Artificial Lift Methods

PCB 3063
PRODUCTION ENGINEERING-I
ARTIFICIAL LIFT
Internal
DR. ABDUL HAQUE TUNIO
MAY 2015
LECTURE CONTENTS
1. Rod Pump
2. Hydraulic Pump
3. Electric Submersible Pump (ESP)
4. Progressive Cavity Pump
5. Gas Lift
Internal
MAY 2015
LECTURE CONTENTS
1. Review on Inflow and Outflow
2. Review on artificial lift technique
3. Selection of artificial lift criteria
4. Rod pumps, Electric submersible pumps, Hydraulic pumps,
Progressive cavity pumps & Gas lift
5. Well performance analysis
Internal
Internal
MAY 2015
Introduction and selection criteria
INFLOW PREFORMANCE RELATIONSHIPS:

Straight Line (PI):
PI = Q / Pr P wf
Pwf = Pr Q / PI
Vogel Relationship:
Qo/Qomax = 1 0.2 (Pwf/Pr) 0.8 (Pwf/Pr)2

Internal
MAY 2015

Straight line vs. Vogel Graphically
Internal
MAY 2015

INFLOW AND OUTFLOW PERFORMANCE
SURFACE PRESSURE
At Wellhead
PRODUCED FLOWRATE
If Pwf > Po, the well will flow naturally
(~10% of wells by number)
If Pwf Po, the well will require Artificial Lift
(~90%)
Po
Pwf
Pr Pwf
WELL INFLOW (IPR)
BOTTOM HOLE
PRESSURE
Available Pwf as function of the flowrate
Reservoir Pressure-
Internal
WELL OUTFLOW
RELATIONSHIP
MAY 2015

OUTFLOW PREFORMANCE RELATIONSHIP:
Po = Ph + Pfr + Pwh
Where,
Ph = Hydrostatic pressure
Pfr = Pressure drop due to friction losses
Pwh = Wellhead Pressure
Internal
MAY 2015

Artificial lift - Any method used to raise oil to the surface
through a well after reservoir pressure has declined to the point
at which the well no longer produces by means of natural
energy.
It may prove necessary from the beginning of production for oil
wells when the reservoir does not have enough energy to lift the
fluid to the surface process facilities or when the productivity index
is deemed inadequate.
The most common of artificial lift are: rod pumps, electrical
submersible pumps, hydraulic pumps, progressive cavity
pumps, Gas Lift.
Internal
MAY 2015
Internal
MAY 2015
Gas Lift
ARTIFICIAL LIFT METHODS

PC Pumps
Hydraulic Pumps
Rod pump
ESPs
Internal
MAY 2015
10
Review on artificial lift Technique

The most popular forms of artificial lift are illustrated in the figure below.
Fig.2
Internal
The most popular types of artificial lift

MAY 2015
11
Review on artificial lift technique

Rod Pump A down hole plunger is moved up and down by a rod
connected to an engine at the surface. The plunger movement displaces
produced fluid into the tubing via a pump consisting of suitably arranged
traveling and standing valves mounted within a pump barrel.
Electric Submersible Pump (ESP) employs a down hole centrifugal pump

driven by a three phase, electric motor supplied with electric power via a
cable run from the surface penetrates the wellhead and is strapped to the
outside of the tubing.
Internal
MAY 2015
12
Review on artificial lift technique

Hydraulic Pump uses a high pressure power fluid to:
Drive a down-hole turbine or positive displacement pump (or)
Flow through a venturi or jet, creating a low pressure area which

produces an increased drawdown and inflow from the reservoir.
Progressing Cavity Pump (PCP) employs a helical, metal rotor rotating
inside an elastomeric, double helical stator. The rotating action is supplied

by down-hole electric motor or by rotating rods.
Internal
MAY 2015
13
Selection of artificial Lift

Factors influencing the preferred form of artificial lift
Internal
Well and Reservoir Characteristics
Field Location
Operational Problems
Economics
Implementation on Artificial Lift Selection Techniques
Long Term Reservoir Performance and Facility Constraints
MAY 2015
14
Advantages of artificial lift methods
15
Internal
Disadvantages of artificial lift methods
Internal
MAY 2015
16
Sucker Rod Pump

