The Value of Pump Discharge Pressure Measurements and their Application for Improving Performance and Operation of ESPs

Abstract While most of the offshore and high-profile land electric submersible pump (ESP) installations are equipped with downhole sensors for measurement of operating conditions at the pump intake and discharge, ESP systems in land operations typically do not include pump discharge pressure sensors. For these systems, we rely on measurements of intake conditions—wellbore pressure and temperature, motor oil and/or motor winding temperature, and vibrations—and operating parameters measured at surface. The limited use of discharge sensors is often due to a reduced clearance between the motor outside diameter and casing inside diameter. There are applications where physical limitations are not a concern, yet some operators choose to run only the base unit for monitoring intake measurements because they do not see a benefit on adding discharge pressure data. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate the value of adding discharge pressure data to the monitoring system when used in conjunction with the other real-time downhole and surface measurements to evaluate and optimize performance of ESP systems. Case examples of field operations will be presented to illustrate how pump discharge pressure measurements contributed to an effective and timely diagnostic of critical operating conditions and optimization of ESP performance operating in challenging conditions such as: multiphase flow, slugging flow and gas interference, flow restrictions, solids buildup, and changes in inflow performance or fluid properties. Pump discharge pressure monitoring has been available for decades but as of today, the value and use of this powerful resource is overlooked in many land operations that could benefit from it to implement a comprehensive program of real-time surveillance, remote control, and optimization of ESP systems.