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Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage with Electric Submersible Pumping Systems

Sandeep Solanki & Brad Karpuk EnCana Oil & Gas Partnership, Calgary, Alberta Canada
Robert Bowman Schlumberger Canada Ltd., Calgary, Alberta Canada
David Rowatt - Schlumberger Bartlesville Product Center, Bartlesville, OK USA
This paper was prepared for presentation at the 2005 Society of Petroleum Engineers - Gulf Coast Section Electric Submersible Pump Workshop held in Houston, Texas 27-29 April
2005.
This paper was selected for presentation by the ESP Workshop Panels (Rotating and Permanent) following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s).
Contents of the paper, as presented, have not been reviewed by the ESP Workshop Panels and are su bject to correction by the author(s). The material, as presented, does not
necessarily reflect any position of the ESP Workshop or its panel members. The author(s) retain copyright to this paper and have given permission to the ESP Workshop to publish it in
proceedings (electronic and hardcopy). Any other electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper for commercial purposes without the written consent of the
author(s) is prohibited.

Abstract
With much of North Americas reserves of light oil having passed their peak levels of production, attention is now being
focused on cost effective methods to produce heavy oil or bitumen. Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) has
proven to be a successful method to develop EnCanas bitumen and heavy oil reservoirs in Canada; at Foster Creek,
Christina Lake, and Senlac. Key to the economic success of this method is the ability to operate the process at an
arbitrary pressure suited to optimize: 1) steam oil ratio (SOR) and 2) production rat es. Generally, this entails operating at
pressures lower than those normally needed for Gas or Steam Lift, the method of choice before 2001. At lower
pressures, the production rates required to make SAGD economically viable are well suited to the use of electric
submersible pumping systems (ESPs). ESPs, however, have been typically limited to well temperatures below 180 C
(356 F) and were not compatible with the higher well temperatures required with SAGD to optimize production. This
paper describes the successful use of ESPs in conjunction with SAGD for producing heavy oil based on the development
of a fit-for-purpose ESP system with specially designed pumps, protectors, motors and cables for service at temperatures
up to 218 C (456 F). Advancements in ESP technology for SAGD operations were proven in the laboratory through
extensive environmental and performance testing and validated through field-testing. This fit -for-purpose ESP system
has been installed in over 14 wells and has achieved run times of over a year with production rates of approximately
7,000 m/d (44,000 bfpd). Details of the ESP system, qualification testing and field implementation are presented.
SAGD Technology
Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage process is a conceptually simple technology but complex in application. The process,
illustrated in Figure 1, utilizes two parallel horizontal wells roughly 750 meters (2450 feet) long horizontally, drilled
parallel in 15 to 35 meters (50-115 feet) of pay. The lower well is used as the producer, while the top well, located 5 m
(16 ft) above, is the steam injection well. The SAGD process involves dry steam injection steam into the oil sands,
creating a high -temperature steam chamber in the formation. As steam is introduced, it flows through the sand to the
interface with cold oil where it condenses. The resulting heat transfer lowers the viscosity of the oil near the interface
and allows it to drain by gravity to the horizontal production well below. The resulting emulsion in the producing well, ~
70% water, is lifted to surface. A reference list is provided at the end for addition reading on SAGD.

Steam

Emulsion
Figure 1.0 Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage.

2005 ESP Workshop

Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage with Electric Submersible Pumping Systems

Artificial Lift is necessary to raise production fluids to surface, due to the depth of the reservoir and the SAGD operating
pressure. To date, due to the higher operating pressures and temperatures (> 220C(428 F)) most applications use a
poor boy Gas Lift system. This was based on injecting gas (generally methane) down the annular space between the
casing and production tubing, without the provision for any gas lift valves.

Low Pressure SAGD


In many areas where heavy oil bitumen is located, there exists a gas cap over the bitumen, which has been produced by a
number of operators. In order to use SAGD to recover bitumen in these areas, there must be a balance between the gas
cap pressure and the SAGD chamber operating pressure. This can be achieved either by repressuring the gas cap or
operating the SAGD chambers at lower pressure. Figure 2.0 below shows the typical geological depositional
environment illustrating the top gas and bottom water zones that, in turn, dictate the pressures we are restricted to
operate SAGD at.

