Electrical Submersible Pump (ESP) Solution

ESPs are often the lift method of choice for high volume, deviated, and deep wells. They efficiently produce volumes of over 1,000 BPD and require little maintenance and surface equipment.

An ESP application summary is shown below:

With any ESP completion, operators are interested in the ways eP can extend the life of the pump. By extending the run life, operations benefit in two ways. Reducing down time of the pump increases the production of the well over a period of time and reduces the cost of replacing worn or damaged pumps.

Beyond replacing pumps, there are several common problems encountered when using ESPs.

• Oversized pumps
• Undersized pumps
• Gas composition in fluid
• Solids in fluid
• Improper flow around motor

eP's total solution provides wellsite intelligence, historical references, and remote optimization. At times, the VFD solution can react to changing fluid levels and return to normal operations without the operator knowing that there was a problem. With the remote terminal unit (RTU) storing the short term data and the remote software collecting, trending, and providing analytical displays of that data, the user is aware of temporary changes in the system. These changes can be compared over time to identify trends that provide a method to predict potential problems and take proactive action to avoid impending expensive repairs.

eP's ESP solution provides intelligent control at the well head as well as monitoring, analysis, and control at the desktop. The result is improved ESP performance and increased profitability.

Wellsite Intelligence with the Electrical Submersible Pump (ESP) Solution

Intelligent ESP RTU

The intelligent controller provides 24 hour wellsite control and optimization. The intelligence is distributed to the wells. The controller interacts with downhole sensors and surface instruments to accurately measure conditions and control the well operation. The controller can operate in stand-alone mode and control the wells based on the parameters that are entered at the site. The controller comes programmed with templates that allow it to control the startup and speed of the ESP well based on the input received from the downhole sensors, motor controller and other equipment at the well site. eP's intelligent RTU has built-in interfaces for the Vortex, Keltronics, CTI and GCS motor controllers available in the market today.

Vector Flux Drive (VFD)

The VFD uses data to adjust the speed of the ESP. It uses a startup control strategy to ramp well on production, consistent with other constraints by using a VFD or surface choke (backpressure) which eliminating hard starts that create excess stress on the pump and motor. By using a VFD, the operator has the ability to set the parameters so that the pump will react to changes in the well. This means that the pump will continue to operate efficiently. The VFD can be used as part of an Intelligent Wellsite ESP installation, in conjunction with the Software from the Intelligent Desktop ESP system or as a stand alone control system.

Desktop Intelligence with the Electrical Submersible Pump (ESP) Solution

The desktop software system monitors the performance of the ESP. All major ESP controllers can be communicated with via radio telemetry. Critical data from the controller is gathered, trended and alarmed. The software provides grouping of wells by alarm codes, exception conditions, or well attributes. Operators can manage wells by exception. That means that minutes after arriving at work, the operator can see which wells need immediate attention. This allows the user to quickly focus energies on those wells that are improperly operating or even those that are displaying behaviors that indicate a future problem such as upward or downward thrust within individual stages of the pump. Time is spent solving problems rather than searching for them. Preconfigured trends and reports are the basis of proactive well management rather than reactive response to downtime problems.

The software provides much more than just a way to track problems. It analyzes pump performance and does ESP design. Sophisticated analytical tools allow the user to watch indications of well and pump changes. By tracking the well testing results along with the pump and well curves, the user can quickly identify the source of decreased production as reservoir changes, pump wear, or blockages occur. The software user is able to use real-time data and perform detailed pump analysis at each stage of the pump. With that information, the analyst can immediately see if each stage is in upthrust or downthrust. That allows the operator to make immediate changes to the operation of the system and more importantly, allows for better designs in the next pump placed in the hole. The design engine provides a "best fit" pump for a range of operating conditions utilizing an online pump catalog and integrated inflow performance models. Design problems associated with CO₂ and gas are handled with the miscible fluid and multiphase flow calculations. "What if" scenarios allow the analyst to choose between pump designs based on criteria such as electrical cost per bbl or pump efficiency. The solution provides a way for operators to decrease failure rates significantly and ultimately increase production and profits for the field.

eP Electrical Submersible Pump (ESP) Solution Components

Hardware

• iESP Controller
• Downhole Pressure & Temperature Sensors
• ePRO Sensor Data Process System
• sPOD Single Point Digital Sensor
• mPOD Multi-Point Digital Sensor

Software

• LOWIS Software

Communications

• 109 Frequency Shift Keying (FSK)