Artificial Lifting

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Inflow Performance Relationship (IPR)

A well never actually attains its absolute flow potential, because in order for
it to flow, Pwf must exceed the backpressure that the producing fluid exerts
on the formation as it moves through the production system. This
backpressure or bottomhole pressure has the following components:

Hydrostatic pressure of the producing fluid column

Friction pressure caused by fluid movement through the tubing, wellhead

and surface equipment

Kinetic or potential losses due to diameter restrictions, pipe bends or

elevation changes.

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What is AL??

Artificial lift is a technique used to bring oil from the reservoir to

the surface because of decreasing reservoir pressure.

Generally this is achieved by the use of a mechanical device inside

the well (known as pump or velocity string) or by decreasing the
weight of the hydrostatic column by injecting gas into the liquid
some distance down the well.

Artificial lift is needed in wells when there is insufficient pressure in

the reservoir to lift the produced fluids to the surface.

It also often used in naturally flowing wells (which do not

technically need it) to increase the flow rate above what would flow
naturally.

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Artificial Lift
Artificial lift is a means of overcoming bottomhole pressure so that a
well can produce at some desired rate, either by injecting gas into the
producing fluid column to reduce its hydrostatic pressure, or using a
downhole pump to provide additional lift pressure downhole.

There are currently four common methods of artificial lift

Beam pumping
Submersible pumping
Gas lift
Hydraulic pumping

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Artificial Lift - Beam Pumping

The pump is designed to be inserted

inside the tubing of a well and its main
purpose is to gather fluids from beneath
it and lift them to the surface.

The most important components are:

the barrel, valves (traveling and fixed)
and the piston.

The pump is connected to the pumping

unit at the surface by a string of sucker
rods.

Sucker rods are stroked up and down in

the tubing, activating the pump at the
bottom.

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Artificial Lift - Beam Pumping

At the surface, a large

mechanical device called the
beam pumping unit is
attached.

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Artificial Lift - Beam Pumping

1. Engine or Motor
2. Gear reducer
3. Crank arm
4. Counter weight
5. Pitman arm
6. Walking beam
7. Sampson post
8. Horse head
9. Bridle
10. Polished rod
11. Stuffing box
12.Sucker rods
13. Tubing
14. Casing
15. Pump
Beam Pumping Diagram

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Artificial Lift - Beam Pumping
Depending on the size of the pump, it generally produces 5 to 40 litres of
liquid at each stroke. Often this is an emulsion of crude oil and water.

Pump size is also determined by the depth and weight of the oil to
remove, with deeper extraction requiring more power to move the
heavier lengths of sucker rods.

Advantages of beam pumping:

High system efficiency.

Economical to repair and service.

Flexibility - adjust production through stroke length and speed.

High salvage value for surface unit and downhole equipment.

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Artificial Lift - Beam Pumping
Disadvantages of beam pumping:
Limited to relatively low production volumes, less than 1,000
barrels per day.
Limited to onshore application (big surface unit required).

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PG 509 SMK
Artificial Lift Gas Lift
A source of gas, and compression equipment
is required for gas lift.
Proper installation and compatibility of gas
lift equipment, (surface and in the wellbore),
are essential to any gas lift system.

Advantage of Gas Lift:

Gas Lift is an artificial lift process that closely
resembles the natural flow process and basically
operates as an enhancement or extension of that
process. The only major requirement is an
available and economical supply of pressurized
gas.

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Artificial Lift - Gas Lift

Disadvantages of Gas Lift:

Not feasible if no source of gas
present.
High initial capital purchase cost
Maintenance intensive.
Difficult to operate.

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Artificial Lift Gas Lift

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Artificial Lift- Gas Lift

There are two main types of gas lift:

Continuous gas lift, where gas is injected in a constant, uninterrupted stream.

This lowers the overall density of the fluid column and reduces the hydrostatic
component of the flowing bottomhole pressure. This method is generally applied
to wells with high productivity indexes.

