Technology Focus: Artificial Lift (March 2023)

Abstract

Selecting artificial lift papers for the Tech Focus feature of JPT can be a daunting exercise when technologies and innovations abound, more so post-pandemic, with 157 submitted abstracts covering 2021–2022. In narrowing the offerings to three, the criteria of conformance to guidelines and novelty of information, technical equipment, and application were considered. Industry indicators and interest were also factors. Gas lift remains of high global interest, whether in long horizontal shale oil wells or vertical ones because of the cost to operate lower lifting. Declining production and high gas/oil ratios (GORs) present a challenge for conversion to secondary lift forms. Paper SPE 209721 provides an innovative solution combining gas lift with sucker rod lift to enhance and exploit low-productivity wells in high-GOR fields. Permanent magnet motors (PMMs) have made quite the technical splash in the industry over the past decade. PMMs are one-third shorter and result in higher power densities and power savings of up to 18% just by changing out the induction motor. PMMs are again grabbing attention for the direct 1:1 ratio of electrical to carbon footprint. Current environmental, social, and governance concerns are placing demands on all operators, and PMMs are positioned to help with carbon reduction as a low-hanging fruit in paper SPE 209736. In paper SPE 209763, we look at all-metal progressing cavity pumps (aka M2M), which consist of a metal rotor and metal stator. Incremental advances in geometry and materials continue to see operators use high-temperature fluids with low operational expenditure in mind. Reliability is always a concern, and now a novel condition indicator has been developed and tested that offers a better indicator than pump efficiency alone. Recommended additional reading at OnePetro: www.onepetro.org. SPE 206909 Successful Progressing Cavity Pump Reliability Improvement Project in an Oman Steamflood by Shauna Noonan, Oxy, et al. SPE 211782 Maximizing Marginal Fields Profitability Through Drilling Multilateral Wells To Reduce Well Count and Well Cost: Dual Lateral Well With Single ESP and Smart Lower Completion by Mahmoud Mohamed Abdelhay Mostafa, ADNOC, et al. SPE 209748 Gas Pump—A Gas-Driven Positive Displacement Pump Artificial Lift System by Stephen W. Turk, ELC Energy Services, et al.