Abstract
The use of electrical submersible pump in artificial lift system poses a challenge for oil and gas engineers especially when optimization of the project is needed to minimize cost and maximize profits. The major challenge faced by engineers is ESP equipment failure. The failure could result from gas, equipment mechanical failure or sand erosion accumulation. One of the limitations of achieving full potential in pumped wells is the presence of excessive free gas at pump intake. Presence of free gas at pump intake negatively affects performance of the pump and limits the liquid rates produced.
Operating frequency of an ESP motor is one of the parameters in the ESP design that affect the productivity of the well and profitability of the venture. Due to the cost involved in ESP operations, optimization becomes an important factor to consider in designing ESP systems, to minimize cost and maximize oil recovery from the well.
This paper presents one way of increasing the productivity of the well using the ESP operating frequency. The effect of the frequency on the oil rates, gas rate and water rates were analyzed. The paper presents the methods used, results obtained, and conclusions drawn from the application of ESP operating frequency on well and pump performance.
The method was applied to a live field case study in the Niger delta area. The effects of the operating frequency on the oil rates, gas rates and water rates and the results obtained were analyzed. The PROSPER software was used in the simulations done to determine the effect of the frequency on the fluid rate producible from the well system. The advantage of using the variable speed drives was explained during the paper.
