Sustainable Hydrocarbon Production Through ESP System Optimization in the Digital Era

Sustaining hydrocarbon production using artificial lifting technology could be daunting to say the least. Over time, both surface and subsurface challenges associated to artificial lift applications and electric submersible pumping systems in particular, that impact hydrocarbon production make the system unappealing and uneconomical for field development. This paper attempts to review the challenges impacting ESP system optimization for sustainable hydrocarbon production in both brown and green fields during the current big data era. The producing environment as well as the ESP components used in field development and production require continuous optimization across the ESP system spectrum. Analysis and diagnosis of the producing well completion is essential to achieving a better optimization and sustainability of the desired production target. A two-approach system optimization is preferred to address the challenges impacting sustainable hydrocarbon production in an ESP completed well. The approach enumerated in the paper relies on the innovative technological advancement of data capturing, segmentation, and integration brought about by the fourth industrial revolution. The approach involves a top-to-bottom optimization in addition to real-time data integration. The increasing sophistication in ESP system platforms’, mobility, surveillance, connectivity, and storage technologies, joined with the ability to process and rapidly analyze data, improve agility, and support real-time on the spot automated decision making. These enhancements allow action execution to overcome the numerous challenges impacting production sustainability in ESP completed wells. This brings about increased and timely engagement between the equipment manufacturer, operator and the well. In addition, there is reduction in well downtime, increased uptime with overall resultant of sustained hydrocarbon production. A comprehensive approach to artificial lift hydrocarbon production optimization in an ESP completed well using data interwoven connectivity is preferred as the best approach to reactivate, boost, and sustain hydrocarbon production in this era of digitalization.