Top
SAGD
Interval
SAGD
Interval

Regional O/W
Contact
Foster
Creek

Christina Lake

Figure 2.0 Geological Model for Various Bitumen Depositions.

Operating the SAGD chamber at lower pressure can also improve economics. Steam accounts for 35-55% of the total
extraction cost and is proportional to the operating Steam Oil Ratio (SOR). Numerous publications have clearly shown
that operating at lower pressures can significantly lower the cumulative SOR and optimize the economics of SAGD
operations.
As the operating pressure is lowered Gas Lift becomes inefficient and can lead to unstable operations or in many cases
not at all viable to achieve desired production rates. Pumps are the only alternative to operate the process at low pressure
given such circumstances. Lower pressure operation using pumps can also result in other advantages such as:

Smaller pad facilities , by eliminating the need for separators and seperate transport of gas and emulsion to the
plant.
Fewer smaller pipelines to transport the fluids to the plant, since pumps allow for direct transport of emulsion to
the plant. This becomes more important as the pads become located further away from the plant.
Full independent control of the chamber, no dependence of fluid rate on chamber pressure.
Smaller plant facilities due to smaller volumes of gas being handled.

Recognizing the benefits of pumps, EnCana has been leading numerous initiatives to develop alternative lift systems for
SAGD. The benefits can only be capitalized on if an economic pumping system is developed. Key to the use of pumps
is to ensure that sufficient run life is achieved so as not t o wipe away the benefits realized. EnCana feels that a minimum
Mean Time To Failure (MTTF) of 1 year is needed to achieve this and to provide sufficient benefit for the use of pumps.
One successful development has been a fit-for-purpose ESP system from Schlumberger specific to SAGD operations.

2005 ESP Workshop

Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage with Electric Submersible Pumping Systems

SAGD ESP
The standard ESP assembly shown in Figure 3.0 served as the basis for the development of a SAGD specific system.
Typical for product development initiatives, the development of a SAGD specific ESP system borrowed from and built
upon previous and current areas of research. Prior to initiating a formal project plan specific to SAGD operations,
previous research and development initiatives to increase the operating envelope for ESPs were conducted on both an ad
hoc and formal basis.
Discharge Head couples the pump assembly to the
tubing string
Multi-stage Centrifugal Pump

Intake/Gas Separator or Gas Handler

Protector prevents wellbore fluid entry into motor,


equalizes internal pressure of motor/protector to
wellbore, houses thrust bearing for axial loads.
Motor Lead Extension to connect the main power
cable from surface to the motor phase leads via the
motor pothead.
Motor three phase, two pole induction type

Pressure Temperature Tool optional

Figure 3.0 Conventional ESP String Configuration

Various minor product modifications had been made to initially develop a system capable of run lives in excess of one
year for ambient bottomhole temperatures up to 180 C (356 F). These included minor changes to electrical insulating
materials in the motor as well as the specification of higher viscosity dielectric oils for the protector and motor. Though
not strictly engineering qualified, these changes had been incorporated into ESP systems in Canada as early as 1996
when thermal recovery projects were in their infancy. Additionally, Schlumberger initiated a specific project in 2000
with the defined goal to double the service life of the protector.
By 2002 it was apparent that in order to provide the confidence to plan field development for thermal heavy oil projects
centered on ESP lift systems, a formal and rigorous project plan was required. The project plan was set forth including
scope specification, engineering qualification, field trials, and commercialization.
Scope Specification - ESP Features
To properly define the scope of development required to meet EnCanas SAGD applications, system specification
included input from all major stakeholders from both EnCana and Schlumberger. The conditions of service and features
required to meet them included the key following elements:
1.
Operation at maximum ambient bottomhole temperature up to 218 deg C (425 deg F).
2.
Production rates of 300 1000 m/d (1900 6300 BPD).
3.
Landed operating string orientation at or near horizontal.
4.
Temperature rise profile of 15 deg C/hr (60 deg F/hr) for installation of systems.
5.
Minimum exposure temperature for materials to 40 deg C (-40 deg F).
6.
Sand production up to 1%.
7.
System assembly at wellsite.
8.
Control via a Variable Speed Drive (VSD) to meet dynamic production well conditions.
9.
Reuse of key components to allow for multiple runs.
10. Minimum target mean time to failure of one year under continuous operation.

