Tiger Shark® pump design saves $150,000+ in rod lift conversion costs

Overview

Historically, electric submersible pump (ESP) systems were considered impractical for wells with production rates below 300 barrels of total fluid per day (BTFPD) due to the maintenance expenses needed to keep ESPs operational. When production declines to this level, the industry typically switches to alternative artificial lift methods like rod pumps or gas lift. Although these alternative methods favor lower operating costs in the “low flow” market, conversion expenses can soar to over $150,000, including labor and other third-party costs.

Challenge

As unconventional drilling becomes more prevalent, the effectiveness of rod lift systems has diminished due to tubing wear caused by navigating harsh doglegs and tubing leaks near the bottom of the well. When an Oklahoma customer had a well decline to less than 200 BTFPD, 400 psi BHI, they decided to try a new approach using a low-flow ESP design.

Solution

Halliburton designed a system optimized for low-flow conditions:

• Tiger Shark SF1750 pumps allow for the highest range in our catalog, able to accommodate a wide range of changes in well production
• Extended-range abrasion-resistant (AR) bearings allow for the pump to go even lower in flow rates while still providing optimal performance
• Tiger Shark SFGH2500 gas handler with its open impeller stage design ensures that the system withstands and overcomes any gas issues and is seamlessly integrated with its low horsepower requirements
• Liberator™ vortex gas separator tackles additional gas breakout as bottom hole pressure drops

Results

The installed design delivered 600+ days of production at low flow rates. When the equipment was finally pulled, a new system of the same design was immediately ready. Staying with electric submersible pump (ESP) production saved the operator over $150,000 in conversion costs while maintaining the same enhanced benefits of producing with an ESP. Within a month, the new equipment delivered the same outstanding performance as its predecessor at a rate of 100 BTFPD.