Deployment and Performance Analysis of Gas Handling ESP Systems in a High GOR Environment

Abstract The rise of gas handling devices for ESPs has been crucial for high GOR environments. These devices aim to efficiently manage high gas volume fractions (GVF) to mitigate gas locking, which can cause frequent ESP trips, by homogenizing the fluid before entering the pump. This paper aims to provide a performance analysis on the effectiveness and capabilities of gas handling ESP systems, elaborating on the technology, mechanisms and the various deployed designs, including their success in enhancing wells’ performances and production rates. To achieve optimum production conditions and well deliverability, ESPs with gas handling devices have been installed in numerous high GOR wells. All the ESP designs have been meticulously analyzed through multiple simulation models to optimize the design parameters, in addition to evaluating the performance of the well before and after the ESP installation. The study incorporates analysis of various ESP designs in terms of rate, GVF, and pump setting depth. The gas handling systems were tested across different conditions for thorough performance analysis and technology evaluation. The performance analysis shows that the productivity of some wells has had a fivefold increase, while the maximum GVF the deployed gas handling systems can withstand is close to 55%. It's important to note that the ESP system functions better with higher intake pressure due to a more controlled GVF, meaning that a deeper pump setting depth is preferred when possible. Overall, the gas handling ESP installations have exhibited remarkable and promising results by substantially boosting the well deliverability and rate potential of their respective producers. Since conventional ESPs cannot withstand high GVF and tend to gas lock, eventually leading to pre-mature failure, this technology mitigates such failures and presents a reliable artificial lift method for high GOR reservoirs. The deployment of ESPs with gas handling systems is proving to be a great success for significantly enhancing the production of high GOR oil producers requiring artificial lift. Hence, this study presents a reliable method to increase well deliverability, and confirms the advancement of the emerging technology as opposed to the conventional ESPs that cannot withstand high gas fractions.