Progressive Cavity Pump Research Articles

Automated Well Models Improve PCP Surveillance and Optimization

This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper SPE 207290, “Intelligent Operating Envelope Integrated With Automated Well Models Improves Assetwide Progressing-Cavity-Pump Surveillance and Optimization,” by Mohammed Al Sawafi and Antonio Andrade, Petroleum Development Oman, and Nitish Kumar, Weatherford, et al. The paper has not been peer reviewed. The operator has completed a project in which the progressing-cavity-pump (PCP) well-modeling process is automated. Models are built and sustained automatically in a well-management system (WMS) for all active PCP wells, with a major effect on day-to-day operational activities. The complete paper discusses use of physics-based well models from the WMS to automatically update operating envelopes (OE), identify daily oil-gain potential, and enable real-time PCP performance through a well-management-visualization system (WMVS). Introduction PCPs have gained popularity in recent years and, thus, have increased their footprint within the operator’s assets. At the time of writing, PCP wells contribute 19% of the operator’s net oil production, with a minimal water-cut rate per well in comparison with all other artificial-lift wells. The number of PCPs has almost doubled since the inception of an exception-based-surveillance (EBS) system in 2015, and the effort in configuring and managing EBS alerts had become more challenging, with each engineer handling an average of 30 EBS alerts per week. In 2018, the operator’s PCP team completed a Lean project for sustainable PCP well modeling by automating the complete process in the WMS (a nodal-analysis-based real-time application) and delivering 100% real-time models for all active PCP wells. This was achieved by building and integrating the operator’s corporate database for PCP wells with the WMS. The system was developed for performing PCP well modeling by collecting well information automatically from various corporate databases such as an artificial-lift database, a subsurface database, a production database, and reservoir and pressure/volume/temperature databases, among others (Fig. 1).

Technology Focus: Artificial Lift (March 2022)

What is the one thing you can do that will provide the greatest benefit to your artificial lift operations? For me, the answer to that question is simple: focus on surveillance. Surveillance is the foundation of any artificial lift optimization program. Effective surveillance practices allow you to keep track of how your system is performing against predefined targets, understand the current state of your artificial lift system, and identify which wells are at risk of failure. It also helps you identify ways to prevent failures through better selection, design, and application of artificial lift technology. At the heart of any effective surveillance program is a set of thoughtfully selected key performance indicators (KPIs). Establishing surveillance KPIs helps you set goals and track your progress against them so that you can zero in on the areas in greatest need of improvement. Typical KPIs include production volumes, operational expenditures, downtime, capital expenditures, failure frequency, and intervention frequency. A variety of tools and techniques are used daily to monitor and control the performance of artificial lift systems. As technology has evolved, so have these surveillance practices. Historically, artificial lift surveillance was performed using manual techniques, such as measuring and evaluating produced volumes, collecting acoustic fluid levels, evaluating two-pen charts and amp charts, collecting and analyzing dynamometer cards, collecting pressure and temperature surveys, performing teardowns and root-cause failure analysis, and using well and network models to understand system performance better. As automation technology developed, these techniques were enhanced through real-time data collection, the use of permanent downhole gauges, and real-time control using wellsite intelligence. With the introduction of automation, exception-based management techniques were introduced to leverage the time and energy of personnel to the greatest benefit. This allowed operators to focus their efforts on dealing with “bad actors” and finding “low-hanging fruit” rather than spending their time looking at every single well each day. Today, artificial lift surveillance practices continue to evolve through data-science and data-analytics techniques. Data analytics allow operators to put an ever-growing volume of data to work. Such techniques, generally classified as descriptive analytics, diagnostic analytics, predictive analytics, and prescriptive analytics, often combine statistical and physics-based principles to find opportunities faster than traditional practices can. Descriptive analytics allow operators to answer questions about what has happened, diagnostic analytics help operators answer questions about why the events happened, predictive analytics help operators answer questions about what will happen, and prescriptive analytics help operators answer questions about what should be done. This month’s JPT features examples of three such systems. Paper SPE 207290 provides an example of how automated well models are being used to improve the performance of progressing cavity pumps in a large Middle Eastern asset. Paper SPE 200825 shows how one operator is using artificial neural networks to predict failures in sucker rod pumping applications. Finally, paper IPTC 20254 shows how genetic algorithms can be used to accelerate the surveillance and optimization of a large population of gas lift wells. As an added bonus, one of our recommended papers for further reading, paper SPE 207550, illustrates how data analytics techniques are being used to predict failures in electric submersible pumping applications. Recommended additional reading at OnePetro: www.onepetro.org. SPE 208136 - Gas-Lift-Valves Replacement in Norway Field Using Riserless Light Well Intervention Vessel by Antonio Fiameni, Eni, et al. SPE 207550 - Real-Time Implementation of ESP Predictive Analytics—Toward Value Realization From Data Science by Antonio Andrade Marin, Petroleum Development Oman, et al. URTEC 208406 - Statistical Process Control for Early Detection of Progressive Cavity Pump Failures in Vertical Unconventional Gas Wells by Suren Indrajith Rathnayake, The University of Queensland, et al.

