Study of the Submersible Sand Separator in the Field of Centrifugal Forces for Increasing the Artificial Lift Efficiency

Abstract

Abstract High mechanical impurities content in production fluid is one of the main causes high mechanical impurities content in production fluid. In the field practice there are many technologies to minimize solid phase flow from reservoir to the bottomhole and various technique units to protect submersible pumping equipment. However, currently there is no detailed study of technical and technological efficiency parameters. Different methods and technologies to solve the problems of oil (water) well production, complicated by solid phase flow, are used. In this paper the study results of the submersible sand centrifugal separation for artificial lift are presented, with consideration of the abnormal well conditions. In Gubkin University at Reservoir and Production Petroleum Engineering Department (RPPED) experimental stand unit to complex study of submersible sand separator (model “PSM") with hydraulic gate was constructed. Experimental stand unit allows determining submersible sand separator (SSS) efficiency. The submersible sand separator experimental stand studies have been conducted on model mixtures “water – solid particles (suspended solids content up to below 2 g/l)" and “water – gas (flow gas content up to 60%) – solid particles". The influence patterns of suspended solids content, inlet flow gas content and granulometric on “PSM" separation efficiency are determined. The “PSM" efficiency was experimentally confirmed and the separation coefficient values were obtained, which exceeded the performance of the similar devices. The workflow to select candidate-wells for this protective device application was developed. A new technological scheme to lift separated impurities bypassing submersible pumping equipment on the day surface is proposed.