DuraHard® 7 coating provides enhanced protection against erosion and wear from frac sand
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Extend run life of pumps used in sand fracking operation
Eddy County, New Mexico
An operator using sand for hydraulic fracturing in New Mexico, U.S. had experienced two short runs—a 61- day run and a 177-day run. Their primary objective was to decrease the downtime associated with well interventions by finding a way to lengthen the life cycle of the electrical submersible pump (ESP) system.
Previous ESP units were affected by advanced wear from the abrasive frac sand and loss of head lift in the pump thus decreasing effectiveness and longevity. The traditional approach was to install desanders below the pump, which works to an extent, but the desanders were limited to the cavity capacity. While desanders may be a cheaper, quick option, they were not deemed the best solution for this application.
Summit ESP® recommended DuraHard® 7 enhanced abrasion and corrosion-resistant coating be applied on the impeller and diffuser pump stages of the ESP system to extend run times. DuraHard coatings protect against friction, abrasive, and corrosive conditions, providing longer pump run life. This enhanced level of protection uses a high-phosphorous, nickel coating that provides additional, non-molecular surface hardness to stage materials.
The ESP system with DuraHard coating was installed in the second quarter of 2020 and is still running today, with a recorded run time of approximately 475 days and counting—more than double the past performance of legacy, uncoated pumps. This successful project maximized asset value with the need for fewer well intervention operations.
days of recorded run time