Estimation of interface friction and concrete boundary layer for 3D printable concrete pumping

3D concrete printing technology is a revolutionary method having multiple benefits over the conventional method of construction. Currently, the 3DCP process is in its initial stage hence required detailed investigation on many points. In the 3DCP process, pumping pressure plays the foremost role as the continuous, uniform and controlled flow of concrete is required to achieve desirable printability. To estimate the pumping pressure effectively, it is necessary to study the pumping parameters & interface friction. The interface friction at boundary layer is largely affected by the concrete composition. The estimation of pumping pressure for conventional concrete was found in past study in which the piston pump and metal pipe was used as a pumping assembly but no work has been found to estimate pumping pressure for 3D printable concrete using progressive cavity pump and high density polyethylene (HDPE) rubber hose pipe. In this study the interface friction between high density polyethylene (HDPE) rubber hose pipe and different 3D printable concrete mix was estimated by performing tribometer test. Effect of 3D printable concrete composition on thickness of boundary layer was also studied. From the experimental results, it was found that the interface friction is decreasing with the more workable concrete mix and the boundary layer (BL) was formed by the cement, water & smaller size of sand particles (<1.18 mm).

Identification of Breakout Behind Casing: Methodology to Obtain Openhole-Equivalent Caliper Measurements Through Slotted Liner Using the Density Tool

Growth in the coal seam gas industry in Queensland, Australia, has been rapid over the past 15 years, with greater than USD 70 billion invested in three liquified natural gas export projects supplied by produced coal seam gas. Annual production is of the order of 40 Bscm or 1,500 PJ, with approximately 80% of this coming from the Jurassic Walloon Coal Measures of the Surat Basin and 20% from the Permian Coal Measures of the Bowen Basin. The Walloon Coal Measures are characterized by multiple thin coal seams making up approximately 10% of the total thickness of the unit. A typical well intersects 10 to 20 m of net coal over a 200- to 300-m interval, interbedded with lithic-rich sandstones, siltstones, and carbonaceous mudstones. The presence of such a significant section of lithic interburden within the primary production section has led to a somewhat unusual completion strategy. To maximize connection to the gas-bearing coals, uncemented slotted liners are used; however, this leaves fluid-sensitive interburden exposed to drilling, completion, and produced formation fluids over the life of a well. External swellable packers and blank joints are therefore used to isolate larger intervals of interburden and hence minimize fines production. Despite these efforts, significant fines production still occurs, which leads to the failure of artificial lift systems and the need for expensive workovers or lost wells. Fines production has major economic implications, with anecdotal reports suggesting up to 40% of progressive cavity pump artificial lift systems in Walloon Coal Measures producers may be down at any one time. The first step in solving this problem is to identify the extent and distribution of fines production. The wellbore completion strategy above, however, precludes the use of mechanical calipers to identify fines-production-related wellbore enlargement. A new caliper-behind-liner technique has therefore been developed using a multiple-detector density tool. Data from the shorter-spacing detectors are used to characterize the properties of the liner as well as the density of the annular material. This is particularly important to evaluate as the annulus fill varies between gas, formation water, drilling and completion fluids, and accumulated fines. The longer-spacing detector measurements are then used in conjunction with pre-existing openhole formation density measurements to determine the thickness of the annulus, and hence hole size, compensating for liner and annulus properties.

