Producing Extra-Heavy Oil from the Orinoco Belt, Cerro Negro Area, Venezuela, Using Bottom-Drive Progressive Cavity Pumps

Producing Extra Heavy Oil using Bottom Drive Progressive Cavity Pump from Orinoco Belt Cerro Negro Area, Venezuela Marcelo Antonio Ramos; Marcelo Antonio Ramos PDVSA - BITOR Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Juan Carlos Brown; Juan Carlos Brown PDVSA E&P Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Marisela Del Carmen Rojas; Marisela Del Carmen Rojas Schlumberger Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Jose Gonzalo Flores; Jose Gonzalo Flores Schlumberger Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Osman Kuyuco Osman Kuyuco Schlumberger Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Paper presented at the SPE International Thermal Operations and Heavy Oil Symposium, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, November 2005. Paper Number: SPE-97889-MS https://doi.org/10.2118/97889-MS Published: November 01 2005 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Get Permissions Search Site Citation Ramos, Marcelo Antonio, Brown, Juan Carlos, Rojas, Marisela Del Carmen, Flores, Jose Gonzalo, and Osman Kuyuco. "Producing Extra Heavy Oil using Bottom Drive Progressive Cavity Pump from Orinoco Belt Cerro Negro Area, Venezuela." Paper presented at the SPE International Thermal Operations and Heavy Oil Symposium, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, November 2005. doi: https://doi.org/10.2118/97889-MS Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentAll ProceedingsSociety of Petroleum Engineers (SPE)SPE International Thermal Operations and Heavy Oil Symposium Search Advanced Search AbstractUntil 1995, in the Cerro Negro area within the Orinoco belt ofVenezuela, rod pumping units and top-drive progressive cavity pumps (PCPs) had been the traditional means of artificial lift for vertical and deviated wells, with production rates ranging from 200 to 600 BOPD of extra-heavy oil (8ºAPI gravity and viscosities of 2,000 cp at a reservoir temperature of 133°F). More recently, with the implementation of horizontal drilling technologies for the construction of wells in unconsolidated sandstones, electrical submersibles pumps (ESPs) became an alternative to handle higher production volumes1. Even more recently, top-drive PCPs have been installed in the Cerro Negro area to produce extra-heavy oil at high rates.Hybrid artificial lift technologies, such as bottom-drive progressive cavity pumping, which combine features of the ESP and the PCP systems, have recently been successfully evaluated in the Orinoco belt to exploit extra-heavy oil reserves economically. A typical completion assembly includes a multisensor gauge to obtain downhole pressures, temperatures, vibration of the system, and power-cable current leaks; a 4-pole motor; protector; 4:1-ratio gear box; and the PCP. The functional design of the bottom-drive PCP facilitates the handling of viscous and abrasive fluids, increases the flow rate, and diminishes the operational costs. Advantages of this application also include the complete elimination of tubing wear by eliminating the rod string, greater torque capacity, lower surface maintenance, lower load and horsepower requirements, and less frictional losses.The application of bottom-drive PCPs in the Cerro Negro area have resulted in production rates of up to 1,000 BOPD of extra-heavy oil with 50% less horsepower requirements in comparison to those of conventional top-drive PCP systems.IntroductionThe Orinoco belt is located on the northern side of the lower Orinoco river in Venezuela. It covers an area of approximately 20,850 square miles and contains the country's largest deposits of extra-heavy oil, estimated to be 1.2 × 10[12] barrels of oil in place (OIP). The Cerro Negro area is part of the Orinoco belt; it covers 70 square miles, with an OIP estimated in 18.5 × 10[9] barrels of extra-heavy oil (Fig. 1).The extra-heavy oil that is currently being produced in the area has gravity values ranging between 6 and 10ºAPI, with an average value of 8.5ºAPI, and viscosities of 2,000–5,000 cp at a reservoir temperature of 130°F.To be able to exploit the extensive extra-heavy oil reserves economically, the drilling and production technology implementations have been significant over the last ten years, particularly the use of horizontal wells and artificial lift systems, resulting in new production targets of 2,000 BOPD per well compared to the former 200 BOPD.Wells with productivity potential typically above 1,000 BOPD are completed with either ESPs or conventional PCPs. To use the advantages of both ESP and PCP production methods and to reduce the lifting cost, the bottom-drive PCP system was evaluated for the production of extra-heavy oils. The applicability of this artificial lift method and the comparison with the top-drive PCP system is presented in this paper. Keywords: pvt measurement, vibration, artificial lift system, reservoir temperature, bottom-drive pcp, pcp, production rate, viscosity, orinoco belt, requirement Subjects: Artificial Lift Systems, Fluid Characterization, Progressing cavity pumps, Phase behavior and PVT measurements This content is only available via PDF. 2005. SPE/PS-CIM/CHOA International Thermal Operations and Heavy Oil Symposium You can access this article if you purchase or spend a download.

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