2005 ESP Workshop

Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage with Electric Submersible Pumping Systems

The scoping exercise was successful in focusing engineering resources for all major components. The overlying
principle used for engineering the system was that the maximum operating temperature of each component must not be
exceeded. The operating temperature is not to be confused with the fluid temperature. The operating temperature is
defined as the internal temperature of the component, which is generally higher than the produced fluid. This
temperature increase is due to mechanical and electrical losses in the system.
Pump
As a purely mechanical device, pump development was minimal. Key areas of concern were thermal growth
consistencies between shaft and stage materials as well as o-ring temperature limits. The scoping exercise determined
that the fluid temperature within the pump must be kept below 288 C (550 F) to maintain the o-ring integrity based on
perfluorolastomer temperature limits. Calculation of fluid temperature in the pump must include the heating caused by
the motor, protector and the stages in the pump with the maximum temperature calculated at the top of the pump. The
maximum pump length for any section is limited to a continuous section to better define thermal growth. Shaft
horsepower is derated at temperatures exceeding 20 4 C (400 F).
Intakes/Gas Separators
Similar to the pump, the engineering review was limited to o-ring applicability and thermal growth considerations. All
conventional intake types can be used in the defined SAGD application conditions. Selection of the type is determined by
expected fluid properties (i.e., gas/steam presence requiring separation or selective production from the bottom of the
horizontal wellbore).
Protector
Engineering resources were particularly focused on the protector, as it is the critical component in protecting the
electrical integrity of the motor. Conventional systems were discounted due to SAGD operational requirements.
Labyrinth style protectors that use a tortuous path to limit wellbore fluid entry into the motor are not applicable in
systems with horizontal orientation. Positive seal elastomer bags do not have sufficient tensile strength or maximum
operating temperature limits high enough to meet the maximum operating temperatures and thermal cycles requirements
associated with SAGD operations.
To circumvent these limitations, many different protector designs were considered that employed one or more of the
following well fluid barriers: metal bellows, pistons, powered bellows and pistons, surface oil injection, magnetic
couplings, 3-D labyrinth chambers and heavy barrier fluids. Due to cost and time considerations, a positive pressure
bellows protector was proposed. It incorporates a patented metal bellows design instead of bags or labyrinths to allow
for pressure equalization and oil expansion. A depiction of the metal bellows design versus conventional protector
designs is shown in Figure 4.0.

Figure 4.0 Protector Types

A high temperature perfluorolastomer compound rated for 288 C (550 F) was used for the mechanical shaft seals and orings. Engineering design of the protector also included specification of a motor oil that would provide lubricity and
dielectric strength across the entire operating temperature range. This fluid was designed to maintain a viscosity above 2
cSt at 288 C (550 F) (see Figure 5.0).

2005 ESP Workshop

Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage with Electric Submersible Pumping Systems