PENINGKATAN PRODUKSI DENGAN CARA MENDESAIN ULANG PROGRESSIVE CAVITY PUMP (PCP) PADA SUMUR “E” LAPANGAN “P”

Artificial lift method in an oil well is a production engineering that use the help of surface and downhole equipment in order to achieve optimum production when the well is not suited to use natural flow as the main lifting system. But in many cases, even after artificial lift method have using, the optimum production have not achieved yet, thus resulting a redesign of the existing artificial lift is needed. This problem exists on E well that is owned by PT XYZ 1 Field Jambi using Progressive Cavity Pump (PCP) as artificial lift. From the early calculation, it is found that the current production of 17,16 bfpd has not reached the targetted production that is 48,57 bfpd. This shows a need for the existing PCP to be redesigned. Before redesigning the artificial lift, the current value of Productivity Index (PI) is needed in order to make an Inflow Performance Relationship (IPR) curve that will shows whether the oil well still worth producing or not. According to the results of this research, the value of PI is 0,47 with the maximum production at 60,72 bfpd and optimum production 48,57 bfpd. Meanwhile, the current production is only 17,16 bfpd. After the redesigning completed using R &amp; M Energy Systems calculation methods as the provider of the current PCP, it is found that the optimal for revolution per minute (RPM), horse power (HP), torque values and the drive head type are 101,5 RPM, 2,7 HP, 15 ft-lbs and there have to be a change in drive head type AA4. To get results optimal production.

A New Analytical Approach To Calculate a Slippage inside a Progressing Cavity Pump with a Metallic Stator Using a Middle Streamline and a Structural Periodicity

Summary Simplified and 3D models have been studied to predict the performance of progressing cavity pumps (PCPs). Simplified models were mainly made for metallic stator PCP performance. Their purpose was to represent the relationship between pump flow rate and differential pressure. Previous studies proposed to solve the system of mass conservation equations. In these studies, the geometry of the gap area was not clearly represented by neglecting the curvatures of stator and rotor. In addition, only frictional loss was considered, but local loss by gradual contraction or expansion of the gap area was not considered. In this study, we present a new analytical approach considering curvature and local loss. The depth of the gap area and local loss could be calculated analytically by a middle streamline and a curvature. On the basis of periodicity of distribution of cavities, simplified calculation for a slippage was possible without a system of mass conservation equations. Therefore, this model represents clearer geometry and a more simplified approach. The results show that this model shortens the calculating time and facilitates programing; in addition, the model validation is good in matching with experimental data.

Retracted: Optimasi Laju Produksi dengan Cara Desain Ulang Progressive Cavity Pump (PCP) pada Sumur “X” Lapangan “Y”

This article has been retracted at the request of publisher.Reason: This article is virtually identical to the previously published article "Peningkatan Produksi Dengan Cara Mendesain Ulang Progressive Cavity Pump (Pcp) Pada Sumur “E” Lapangan “P”” Petro:Jurnal Ilmiah Teknik Perminyakan, Volume 10 No. 3 (2021), 136-143 authored by Eko Prastio, Abdullah Rizky Agusman

Technology Focus: Artificial Lift (October 2021)

