Lessons Learned From Tubing Leaks in ESP Completion at Offshore Field

Abstract

Offshore field was producing sweet crude oil by natural flow and gas lift since 1988. However, due to the limitation of gas supply in gas lift wells for offshore field and based on the field development study, a decision was made to install Electric Submersible Pumps (ESP) in offshore field as an artificial lift method to achieve Maximum Sustainable Capacity (MSC). Therefore, a first ESP installation in offshore field was taken place in October 2005 as recommended by reservoir management team. During ESP project, KJO faced challenges related to the monitoring program and to the operation efficiency in order to maximize the ESP run life and to reduce the production interruption. Based on monitoring programs and maintenance inspection on installed ESP wells, it was indicated that the majority of ESP failures occurred due to tubing leaks. Therefore, 20% of workover jobs for ESP wells were candidates because of tubing leaks. The paper will focus more on several field cases of ESP wells which were suffered from tubing leaks. The evaluation results based on empirical method, in which five (5) ESP wells had similar completion configuration and underperformance symptom. Challenges, methodology, work schedule, risk assessment, lesson learned and findings will be discussed. The monitoring programs and maintenance inspection on installed ESP wells resulted on great deal of benefits, which are related to maximize the ESP run life and avoid ESP premature failures to improve the operation efficiency in order to sustained maximum production target.