For operators that rely on electrical submersible pumps (ESPs) to meet their production goals, a failed pump at the wrong time is a costly pill to swallow. While great strides have been made in improving well monitoring systems, independent operator Apache Corp. and software developer Ayata are taking it one step further.
The companies are at work on a new project using big data analytics, namely prescriptive analytics, that will not only predict when an ESP will fail but also will recommend what necessary actions are needed to prevent the failure from occurring.
According to GE, there are more than 130,000 ESPs installed and operating around the world. A better understanding of when one or more of those pumps might fail would allow operators to better determine when pump repair or replacement should be scheduled without impacting production too severely.
“ESPs are critical for our industry as 60% of the world’s oil production runs through them,” Mike Bahorich, chief technology officer for Apache, said.
Apache has more than 1,200 pumps operating on its wells globally. With about one-third of its overall oil production flowing through ESPs, according to Bahorich, even the slightest uptick in production would garner significant returns.
“Just a 1% improvement in ESP performance around the world would provide over a half-million additional barrels of oil per day given the amount of oil pumped through ESPs,” he said. “Multiply that by [US] $100/bbl, and you’d have $53 million-plus per day just from improvements made to ESPs.”
So what is “prescriptive analytics,” exactly? According to Ayata CEO Atanu Basu, prescriptive analytics “not only helps you look ahead but also helps you make the right decisions to benefit from what is ahead. It does this is by combining different types of data such as text, image, audio, video, and numbers with complex mathematical algorithms.”
Currently, the companies’ technology teams are data mining a collaborative industry database known as the ESP Reliability Information and Failure Tracking System (RIFTS). The database contains information on more than 104,000 ESPs from approximately 750 fields worldwide representing 22 operating companies. The data were contributed by partners to the ESP RIFTS joint-industry project such as ConocoPhillips, Hess, Statoil, Chevron, Shell, and Apache. The data are used by the prescriptive analytics’ algorithms to forecast issues and develop recommendations.
“There are a number of variables in the database that we cannot change, for example reservoir temperatures,” Bahorich said. “There are, however, a number of things we can, like the particular brand of pump or cabling used. And while it is running, we can look at other variables like pressure, voltage, and sand intake.” Bahorich noted that the next step is to determine the best combinations for operations before moving into field testing. “There are many things about a reservoir that are unpredictable,” Bahorich said. “Oftentimes, the inability to predict is due to the Earth’s complexity. By using big data analytics, we’ll be able to get an early look at an issue and be able to adapt before it becomes a much larger issue.”
Recommended Reading
President: Financial Debt for Mexico's Pemex Totaled $106.8B End of 2023
2024-02-21 - President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador revealed the debt data in a chart from a presentation on Pemex at a government press conference.
CorEnergy Infrastructure to Reorganize in Pre-packaged Bankruptcy
2024-02-26 - CorEnergy, coming off a January sale of its MoGas and Omega pipeline and gathering systems, filed for bankruptcy protect after reaching an agreement with most of its debtors.
Enbridge Advances Expansion of Permian’s Gray Oak Pipeline
2024-02-13 - In its fourth-quarter earnings call, Enbridge also said the Mainline pipeline system tolling agreement is awaiting regulatory approval from a Canadian regulatory agency.
Canadian Natural Resources Boosting Production in Oil Sands
2024-03-04 - Canadian Natural Resources will increase its quarterly dividend following record production volumes in the quarter.
Bobby Tudor on Capital Access and Oil, Gas Participation in the Energy Transition
2024-04-05 - Bobby Tudor, the founder and CEO of Artemis Energy Partners, says while public companies are generating cash, private equity firms in the upstream business are facing more difficulties raising new funds, in this Hart Energy Exclusive interview.