What, a second artificial lift focus feature this year? What’s going on? Well, maybe I can answer your questions with another round of questions: Do you know how many of your organization’s wells are artificially lifted? Or, more importantly, do you know what fraction of your production volumes are dependent on artificial lift? I would wager that the percentages are higher than you would expect, and I encourage you to seek out that information and share it. Share it with your asset team, share it with other asset teams, share it with other functions, share it with your management, shout it from the rooftops! Seriously, though, this information can be quite useful to you and your organization. Did you ever wonder if someone else could be struggling with the same artificial lift selection, installation, operation, or reliability challenges that you are? The answer you’re looking for may be in the SPE archives, or it may be just down the road with a colleague in a different part of the region, country, or world. Do you have a novel new technique, system, or invention that you want to try out? Why not leverage the knowledge that others in your company could also benefit from? Maybe they would even like to participate and strengthen your pilot with a broader range of test conditions. Do you need more personnel or technical or financial support for artificial lift in your asset? Show precisely what those electrical submersible pumps (ESPs), rod pumps, gas-lift valves, and plungers (among others) are lifting to the flowline. Sometimes a step back to a higher-level view can motivate and reinforce the people behind the day-to-day efforts to extend the time between failures and chase optimum performance. I’m certain that you are now a (possibly unwilling) expert at videoconferencing. That’s why I would like to encourage you to attend the 2021 SPE Electric Submersible Pumps Symposium, to be held 4–8 October in The Woodlands, Texas. Of course, the technical presentations will be well worth it, but you may gain even more value from the networking, collaboration, and idea generation that happens between the events listed in the program. Not an ESP person? Do gas and sand separators, power cables, advanced materials, and downhole sensors apply to other lift methods or well systems in general? How about applied artificial intelligence, reliability studies, and predictive analytics? Maybe they don’t for you right now, but they could. I hope to see you there. Recommended additional reading at OnePetro: www.onepetro.org. SPE 201153 - Intermittent Gas Lift for Liquid-Loaded Horizontal Wells in Tight Gas Shale Reservoirs by Daniel David Croce, Colorado School of Mines SPE 202668 - Insert Sucker Rod Surface-Controlled Subsurface Safety Valve: A Step Ahead To Improve the Well Integrity for Sucker Rod Artificial Lift Retrofitting by Salvatore Pilone, Eni, et al. SPE 201136 - New Stage of Rodless Artificial Lift Operation: The First Field Application of Submersible Motor Cable Plug With Electric Submersible Progressing Cavity Pump in CNPC by Shijia Zhu, China National Petroleum Corporation, et al.

Pumping Contribution to Dissolved Oxygen in Virgin Olive Oil During Processing

The overall quality of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) strictly relates to the evolution of its oxidative state, which in turn depends on the amount of the oxygen availability during the product life, starting with the olive fruit milling. The issue of oil oxygenation during processing has been poorly studied. The few available literature assesses the relative contribution of three main processing steps (paste malaxation, decanter centrifugation, and vertical centrifugation) to the final dissolved oxygen concentration and the consequences on the oil quality decay during storage. Nevertheless, until now information about the contribution of the devices used to moves materials during processing, i.e. screw conveyor and pumps to move olive, olive paste and oil, to the amount of dissolved oxygen and in broader terms on the oil quality, are lacking. It can be reasonably assumed that the intact drupes handling during leaf-removal and washing before crushing, had a negligible effect on the final oil dissolved oxygen content, whereas from crusher to the decanter centrifuge by the malaxer, where olive paste handling occurs, a noticeable effect on the future oil characteristics could occur. The standard and widespread device used to move olive paste during processing, essentially from the crusher to the malaxer and from the malaxer to the decanter centrifuge, is the progressive cavity pump, commonly named mono-pump. Notices of other pumping devices used or proved in EVOO mills are missing. In the present work a peristaltic pump (roller pump) has been tested in comparison to the conventional mono-pump in a continuous centrifugal extraction plant. Specifically, the two pumps were alternatively used to feed the decanter centrifuge by empting the malaxation chambers. The oxygenation effect was assessed in terms of dissolved oxygen amount (DOA) in the produced EVOO, which were also compared for the main qualitative traits such as commercial parameters, phenolic and volatile profiles and phthalates occurrence being the peristaltic pump equipped with a phthalates-free tube. Basically, the qualitative effect of the two pumps significantly differs for the DOA with about 10% saving for the peristaltic pump. The latter also gives significantly (p

Influences of eccentricity ratio on the internal flow and cavitation characteristics of progressing cavity pump

A Progressing Cavity Pump (PCP) works by forming a progressive seal cavity through the eccentric rotation of rotor. PCP parameters, such as eccentricity ratio [Formula: see text], can influence its performance and cavitation characteristics. The internal correlation among clearance fluid, cavitation characteristics, and pump performance should be explored to reveal the variation laws of internal flow and cavitation characteristics in PCP under different [Formula: see text]. In this study, a contrast analysis on external characteristics (e.g. volume efficiency) of pump with different eccentricity ratios was carried out by combining an RNG [Formula: see text] turbulence model based on Singhal full-cavitation model and the model pump test method. Moreover, gas volume distribution of PCP was analyzed and the optimal value range of eccentricity ratio was proposed. Results demonstrate that the axial force and axial power of PCP basically remain the same, volume efficiency increases, and cavitation performance decreases with the increase of [Formula: see text], and the optimal value for [Formula: see text] ranges from 0.17 to 0.24. In addition, a revised NPSHQ is proposed to quantify the cavitation characteristics of PCP.

