UNCONVENTIONAL TIMES CALL FOR UNCONVENTIONAL MEASURES Bryan Holleyman, Extract Production Services, USA, reports on a new permanent magnet electric submersible pump design created for unconventional wells and stricter ESG requirements.
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ince the invention of the electric submersible pump (ESP) in 1918, this pump design has been a bedrock of oil production. But, other than some tweaks in design and materials, it has changed little in about 100 years. For a long time this was acceptable. In conventional wells, decline curves were long and slow, meaning one pump size could work well for years. Wellbore casing remained at 5 1/2 in. – 17 lb/ft, giving the 4.56 in. outer diameter (OD) ESPs plenty of room to operate. And when the times themselves were conventional,
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there were few concerns about carbon footprints involved in electricity use or steel production for a large piece of equipment. But the rise of unconventional wells since the early 2000s has created challenges for the standard design. Decline curves that drop precipitously within 2 years require more frequent pump resizing, as standard ESPs have a narrow operating range. With longer laterals and higher frac pressures requiring thicker, heavier casing too, conventional ESPs began to face efficiency
