SPE 165052

Aggressive Applications: Changing the Failure Rate History in Casabe

South Field - Colombia

C.F. Mateus Marin, A. Gil Chacon, Weatherford; M. Monroy Barrios, Weatherford; E. Martinez, Ecopetrol S.A;
A.E. Patino, Schlumberger

Copyright 2013, Society of Petroleum Engineers

This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPE Artificial Lift Conference-Americas held in Cartagena, Colombia 21-22 May 2013.

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 of the paper have not been
reviewed by the Society of Petroleum Engineers and are subject to correction by the author(s). The material does not necessarily reflect any position of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, its
officers, or members. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper without the written consent of the Society of Petroleum Engineers is prohibited. Permission to
reproduce in print is restricted to an abstract of not more than 300 words; illustrations may not be copied. The abstract must contain conspicuous acknowledgment of SPE copyright.

Abstract
After numerous artificial lift failures with PC pumping
installed in a new development field with high future
growth, the production increase and application reliability
were achieved through implementation of reciprocating
rod lift systems including several optimization key
factors.
This new artificial lift application was determined
considering primarily: gas production, API, BSW, solid
production, well survey and production flow rate, all
oriented to get a system which is anticipated the main
issues identified in Casabe South field as erosion,
abrasion, cavitation, elastomer swelling, rod failures and
low volumetric efficiency.
Variable speed hydra-pneumatic units were introduced to
solve critical gas and flow rate variations to have change
options regarding operational parameters, i.e., speed and
stroke length, in instantaneous way to optimize
production levels using surface pumping with those
advantages.
Gas Separators, Two-Stages Rod Pumps, Double Valves,
back pressure valve and Continuous Rod are the other
technical components used within the optimization
process developed; besides, a strict bottom-hole
monitoring and surface follow-up for every well are
programmed and carried out, which means down-hole
gauges and rod pump controllers.
Change of mind started in March 2011 with Casabe
South-4 well as field trial, after 3 interventions in less
than 1 months and different problems with PC pumping,
the performance of reciprocating rod lift system has
shown 715 days run life, no failures and under operating
conditions still.
Introduction
Casabe south field is one of the most recent developments
of the Colombian state company in the Magdalena medio
area. From its prognosis it was designed to be produced
using a PCP artificial lift system, taking into
consideration space disponibility, solid handling and the
excellent expericience in the adjacent field, convencional
Casabe. However, during the installation of the first
systems in the wells CBES-04, CBES-07 and CBES-13,
the presence of a high failure rate (run life less than 30
days) associated principally to system’s affectation due to
poor gas handling, generated the need for additional
technical analysis to establish the use of an alternative
artificial lift system that would maintain the economic
equilibrium of the project
During the evaluation stage, Reciprocating rod lift system
and Electric submersible systems were considered as the
viable technological alternatives, considering the
particularities of the wells and the fluids to handle. This
paper describes the analysis performed, equipment used
and the results obtained using reciprocating rod lift
systems, which nowadays has permit run lifes higher than
700 days without failures and the recover of the
economical balance of the proyect, having in today a total
of 21 producing wells in this field.
Variable Speed Hydra-pneumatic Pumping Unit
Operating with a conventional sucker-rod system, the
VSH2 pumping unit was specifically developed for fields
with heavy crude oil and wells with rodfall problems.
Nitrogen-over-hydraulic technology makes this unique
surface-pumping unit capable of lifting greater loads and,
in some cases, using less energy than conventional units.
2 SPE 165052
The VSH2 unit offers variable speed control in both
directions and can accommodate polished-rod loads up to
40,000 lb (13,144 kg) and pump to depths of up to 10,000
ft (3,048 m) Fig. 1.
The VSH2 pumping unit offers maximum flexibility for a
wide range of requirements. Applications, both permanent
and temporary, include testing wells (new and re-entry),
short-term repairs, projects with lengthy delivery times
and dewatering gas wells. The VSH2 unit creates a viable
alternative for keeping a well on production and on
schedule, saving operators valuable time and resources.
Gas-Pusher pumps
Gas-pusher pumps are API-type RHB pumps Fig. 2,
designed for use in wells having a high gas-to-liquid ratio
(GLR). These pumps help minimize gas interference, gas
lock and fluid pound.
A gas-pusher pump’s action is similar to that of a double-
stage compression pump with both low- and high-
compression chambers. On the upstroke, gas-laden fluid
enters the larger, low-pressure chamber below the
plunger. On the downstroke, the gas-laden fluid is
displaced into the smaller, high-pressure chamber above
the plunger. On the next upstroke, the fluid held in the
high-pressure chamber is displaced further and discharged
through the exhaust ports of the top cage. As the highly
pressurized fluid is being discharged, the low-pressure
chamber is being filled.
Application
Due to the reiterative problems presented by the PCP
equipment in the Wells of the Casabe south field operated
by Ecopetrol S.A (for the specific case of the well CBES-
4 was 3 interventions in less than 1 month) due to
problems like gas interference in the pump (GOR 400
scf/stb), which caused the phenomenon known as
explosive descompresion. This phenomenon causes
blisters or cracks, as a result of the expansion of the gas
absorbed by the elastomerer; this generates high torques
in the pumps which induced rods and rotor failures Fig. 3
and Fig. 4. Also high rod and tubing wear was present due
to the deviation of some wells. The operator decided to
review other artificial lift methods, which could have the
same extraction condition than the actual system, but
looking for a system that could handle the presence of gas
more efficiently. Analyzing the requirements and
evaluating the avaible lift systems, it was proposed to
install a reciprocating rod lift system with a subsurface
pump with API description 30-225-RHAC-20-3-1-1, this
pump can handle 200 Bfpd and would not be affected
significantly by the presence of gas, due to the 100% of
their components are made in steel and do not have
reaction while in contact with the fluids of the well. Also,
it was proposed to use the same continuos rod string
1.125 in High Strenght (Steel AISI 4120) the well was
working with, in order to minimize the wear between the
rods and the tubing, because the well is deviated and the
pump was going to be installed at 4300ft with an
inclination of 55o. Fig.5.
In order to give versatility required by production a VSH2
surface equipment was installed, this pumping unit can
change its velocity independently in each stroke by
simply turning the knob of a potentiometer and change its
stroke length by simply moving a sensor on its mast.
Also, it works with a monitoring system in real time (Rod
Pump Off Controler, RPOC Wellpilot. Fig.6), with which
the performance of the downhole pump can be reviewed
and operating time of the equipment can be optimized in
cases when the well’s fluid level decreases in order to
maintain a constant pump fillage Fig. 7. In these cases the
operator establishes a minimum value for pump fillage
and when the dinagraph has a lower value than the
established, the unit stops and stays in a “stand-by” mode
for a determined time, enough for the well to recover the
fluid level, when this time ends the unit starts again
automatically.
This pilot was approved and the reciprocating rod lift
system with a VSH2-150 unit was installed in the well
CBS-04 the 8th of March of 2011. Nowadays the well has
not presented any failure and has 715 days of run life,
with a final production of 100 BFPD and an effective
submergence of 100 ft.
Performance
The first unit installed in the well CBS-04 was introduced
in the field in order to give solution to the problem of
continuos interventions due to problems with gas
production which caused problems in the elastomer in the
PCP pumps. The project was a complete success,
achieving 715 days of run life without failure. Nowaday
the well produced 100 Bfpd and has a effective
submergence of 100 ft with a total production of 60
Mscf/D of gas.
The pump is presenting gas interference due to the
production of oil decreased and the gas production was
maintained constant, increasing the GOR and inducing a
decrease in the effective displacement of the plunger. But
this effect has not affected the production of the well; due
to the well still has 100 ft of submergence. For a future
intervention, it was proposed to install a gas-pusher pump
to obtain a better pump fillage.
Based in the good results with the first well, and the
reliability shown by the new surface equipment and the
low affectation of the subsurface pumps with the
prescence of gas, this system was implemented in all the
new wells in the perforation campaing performed by the
operating company, having nowadays 12 units installed in
this field with a total of 21 producing wells. Finally, a
field that was first though to be completed with PCP
artificial lift system, ended up with a 76% of the wells
SPE 165052 3

