A Comprehensive ESP Preventive Maintenance Program for Long-Term Reliability, Better Life Cycle and Maximum Availability
Authors: Mohammedjawad Almukharriq Ali , Ali Khalaf Ahmed , Abdulaziz Alquwizani Saud , Eugene Dominguez Francis 
Published: October 2021

The reliability of Electrical Submersible Pumps (ESPs) is a critical target for companies managing artificially lifted fields. While efforts to continuously improve the reliability in the downhole system are crucial, it is necessary to focus on the health and long-term reliability of the ESP surface equipment. One effective approach toward achieving this goal is through conducting a comprehensive Preventive Maintenance Program (PMP) for the different components of the ESP surface system.

An ESP PMP should be managed without jeopardizing production strategy. The design of the PMP must meet the production demand while maintaining the best-in-class PMP practices. The well operating condition, frequency, weather, well location, required periodic inspection and preemptive servicing and replacement of surface equipment components must be considered, based on studied criterion. The design of the PMP considers equipment upgrades and thermal imaging surveillance to guarantee healthy electrical systems. The mentioned activities have to be captured in a dedicated checklist to cover all requirements. To ensure adequate PMP planning, a well-structured tracking mechanism must be followed.

Implementing the recommended PMP framework contributes to minimizing ESP surface equipment component defects like transformer failures, blown fuses, jammed fans, obsolete drive controllers, etc. The proposed PMP is structured to achieve maximum production availability while maintaining a healthier run-life of surface equipment with minimal outages. To ensure minimal ESP surface equipment malfunctions, a comprehensive periodic checkup and well-designed replacement mechanism of surface equipment components should be implemented. The operator company and the maintenance service provider will be able to easily identify the bad actors without complicating the overall process. Consequently, efforts will be made to assign and implement corrective actions to avoid similar problems. The PMP will significantly enhance the ESP surface equipment reliability and prolong the uptime of the fixed/variable speed drives, associated transformers, and other auxiliary equipment. In addition, it should reduce the ESP trips attributed to the malfunction of any surface equipment component and consequently minimize the operational and financial impact of production disruptions. Ultimately, the operator company will be able to maximize its production availability and comply with its planned strategies to meet its target. As a result, the PMP will significantly improve the ESP Key Performance Indicator(KPI) records.

In this paper, an innovative and structured framework for ESP surface equipment PMP will be illustrated in details. Additionally, a prototype that contains the main formulas and tools in the program, which were derived from huge historical records and data analytics, will be shown. The paper will explain why and how the PMP can help any operator company or service provider to excel in maintaining healthy ESP systems while meeting its production commitments.