SPE-178096-MS

Development of a Remote Oil Field Through ESP Installation: Lessons

Learnt
Shrishailam Girish Karurkar, Debarpit Chandra, and Omkar N Gyani, ONGC

Copyright 2015, Society of Petroleum Engineers

This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPE Oil and Gas India Conference and Exhibition held in Mumbai, India, 24 –26 November 2015.

This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents
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Abstract
The ONGC operated XYZ field is the farthest oilfield from shore located in western offshore of India.
Based on the remoteness and marginal nature of the field, it was developed by deploying an Early
Production System and brought on production in 2006. Concurrent exploration and development activities
resulted in horizontal & vertical growth of the field, nearly doubling the in-place reserves. Subsequently,
the field development strategies were revised and the Early Production System was replaced with FPSO
in 2013. Post FPSO installation, back pressure in the field increased leading to sub-optimal production
from the self-flowing wells necessitating early installation of artificial lift.
The reservoir is multi-layered limestone in a depth span of 2100 –2850m. Reservoir pressure is almost
hydrostatic and temperature ranges from 120 –140°C. The crude is light and highly under saturated with
bubble point pressure less than 100 kg/cm2. With low production GOR (~40 v/v) and no nearby source
of gas, possibility of using gas lift was eliminated. However, highly under saturated crude with favourable
reservoir conditions made it an attractive proposition to install ESP as artificial lift in the field.
ESP installation campaign kicked off in May-13. The campaign suffered initial setbacks in the form of
premature/frequent ESP failures resulting in production downtime. Completion of the new wells with
predesigned ESP since inception led to sub-optimal production performance of some wells. The early ESP
failures warranted a comprehensive review of ESP design and installation strategies followed in the field.
Accordingly, accelerated mid-course corrections were made and new strategies were formulated for
optimized ESP design. ESP installation methodologies were also reviewed to minimize operational
hiccups. This was followed by close monitoring of ESP performance for further optimization opportu-
nities in accordance with dynamic reservoir conditions.
The performance of ESPs designed and installed using revised methodology was in line with the
expectations. With improved ESP design and installation practices, sustained production could be realized
and the field witnessed turnaround in production with peak oil rate of 32000 bopd through 28 wells in
Feb-15. The paper discusses lessons learnt while overcoming the challenges and procedures implemented
in design, installation, operation and monitoring of ESPs in XYZ field which led to a successful endeavor
to revive the field to its anticipated potential.
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Introduction
XYZ field was discovered in the year 1976. Based on the interpretation of seismic data, the field is divided
into two major culminations viz. XYZ-North and XYZ-South. The multilayered complex carbonate
reservoir, consisting of alternate porous and tight limestone layers has been found to be developed
between 1650 to 2850m subsea depths. Reservoir pressure is almost hydrostatic and temperature ranges
from 120 –140°C. The crude is light and highly under saturated with bubble point pressure less than 100
kg/cm2.
In view of the remoteness of the field, low solution GOR leading to highly under-saturated oil
anticipated to be operating under depletion drive, well fluid evacuation was done by deploying an early
production system (EPS) followed by evacuation of oil through tankers. It was imperative to use artificial
lift to ensure the longevity of the field. With no nearby source of gas, possibility of using gas lift was
eliminated. However, highly under saturated crude with favourable reservoir conditions made it an
attractive proposition to install ESP as artificial lift in the field. Though the initial experience with ESP
was inflicted with setbacks and suboptimal performance, the actions taken reduced the time to reach up
in the learning curve and raise the field production to higher level.
Field Development
The 1st development scheme of the field was completed in 2008 – 09 after drilling 12 wells from a 12 slot
well platform XYZ-A/B. The field achieved peak oil production of about 17000 bopd in Feb-09 through
XYZ-South block.
The Northern block of the field was opened for development after commercial oil discovery in one of
the exploratory wells in 2007. The area was taken up for fast track monetization under Integrated
Development Scheme (2010) due to the proximity of production facilities at XYZ-South. Additional 24
wells have been drilled from 3 well platforms viz. XYZ-C, XYZ-D & XYZ-E. Early production system
(EPS) has been replaced by Floating Production, storage and offloading system (FPSO) for processing of
well fluid since Apr-2013 and subsequently transported to refinery through shuttle tankers.
During the development drilling in XYZ-North block, new oil bearing pays were struck beyond the
earlier known depths in the field leading to vertical reserves growth. In order to monetize the newly
discovered deeper pays, the target depths of all the upcoming wells were increased. Further, 6 new wells
were also released targeting the newly discovered pays in northern block and drilling of these wells are
in progress.
Field Production
With horizontal and vertical expansion in its boundaries, in-place reserves of the field nearly doubled.
With new inputs, field oil production was also expected to follow the suit. However, the impact of
increased reserve base didn’t reflect in the oil production levels. The field average oil production at the
start of integrated development scheme in May-12 was 11800 bopd from 10 wells which increased to
14250 bopd from 17 wells during May-13. Thus incremental production per well was much lesser than
expected.
Well performance analysis of the field indicated that majority of the self-flowing wells exhibited
sub-optimal production due to increase in back pressure after the installation of FPSO in Apr-13. In order
to overcome the higher back pressure, it was imperative to complete all the existing self-flowing wells
with ESP on priority. This also warranted the installation of ESPs in all the upcoming wells since
beginning itself.
ESP Installation Campaign
ESP installation campaign was kicked off in May-13 with the work over job of well XYZ-B#2. This well
was put on production in 2006 and had been a prolific producer. Following the increase in back pressure,
SPE-178096-MS 3