Intermittent gas lift, which is designed for lower-productivity wells. In this type of
gas lift installation, a volume of formation fluid accumulates inside the
production tubing. A high-pressure slug of gas is then injected below the liquid,
physically displacing it to the surface. As soon as the fluid is produced, gas
injection is interrupted, and the cycle of liquid accumulation-gas injection-liquid
production is repeated.
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PG 509 SMK
Pump-Assisted Lift

Downhole pumps are used to increase pressure at the bottom of the tubing string
by an amount sufficient to lift fluid to the surface. These pumps fall into two basic
categories: positive displacement pumps and dynamic displacement pumps.

A positive displacement pump works by moving fluid from a suction chamber to a discharge
chamber. This basic operating principle applies to reciprocating rod pumps, hydraulic piston pumps
and progressive cavity pumps (PCPs).

A dynamic displacement pump works by causing fluid to move from inlet to outlet under its
own momentum, as is the case with a centrifugal pump. Dynamic displacement pumps commonly
used in artificial lift include electrical submersible pumps (ESPs) and hydraulic jet pumps.

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Artificial Lift / Pump Assisted Lift Hydraulic Pumping
High pressure oil/water, is pumped
into the well through the tubing string.

At the bottom of the well, the

powered oil enters a mechanical
device, causing it to reciprocate.

This mechanical device activates a

pump, which lifts the oil from the
producing formation, together with
expended powered oil to the surface.

The systems consist of a surface power

fluid system, a prime mover, a surface
pump, and a downhole jet or pump.

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Hydraulic Pumping
Power fluid from surface actuates the
engine, which in turn drives the pump, and
power fluid returns to the surface with the
produced oil.
Advantages of Hydraulic Pump:
No moving parts.
High volume capability.
Multiwell production from a single
package.
Low pump maintenance.

Disadvantages of Hydraulic Pump:

High initial capital cost.
Complex to operate.

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Pump Assisted Lift - Progressive Cavity Pumps
A PCP is a positive displacement pump made up of a helical
rotor which rotates inside a double internal helical stator. It can
be driven from surface by rotating rods or by a bottom hole
electric motor via a gear reducer (max speed 500 rpm)

Advantages
High efficiency (50%-70%)
Suited for high viscous and/or abrasive fluids
Reduced emulsion for no pulsating motion
Works at high temperatures up to (300 F)
Disadvantages
Low capacity (max speed 500 rpm)
Suitable mostly for shallow wells (5000 ft) if rod driven
Low ability to handle free gas (low efficiency)

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Pump-Assisted Lift PCP

As the rotor turns, cavities between the rotor and

stator move upward.

Progressive cavity pumps are commonly used for

dewatering coal bed methane gas wells, for
production and injection applications in water flood
projects and for producing heavy or high-solids oil.
They are versatile, generally very efficient, and
excellent for handling fluids with high solids content.

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Artificial Lift - Submersible Pumping (ESP)

Consists of an electric motor attached

to a pump on the end of the tubing
string.
The electric motor turns a centrifugal
pump which forces oil from the
bottom of the well, up through the
inside of the tubing, and out at the
surface.
The electricity is supplied
through an electric cable attached to
the side of the tubing and connected
to the electric motor.

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Artificial Lift - Submersible Pumping (ESP)
Advantages of ESP:

High volume and depth capacity.

High efficiency over 1,000 BPD
Low maintenance.
Minimal surface equipment requirements.
High resistance to corrosive downhole
environments.
Use in deviated wells and vertical wells
with doglegs.

Disadvantages of ESP:

Poor ability to pump sand.

They are generally limited to single-zone
completions

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Principles of an ESP
The submersible pumps are multistage centrifugal pumps operating in a vertical position.

Produced liquids, after being subjected to great centrifugal forces caused by the high
rotational speed of the impeller, lose their kinetic energy in the diffuser where a
conversion of kinetic to pressure energy takes place. This is the main operational
mechanism of radial and mixed flow pumps.

The ratio between the centrifugal force and the gravitational force:

If w = 3600 RPM, r = 4 then this ratio is 131,673

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ESP Components
An ESP system can be divided into two categories:

Surface components
Transformers (Primary and Secondary)
Switchboard or Variable Speed Drive or Soft Start
Junction Box
Wellhead

Subsurface components
Cable
Cable Guards
Cable Clamps
Pump
Gas Separator (Optional)
Seal Section
Motor
Sensor (Optional)
Drain Valve
Check Valve
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ESP Components

PG 509 SMK
ESP Components
Power passes through a cable running from the transformer to the switchboard and junction box,
then to the wellhead.