with reciprocating rod lift system (57% of the surface Figures

equipment is VSH2 units and the 19% is using
conventional pumping units), the 75% of the production is Fig. 1- Variable Speed Hydra-pneumatic Pumping Unit
achieved with this lift systems and the average run life of
the equipment is 430 days. Fig. 9, Fig. 10 and Table. 1.

The Wells completed after the CBS-04, due to the

deviations present, similar gas-oil ratios (GOR 400-600
Scf/Stb) and higher flow rates, introduced new
technologies with the purpose of optimize the
performance of the subsurface equipment and minimize
the impact generated by the deviation and gas production
of all wells. The equipment installed includes, continuos
rod SER 6 for all the wells, gas separators and pumps
with higher efficiencies in enviroments with prescence of
gas like the Gas-Pusher Pump and higher diameters
(2.5in) which has contributed with higher run lifes. In the
Fig. 6 the dinagraph of the well CBS-14 is shown, this
well operates with a Gas-Pusher Pump with a gas
production of 130 Mscf/D and an oil production of 260
Bopd, GOR of 500 Scf/Stb. It can be seen in the
dynagraph, the good performance of the pump achieving
a good handling of the produced gas without interference.
Fig. 2- Gas-pusher pump’s Weatherford

Conclusion

The Variable Speed Hydra-pneumatic Pumping Unit

proven high adaptability and versatility of the
reciprocating rod lift system is highlighted in this case,
and its advantages shown to be almost unaffected by the
fluid physicochemical properties and critical well
conditions changed the historical rate of failure and
allowed appropriately the rig schedule execution
according to development field program.

Glosary

BSW: Basic Sediment and Wather

GOR: Gas-Oil Ratio
RPOC: Rod Pump Off Controler
PCP: Progresive Cavity Pump
ALS: Artificial Lift System Fig. 3 – Explotion descompresion in PCP pumps
Conv PU: Conventional Pumping Unit
VSH2 PU: Hydra-Pneumatic Pumping Unit
ESP: Electric Submersible Pump
4 SPE 165052

Fig. 4 – Rotor Failure due to high torque. Fig. 8- Donwhole dynamometer card Casabe South 13

7.5 KtFo Max

5.0

2.5

0 145.6

Fig. 5 – Well Survey

Fig. 9- ALS Distribution in Casabe South Field.

Fig. 6 – Typical Optimization Controller for Rod

Pumping
Fig. 10- ALS Distribution by Produccion in Casabe South
Field

Fig. 7- Donwhole dynamometer card

SPE 165052 5

Tables

Table.1- ALS Distribution and production in Casabe

South field.

ALS Casabe Sur Pozos Q (BFPD)

Productores
CONV PU. 4 940
VSH2 PU 12 3424
PCP 4 1318
ESP 1 120
Total 21 5802