Abstract
Understanding abrasive wear in a downhole production scenario can be critical to the success or failure of a project. As, not understanding this phenomena can be very costly to a project in a short time period.
There are a number of laboratories, around the world, that can perform a particle size distribution, for abrasives, and provide both photomacro and photomicrographs of the abrasive material. However, there are other parameters one would want to take under consideration, in order to determine the proper abrasive resistant (AR) trim for an electrical submersible pump (ESP).
This paper will offer, for review, some additional parameters for consideration. As well as a quantitative, in conjunction with qualitative, formula to help make a determination of the proper abrasive resistant (AR) trim for an ESP. Included, we will present additional parameters, other than just particle size distribution (PSD) and the geometry of the abrasive particles, that are used in the formula. The data collected from a given well will allow a proactive selection of equipment, initial install or replacement. The step beyond collecting data for a particular well would be the performance of a field study to provide a desired AR trim selection for equipment for a given field. This would allow a more expeditious selection of replacement equipment.
Our database is formed from over six hundred sand samples that have been analyzed from around the globe. This data presentation will include samples analyzed from the North Sea; including samples from the Norwegian sector.
