A Permian operator needed an electric submersible pump (ESP) system that could meet a 2,400-bbl/d fluid production target in 5 1/2-in, 23-lb casing without increasing reliability risk. The SLB solution produced as much as 3,600 bbl/d of fluid.
The well was completed with 5 1/2-in, 23-lb casing to mitigate damage from frac forces in adjacent wells and lateral forces from the formation. This completion design limited ESP options. Conventional 3.75-in-OD motors would have required a triple-tandem configuration but still could not provide the horsepower needed to achieve the 2,400-bbl/d fluid production target.
The operator also needed to maintain effective motor cooling. Fluid velocity past the 3.75-in-OD motors did not provide the preferred cooling effect, increasing the potential for reliability issues.
SLB installed an ESP system at 9,130 ft using the Affirmed PowerFit™ ESP small-diameter motor to provide sufficient horsepower to produce as much as 3,600 bbl/d of fluid, exceeding the operator’s 2,400-bbl/d target.
The system improved reliability by reducing the number of downhole components compared with a 3.75-in-OD motor configuration. Fewer components also reduced installation time versus the alternative motor configuration.
The Affirmed PowerFit motor optimized fluid velocity to 7 ft/s at a 2,600-bbl/d flow rate with 0.47-in drift clearance. The motor also eliminated the need for an intermediate ESP installation as production declined because its horsepower rating enabled the use of pumps with a wider operating range.
