Publications

An artificial lift method known as the Electric Submersible Pump (ESP) boosts the pressure of fluid produced, allowing an increase in well drawdown and providing the additional energy required for the reservoir fluid to flow. It is nowadays technically possible to adjust speed of the ESP with a Variable Speed Drive (VSD), varying the operating speed greatly expands the operating range of the unit. In the future, static pressure and productivity wells will decline, and as a result pump capacity will be greater than well capacity and create operational problems such as downthrust. Because of this possibility, this paper will analyze the speed of the ESP adjusted by VSD, to compare possible flow rates from each speed, both at present and in the future. The method used to analyze ESP speed is nodal analysis, which manifests both inflow and outflow performance. In its inflow performance, this paper will show present inflow and future inflow curves. In outflow performance, this paper will display the speed of ESP curves. As the result, this study will select optimal speeds of the ESP and possible flow rates which might be appropriate for future conditions. Hopefully, this study could help to solve problems and optimize production at ESP wells operating over a long period of time.