Multiple factors affect electrical submersible pump run life

摘要

To achieve a good electrical submersible pump (ESP) run life, one needs first to understand the key factors that affect the system's run life and then effectively manage those factors. This concluding part of a two-part series on ESPs will cover 10 of the most important factors to consider in extending ESP run life. ESPs are engineered electromechanical systems having multiple components and materials. The pumping end of the ESP system is a multistage centrifugal pump with a specified flow range required to ensure high efficiency and proper thrust balance across the many pump stages. Producing wells can be quite dynamic, especially in their early lives. Completion engineers usually size ESPs to produce a specific flow range with a given required lift based on expected well productivity. Many oil wells produce a small amount of solids such as sand particles, scale, or precipitants. ESP pump components can withstand a wide range of solids concentrations based on well conditions.