Presentation: ESP Optimization and Analysis Proof of Concept Project

An independent oil producer selected Industrial Evolution to assist with a proof-of-concept project (POC) to establish the baseline value for performing real-time predictive analytics on electric submersible pumps (ESP). This project is the first of several to evaluate this technique as it applies to all artificial lift technologies. The work includes the exclusive use of OSIsoft products including PI Server 2010 R3, PI AF, PI Notifications, PI ACE, PI ProcessBook and PI WebParts. A series of reusable templates were developed to address the multitude of vendors and field variations associated with ESP's. Prior to this application, a daily report was provided listing all issues associated with the ESP's. The report was so extensive that it was of little use in differentiating minor issues (such as a 30-minute signal failure) from major issues (such as a catastrophic pump failure), and was generally overlooked. The POC showed that, by using a series of predictive calculations, operators were able to anticipate and identify many types of imminent pump and well failures and generate a succinct, prioritized, actionable list for remediation. The operators have gone from reactive to proactive in managing problems in the field. The economic benefits are huge—over $40 million per year in potential cost savings alone. The results will be discussed in terms of improved uptime, reduced time for TaxonomyItemHtml cause analysis and lower equipment replacement costs.