During recent years, optimization of lifting methods has been applied in the oil industry in order to evaluate the effect on oil well production and establish a company's optimal investment policies.

The higher costs of new artificial lif ting equipment and facilities for new fields have created the necesity to review the latest available technology of different lifting methods and specially that of the electrical submergible pump (ESP).

Few studies in the area of heavy crude oil production optimization using ESP's as a lifting method have been published. This paper discusses the results of a pilot ESP project performed in ten wells in the Boscan field and analyses the performance of the equipment and its application range. This equipment was installed in completions at depths ranging from 7000 to 9000 feet, with a 10° API crude gravity and bottom-hole temperatures of 180°F.

It was concluded that despite a reduction of the pump's efficiency, the ESP equipment does qualify as a good alternative lifting method for heavy oil production. It is also possible to obtain higher production rates.

The results obtained in this project confirms that submergible pump is an alternative method for lifting heavy crude oil from relatively deep reservoirs.

Keywords:
artificial lift system, diluent, reservoir conditions, viscosity, injection system, bottomhole temperature, cable, esp equipment, production rate, completion
Subjects:
Artificial Lift Systems, Improved and Enhanced Recovery, Beam and related pumping techniques, Electric submersible pumps
Copyright 1994, Society of Petroleum Engineers
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