Figure 5.0 Protector/Motor Oil Temperature Profile

Finally, the protector development included an application program to model the expansion characteristics of the internal
oil and determine the number of bellows required for a specific application.
Motor
The application engineering design goal for the motor was to keep the internal motor winding temperature below 288 C
(550 F). Design of an application engineering program incorporating the fluid properties and flow rate past the motor
was completed to ensure that the maximum internal temperature is not exceeded during operation.
The motor was based on the existing 562 series Dominator design. This design incorporates an all -steel stator with
locked rotor bearings, an outboard abrasion resistant rotor bearing in the base, an oil filter, and high load thrust bearing.
Other modifications include high temperature o-rings rated for 288 C (550 F) and high temperature slot liner material.
The head has been modified at the pothead hole to accept the high temperature pothead design.
The maximum horsepower rating for the motor is 21.4 hp/rotor. Motors can be de-rated from this value to match surface
voltage supply, pump requirements and/or ot decrease the internal operating temperature further. The maximum
temperature cycle and the number of bellows available in the protector also limit the maximum horsepower rating of the
motor.
Pothead/Motor Lead Extension
A new pothead was designed for high temperature operations incorporating several new features in the pothead
construction including a triple redundant sealing system utilizing high temperature solder, tubing crimps, and
perfluorolastomer o-rings. In addition, the snout seal is a new m etal spring energized seal. The pothead was designed
for a 260 C (500 F) maximum, continuous operating temperature and is rated to 5kV. Since current heats up the
pothead in combination with the outside well temperature, the maximum current for both the pothead and the motor lead
extension (MLE) at various well temperatures was analyzed. Most calculations for maximum current are satisfactory just
using ambient fluid temperature; however additional motor heating can be a factor in some applications.
The MLE must withstand the temperature of the produced fluid, plus the temperature rise caused by the heat expended by
the equipment. The motor will cause heating of the fluid that surrounds the cable to the upper point of the intake. There
will also be migration of heat up the conductor from the motor connection. The protector will cause heating due to the
down thrust of the pump. The heat generated by the pump will also affect the MLE. It is to be assumed that pump
inefficiency is manifested in heat . The fluid in the pump will carry much of this heat away; however, some portion of the
heat will migrate through the housing and to the MLE. The cable used for the MLE is rated for 260 C (500 F)
maximum operating temperature. The MLE was engineered with a dual, high temperature insulation system of
polyamide and PEEK over each phase with an encapsulating lead jacket. It, like the pothead, is rated at 5kV.
The splice between the main cable and the MLE lead extension is rated at 232 C (450 F). Sp ecial manufacturing
techniques and solder are used to make this splice withstand these higher service temperatures. As the cable and the
splice should not be subjected to temperatures above 232 C (450 F), special care must be given to the application
engineering to ensure the MLE cable is used to a point above the ESP string where the temperature falls below this
maximum temperature.

2005 ESP Workshop

Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage with Electric Submersible Pumping Systems

Main Cable
Significant developments in the design of the main cable were not required. Existing EHLB (EPDM rubber compound
insulation, heavy lead jacket, braid barrier) cable was specified as it has a maximum operating temperature of 232 C
(450 F) and a voltage rating of 5kV. It must not extend past a point where the heated fluid in the production tubing
exceeds the maximum temperature rating.
Pressure/Temperature Tool
Due to temperature limitations in existing conventional ESP monitoring tools, a complete redesign of the tools would
have been required to meet the application scope. As existing methods were in employ by EnCana (nitrogen bubble tube,
fibre-optic monitoring), development work in this area was not pursued.
System Testing and Qualification
Dynamometer testing in a temperature-controlled test well was conducted on the motor, pothead and protector to verify
operation over the required temperature range. The rest of the components in the system did not undergo physical testing
at elevated temperatures. Engineering calculations and past history were used to assess the reliability of these
components under the stated operating conditions.
Environmental Qualification testing included:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Hot resistance testing to establish internal motor winding temperatures for motor rating guidelines.
100-hour protector test at 100 HP, BHT of 235 C (455 F).
Operational t hermal cycle testing of the motor and protector at 100 HP over a 235 C (455 F) to 188 C (370
F) to 235 C (455 F) BHT temperature range.
Pressure testing of the motor and protector at a BHT increase of 83 C/hr (150 F/hr) (no pothead installed,
pot head shipping cap used to seal motor pothead opening).
Operational thermal cycle testing at 150 HP over a 218 C (425 F) to 79 C (175 F) to 218 C (425 F) BHT
temperature range vented to prevent a vacuum on the motor.
100-hour guarantee test at 150 HP, 218 C (425 F) BHT.
100-hour qualification test at 260 C (500 F) BHT and 100 HP (42 C (75 oF) above required guarantee BHT
and at 288 C (550 F) winding temperature).