The first type of artificial lift introduced to oil field; most widely used for the following
reasons
Low cost
Mechanical simplicity
Easy installation and operation
Rod pumps can lift
Internal
moderate volumes (1000 bfpd) from shallow depths (7,000 ft)
Small volumes (200 bfpd) from greater depths (14,000 ft)
MAY 2015
17
Sucker Rod Pump

The surface equipment for a rod pump is illustrated in the
following figure.
Prime mover electric motor or gas engine, 600 rpm and

reduces the speed to 20 strokes per minute (spm) or less.
Polished rod and sucker rods connection between

pumping unit and down hole pump.
Polished rod moves up and down through a stuffing box

which seals against the polished rod and prevents
surface leaks.
Internal
MAY 2015
18
Rod Pump
Fig.3 The surface equipment for a rod pump

Internal
MAY 2015
19
Rod Pump
Sucker Rods: 25 ft long, circular steel rods, outer diameter between 0.5 in and
1.125 in, threaded male connection or pin is machined at each end, joined
together by use of a double box coupling.
For a tubing string, smaller diameter to be installed at the lower part, larger
diameter at the upper part.
Sucker rods are joined together by a coupling

20
Internal
MAY 2015
Rod Pump
Pump
Internal
located near perforations at the bottom of the sucker rods string
consists of a hollow plunger with circular sealing rings mounted on the outside
circumference
moves inside a pump barrel which is either inserted into the tubing or is part of the tubing
Standing Valve mounted at the bottom of pump barrel
Traveling Valve installed at the top of plunger
Standing and Traveling valves contain a ball which closes the passage in the plunger and
the pump inlet.
MAY 2015
21
Rod Pump operation
22
Internal
Electrical Submersible Pump(ESP)

-
Electric submersible pumps are used as an artificial
lift method to produce from 150 to 60,000 bfpd.

-Effective and economical means of lifting large
volumes from great depths
-Performs at highest efficiency when pumping
liquid only
-Operating life expected 1 to 3 years
-Motor and pump rotates at 2,900 rpm for 50 Hz
power
Internal
MAY 2015
23
Electrical Submersible Pump

Components included
High voltage electricity supply: power to drive motor
Vent box: eliminates gas travel up the cable to the switch

board
Down-hole cable: supplies power to the motor
Pump: -consists of multi-staged centrifugal pumps

-each stage consists rotating impeller and diffuser
-pumps the well fluid up to the surface
A rotary gas separator: separates free gas from well fluid
Protector or Seal: -connects pump housing to the motor

-prevents entry of well fluid into motor
Electric motor: driving force which turns the pump
24
Internal
25
Internal
26
Internal
Vertical arrangement of gas anchors:

-makes separation of gas from liquid
-makes liquid entering into the bottom
of pump
ESP completion designs with gas

anchors to aid gas separation in the
casing
Internal
MAY 2015
27
ESP Disadvantages
Internal
MAY 2015
28
Electric submersible pump

ESP applications
(a) Direct water injection

Internal
(b) Powered pumpflood with ESP
MAY 2015
29
ESP applications
(d) Horizontally mounted ESP surface pump

(c) Pressure boosting surface pipelines with a shallow, subsurface mounted ESP
Internal
MAY 2015
30
Hydraulic pump
Hydraulic pump: use a high pressure
power fluid pumped from the surface
as the source of energy.
Subsurface pump: installed below
working fluid level
Power fluid: - directed to engine, and
cause the engine to reciprocate
- water, as well as oil can be used
Production fluid: directed towards the
surface by power fluid
-commingled with power fluid
or -separate
Internal
MAY 2015
31
Hydraulic pump
Operation of a positive displacement

hydraulic jump
Internal
MAY 2015
32
Types of hydraulic pumps installation

Two Types of Power Fluid Systems:
1)Open Power Fluid System (OPF): power fluid mixes

with produced fluid and
returns to the surface;
separation conducted at
surface
2)Closed Power Fluid System (CPF): surface power fluid
does not mix with the
produced fluid
Open Power Fluid System
Internal
Closed Power Fluid System
MAY 2015
33
Hydraulic pump
Advantages are
Suitable for crooked and deviated wells
Can work at great depths (up to 17,000 ft)
Supply of power fluid speed is controllable
No moving parts
can handle solids
Power source is remote from the wellhead
Power fluid can carry corrosion or other inhibitors