the well performance deteriorated and it flowed oil @ 515 bopd with 67% water cut down from earlier
production of 1050 bopd with similar water cut. During the work over job, brine loss was encountered and
the lost circulation pills (CaCO3) were pumped to control the same. The well was worked over and put
on ESP. Upon starting the pump, fluctuations were observed in motor current, motor voltage and RPM.
The ESP barely ran for a few hours and tripped afterwards. Attempts were made to restart the pump but
failed. Subsequently, the pump was pulled out. Upon observing the pulled out ESP and extensive DIFA
analysis, it was found to be choked with debris of tubing puncture charges and limestone particles
(Figure-3 & 4).

Figure 1—Location Map of XYZ Field

Figure 2—Wells of XYZ Field

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Figure 3—LCM recovered after XYZ-B#2 ESP pullout

Figure 4 —Pump plugged with tubing puncture charges in XYZ-B#2

Review of Operating Procedures

Following the early setback in very first well, corrective measures were taken and it was decided to carry
out circulation with high viscous fluid to clean the hole prior to lowering of ESP. It was also decided to
remove suspended junk particles, if any by carrying out junk sub trips. After executing the corrective
measures, the well was recompleted with ESP. Upon starting the pump, output ground fault (drive alarm)
was observed. It was observed that downhole parameters were not being displayed. After being started
again, the pump again tripped due to IOC (Instantaneous over Current) in MVD. The ESP could not be
started and it was ultimately concluded that the ESP needed another pull out. The well was immediately
taken for another work over job. Upon pulling out the downhole assembly, it was observed that the ESP
power cable had been damaged at 710 ft which ultimately led to loss of electrical integrity resulting in
pump failure (Figure-5 & 6).
SPE-178096-MS 5

Figure 5—Damaged ESP Power Cable in Well XYZ-B#2

Figure 6 —Damaged ESP Power Cable in Well XYZ-B#2

Similar instances of ESP failures were also observed in few other wells. Such cases of pump failures
warranted comprehensive review of cable handling and splicing practices. Following this, operating
procedures to be followed while lowering of ESP were reviewed.
1. Cable baskets to be used for ESP cable transport to reduce wear and tear while running in.
2. While lowering, proper electrical connections to be ensured at joints of sensor, motor, MLE
(Motor Lead Extension), DH cable, packer penetrator, tubing hanger penetrator as these are the
weak points which cannot be repaired without pulling out.
3. To depute experienced field personnel to oversee the proper fitment of DHE (Down Hole
Equipment) mainly Sensor, Motor and its top and bottom sealing plugs, seals, gas separator, Pump,
discharge head before lowering. Special attention to be given to splicing.
4. All the five major connection points 1) motor to MLE, 2) MLE to cable, 3) cable to packer
penetrator, 4) packer penetrator to cable, 5) cable to tubing hanger penetrator to be thoroughly
checked before lowering in.
The well XYZ-B#2 was recompleted with ESP strictly following the above SOP’s. Subsequent to the
work over job, the production from the well was restored and it flowed oil @ 1500 bopd with 54% water
cut. The subsequent work over jobs in other wells of XYZ were carried out complying the above SOP’s
without further instances of premature ESP failures. Further, almost all the ESPs were operating well
within pump operating curve. The ESP parameters of the well XYZ-B#2 are given in Figure-7.
6 SPE-178096-MS

