In the future, artificial lift technologies will involve further improvements in manufacturing and design coupled with new software, electronics, sensor technologies, data transfer and data management. They will require developers to explore the limits of technology.
Integrated Solutions
Technical and Sales Support Group Manager Ben Luscomb of Weatherford says, “Many clients today are increasingly looking for engineered/integrated solutions for their lift requirements and not just the purchase of a commodity. Operators are seeking an engineered solution that allows them to maximize production and best monitor and manage artificial lift operations. There are trends for all artificial lift and completion equipment supplied as an integrated package from a single point and not a number of individual suppliers. Effectively, customers want a single “phone number” to a single “help desk” for all artificial lift support.”
According to Luscomb, “Clients also want to monitor, optimize and manage their artificial lift systems (all types in a single lease) using a common SCADA system and common production optimization software package. The Weatherford LOWIS® package is an example of an integrated well management software platform that achieves this.”
Smarter Communications
With the “Smart Well” coming of age throughout the oilfield, there are improved sensor and micro-processing technologies, along with improved telecommunications. The ability to make real-time decisions through on-site control and communication have transformed the way wells are produced and managed, from simple surveillance to complex optimization, and ultimately, to improved business processes. Advances include:
• Improved controls based on actual downhole pump fill that allow the producer to match pump action with well inflow.
• Well monitoring that checks the operation of each well remotely from producer offices. This monitoring has also quantified lifting cost savings associated with the use of improved geometry pumping units helping manufacturers implement modern predictive design programs.
• Automated pumping units with Rod Pump Controllers to increase the reliability of the pumping system while reducing downtime, equipment failures and energy costs.
Better monitoring and controlling has led to the development of sophisticated downhole sensors and intelligent RTU programmable controllers for ESPs. Wood Group ESPs SmartGuard® downhole sensor and surface interface system retrieves critical real-time ESP and wellbore performance parameters beyond conventional pressure and temperature sensors with options to add measurements for vibration, current leakage and flow rate. Real-time ESP system control and alarms also monitor actual downhole readings, reducing nuisance shutdowns caused by inaccurate overload and underload amp load settings.
To lower operating costs with ESP monitoring, Schlumberger also provides the espWatcher service for real-time performance diagnosis of producing wells including changes in sandface properties and formation integrity. Alarms and call outs are sent via pager, telephone or email to minimize risk and enhance performance.
Subsea Environments
New lifting technology is also being used offshore in subsea, high-end production projects. Centrilift has systems in subsea wells in several locations. Some of these have two deployed units, one for back up to proactively manage workovers. The manufacturer is also exploring different ways to deploy units such as on coil tubing instead of jointed tubing. New techniques will allow faster deployment at less expensive rates. Centrilift’s John Bearden says. “We’re also deploying drive systems, seal and motor, on the end of large tubing with a workover rig, then wirelining the pump in and out through the tubing. This configuration is used where the pumps are the weak reliability link. It’s another and different approach to reduce operating costs.”
Involvement in subsea environments started more than 20 years ago in the North Sea. Progress has been measured by run time achievements. Historically, gas lift has been used offshore in many applications. Today, larger volumes on platforms using gas lift requires larger compressors and certain bottomhole pressures. As a result, ESP is replacing gas lift, especially in the GOM where gas lift efficiency is decreasing and gas prices favor selling versus using as a lift driver.
Larger Wellbores
Another growing pump application is larger cased wellbores to take advantage of extended reach horizontal wellbores and multi-lateral wells. There’s a definite trend towards larger production rates, especially offshore with fewer wells and larger bores to get more fluid production. In the past, pumps may have produced 6-8,000 BPD on a large well. With larger cased wellbores and fewer wells, 20-30,000 BPD is not uncommon in some environments. Today, there are fewer pumps and bigger pumps, which equates to larger volume with larger HP. This is especially true with offshore platform and subsea work where wells are expensive to operate.
Hotter Operating Environments
Artificial lift systems are being pushed to operate efficiently at high temperatures, a particular challenge to progressive cavity pumps and ESPs. In the northern US and Canada, Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) technology has become more attractive due to oil prices for use in tar sands. In this application, a well injects steam into the producing zone, creating a high-temperature steam chamber in the formation. The heat melts the thick crude which allows gravity to assist it to flow freely to the horizontal production well below. As the oil drops to the lower wellbore it is pumped out. Operators are now looking for units to stay in the well while steaming at 600+º F, an almost impossible task.
Let the Future Unfold
The introduction of downhole sensors to the well has provided a broad range of parameters and information for making well lift decisions. Undoubtedly, this will improve even more in the future with the use of fiber optics and other gages to measure flow, well conditions and equipment performance. New software is capturing the expertise of professionals in systems that will automatically control the well and watch wellbore production constantly.
Industry experts have said the biggest opportunity for growth may be increasing the amount of crude recovered from reservoirs. The challenge facing the industry is to deliver the necessary technology, which means integrating and applying technologies in increasingly demanding projects, accessing more difficult resources and creating the complex chains needed to deliver an ever-increasing need for energy.