A Permian Basin operator needed to restore reliable production after multiple short runs with a competitor electric submersible pump (ESP) system caused 17 days of downtime during a 4-month period. SLB designed and installed an ESP system below a packer in a rare regional completion configuration, helping the operator reach 3,500 bbl/d of total fluid, increase oil cut by 20%*, and achieve 448 days of continuous run time.
The operator needed to improve reliability and production from a 5½-in well after a competitor 4.13-in OD motor contributed to repeated short runs. The re-fracked well also required a packer to limit water production, creating a complex configuration in which the ESP had to be set below the packer.
Although ESP installations below packers are common in some international markets, this completion approach is rare in the Permian Basin. The operator needed a solution that could deliver the required horsepower, fit the small-diameter well, isolate water zones, and reduce the risk of additional downtime.
SLB application engineers designed an ESP system to sit 1,000 ft deeper than the previous solution and below the packer to help isolate water-producing zones. The system included the Affirmed PowerFit™ ESP small-diameter motor, which enabled the operator to reach the target production rate without increasing the risk of becoming stuck in the small-diameter well.
The installed system achieved 3,500 bbl/d of total fluid, a 25%* increase compared with the previous competitor solution, which had produced 2,800 bbl/d of total fluid.
Installing the ESP below the packer limited the amount of water brought to surface. The configuration increased oil cut by 20%*, adding 1,050 bbl/d of oil with no increase in produced water and generating $46,000** per day in revenue.
The ESP system achieved 448 days of continuous run time, helping the operator avoid two workovers and save $198,000 in workover costs. The improved reliability also prevented 8 days of downtime, adding $504,000** in revenue.
The motor design supported efficient operation across 45 to 65 Hz, enabling the operator to meet changing production requirements without two ESP system changeouts. The operator also recognized the technical support provided by the sales, application engineering, and field service teams.
*All data points provided by the customer