Pump unit can be easily retrievable by using power fluid in reverse flow
Internal
MAY 2015
34
Hydraulic pump
Disadvantage
A similar volume of power fluid and produced fluid is
required, that is increasing the size of the production
separators.
Internal
MAY 2015
35
Hydraulic pumps
Surface facilities for a Open Power Fluid System wells

Internal
MAY 2015
36
Hydraulic pump
Wells
Surface facilities for a Closed Power Fluid System

Internal
MAY 2015
37
Progressive Cavity Pump(PCP)
1.
Used to produce viscous crude oils.
2.
Electric motor and gear box mounted on the

surface.
3.
Prime mover turns the strings of sucker rods
connected to the Progressing Cavity Pump.

4.
Latest Technology: Tendency of the failure of

tubing and Rods can be reduced by placing
the electric down the hole (known as
Progressing Cavity Electric Submersible
Pump, PCESP)
A well completed with artificial lift using a progressing cavity pump

Internal
MAY 2015
38
Progressive Cavity Pump

Operating Principle of PCP
A steel shaft rotor of diameter d
has been formed into a helix. (a)
Rotor is rotated inside an

elastomeric pump body or stator,
which has been molded in the
form of a double helix with a
same diameter pitch and
exactly twice the length of the
pitch given to the rotor. (b).
(c) shows that the centre line of
the rotor and the stator are
slightly offset, creating a
series of fluid filled cavities
along the length of the pump.
Figure: Cross section of progressing cavity pump and its components
Internal
MAY 2015
39

d:
minor diameter of rotor and
stator,
ecc: rotor eccentricity.
Figure: Cross section of progressing

cavity pump and its components
Internal
(a) Assembled
Pump
(b) Rotor
Geometry
MAY 2015
(c) Stator Geometry
40

The figure shows a perspective view of
Progressing Cavity Pump.
It explains how the interference fit

between the rotor and stator creates two
chains of spiral (fluid filled) cavities
Figure: Perspective view of operating Progressing Cavity Pump

Internal
MAY 2015
41

Rotor within the stator operates as a pump.
This causes the fluid trapped in the sealed
cavities, to progress along the length of the
pump from the suction to the pump discharge.
These cavities change neither size nor shape
during this progression.
Figure: Perspective view of operating Progressing Cavity Pump

Internal
MAY 2015
42

From Fig. (a e),
it can be seen that:
1. As one cavity
diminishes,
the next one
increases at exactly
the same rate: giving
a constant, non
pulsating flow.
2.
It acts as a positive
displacement pump
(
a
)
(
b
)
(
c
)
(
d
)
(e
)
Figure: Operating principle of Progressing Cavity Pump
Internal
MAY 2015
43

There is possibility of fluid slippage backwards. This slippage can be avoided by
increasing the number of pump stages.
The construction of the stator body from an elastomer makes this pump design
relatively tolerant to produced solids particularly since they are often used to
pump viscous oils which provides a lubrication film to protect the rotor and stator
from wear.
Flow rate achieved by PCP- directly proportional to speed of rotation of rotor
Internal
MAY 2015
44
Progressive cavity pump

Advantages
. Simple Design: easy to replace rotor and stator
. High Volumetric Efficiency: in absence of gas

. High energy Efficiency: acts as positive
displacement pump
. Emulsions not formed due to low pumping action
. Capable of pumping viscous crude oils
Internal
MAY 2015
45
Progressive cavity pump

Disadvantages
Internal
Elastomers swell in some viscous crude oils
Pump off control difficult
Problems with rotating rods increase with

well depth
MAY 2015
46
Gas Lift
Gas Lift uses additional
high pressure gas to
supplement formation
gas.
Produced fluids are lifted
by reducing fluid density
in wellbore to lighten the
hydrostatic column, or
back pressure, load on
formations.
Internal
MAY 2015
47
Gas Lift as an Artificial Lift Method

