SLB enhances performance, operating range with new “breakthrough” artificial lift systems
(WO) — On Sunday, April 21, SLB introduced two advanced artificial lift systems: The Reda Agile compact wide-range electric submersible pump (ESP) system and the rodless Reda PowerEdge electric submersible progressing cavity pump (ESPCP) system. Their “breakthrough” designs deliver enhanced reliability and efficiency.
Connected to digital services for continuous live surveillance and real-time optimization, these technologies improve operational stability, enabling faster installation and production, with lower power consumption, operating costs and CO2 emissions.
“The wide-range capabilities of these two systems enable continuous operation over a broader range of production conditions than any artificial lift system currently on the market,” said Ernesto Cuadros, Artificial Lift Business Line Director, SLB.
“Their innovative designs also enable more efficient deployment through reduced installation time and improved proximity to the reservoir. SLB has committed to innovating the most efficient technology solutions on the market, driving both customer performance and lower carbon operations.”
The PowerEdge ESPCP system provides a more energy-efficient rodless alternative for low-flow production rates in mature conventional and unconventional wells. The PowerEdge ESPCP system expands the operating range of traditional PCP systems, being highly resistant to aromatics and able to withstand high temperatures at different pump speeds and intake pressures.
The system lowers power consumption and related CO2 emissions by up to 55%. Using a single PowerEdge ESPCP system for the remaining life of the well, as an alternative to rod lift installation in unconventional wells, reduces workovers and production deferments.
The Agile ESP system provides unparalleled operational flexibility, improving economics and efficiency while reducing the overall cost of operation. Being significantly shorter and lighter than other ESPs on the market, the system can be installed faster and placed farther into the well, effectively extracting more from the well. With the widest operating range in the industry, the ESP system eliminates the usual need for frequent ESP changes as production varies.
The Agile ESP system was deployed by Pertamina to produce a 6,000-ft well offshore Indonesia, in which three conventional ESPs had failed, costing $600,000 in production deferments and workover costs. The Agile ESP system successfully navigated the complex well, accessing the target depth unreachable by the three failed ESPs, and operated continuously for more than 300 days, avoiding abandonment of the previously unproducible well.
