Dragon and White Tiger fields are currently at the production decline stage, along with the increased water-cut of well products and reduced reservoir pressure. High water-cut increases the density of gas-liquid mixture in the tubing leading to a compressed gaslift slippage following the increased bottomhole pressure, reduced production rate, increased specific consumption of gaslift gas per fluid production from the well. Declined oil production results in reduced production of associated oil gas, while the gaslift gas demand increases with the rising load on compressed gas injection pipelines. Electrical submersible pump (ESP) production method may be considered as the promising one, which ensures the required production rates and high efficiency under the high water-cut conditions. Vietsovpetro’s experience in operating the ESPs starts from 1991. Effective implementation of ESP requires thorough selection of equipment for the specific geophysical properties of wells, consideration of logistics and infrastructure peculiarities and limitations, especially offshore. The article covers the experience of the first ESP usage in Vietsovpetro JV and the following gap analysis, changes to well selection approach and search for the required surface and subsea ESP electric equipment for a stable and long-term operation, which ensures the scheduled time between failures, as well as defines the promising ways to enhance the efficiency of this production method in the conditions of offshore fields development.
References
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2. Ivanov A.N., Bondarenko V.A., Veliev M.M. et al., Test and application of electrical submersible pump units at White Tiger field (In Russ.), Neftyanoe khozyaystvo = Oil Industry, 2019, no. 10, pp. 82–86, DOI: https://doi.org/10.24887/0028-2448-2019-10-82-86
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