For wells with limited access high cost offshore operations:

Lower ESP replaces upper ESP upon failure. Auto Y-tool allows transfer between ESP without work over.

Note: ESP design example in pages 18-21.

Hydraulic Venture Pump: The mechanism: The venturi pump illustrates the law of conservation of energy. High velocity power fluid through orifice creates low pressure. - Provides suction at perforation. Expansion of power fluid in cone reduces the velocity and increases pressure. - Lifts produced fluid to surface. Operational principles: - Pump powered by hydraulic power fluid instead of being mechanically driven by sucker rods. - Exhaust power fluid returns to surface i. Commingled with production (open system) or ii. Separate tubing (closed system). Hydraulic free pump: a. Easy recovery of pump for repair - No rig required. b. Attractive for off-shore. c. Suitable for crooked and deviated wells. a. Hydraulic driven centrifugal pump. b. Power fluid circuit (water) drives turbine engine. c. Power fluid commingled with production (open system). Advantages: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Power fluid cools pump unit. Can operate at higher BHT than ESP. Better solids handling than ESP. Power fluid rate controls pump speed. Short pump length (3-4 m). Gas slugs handled without mechanical damage.

The weir pump:

Progressive cavity pump: The mechanism: Electric motor rotates the sucker rod string. Rod rotation drives the down hole PCP unit. Used for pumping viscous, high solids (sand) content crude or. Crude oil with a high emulsion forming tendency. Pump displacement efficiency decreases if pressure required is too high, the remedy increases the number of stages.

New technology: PCESP a PCP with a down hole motor. - Combined advantages of ESP and PCP. - Down hole motor reduces torque and power requirements. - PCESP requires gearbox to reduce rotational speed.