Figure 7—Performance of ESP in XYZ-B#2 post workover

Likewise, the well XYZ-B#3 was installed with new SOPs. After a run-time of 49 days, the ESP in this
well tripped because of motor stall. Despite continued efforts to revive the well, the ESP tripped
repeatedly due to motor stall. This problem was solved by diesel pumping job for back flushing the ESP.
Also, further analysis showed in case of a trip, pump should not be started before 45 minutes. Due to
tripping, pressure drops which causes level to drop. This in turn causes pump to rotate in reverse. This
movement should come to standstill before pump is given a re-start.
ESP installation in 11 self-flowing wells of XYZ-South was completed by Jun-14. A comparison of
production test data of these wells before and after ESP installation is given in Figure-8.

Figure 8 —Comparison of well Performance of XYZ-South

These wells added additional 5700 barrels of oil per day to the field kitty after being put on ESP. The
incremental oil from aforementioned work over campaign coupled with new inputs at other platforms
resulted in a steep rise in field production from 14250 bopd in May-13 to 22000 bopd in Jun-14.

Further Development with ESP

The development drilling activities in Northern part of the field were in full swing during the ESP
installation campaign in XYZ-South. By Aug-13, a total of 4 development wells viz. XYZ-E#1, E#2, E#3
& E#7 had been drilled & completed in XYZ-North. Except well XYZ-E#7, performance of remaining
3 wells was suboptimal due to increase in back pressure after FPSO and water cut. The test data of flowing
wells of XYZ-North by Aug-13 is given in the table below:
SPE-178096-MS 7

S. No. Well Liquid BLPD Oil BOPD WC, %

1 E#1 (SS) 1134 251 78

E#1(LS) 470 47 90
2 E#2 (SS) 1995 1972 1
E#2(LS) 0 0 0
3 E#3 (SS) 984 901 8
E#3 (LS) 0 0 0
4 E#7 2146 2095 2

The sub-optimal performance of the wells indicated the urgent need of ESP not only in existing wells
but also in upcoming wells since inception to avoid production loss.
Designing ESP for Wells in XYZ-North
It’s a commonly applied technique for ESP designing to use the data of other wells in the adjoining area
flowing from similar horizon have the similar characteristics. It was decided to apply the same technique
and design the ESP in upcoming wells based on the data obtained from nearby wells.
Build up studies in the well XYZ-E#1 indicated high skin effect. It was later stimulated with acid job
which improved its productivity significantly. The test data of this well before and after acid job is
summarized below:

Choke FTHP Water Cut FBHP

Well (1/64ⴖ) kg/cm2 Oil bopd % kg/cm2 Remarks

E#1 32 7 691 Nil 2044.3 Before acid stimulation. Gas: Not

measurable, PI⫽1.4 m3/d/kg/cm2
E#1 32 44 2423 Nil 238.4 After acid job stimulation. Gas: Not
measurable, PI⫽8.5 m3/d/kg/cm2

Measured P*: 283.6 kg/cm2, Datum: 2700.1m TVD

The test data before and after acid job showed quantum jump in well productivity. Considering the
wide range of variation in productivity index (PI), it was decided to use a design PI of 6 – 8 m3/d/kg/cm2
for the wells in XYZ-North. Similar exercise was also carried out for the well E#7 which was producing
from two pay zones. Considering the production test data, the composite PI was estimated as 7.6 m3/d/ksc.
This was further corroborated by the productivity index measured in exploratory well i.e. XYZ-14 drilled
nearby in 2007 which worked out to be 8.5 m3/d/ksc.
In view of this, it was ultimately decided to design the ESPs in upcoming wells keeping design PI at
6 – 8 m3/d/kg/cm2. The liquid production from new wells was envisaged in the range of 1500 –2200 blpd
which was justified from the performance and drawdown (~500 – 600 psi) observed in self-flowing wells
in XYZ-North.
ESP Installation in XYZ-North and Lessons Learned Thereof
The input data for ESP design was firmed up by mid Jul-13 and quick actions were initiated for equipment
mobilization. 5 wells viz. XYZ-E#4, E#8 (both from XYZ-E platform), XYZ-D#4, D#5 & D#6 (3 from
XYZ-D platform) were lined up for completion.
The 1st well XYZ-E#4 was completed with ESP in XYZ-north since beginning. The ESP installation
in this well was carried out following all the SOP’s as designed after the experience gained in XYZ-South.
After running for about 33 hours, the pump tripped. It was concluded that pump needed pull out for
8 SPE-178096-MS