Roller Profiling for Generating the Screw of a Pump with Progressive Cavities

Progressive cavity pumps are used in industry for the circulation of high viscosity fluids, such as crude oil and petroleum products, sewage sludge, oils, salt water, and wastewater. Also known as single screw pumps, these pumps are composed of a single rotor which has the shape of a rounded screw, which moves inside a rubber stator. The stator has an double helical internal surface which, together with the helical surface of the rotor, creates a cavity that moves along the rotor. The movement effect of the cavity inside the stator is the movement of the fluid with a constant flow and high pressure. In this paper, an algorithm for profiling the rollers for generating the helical surface of the pump rotor with progressive cavities is proposed. These rollers are constituted as tools for the plastic deformation of the blank (in case the pump rotor is obtained by volumetric deformation) or for its superficial hardening.

KINETICS OF THERMAL DESTRUCTION OF BUTADIENE-NITRILE ELASTOMERS APPLIED IN PROGRESSING CAVITY PUMPS

To ensure the production of high-viscosity oil, progressing cavity pumps with a surface or submersible drive are widely used. The reliability and efficiency of progressing cavity pumps significantly depends on the elastomers used, which are mainly used as butadiene-nitrile rubbers. In the article, the thermal degradation of a number of butadiene-nitrile elastomers is investigated by the method of dynamic thermogravimetric analysis. The kinetic features of the destruction of elastomers in inert and oxidizing (air) media are established. The temperature corresponding to 5 % of the mass loss of the samples in the context of the destruction under consideration is defined as one of the parameters corresponding to the thermal stability of the elastomers. The process of mass loss of an elastomer under conditions of linear temperature increase includes 3 stages, the temperature ranges of which are related to the conditions of thermal degradation and the content of nitrile functional groups in the elastomer. The parameters of the Arrhenius equation of the thermodestruction stages are determined, which can also be used as parameters characterizing the stability of elastomers. It is shown that air oxygen has a more destructive effect on elastomers than CO2. Based on the results obtained and the analysis of the literature data, conclusions are drawn about the mechanism of destruction.

The Health Index Prediction Model and Application of PCP in CBM Wells Based on Deep Learning

Aiming at the problems of the current production and operation status of the progressive cavity pump (PCP) in coalbed methane (CBM) wells which cannot be timely monitored, quantitatively evaluated, and accurately predicted, a five-step method for evaluating and predicting the health status of PCP wells is proposed: data preprocessing, principal parameter optimization, health index construction, health degree division, and health index prediction. Therein, a health index (HI) formulation was made based on deep learning, and a statistical method was used to define the health status of PCP wells as being healthy, subhealthy, or faulty. This allowed further research on the HI prediction model of PCP wells based on the long short-term memory (LSTM) network. As demonstrated in the study, they can reflect both the change trend and the contextual relevance of the health status of PCP wells with high accuracy to achieve real-time, quantitative, and accurate assessment and prediction. At the same time, the conclusion gives good guidance on the production performance analysis and failure warning of the PCP wells and suggests a new direction for the health status assessment and warning of other artificial lift equipment.

