Express Method to Estimate Target Bottomhole Pressure in Pumping Oil Well

Abstract

Abstract Most of the oil wells in Western Siberia using electric submersible pumps (ESPs). Selection of the optimal mode of operation for wells equipped with ESP and selection of proper ESP technologies capable to maintain this mode highly important for effective oil production. For many fields in Western Siberia the lowest bottom-hole pressure achievable is an optimal well operating mode. It gives maximum flow rate of fluid and oil. However, reducing pressure below bubble point leads to liberation of large amount of free gas in flow. It cause one of the major constraints to reduce the bottom hole pressure – artificial lift technologies limitations for working with a high content of free gas in the flow. That increase significance of the accounting of free gas presence in the flow while analyzing oil production systems, designing downhole equipment, calculating target bottomhole pressure. Despite the fact that modern software can calculate the characteristics of multiphase flow and take into account the presence of free gas in the well and downhole equipment its influence often underestimated by engineers. Probably due to the complexities of quick multiphase flow calculations and lack of intuitive results, visualization tools which could help for decision-making. In this paper we propose a set of simple graphical tools (pallet and graphs), and methods for calculating the gas fraction in the well and downhole equipment, target bottomhole pressure, applicability limits of technologies. Tools proposed aims to provide quick operational decisions for production analysis and artificial lift design. The paper discusses the experience of using the tools developed on real fields.