Hydrohelical ESP Gas Separator Increases Flow Range, Improves Reliability
Authors: Carpenter Chris 
Published: March 2024

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This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper SPE 214723, “New High-Performance ESP Gas Separator,” by Barry Nicholson, SPE, and Scott R. Harryman, SPE, Oxy, and Donn J. Brown, SPE, Halliburton, et al. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

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The complete paper presents research, design, and field testing of a new type of mechanical gas separator for electrical submersible pump (ESP) systems that increases operating flow range and separation efficiency while decreasing erosion problems and improving reliability. The hydrohelical separator system has been proved effective in different types of wells.

Background

Several methods and techniques exist for avoiding gas in ESPs, including inverted shrouds, passive separators, mechanical gas separators, and tandem gas separators. Most share the limitations of limited flow capabilities and reduced performance at higher total flow rates.

The many variables associated with complex two-phase flow behavior, internal and external pressure variations, separation methods, velocity and viscosity of fluids, effect of the pump bolted above, inherent erosion issues, and single vs. tandem designs add to the challenge of basic mechanical gas-separator operation.

In 2016, a program was initiated that featured investment in both experienced personnel and advanced testing technology to unravel the aforementioned challenges and improve understanding of the operation of downhole mechanical gas separation. The team investigated innovative methods of testing and created a transparent testing system that allowed visual observation of individual internal flow regimes as well as component performance. Using a combination of high-speed photography, computational fluid dynamics validation, and specialized instrumentation, every component of a mechanical separator system was enhanced for higher flow capabilities, improved separation efficiency, and higher reliability for a variety of downhole conditions. The result was the development of a new type of mechanical gas separator for ESP use.

Development

Most gas separators ingest multiphase fluid into a separation chamber, separate the gas and liquid phases, eject the separated gas phase into the well annulus, and provide sufficient liquid phase fluid to the pump to enable efficient pumping. Existing designs vary, but they share separation methods that result in decreased efficiency at higher flow rates and low maximum flow rates compared with the pumps they feed. The hydrohelical gas separator is the first downhole, dynamic gas-separator design improvement in more than 30 years designed to address these deficiencies (Fig. 1).

The design was aimed at the following main objectives:

- Increase total fluid flow rate through the separator

- Maximize efficiency of every internal and external component of the system

- Reduce erosion characteristics common in traditional gas-separator designs

- Improve reliability

The design of the hydrohelical gas separator is based on a stationary helical vortex inducer and pump stages that enable movement of large quantities of fluid while remaining immune to gas locking. The stationary helical vortex inducer design enables increased efficiency and flow rate through the separator by reducing turbulence in remixing regions within the helical inducer and separation chamber.