Operators have long identified that having a failure tracking system in place is key to obtaining longer average service life in fields with Electrical Submergible Pump (ESP) operated wells. Problems with system design, equipment specification, manufacturing or installation, and day-to-day operation can be identified and corrected, contributing to run life improvement with time and resulting in increased profits. However, existing tracking systems tend to be field/operation specific and, as a result, typically lack sufficient breadth to assess ESP run life under changing conditions or for new applications.

Recognizing the pitfalls mentioned above, several international operators have recently joined efforts in a Joint Industry Project (JIP) with the objective of gaining a better understanding of the circumstances during design, manufacture or use of ESPs that lead to success or failure in a specific application. Through the ESP-RIFTS (Reliability Information and Failure Tracking System) JIP, operators are sharing failure records, and other pertinent data, as a basis to achieve this understanding.

Tangible results of the project include:

• Decision makers are able to rely on hard reliability data, rather than educated guesses or vendor indications, to support alternative solutions for specific applications. The chances for economic success are therefore enhanced;
• Operators and vendors are able to focus on relevant technology developments towards resolving key problems and expanding the application range of ESPs;
• Benchmarking operation performance against others all over the world is possible, helping accelerate the learning curve and identify opportunities for improvements, thus leading to more favorable economic results earlier in a development;
• What-if scenario analyses will become possible because data on a variety of conditions will be accessible.

Visit project website at: www.esprifts.com to learn more about the subject.

Contact: Francisco Trevisan, Research Engineer

Tel: 780.450.8989 x249