The motor, seal, intake and pump assembly, along with the power cable, goes in the well as the
tubing is run. The well power cable is spliced to a motor cable that is connected to the outside of
the downhole assembly.

Below the pump is an intake that allows fluid to enter the pump.

Below the intake is a gas separator and a protector or seal, which equalizes internal and external
pressures and protects the motor from well fluids.

At the bottom is a motor that drives the pump. The assembly is positioned in the well above the
perforations; this allows fluid entering the intake to flow past the motor and cool it.

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Surface Components - Transformer

Transformer system is used to step-up

or step-down the voltage from the
primary line to the motor of the
submersible pump. Because a range
of operating voltages may be used for
submersible pump motors, the
transformer must be compatible with
the selection of the motor voltage.

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Surface Components - Switchboard

The switchboard controls the pump

motor and provides overload and
underload protection.

Protection against overload is

needed to keep the motor windings
from burning.

Protection during underload is

needed because low fluid flow rates
will prevent adequate cooling of the
motor.

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Surface Components Junction Box

The junction box connects the power cable from the switchboard to the power
cable from the well. It provides an explosion-free vent to the atmosphere for
any gas that might migrate up the power cable from the wellbore.

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Surface Components Wellhead
Must provide means for installing the cable with adequate seal

May include adjustable chokes, bleeding valves

Onshore wellheads have a rubber seal and offshore have a electric mandrel

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Surface Components Wellhead
The Safe-T-Lok is supplied with factory molded cable on both the top and the
bottom. The lower cable will be spliced to the ESP cable, and the top cable will
connected to the junction box.

The Safe-T-Lok is installed in the wellhead by feeding through the tubing hanger
from below

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Subsurface Components Check Valve

A check valve is installed about two to three

joints above the ESP pump to maintain a full
liquid column in the tubing string during
equipment shut down periods. It prevent
leaking of the fluid from the tubing down
through the pump when the pump is not
running.

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Subsurface Components Electric Cable

A power cable runs from the junction box then through the wellhead and
all the way to the bottom to supply power to the pump motor.

Cable is available in round and flat styles

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Subsurface Components Cable Protection

Cable Guards: Used to protect

the motor lead cable avoiding
the direct contact of the cable
with the casing.

Cable clamps: used to tie the

cable to the tubing.

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Subsurface Components ESP Bypass System

Wireline or coiled tubing plugs can be supplied to seat in a nipple

profile in the Y-tool to enable intervention or logging operations
without retrieval of the completion

Can be also used for installing two parallel ESPs in the well.

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Subsurface Components Electric Cable

The proper selection of the cable and the conductors depends on:

The expected amperage that will flow through the cable to the motor

The calculated voltage drop in the line from the surface to the pump.

The space that exists between the tubing collar and the casing (even though the
cable is banded to the tubing at selected points, there must be enough space to
install and pull the pump without damaging the cable or hanging it in the well).

The equipment operating environment - such as the operating pressure and

temperature at pump depth.

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Subsurface Components Cable Amperage

The first consideration in selecting cables is amperage. The limits on amperage

for cables containing copper conductors are as follows:

Note that the cable with the smaller number has the larger diameter. Thus, a
Number 1 cable can carry a maximum of 115 amps.

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Subsurface Components Voltage Drop
The second selection consideration is the voltage drop that will occur between the wellhead and
the pump. Normally, the maximum voltage drop for an electrical cable is about 30V per 1000
feet.

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Subsurface Components Gas Separator

Separates the free gas in order to reduce the quantity of gas that flows into the
pump.

There are two types: static and rotary gas separator.

Static: No applying any additional mechanical force. They provide a tortuous path
that turns the fluid stream and moves it down toward the inlet ports. Some of the
free gas accompanies the liquid to the intake and a portion is separated.

Dynamic gas separators :On the other hand, actually impart energy to the fluid to
separate the vapor from the fluid.

