Comparative Analysis of Production Method with PCP Systems at Rubiales Oil Field (Colombia)
Authors: Rubio C. A , Agudelo P. A , Peñaloza J. E 
Published: April 2008

Rubiales is an oil field located into Llanos Orientales Basin (Colombia) where was installed first PCP system in 2003, artificial lift method by means of which the development of this field began. At the present time, the production is shared with another artificial lift method: electrosumersible pumping and in this study appears the operative and reservoir comparison of the historical production behavior of this field.

From their beginning in Rubiales field there were 23 wells with PCP Systems of which today in day prevail 12 of them with tendency to increase (new prospects to drill) operating under normal conditions of production, represented in the most stable fraction of the total volume of recovered petroleum with respect to the comparison mentioned in the previous paragraph because the behavior of wells with PCP system has maintained the tendency with the time, phenomenon totally opposed to the one of wells with ESP system.

This oilfield produces heavy oil (12,3 °API @ 60 °F) with high water cut (Rubiales' average BS&W = 81%) in emulsion state, which to the being conjugated with non extreme operation conditions and "ideal" well geometries, indirectly has allowed the excellent performance of PCP systems, because have not been had any problems or faults associated with bottom components.

In this study precise well comparisons will appear such as, RB-31 (PCP) and RB-45 (ESP) to show analytically the advantages and disadvantages of a system as opposed to the other, analyzing even the demand of power and the cost of each one of them from the description of each one of their components, emphasizing in the typical configuration of the systems PCP that are had in the field.

Finally it is added that Rubiales case is considered important to share in the industry because can be used like departure point or comparative parameter for the selection and application of artificial lift methods in similar fields.

Rubiales is an oil field located into Llanos Orientales Basin (Colombia) where was installed first PCP system in 2003, artificial lift method by means of which the development of this field began. At the present time, the production is shared with another artificial lift method: electrosumersible pumping and in this study appears the operative and reservoir comparison of the historical production behavior of this field.

Today in day there are 14 wells with PCP Systems with tendency to increase (new prospects to drill) operating under normal conditions of production, represented in the most stable fraction of the total volume of recovered petroleum with respect to the comparison mentioned in the previous paragraph, because the behavior of wells with PCP system has maintained the tendency with the time, phenomenon totally opposed to the one of wells with ESP system.

This oilfield produces heavy oil (12,3 °API @ 60 °F) with high water cut (Rubiales' average BS&W = 81%) in emulsion state, which to the being conjugated with non extreme operation conditions and "ideal" well geometries, indirectly has allowed the excellent performance of PCP systems, because have not been had any problems or faults associated with bottom components.

In this study precise well comparisons will appear such as, RB-31 (PCP) and RB-45 (ESP) to show analytically advantages and disadvantages of a system as opposed to the other, analyzing even the power demand and the cost of each one of them from the description of each one of their components, emphasizing in the typical configuration of the systems PCP that are had in the field.

To finish, Rubiales case is considered important to share in the industry because can be used like departure point or comparative parameter for the selection and application of artificial lift methods in similar fields.