replacement and to ascertain the reason of failure. During work over job, the packer could not be released
and resulted in major fishing operation. The fishing job became complicated due to entanglement of ESP
power cable inside the wellbore. Ultimately, the original hole had to be abandoned and side tracked. This
was a major setback to ESP installation campaign in XYZ-North. It warranted a comprehensive review
of well completion policy with ESP. It was evident that such work over jobs shall become a routine
activity once the ESP completes its run life. A major change in well completion policy was made to set
the packer at shallower depth below surface casing (20⬙) shoe avoiding the dog leg severity, if any. This
move was further supported by lower bubble point of XYZ crude and good reservoir pressure resulting
in higher dynamic fluid levels.
The next well XYZ-E#8 drilled in the peripheral area of self-flowing well XYZ-E#7 was completed
with ESP. Following the above mentioned SOPs, the well was completed with the packer set at a
shallower depth of 471m. The well performance was below expectations even after acid stimulation and
production stabilized at 900 bopd with 9% water cut with PI of 2–3 m3/d/ksc against estimate of 6 – 8
m3/d/ksc. The ESP operating curve for this well is given in Figure-9. Another well XYZ-D#4 also
exhibited similar production and stabilized around 1000 blpd with 7% water cut with PI of 2–3 m3/d/ksc.
Acid stimulation job failed to improve the well performance. The ESP operating curve for this well is
given in Figure-10. The well XYZ-D#5 drilled nearer to well XYZ-D#4, exhibited better stabilized
production of 2500 blpd with PI of 10 –11 m3/d/ksc. The ESP operating curve for this well is given in
Figure-11. Extreme case was encountered in XYZ-D#6 completed with ESP since beginning. The pump
could not start owing to poor influx, acid stimulation could not be taken up due to poor injectivity and
ultimately pump failed due to overheating.

Figure-9 —ESP operating curve in well XYZ-E#8

Figure 10 —ESP operating curve in well XYZ-D#4

SPE-178096-MS 9

Figure 11—ESP operating curve in well XYZ-D#5

From the above analysis of mixed response of well performance, ESP installation experience in these
wells indicated the need to modify the ESP design methodology in upcoming wells.
Revising ESP Design Methodology in New Wells
The drawback of ESP designing methodology in above wells was not having good estimate of well
potential prior to designing the pump to be lowered. Further, it was also noticed that few wells had high
downhole motor temperature limiting the scope of increasing pump operating frequency. Taking cue from
this, it was then decided to make changes in the completion strategy of new wells. The new ESP design
involved introduction of shrouds so as to limit the downhole motor temperature. The new completion
strategy was designed as follows:
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The revised completion strategy was much like revisiting the fundamentals. This method would
consume 10 –14 additional rig days per well, but considering reservoir heterogeneity encountered, initial
data acquisition and well stimulation prior to ESP completion was given the utmost importance to ensure
optimized ESP performance.
The well XYZ-D#6 was tested with DST and stimulated with acid. The tubing volume was displaced
with diesel and nitrogen was pumped with CTU prior to starting flow back. The well flowed clean oil @
1824 bopd through 40/64⬙ choke. Based on the rate measurement, well PI was estimated at 5.9 m3/d/ksc.
Following this, ESP design was worked out considering different cases of productivity indices vis-à-vis
well flow rate as follows:

S. No. PI m3/d/ksc Liquid range BLPD

1 4 1100–2300
2 6 1600–3000
3 8 1900–3250

ESP was thus designed considering the anticipated drop in liquid PI with time. Pump matching the
above design criteria was selected from the available inventory and finally lowered. The well flowed
liquid @ 2400 blpd with 4% water with ESP. The motor temperature was observed to be about 125 °C
leaving enough scope for increasing frequency. The pump operating curve of this well is given in
Figure-12.