Gas lift injection decreases fluid average density, thus the
hydrostatic load on formations is reduced so that
available reservoir energy can cause inflow, and
commercial hydrocarbon volumes can be boosted or
displaced to the surface.
By injecting relatively high pressure gas from the surface
to a predetermined depth in the wellbore, the average
specific gravity of the fluid decreases which causes a
drop in the well face pressure (Pwf) generating additional
draw-down which turns on increased fluid production.
Internal
MAY 2015
48
GL Equipment overview: Typical System
INFLOW
Internal
MAY 2015
49
Gas Lift
Advantages
Low operational and maintenance cost

Simplified well completions
Flexibility in well rates
Disadvantages
Must have a source of gas

Requires treatment if gas is corrosive
Possible high installation cost

Top sides modifications to existing platforms
Typical rates go up to 35000 bpd
Can best handle sand / gas / dev well
Compressor installation & maintenance
Well testing complexity
Can handle solids
Internal
MAY 2015
50
Types of Gas Lift Application

CONTINUOUS FLOW GAS LIFT
ENABLE WELLS THAT WILL NOT FLOW NATURALLY TO PRODUCE
INCREASE PRODUCTION RATES IN FLOWING WELLS
UNLOAD A WELL THAT WILL LATER FLOW NATURALLY
REMOVE OR UNLOAD FLUID IN GAS WELLS
LIFT AQUIFER WELLS
INTERMITTENT GAS LIFT:

LOW Pr, PI, Pwf
CHOKE CONTROLLED UTILISING A PILOT OPERATED VALVE OR MOTOR
CONTROLLED
REQUIRE RAPID INJECTION OF GAS = PILOT OPERATED GAS LIFT VALVE
Internal
MAY 2015
51
Continuous Gas Lift
ONLY ARTIFICIAL LIFT METHOD THAT FULLY UTILIZES THE ENERGY FROM THE FORMATION
GAS PRODUCTION
GAS IS INJECTED CONTINUOUSLY INTO THE PRODUCTION CONDUIT AT A MAXIMUM
DEPTH BASED ON AVAILABLE GAS PRESSURE
INJECTION GAS MIXES WITH THE PRODUCED WELL FLUIDS AND DECREASES THE FLOWING
PRESSURE GRADIENT OF THE MIXTURE IN THE WELL BORE
Internal
MAY 2015
52
Intermittent Gas Lift
Internal
MAY 2015
53
GL - Summary
Internal
Takes full advantage of the gas energy

available in the reservoir
High volume lift method
Valves may be retrieved by slick line or tubing
Handle abrasives and sand
Must have a gas source
Freezing and hydrates are problematic
Difficulty depleting low productivity and low
pressure wells completely
MAY 2015
54
AL Methods Applicability
Applicability of AL Methods
Condition
Rod Pumps Hydraulic PumpsPCP's
GL
ESP's
Scale
fair
fair/poor
fair
fair
poor
Sand
fair
poor
good
very good fair
Paraffin
poor
poor
good
poor
good
Corrossion good
poor
fair
fair
fair
High GOR
poor
fair
fair
very good fair
Deviation
poor
very good
fair/good very good good
Rate
poor
fair
fair
very good good
Depth
fair
very good
fair
good
fair
Flexibility
very good very good
good
good
good (with VSD)
Temperature very good good
poor
good
good
Internal
MAY 2015
55
Internal
MAY 2015
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Internal
MAY 2015
57

Artificial Lift Methods

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PCB 3063

DR. ABDUL HAQUE TUNIO

DR. ABDUL HAQUE TUNIO

DR. ABDUL HAQUE TUNIO

Introduction and selection criteria

INFLOW PREFORMANCE RELATIONSHIPS:

Qo/Qomax = 1 0.2 (Pwf/Pr) 0.8 (Pwf/Pr)2

DR. ABDUL HAQUE TUNIO

Introduction and selection criteria

DR. ABDUL HAQUE TUNIO

Introduction and selection criteria

If Pwf > Po, the well will flow naturally

(~10% of wells by number)

If Pwf Po, the well will require Artificial Lift

WELL INFLOW (IPR)

Available Pwf as function of the flowrate

DR. ABDUL HAQUE TUNIO

Introduction and selection criteria

DR. ABDUL HAQUE TUNIO

Introduction and selection criteria

DR. ABDUL HAQUE TUNIO

DR. ABDUL HAQUE TUNIO