A Computer Program to Develop the Performance Curves for the Sucker Rod and the Electrical Submersible Pumps, and to Predict their Operating Conditions in an Oil Well Production System

Abstract

The proper selection of the pump operating conditions for artificially lifted wells is very important to improve the production economics of the well. The selection of the pump operating conditions results from the solution of the intake curves of the pump and the inflow performance relationship (IPR) of the well. This selection process needs a great effort for the calculations. Indeed, it should be repeated for any change in reservoir or well parameters, such as the change in the future IPR with the change of reservoir pressure. So a computer program to do these calculations will be an efficient tool; as it will save time and effort.

A computer program is developed to prepare the performance curves for the sucker rod and the electrical submersible pumps. This program is used to determine the optimum operating conditions, to predict the future IPR, and to study the effect of the future IPR on the selection of the operating point.

Well data obtained from the literature were used to validate the developed program. The sensitivity analysis results of the effective parameters showed that the program is able to determine the pressure at which the pump should be replaced, either by one of the same type or with another type. For example, for the first well, it was found that the GN5200- 540 series should be replaceby GN3200 - 540 series if the average reservoir pressure is reduced from 1920 psi to 1600 psi. Another well example indicated that the A400-338 series may be replaced by a sucker rod pump as the average reservoir pressure is reduced form 1500 psi to 1200 psi.