Artificial Lift Testing Methods

Description Recorded March 20, 2018 Presented by Joe Marroquin, Fluids and Machinery Engineering Department, Mechanical Engineering Division, Southwest Research Institute Artificial lift is a process used on production wells to increase pressure within the reservoir and encourage product to flow to the surface. Although artificial lift tends to be associated with mature or depleted fields, the reality is that more than 90 percent of domestic fields employ some form of artificial lift, sometimes from the beginning, as a way to increase production rates and improve project economics. There are many methods to achieve artificial lift, but they can be grouped into two main categories: pump systems and gas lifts. Both systems add cost to the well completion and daily operations. If these systems fail, it can be a huge cost to the operator to fix the system. If these costs grow to a critical level, prior testing of the artificial lift system before installation in the well can save the operator lost income from inefficient production, or large intervention costs. This webinar will provide an overview of methods employed at Southwest Research Institute to test artificial lift equipment. Case studies of a dynamic flow test facility for a gas lift technology and performance evaluations of electric submersible pumps (ESPs) under varying viscosity and GVF conditions will be presented. This webinar is presented for educational purposes only; no endorsements are implied. For more information about artificial lift testing methods, contact Joe Marroquin at https://www.swri.org/user/5506/contact. (rev 8/2020)