The results of the environmental qualification testing satisfied the criteria for promotion to field trial.
Field Trials
Figure 6.0 below shows the locations of EnCanas three producing operation in Canada, Foster Creek, Christina Lake and
Senlac, which use SAGD technology to recover 10.5 to 13 API bitumen and heavy oil from unconsolidated sands.
38 Well Pairs
66 Well Pairs
Pairs

Christina Lake

Christina Lake

Foster Creek

Edmonton
Edmonton

Senlac
Senlac
Red Deer

12
12 Well
Well Pairs
Pairs
Calgary
Calgary

Figure 6.0 Location of EnCana's SAGD Operations in Canada.

2005 ESP Workshop

Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage with Electric Submersible Pumping Systems

The Foster Creek project, Canada's first large -scale commercial SAGD project, is producing over 30,000 bopd and
continues to expand. EnCana's thermal oil recovery project at Christina Lake in northeast Alberta is producing about
5,000 bopd. The Senlac project in Saskatchewan is also producing about 4,000 barrels per day.
Typical operating conditions for the wells include:
Bottom pressures of 2000 3000 kPa (290 435 psi);
Bottomhole producing temperature: 180-209 C (356 408 F);
Fluid rates of 500 1000 m/d (3150-6300 bfpd);
Water cut of 50 -90%;
Free gas at pump intake : 0 50%;
Wellhead temperature of 175-190 C (347 375 F); and
System power 65 250 hp.
Until 2001, all well pairs at Foster Creek were produced using gas lift. In 2002, EnCana field trialed the Schlumberger
Hotline ESP, rated to only 180 C in AP3. That unit ran for 645 days and based on its success and the development of
the SAGD ESP's, EnCana undertook the risk to field trial the first unit in BP9. Figure 7.0 shows the 309 day
performance of this first unit. Operation data collected during the field trial included producing pressure, via gas
bubbling system in a 48 mm (1.9 inches) side string, BHT via a downhole thermocouple in the side string and flow rate
using a surface flow meter. During the run the system was tested to operating Temperatures above 209 C (408 F)
showing that the system could be safely operated to this temperature. The ESP also underwent numerous shutdowns,
indicating the system could handle upsets and thermal cycling. Based on the success of this first unit, EnCana has
continued to deploy more units as shown in Table 1.0. As of April 2005, there are 11 wells on pump at Foster Creek, 3
wells at Senlac and 1 at Christina Lake, have been converted from on Gas Lift to ESP, while 8 more wells (5 @ foster
and 3 at Senlac) have been started on ESP from day 1. Implementation of these units has allowed EnCana to build inhouse expertise and confidence in the systems to point where, all future pads at Foster Creek will be based on Pumps,
taking advantage of optimizing pad facilities accordingly.
BHT

BHP

Total Flow Rate


Oil Rate

Figure 7.0 Field Performance of the 1st SAGD ESP at Foster Creek BP9.

EnCan a has continued to utilize SAGD ESP's, expanding their use in Senlac to take full advantage of Lower Pressure
SAGD. Senlac is a deeper formation located at 780 m, where the SAGD operating pressures have been lowered from
4,000 to 2700 kPa, resulting in lowering the SOR from 2.8 to below 2.0. This has transformed this small 'pilot' project
into positive money making commercial project, with plans to develop continuing phases to maintain production well
into 2012.
Recently, EnCana continued the field trials, and has begun to field trial ESP's at Christina Lake as well, to further
evaluate their performance at our other operations.