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Subsurface Components Protector or Seal
Serves as the connection between the
motor shaft and the pump shaft

Prevents the entry of well fluid into the

motor

Provides an oil reservoir to compensate for

expansion and contraction of motor oil

Support the axial thrust developed by the

pump on the seal thrust bearing

Pressure equalizer

Use multiple redundant barrier chambers

isolate the fluids

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Introduction to Artificial Lift

Selecting an Artificial Lift Method Reservoir Characteristics

Artificial lift considerations should ideally be part of the well planning

process. Future lift requirements will be based on the overall reservoir
exploitation strategy, and will have a strong impact on the well design.

Some of the key factors that influence the selection of an artificial lift method.

IPR: A wells Inflow Performance Relationship defines its production potential

Liquid production rate: The anticipated production rate is a controlling factor in

selecting a lift method; positive displacement pumps are generally limited to rates of
4000-6000 B/D.

Water cut: High water cuts require a lift method that can move large volumes of fluid

PG 509 SMK
 Introduction to Artificial Lift
Selecting an Artificial Lift Method Reservoir Characteristics

Gas-liquid ratio: A high GLR generally lowers the efficiency of pump-assisted lift

Viscosity: Viscosities less than 10 cp are generally not a factor in selecting a lift
method; high-viscosity fluids can cause difficulty, particularly in sucker rod pumping

Formation volume factor: Ratio of reservoir volume to surface volume determines

how much total fluid must be lifted to achieve the desired surface production rate

Reservoir drive mechanism: Depletion drive reservoirs: Late-stage production may

require pumping to produce low fluid volumes or injected water.

Water drive reservoirs : High water cuts may cause problems for lifting systems

Gas cap drive reservoirs : Increasing gas-liquid ratios may affect lift efficiency.

PG 509 SMK
 Introduction to Artificial Lift
Selecting an Artificial Lift Method Hole Characteristics

Well depth: The well depth dictates how much surface energy is needed to move
fluids to surface, and may place limits on sucker rods and other equipment.

Completion type: Completion and perforation skin factors affect inflow performance.

Casing and tubing sizes: Small-diameter casing limits the production tubing size and
constrains multiple options. Small-diameter tubing will limit production rates, but
larger tubing may allow excessive fluid fallback.

Wellbore deviation: Highly deviated wells may limit applications of beam pumping or
PCP systems because of drag, compressive forces and potential for rod and tubing
wear.

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 Introduction to Artificial Lift
Selecting an Artificial Lift Method Surface Characteristics

Flow rates: Flow rates are governed by wellhead pressures and backpressures in
surface production equipment (i.e., separators, chokes and flowlines).

Fluid contaminants: Paraffin or salt can increase the backpressure on a well.

Power sources: The availability of electricity or natural gas governs the type of
artificial lift selected. Diesel, propane or other sources may also be considered.

Field location: In offshore fields, the availability of platform space and placement of
directional wells are primary considerations. In onshore fields, such factors as noise
limits, safety, environmental, pollution concerns, surface access and well spacing must
be considered.

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Selecting an Artificial Lift Method Field Operating Characteristics
Long-range recovery plans: Field conditions may change over time.

Pressure maintenance operations: Water or gas injection may change the artificial lift
requirements for a field.

Enhanced oil recovery projects: EOR processes may change fluid properties and
require changes in the artificial lift system.

Field automation: If the surface control equipment will be electrically powered, an

electrically powered artificial lift system should be considered.

Availability of operating and service personnel and support services: Some artificial
lift systems are relatively low-maintenance; others require regular monitoring and
adjustment. Servicing requirements (e.g., workover rig versus wireline unit) should be
considered. Familiarity of field personnel with equipment should also be taken into
account.
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 Thats all about AL

PG 509 SMK
Reservoir fluid properties, fundamentals of fluid flows in porous media; Reservoir
drive mechanism, Reserve estimation using volumetric and material balance
methods in gas, gas condensate and oil reservoirs; Well completion and stimulation,
Reservoir managements; Principles of oil gas production mechanism, production
logging, artificial lift, Secondary recovery, Enhanced oil recovery (EOR), Introduction
to surface facilities design.

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