Module 8: Case Studies & Applications
Real-world patterns, regional practices, and life-of-well strategies for selecting and operating artificial-lift systems.
🎯 Learning Objectives
- Recognize regional adoption patterns and why certain methods dominate.
- Map reservoir/fluids constraints to fit-for-purpose lift options.
- Design a life-of-well plan (early lift → mid-life → late-life conversion).
- Identify risks and KPIs that drive reliability and economics.
📘 Key Terms
📎 Prerequisite
ℹ️ How to use this module
This module translates the selection framework into real applications. We summarize common regional practices, match reservoir conditions to typical lift choices, and walk through representative cases. Use the tables as a quick reference when you build life-of-well plans or defend a conversion from one method to another.
🗺️ Regional Patterns (why methods dominate)
| Region | Common methods | Why they work there |
|---|---|---|
| Permian & US Shales | ESP (early), Gas Lift (mid/late), Beam pumps (select) | High early rates suit ESP; later gas-lift leverages facility gas and enables pad operations; beam pumps on low-rate vintage wells. |
| Heavy-oil (Canada / Venezuela) | PCP, Beam pumps | Viscous, sand-prone fluids; PCP’s positive displacement and elastomer stator handle solids/viscosity better. |
| Offshore Deepwater (Brazil, GoM) | ESP (incl. subsea/boosters), Gas Lift | High target rates and deep wells; power available; subsea tiebacks; gas-lift for flexibility and workover reduction. |
| Middle East Carbonates | Gas Lift, ESP | High GOR, infrastructure gas, long run-life; gas-lift excels on flexibility and reduced workovers. |
| High-solids / deviated wells | Jet / Hydraulic, PCP | No downhole moving parts (jet); easy retrieval; PCP where viscosity dominates and deviation manageable. |
🧭 Reservoir / Fluid Mapping
| Reservoir / Fluids | Go-to methods | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| High-rate, moderate viscosity, deep | ESP; Gas Lift (backup) | ESP delivers high drawdown at depth; gas-lift adds flexibility and simpler workovers later. |
| Heavy-oil, sand-prone | PCP; Jet | PCP tolerates sand and viscosity; jet pumps avoid downhole moving parts where wear is severe. |
| Intermittent, low-rate gas wells | Plunger Lift | Uses well’s own gas to lift liquids; very low OPEX and simple surface equipment. |
| Highly deviated / tortuous wells | Jet / Hydraulic; Gas Lift | Jet pumps handle deviation/solids; gas-lift avoids rod/ESP conveyance issues. |
| Late-life, water-cut rising | Beam; Gas Lift; PCP (viscous) | Lower rates tolerate beam; gas-lift keeps uptime; PCP when viscosity increases. |
📈 Life-of-Well Strategy
| Phase | Method(s) | Decision drivers |
|---|---|---|
| Early (high PI / cleanup) | ESP; Temporary Gas Lift | High initial rates, quick drawdown, facility gas availability. |
| Mid-life (declining PI) | Gas Lift; ESP (re-size) | Flexibility, fewer workovers, pad operations, optimization via injection. |
| Late-life (low rate / high water) | Beam; PCP (viscous); Plunger (gassy) | Low OPEX, simple maintenance, matching fluid properties. |
- Plan the conversion path: design facilities and wellhead for ESP ⇄ gas-lift swaps (power, cable guards, GL mandrels).
- Stock critical spares: motors, seals, VSDs, GL valves/orifices, jet nozzles/throats.
- Surveillance: allocate downhole gauges/pressure-temp, VSD data historian, injection metering.
📚 Representative Case Studies (public patterns)
Case A — Shale Oil Pad: ESP → Gas-Lift
Wells start on ESP for cleanup and early high rates (VSD controls). After decline, convert to gas-lift using pre-installed mandrels and facility gas. Result: fewer rig workovers, stable uptime, and smoother pad operations.
- Design for conversion day-1: power + GL headers; keep mandrels in first completion.
- Trigger: ESP runtime or rate/Hz threshold; economics favor gas-lift OPEX.
Case B — Heavy-Oil, Sand-Prone: PCP
PCP chosen for viscous, sand-laden crude. Elastomer stator tolerates solids; low shear preserves emulsion behavior. Sand management via desanders and slower RPM prevents excessive wear.
Case C — Deepwater Subsea: ESP w/ Boosters
Subsea or downhole ESPs installed where export head is large. Redundant power, parallel boosters, and condition monitoring extend runtime. Gas-lift used on neighboring wells to reduce intervention exposure.
Case D — Carbonate with High GOR: Gas-Lift
Gas-lift dominates for long run-life and adaptability. Injection optimization and smart mandrels improve stability; wireline-retrievable valves simplify maintenance.
Case E — Deviated, Solids-Prone: Jet Pump
Jet/hydraulic pumps avoid downhole moving parts, easing operations in tortuous wells. No rig required for throat/nozzle changes; power-fluid quality is key to efficiency.
⚠️ Risks & Mitigations (by method)
- ESP: Free gas & scaling → intake separation, gas handlers, inhibitor program, VSD tuning.
- Gas-Lift: Unstable injection, erosion → proper valve spacing/orifices, clean dry gas, anti-surge control.
- PCP: Elastomer swelling/thermal limits → elastomer selection, temp derating, torque monitoring.
- Beam: Rod/tubing wear → rod guides, centralization, deviation management, proper loading.
- Jet: Efficiency/power-fluid costs → nozzle/throat optimization, filtration, recycle planning.
- Plunger: Inadequate gas or paraffin → cycle control, friction reducers/heat, vent management.
📏 Operations KPIs to Track
| Metric | Why it matters | Typical target |
|---|---|---|
| MTBF / Uptime | Captures reliability and intervention exposure | > 365–730 days (method/region dependent) |
| Workover rate | Major OPEX driver; planning spares & crews | ≤ planned window |
| Specific energy (kWh/bbl) | Benchmarks lift efficiency across the fleet | Trend down quarter-over-quarter |
| Deferred production | Quantifies impact of failures/instability | Minimize via hot-swap/conversion readiness |
| Setpoint stability | Indicates optimization health (VSD, GL rate) | Narrow band around optimum |
✅ Quick Knowledge Check
➡️ What’s Next
Having trouble or want to re-run the course flow?