Justification on Choosing Screw Pumping Units as Energy Efficient Artificial Lift Technology

The paper analyzes the main techniques and technologies of oil fluid recovery in the context of energy consumption, significantly rising over the latest decade. It is recognized that the number of publications in the area of energy efficiency is growing steadily. Currently Russian oil and gas industry are facing the task of accelerating reduction of energy consumption while preserving, or even increasing, production rates. The task is complicated by the fact that the majority of deposits in Russia either have already entered (primarily, Volga-Ural region) or are now entering (West Siberia) their last stage of exploration, whereas new deposits in East Siberia are only being brought into production. Furthermore, a lot of new deposits, which provide for high recovery rates, are profitable a priori as at the first stage of exploration they do not need any artificial lift due to their free flow production without any oil well pumps. However, there is a significant share of new deposits with low-permeability reservoirs, which require either a system of reservoir pressure maintenance or periodic hydraulic fracturing. At the same time deposits at the late stages of exploration, apart from the use of pump units, systems of reservoir pressure maintenance and hydraulic fracturing, require regular repair and restoration, measures against salt and heavy oil sediments, mechanical impurities, flooding, etc., which all has a negative effect on well profitability. In order to solve these problems, the authors review existing methods and calculate specific energy consumption using various pump systems for hypothetical wells, varying in yield. According to the research results, it has been revealed that from the point of view of energy efficiency, it is desirable to equip low- and low-yield wells with sucker rod progressive cavity pump units, medium-yield ones – with electric progressive cavity pumps driven by permanent magnet motor, medium- and high-yield wells – with electric progressive cavity pumps or electric submersible pumps driven by permanent magnet motor, depending on the characteristics of the pumpedout oil fluid.

Buckling of a twisted rod with centralizers in a tubing

A lot of research work has been done on the buckling of compressed rods with connectors in cylinders. However, very limited investigations on the buckling of a twisted sucker rod with centralizers in the progressing cavity pump well has been carried out so far. In our present study, a numerical computational strategy is proposed to investigate this highly important buckling problem. Firstly, a twisted sucker rod with or without centralizers is selected for finite element simulation and calculation, which verifies our solution method. Following that, the effects of centralizer number, centralizer spacing, sucker rod diameter and tubing diameter on the critical torque are analyzed. It is found that the clearance ratio, i.e., the ratio of the clearance between the centralizer and the tubing to the clearance between the sucker rod and the tubing, is the only factor that affects the dimensionless critical torque. With a centralizer, the critical rod length is usually reduced by 25% compared to the case of a rod with hinged restraint.

Flow Field Numerical Simulation and Performance Analysis of Progressing Cavity Pump

SummaryProgressing cavity pump (PCP) is the essential booster equipment in oil–gas mixing delivery. Changes in relevant parameters in PCP operations directly affect the working performance and service life of the pump. On the basis of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in this study, we apply dynamic grid technology to establish a 3D flow field numerical calculation model for the CQ11-2.4J PCP, which is used in the field of the Hounan Operation Area in Changqing oil field, China. The effects of several operating parameters, such as oil viscosity, pump rotation speed, differential pump pressure, and void fraction of oil, on the pressure and the velocity distribution of the PCP flow field are examined. Various performance parameters in the transport of the oil–gas two-phase mixture are used in the analysis, including volumetric flow rate, slippage, shaft power, volumetric efficiency, and system efficiency. The results show that the pressure and speed distribution in the pump chamber of the PCP is relatively homogenous under different working conditions, whereas the pressure and speed exhibited sharp changes at the stator and rotor sealing line and adjacent areas in the pump chamber. Increasing the viscosity of the oil and the speed of the rotor can effectively improve the flow characteristics of the PCP, but extremely high pump rotation speed would cause a decline in system efficiency. Increasing the differential pressure and the void fraction of oil would result in a decrease in the volumetric flow rate and efficiency of the PCP. Considering the variation law of the PCP's performance parameters, the optimal interval for each operating parameter of the PCP is as follows: Oil viscosity at 50–100 mPa·s, pump rotation speed at 200–300 rev/min, differential pressure at 0.2–0.3 MPa, and the void fraction of oil not more than 50%. This research can provide technical support for the optimization of the working conditions of the PCP on site.

