A Permian Basin operator needed to complete drilled but uncompleted (DUC) wells with 5.5-in, 20-lbm/ft casing while meeting production targets in constrained wellbores. SLB delivered custom a electric submersible pump (ESP) system design featuring the Affirmed PowerFit™ ESP small-diameter motor, enabling 34 installations and an average production of 434 to 1,265 bbl/d of oil per well, equivalent to $34,720 to $101,200* per day.
After acquiring several Permian Basin fields, the operator began completing DUC wells that were constrained by small-diameter wellbores. Standard 3.75-in outside diameter ESP systems could not deliver the horsepower needed to achieve target production rates, while traditional 4.56-in systems introduced reliability concerns and increased the potential for the downhole string to become stuck.
The operator needed a rapid, reliable approach that would fit the well architecture and deliver the required horsepower.
The applications engineering team designed custom ESP solutions for each well to maximize production and horsepower in small-diameter unconventional wells. SLB delivered a packaged solution for 34 wellbores within 72 hours of the customer request, and 34 ESP systems featuring Affirmed PowerFit motors were installed within a two-month window.
The wells produced an average of 434 to 1,265 bbl/d of oil, earning the operator $34,720 to $101,200* per day. In one 24-h period, a single well produced 2,400 bbl/d of oil, exceeding the capability of a typical 3.75-in motor and generating $192,000* in revenue.
The Affirmed PowerFit motor delivered 382 horsepower per ESP system in a tandem motor configuration, which could not be achieved using standard 3.75-in outside diameter motors. Installing 3.75- to 4.20-in outside diameter motors also helped the operator mitigate the risk of the ESP system becoming stuck downhole while reaching the target pressure drawdown to capture additional reserves.
*Based on an $80/bbl oil price