2005 ESP Workshop

Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage with Electric Submersible Pumping Systems

Based on the experience gained, EnCana plans on using ESP's in SAGD operations where needed and would like to
encourage vendors to continue refining their systems for use in this application. By the end of 2005, EnCana will have
another 16 wells on ESPs (12 at Foster Creek, 3 at Senlac and 1 at Christina Lake), after which over half of our total
SAGD production will be produced by ESPs.
Well Manufacturer
Foster
Creek

Christina Lake
Senlac

Pilot
Pilot
Phase 1A
Phase 1A
Phase 1A
Phase 1A
Phase 1A
Phase 1B
Phase 1B
Phase 1B
Phase 1B
Phase 1B
Phase 1C
Phase 1C
Phase 1C
Phase 1C
Pilot
B Phase
C Phase
C Phase
D Phase
D Phase
D Phase

A2
A3
B9
C11
D17
D18
D19
A32
B31
D34
E29
E30
A35
B38
B36
B37
A3
B2P
C1P
C2P
D1P
D2P
D3P

SLB -HL
SLB -HL
SLB -SAGD
SLB -SAGD
SLB -SAGD
SLB -SAGD
SLB -SAGD
Other
SLB -SAGD
Other
SLB -SAGD
SLB -SAGD
SLB -SAGD
SLB -SAGD
SLB -SAGD
SLB -SAGD
SLB -SAGD
SLB -HL
SLB -HL
SLB -HL
SLB -SAGD
SLB -SAGD
SLB -SAGD

Rated T Motor Size


(C)
(hp)
180
150
180
150
200
150
180
150
180
150
200
150
180
150
200
165
200
150
200
150
200
150
200
150
200
150
200
150
200
150
200
150
200
65
180
60
180
60
180
60
200
250
200
250
200
250

Conversion Ave. Rate Ave. T Max. T


Date
(m/d)
(C)
(C)
5-Aug-04
600
165
170
24-Apr-02
700
176
185
9-Apr-03
600
200
207
5-May-03
700
182
186
27-Mar-03
300
157
190
23-Nov-04
500
157
190
21-Mar-03
650
174
189
28-Sep-03
500
195
201
31-Dec-03
550
195
200
3-Oct-03
600
190
205
17-Dec-03
350
175
200
28-Nov-03
500
190
200
6-Dec-04
600
192
195
26-Jan-05
500
195
189
8-Feb-05
500
175
180
8-Feb-05
450
185
189
9-Mar-05
350
141
145
9-Jun-03
70
141
145
7-Jul-03
150
120
204
7-Jul-03
180
110
190
21-May-04
450
199
202
11-Jun-04
780
190
195
16-Jun-04
800
197
200

Table 1.0 Field Implementation of ESPs at EnCanas SAGD Operations.

Nomenclature
API
bpd
bopd
cSt
ESP
C
BHP
bbl
bfpd
m3/d
m
hp
VFD
SOR

Oil Gravity
Barrels per Day
Barrels of Oil per Day
Centistokes
Electric Submersible Pump
Temperature Celsius
Bottomhole pressure
Barrel
Barrels of fluid per day
Cubic meters per day
Meters
Horsepower
Variable frequency drive
Steam Oil Ratio

References
1. R.C. Chachula, S.C. Solanki, and W.G. Harden., 2003, Application of a High Volume High Temperature
Turbine HSP System in SAGD Operations, 2003 Gulf Coast ESP Workshop held in Houston, Texas, April 30May 2, 2003.
2. Boyle, T.B., Gittins, S.D., and Chakrabarty, C., 2002, The Evolution of SAGD Technology at East Senlac,
Canadian International Petroleum Conference, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, June 11-12, 2002.
3. Edmunds, N., and Chhina, H., Economic Optimum Operating Pressure for SAGD Projects in Alberta, JCPT,
December 2001, V 40 No. 12, pages 13-17.

2005 ESP Workshop

Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage with Electric Submersible Pumping Systems

Metric Conversion Factors


acre
X
4.047
E-01
barrel
X
1.5897 E-01
cp
X
1.0
E-03
API
141.5/(131.5+API)
F
(F -32)/1.8
inch
X
2.54
E+00
m3
X
6.2905 E+00 = barrels
m
X
3.281
E+00
psi
X
6.895
E+00
ft.lbs
X
1.355
E+00
lbs
X
4.448
E-01

= hectares
=m 3
= Pa.s
= g/cm 3
= C
= centimeters
= feet
= kilopascals
= Newton Meters
= Deca Newtons

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