Abstract
Since its appearance in May 1930, the progressive cavity pump is being increasingly used in oil production, mainly at heavy oil fields with numerous of application advantages. In the design and selection of progressive cavity pumps (PCP) and extra heavy crude oil, it is usually assessed the type of elastomer used, the displacement capability and the lifting of the pump, leaving out important variables to consider.
A very important point to highlight between two pump models that have similar in uprisings capabilities and geometry, which influence on parameters that affect the volumetric efficiency, the type of fluid to be pumped, capacity and solids handling, speed of operation and service life, among others.
Depending on the application some pumps will be more appropriate than others, it would depend on the geometric design, which affects the performance of the pump operating conditions. For example, without taking care of the elastomer type or the lifting value, two pumps 80 m3/D/100RPM of different geometry, have different efficiencies working with the same fluid. It is Possible that one of them required a higher speed of operation that the other, this one would be more susceptible to solids, and the pump would fail sooner. It could show some remarkable differences on their service-life that means that one of them could have a run-time longer than other.
This document presents the geometric analysis performed at progressive cavity pumps used successfully at the Huyaparí field at the Orinoco Oil Belt Venezuela. Based on field experience, actual data geometries from different suppliers, it is presented a characterization of the geometric variables that must have an efficient BCP at Huyaparí field and it could be extrapolated to some oil fields that have similar characterization of fluid and operation. This study is focused on the geometric analysis, thus excluding elastomers or assessment survey and focus required in the successful operations of a specific field.
