Abstract
Artificial lift is widely used by Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) to both accelerate and increase oil production. The electrical submersible pump (ESP) is one of the most commonly used artificial lift systems in oil and water wells. The ESP is a multistage centrifugal pump placed down in the wellbore, capable of delivering high pressure increments for large oil rates. Reservoir oil is always saturated with natural gas, which will be separated from the oil as the pressure is decreased below the bubble point pressure. Since oil production is based on pressure drawdown, ESPs are likely to experience free gas in the suction fluid. Due to free gas present, several gas locking and ESP trips are observed. This technology is taken into consideration to minimize the free gas produced into the pump. Application of this technology can lead to more stable flow, less ESP trips and increased its run life of ESP. More over, suitable cooling mechanism has to be set up for the motor protection.
