Producing Fluids from Subsurface Reservoirs Using Electric Submersible Pumps

Abstract

Systems and methods for producing fluid from a well can use an electric submersible pump. These approaches can include: performing a portable separator rate test in the well to obtain an operating point for the electric submersible pump in the well; receiving a performance curve for the electric submersible pump; adjusting the performance curve for the electric submersible pump based on specific gravity and viscosity of fluid being produced from the well; calculating a head correction necessary to shift the adjusted performance curve to pass through the operating point obtained from the portable separator rate test; updating a model of the electric submersible pump by incorporating the calculated head correction; and executing the model of the electric submersible pump to predict flow rates from the well at surface conditions.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for producing fluid from a well using an electric submersible pump, the method comprising:
 performing a portable separator rate test in the well to obtain an operating point for the electric submersible pump in the well;   receiving a performance curve for the electric submersible pump;   adjusting the performance curve for the electric submersible pump based on specific gravity and viscosity of fluid being produced from the well;   calculating a head correction necessary to shift the adjusted performance curve to pass through the operating point obtained from the portable separator rate test;   updating a model of the electric submersible pump by incorporating the calculated head correction; and   executing the model of the electric submersible pump to predict flow rates from the well at surface conditions.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising controlling the electric submersible pump based on the predicted flow rates. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the performance curve for the electric submersible pump comprising receiving a nominal performance curve for the electric submersible pump. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the performance curve for the electric submersible pump comprising receiving a performance curve for the electric submersible pump updated from a nominal performance curve for the electric submersible pump. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein calculating a head correction comprises calculating a ratio between the retrieved pump curve and shifted pump curve. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein calculating the ratio between the retrieved pump curve and shifted pump curve comprises calculating the ratio graphically. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving operational data from the electric submersible pump. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising receiving pressure, temperature, and fluid properties from downhole sensors. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising sending control signals sent to the electric submersible pump. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising modeling current electric submersible pump production rates. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein executing the model of the electric submersible pump comprises estimating water cut and fluid specific gravity. 
     
     
         12 . A method for producing fluid from a well using an electric submersible pump, the method comprising:
 receiving, by a processor, results of a portable separator rate test in the well to obtain an operating point for the electric submersible pump in the well;   receiving, by the processor, a performance curve for the electric submersible pump;   adjusting, by the processor, the performance curve for the electric submersible pump based on specific gravity and viscosity of fluid being produced from the well;   calculating, by the processor, a head correction necessary to shift the adjusted performance curve to pass through the operating point obtained from the portable separator rate test;   updating, by the processor, a model of the electric submersible pump by incorporating the calculated head correction; and   executing, by the processor, the model of the electric submersible pump to predict flow rates from the well at surface conditions.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein receiving the performance curve for the electric submersible pump comprising receiving a nominal performance curve for the electric submersible pump. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein receiving the performance curve for the electric submersible pump comprising receiving a performance curve for the electric submersible pump updated from a nominal performance curve for the electric submersible pump. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein calculating a head correction comprises calculating a ratio between the retrieved pump curve and shifted pump curve. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein calculating the ratio between the retrieved pump curve and shifted pump curve comprises calculating the ratio graphically. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising receiving, by the processor, operational data from the electric submersible pump. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising receiving, by the processor, pressure, temperature, and fluid properties from downhole sensors. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising sending control signals sent to the electric submersible pump.