Figure-12—ESP operating curve in well XYZ-D#6

The successful installation of first ESP using modified completion methodology encouraged the
application of this methodology in upcoming wells E#5, E#6 and E#10. The wells completed following
the introduction of this new strategy flowed optimally, hence proving its success.
Data acquisition & well intervention in wells with ESP
From the experience of ESP installation in above wells, an important aspect was further realized i.e.
requirement of well intervention like stimulation, zone isolation etc. in later stages of well life. Subsurface
data acquisition like pressure survey, PLT etc. will facilitate effective monitoring of the field. A provision
was made to complete future wells with ESPs along with y-tool. Earlier, the absence of Y-tool severely
restricted acid job stimulation to arrest declining PI. Partial success was achieved by controlling the
injection pressure and injectivity rates to minimize damage to the pump. The well XYZ-D#2 flowing with
SPE-178096-MS 11

poor productivity, finally flowed oil @ 2273 bopd with 16% water cut after performing acid job with
controlled injectivity rates. This was a major success, considering the limited amount of jobs that can be
performed through ESP.
Recently, the well XYZ-A#3z was completed with ESP with Y-tool in multiple pay zones and
produced with high water. PLT was carried through Y-tool and after interpretation, zonal isolation for
water shut off was performed by placing MPBT at the desired depth. Also, to increase productivity,
additional perforations were carried out. All these jobs were performed through Y-tool strictly adhering
to SOPs resulting in successful completion of the job in record time, achieving a new feat. Moreover, this
established the SOPs for future well intervention jobs.
High Discharge ESPs and All Time Peak Production
With new learnings and steady corrective measures taken during the aforesaid campaign, a framework was
set up for ESP installation in new wells. These measures helped minimize the operating cost associated
with the development of marginal field with ESP. Subsequently, steps were initialized to speed up the cash
flow and accelerate the returns on investment. The existing three suboptimal self-flowing wells viz.
XYZ-E#2, XYZ-E#3 & XYZ-E#7 were assessed through reservoir studies and estimated to have potential
of liquid in the range of 3500 – 4000 blpd. The well XYZ-E#3 completed with high discharge ESP proved
to be highly rewarding with clean oil @ 3725 bopd with ESP. Subsequently, the well XYZ-E#2 also
fulfilled the expectations and added 2830 bopd of oil with 27% water cut to the field’s kitty.
With rigorous efforts and consistent involvement of all concerned services to improve the field
performance, the field oil production peaked to the all-time high of 32000 bopd in Feb-15. All these
corrective measures have started bearing fruits which is clearly reflected in the prolonged Mean Time To
Failures (MTTF) of 764 days which is a milestone for a challenging field like XYZ. The decreasing ESP
failure rate is shown cumulatively in Figure-13.

Figure-13—ESP Failure Rate

Conclusion
Profitable development of marginal fields tenders unique set of challenges in itself. ONGC successfully
forayed itself into the world of offshore marginal fields by monetizing XYZ field. Faced with subsurface
uncertainties and an unending pressure to optimize operational costs, the company embraced an approach
of simultaneous field development along with experimentation. The development of XYZ field demon-
strated that application of innovative field development methodologies coupled with focus on fundamen-
tals not only optimized the cost, but also ensured an eventful but successful expedition. Additionally,
concerted team efforts played a key role in overcoming the operational challenges with ESP encountered
during the development of the field.
12 SPE-178096-MS

Acknowledgement
Authors would like to thank to the management of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation for permission to
publish this paper. Special thanks to the top management for their guidance & support. The contributions
of the team members associated directly or indirectly with the development of XYZ field is sincerely
acknowledged for playing important role in ensuring success of the project.

References
Internal Report on findings of ONGC team during the visit to CIL facilities at Barmer from 30.5.14
thru’ 31.05.14, Failure Analysis of Baker Hughes ESPs at XYZ Field (Dated 23.04.2014), DIFA
Analysis reports of ESPs of XYZ-B#2, B#3.

Abbreviations
FPSO – Floating Production Storage and Offloading Vessel
GOR (v/v) – Gas Oil Ratio (Volume/Volume)
PI – Productivity Index
m3/d/ksc – cubic meter per day/ kilogram per square centimeter
BLPD – Barrels of Liquid per Day
BOPD – Barrels of Oil per Day
Ft – Feet
RPM – Revolutions per Minute