A Tough, Truly Multiphase Downhole Pump for Unconventional Wells

Abstract The V-Pump is a radically new type of pump which has proven to deliver superior performance compared to conventional ESPs in conventional and unconventional wells. Unconventional wells producing at 75+% GVF (based on daily production figures), can often slug liquid followed by very high GVF fluid such that the pump must be capable of handling a very wide, indeed extreme range of fluid conditions. Different wells seem to cause different slug conditions, possibly due to the geometry of the horizontal section and hydraulic fracture network. The V-Pump has been able to work effectively throughout the GVF extremes which occur on such wells. The V-Pump has sand erosion resistance very much higher than previous pump technologies.The V-Pump is expected to be an outstanding pump for high viscosity fluids, with testing in flow loop up to 13,000cP, but has still not been deployed in a high viscosity well, expected soon.It is designed and flow loop tested as a SAGD pump.The V-Pump has operated with high percentage of sand both in flow loops and producing wells; the V-Pump can be used in unconventional wells with high sand concentration and high GVF. The development of this pump has taken a few years with a great deal of flow loop testing and field trial testing. This paper mentions some of the development work, flow loop testing, and case studies; the difficulties of replicating harsh field conditions in pump test flow loops, both the sand erosion loop and the multiphase loop.