Successful First Rigless Fully Retrievable ESP System Installation with Coiled Tubing in West Kuwait: Case study

Abstract

Abstract As hydrocarbon reservoirs deplete and lose their natural energy to flow, artificial lift techniques become unavoidable to keep wells development plan and sustain hydrocarbon production. In several cases, Electric Submersible Pumps (ESPs) have become a reliable and important tool in today's global oilfield and inevitably the preferred artificial lift method to keep these wells alive and achieve a high hydrocarbon recovery however, since these pumps incur heavy workover rig interventions, the increased operating cost and the unwelcome disruption to the production operations often lead to an unfavorable profitability contrast for oil and gas operators With the oil and gas economics nowadays managing the operating cost and decreasing the deferred production is the key elements of sustaining a positive business across. In Kuwait, nearly 67% of the producing wells are equipped with artificial lift systems as several filed are producing from depleted or sub hydrostatic reservoirs that requires an electric submersible pump to help sustaining the life cycle of reservoir development In an attempt to slash down the overall operating cost related to maintaining and lowering those Electric Submersible Pumps (ESPs), an alternative deployment option was assessed riglessly with Smart Coiled Tubing thus eliminating cost the heavy rig intervention and operational disruption A team of engineers were assigned to design and meet the challenges of such an application. The team conducted a detailed and comprehensive analysis of all the risk aiming to deliver an optimal intervention design and procedure to ensure minimum cost. The intervention was designed to use real time downhole telemetry on coiled tubing through fiber optics to monitor and manage the loads exerted on the Electric Submersible Pumps (ESPs), downhole. After retrieving the ESP, Coiled Tubing clean out run using high rotating jetting nozzle was carried out on the docking sub of the ESP for the deployment and eventually, the ESP was lastly run and placed at the required setting depth. This paper describes the successful installation of the first Rigless Fully Retrievable ESP System Installation with Coiled Tubing in West Kuwait.