Progressing-Cavity-Pump Configuration Addresses Operational Challenges

This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper SPE 201130, “Novel Progressing-Cavity-Pump Configurations Address Operational Challenges,” by Lonnie Dunn, SPE, Ryan Rowan, and Abhishek Prakash, Lifting Solution, et al., prepared for the 2020 SPE Virtual Artificial Lift Conference and Exhibition-Americas, 10-12 November. The paper has not been peer reviewed. While downhole progressing-cavity-pump (PCP) designs provide options for end users, the numerous products available, combined with a lack of industry standardization, can make selection and application challenging. The complete paper provides an overview of the development of a PCP concept and implementation, which is not included in this synopsis, and then summarizes two novel PCP configurations deployed to address specific operational challenges. Design and Manufacturing, Configuration 1 A novel PCP configuration was developed from phased design trials and experience in cold heavy-oil production with sand (CHOPS) wells. This configuration uses a modified rotor to create alternating sections of contact and noncontact within a conventional stator (Fig. 1). The rotor is landed in the stator and operated until there is a performance decline. Then, the rotor is repositioned to move the active section of the rotor into the areas of the stator where there originally was no contact and, as such, normally no associated damage. Keeping the length of the alternating sections short simplifies the surface rotor positioning process, allowing it to be performed riglessly. The main benefit of this is that, rather than having to pull the rod string and run a different rotor, the same rotor is used and repositioned through lifting of the rod string at surface.

Modeling pressure pulsation and backflow in progressing cavity pumps with deformable stator

This contribution studies the impact of the rotor-stator interaction in a single-stage progressing cavity pump on the flow rate and pressure. Specifically, we investigate the effect of the rotor movement on the sealings formed with deformable stators for various speeds and pressures. Sealings are reconstructed with the help of a geometric 3D model. We analyze the tangential and radial deviation of the rotor from its reference path and show that the radial deviation affects the flow rate, whereas the tangential deviation affects the pressure dynamics. The conjectures are confirmed with a laboratory test setup.

Experimental and CFD modelling of a Progressive Cavity Pump using overset unstructured mesh

A Progressive Cavity Pump (PCP) is widely used in industry as an artificial lift method because of its high efficiency during the pumping of high viscosity fluids and two-phase liquid-gas flow slurries. However, modelling PCP through Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is quite complicated since it requires a meshing algorithm and is computationally expensive. Therefore, this study's main objective is to develop a CFD model capable of predicting a progressive cavity pump's behavior by implementing the Overset Mesh, which includes the relative motion between the rotor and the stator. Overset meshes are used to discretize a computational domain with several different meshes that arbitrarily overlap each other. They are most useful because the rotor geometry can be enclosed in a fluid (background) region and set to different positions. The PCP analyzed in this study is a GRP 4.0-4000 208 TSL 1-2 mono-lobe, which contains an API J55 stainless steel rotor and stator handling four Newtonian fluids (water, oil API 11, oil API 22, and oil API 31) at three rotational speeds (100 rpm, 150 rpm, and 200 rpm). The experimental data presented in this paper was collected in the PCP experimental facility of the SLACOL BCP Group (Tenjo, Colombia). All the measurements were made using the CILA2S controller for artificial lifting in the underground and on the surface to determine the operational curves of flowrate, volumetric efficiency, torque, and power consumed. The CFD model implementation was developed on Star- CCM+ version 15.02-R8 of 2020 for laminar and turbulent regimens. The results obtained through this study show that it is unnecessary to program a structured mesh to capture a progressive cavity pump's performance since the operational parameters evaluated to have an accuracy of 10% concerning the experimental data.Similarly, capturing the viscous effect near the wall and the transversal y horizontal slip inside the cavities is possible. The flow rate obtained for higher viscosity oils is more significant for the same pressure differences for water with average volumetric efficiencies of 85%. Finally, the pressure increase per stage is homogeneous along the pump's entire length for all fluids evaluated

DIGITAL OIL FIELD FROM DATA TO REAL - TIME DECISION MAKING -SMART WORKING FOR OPERATIONS EFFICIENCY

Digital Oil Field (DOF) project in OMV Petrom aims to remotely monitor, troubleshoot and optimize operations and maintenance data and activities in a modern manner, and to foster value creation through increased integrated and reliable performance data availability to skilled professionals in order to facilitate the right decisions. DOF Project started as a pilot in an oil field, covering a large area of automated wells and facilities. The pilot field is operating around 400 wells equipped with PCP (progressive cavity pump) and more than 70% automated facilities consisting of: 14 MPSs (Meter Point Skids), 2 PMANs (Production Manifolds) and 1 OMS (Oil Metering Station), all connected to SCADA systems.