American Oil and Gas Reporter - June 2017 - 103

SpecialReport: Artificial Lift Technology
oiling system for internal parts, as well
as safety features to protect operating
personnel and the environment.
The Unit Sentry feature protects the
XL unit by detecting potential operating
abnormalities, and pausing or stopping
the unit when alerted. The company
says Unit Sentry offers communications
for over-speed detection, vibration detection, load sharing with high- and lowload shutdown, polished rod and chain
position, RPC and VSD pause and fault
notification, customized metering for
the inner tower oiling system, customizable operator-defined faults, and multiple
restart options because of external power
failure.
"The XL 366 helps address and solve
numerous production goals in both horizontal and vertical well applications, typically eliminating or reducing mid-size
ESPs as well as transitioning from initial
ESP to rod lift sooner in the well's life
cycle," Liberty Lift says.
According to the company, the XL
366 also reduces operating and capital
expenditure costs from the initial form
of lift to the secondary form. It says the
366-inch stroke helps operators achieve
as much as 700-900 barrels a day at
pump depths as deep as 7,500 feet while
pumping at slower speeds.

Corrosion-Resistant Liners
Installing the right material to handle
less-than ideal environmental conditions
does not necessarily add to well project
costs. A case in point: the new line of
thermoplastic liners from Western Falcon.
Rob Davis, the company's chief technology officer, says all too often operators
struggle because a well's revenues total
less than its lifting costs. "What Western
Falcon brings to the table, especially in
artificially lifted wells, is something to
reduce that lifting cost, often by $3-$4 a
barrel," he says. "It is making otherwise
unprofitable producing wells become
profitable assets."
Wells afflicted with corrosive elements such as hydrogen sulfide, carbon
dioxide and/or chloride need more corrosion control than is afforded by traditional lower-end alloy materials, Davis
says. Western Falcon's upcoming line
of high-temperature liners, installed in
traditional carbon steel tubulars, often
eliminates the need for nickel-based
corrosion resistant alloys and reduces
tubing completion costs by an order of

A new family of thermoplastic liners from Western Falcon can eliminate the need for nickel-based
corrosion resistant alloys, thus
reducing well completion costs,
the company says.

magnitude, while providing long service
life, he indicates.
"This is such a game changer. An operator could use the same capital budget
but drill additional wells within the same
time frame because of the lower perwell completion costs," Davis offers.
Western Falcon has an in-house, multistage test process to design the composition of its thermoplastic liners, he describes, adding that chemists and engineers
formulate, screen and test candidate materials.
"The testing department makes the
decision about the timeline to get those
products to market," he adds. "As we get
results, a material might show promise,
but not be exactly what we want. So, we
go back to the drawing board and tweak
the material to get the needed mechanical
properties and temperature resistance.
That is the real trick of the trade."
To provide an approximation of when
using a thermoplastic liner is appropriate
for use in a well, Davis says the company
has developed a simple economic model
that relies on inputting fewer than 20
data points. "If pump life is a well's limiting factor, a thermoplastic liner is not
going to solve the problem. But if a well
is failing because of corrosion or rod-ontubing wear, the model will predict if
this material is a very likely candidate to
enhance the well's economic performance," he says.

ESP Pump Swaps
Operators looking to reduce costs and
time in replacing ESP pumps should consider a rigless conveyance system, advises
John Algeroy, Europe and Africa region
manager for AccessESP. Since replacing
two units on the North Slope of Alaska,
he says the company has swapped out
ESPs in West Africa and the Middle East.
"The AccessESP system allows for
refits of the pump, while the motor stays
in the well. That reduces costs, time and
lost production revenues," Algeroy describes. "Another major benefit is pump
replacements are done with slickline in
live wells, without a rig. Planning time
and execution costs therefore are much
lower than a conventional pump replacement."
The most typical reason for needing a
pump swap is excessive sand production,
Algeroy says, adding that AccessESP
has been developing the procedure for
several years. Since making major modifications to the procedure three years
ago, he says the company has had a very
high success rate.
According to the company, the Alaska
operations were needed after surface diagnostics indicated the pumps required
replacement while the permanent magnet
motors operating the pumps were fully
functional. The company points out the
North Slope operations were the first rigless ESP pump-only swaps on commercial
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American Oil and Gas Reporter - June 2017

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