SPE-190964-MS

Successful Application of an Innovative Geometry of Progressing

Cavity Pump in Application with High Sand and Gas Content. Colombian
Successful Case in La Cira Infantas

Laura Labrador and Paola de Sales, ECOPETROL S.A; Luisa Valderrama, Jesus Molina, and Jose Ferrer,
APERGY

Copyright 2018, Society of Petroleum Engineers

This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPE Artificial Lift Conference and Exhibition - Americas held in The Woodlands, TX, USA, 28-30 August 2018.

This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents
of the paper have not been reviewed by the Society of Petroleum Engineers and are subject to correction by the author(s). The material does not necessarily reflect
any position of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, its officers, or members. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper without the written
consent of the Society of Petroleum Engineers is prohibited. Permission to reproduce in print is restricted to an abstract of not more than 300 words; illustrations may
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Abstract
Located in the Middle Magdalena River Valley basin, in the department of Santander, municipality of
Barrancabermeja in the rural area of El Centro. La Cira-Infantas is the oldest Field in Colombia and with
it, the oil industry was born in Colombia. It has proven reserves of 172 MMBOPD, it reached a production
of 65000 barrels in 1939 until it declined to 5000 BOPD in 2005. Through an association contract between
two operators, looking for the implementation of new technology, in 2017 45000 BOPD were obtained.
During its operation and through the implementation of the secondary recovery method in the field, a
high gas and sand content was identified as a problem for high fluid production wells. This has generated
premature flailures in the artificial lifting system with Progressing Cavity Pumps during the production
of the Arenas C interest zone that raises the costs to the point that makes them economically nonviable.
According to the needs of the field and looking for new and better solutions, the design and application
of a pump with a special geometry that allowed giving viability to the operation of these problem wells,
was performed, thus expanding their run life and reducing costs associated to their intervention. The
implementation of this type of pump has allowed a 63% reduction in installation, maintenance and operation
costs, and 86% in differed and production loss costs; in general, a 67% economic benefit versus the
conventional system was obtained providing technical and economic viability to the development of these
reserves.

Introduction
At present, the La Cira Infantas Field has 1125 active wells, of which 175 wells operate with artificial lifting
system with PCP pumping. Wells with productions of up to 4,6% sand cuts were selected for this application,
with productions of up to 65% free Gas, with a severity index of 2.7, not including the interventions that did
not require to perform pulling which would duplicate this index (Flushing). These interventions generated
a total of operational costs associated to deferred production, to the rig and to the replacement of downhole
equipment required in artificial lifting systems. Under this circumstance, the operating company determined
2 SPE-190964-MS

the wells inactive temporarily while a technology that allowed operating them in a profitable way, was
developed.
Aiming to find production alternatives to operate these kind of reserves, a decision was made to develop
a pump with innovating and different geometry to allow handling a combination of high volume, high solid
management and gas discharge rates, from these producing zones. This involves synchronizing the needs
of critical wells in the field, with technological and engineering development, thus giving viability and
feasibility to the operation.
Another additional benefit of the implementation of this technology is that it allows keeping the diameter
of the pipe used in the field leading to greater productions, not viable before in the market.
In order to analyze this problem, all the historical information concerning the wells own conditions (fluids
operational properties, parameters, production tests, type of interventions and their causes) and the pump's
(designs, application procedures, pump models by Progressing cavities used, failure analysis and statistics)
that allowed identifying most critical aspects and recurrent flaws, was collected. From these findings, the
limits for the current application of PCP Systems were determined and some conditions for the designs
were set forth, assuring a good performance of these systems or, at least, to maintain the best life records
registered in the field historically.
With the development of this analysis, the interest was created to look for new technological alternatives,
to design and to develop new configurations, to create new geometries for PCP Systems (nontraditional nor
existing configurations) that would allow continuing using this system under better schemes in profitable
and competitive environments for the development of the field.
This paper aims to introduce the results and challenges of the successful and ongoing application of
the PCP with innovating geometry that has allowed make viable the extraction of these zones with double
problems reducing the costs associated to the maintenance of the PCP System.

Statement of Theory and Definitions

Progressing Cavity Pumping System (PCP): Type of positive displacement artificial lifting system (Made
up of a rotor and a stator with different number of stages) that can be used to pump a broad range of fluids,
including high viscosity fluids with gas and suspended particles entrance. The rotor moves within the stator
displacing fluid from the bottom to the surface. The system's power is transmitted through a motor on surface
that transmits the power from the rods system to the pump.
Pumping Action: A Progressing Cavity Pump is a positive displacement Pump, whose geometry allows
the formation of two or more separated, biconvex cavities, and in spiral form, when the rotor turns to the
right the cavities move from the suction to the discharge of the pump and the pressure increases in a linear
manner from the suction to the discharge.
Run life: It is the expected lifetime to operate any equipment without having an irreversible flaw. It
depends on reliability, while it operates under certain operating conditions according to its design.
Failure Index: is the ratio of the number of failures and the number of active wells under study (Rolling).
Geometry: The geometry of the pump is defined by four parameters: lobes relation, eccentricity,
diameters, pitch length
Eccentricity: is the radius of the circle described by the rotor head around the stator's central axis.
Cavity: is the lenticular, spiral and separated volume created by the empty spaces between the rotor and
the stator.
Swept angle: is the angle of the rotor helix. Figure 3
Sanding: The well, with its artificial lifting equipment is operational; nevertheless, there is no
submergence which forces the well shutdown to identify if the well recovers level. If level is not recovered
it is evident that the well has obstruction of the producing zone and it is necessary to intervene the well to
SPE-190964-MS 3

perform sand cleaning in the zone of interest. This indicates that part of the sand was being well handled
by the pump, but the other part was remaining in the bottom until it turned the well non-operational.
Fault due to stuck pump: The rotor is trapped inside the stator and the well's normal operation is not
possible. This indicates that the pump could not handle the sand and ended up turning it non-operational.

Description and Application of Equipment and Processes

The formation under study is identified as Mugrosa, which includes two producing zones within which we
shall focus on developing Zone C, which is characterized for being the most important reservoir in the field,
made up by inter-bedded sandstones with mudstone layers whose thickness varies between 510 and 570 ft
With the beginning of its exploitation and due to the improved recovery used in the field with water
injection, volume increase, gas and sand production is identified. All this leads to the implementation of the
Progressing Cavities System in the field, that allowed reaching the conditions required by the wells under
exploitation, nevertheless, as wells were being installed, failures started to appear when the system's limits
were exceeded. The operational windows of the PCP Application were determined for the field under study
considering the learning curve that allowed identifying the best scenario for its installation considering that
the greatest limitation was the maximum production that could be reached.
Table #1 summarizes the main limit of Progressing Cavities Pumping system and the need of the field
for the application.

Table 1—Main limit of the PCP system

Considering the learning curve of the field with wells that present the same conditions of the previous
table, it was identified that the best alternative is to install the pump at the top of the perforations, because
if it set below them, there is a risk of losing the well due to non-release of the torque anchor, trapped by
the amount of sediments handled in the wells. With the above, the field begins to install the pumps the
top of the formation of interest finding, through this decision, a new problem, which is gas management.
Gas production becomes a drawback that increases the failures in the pumps because it causes premature
explosive decompression considering the high percentage of free gas in these wells and possible operational
changes that due to the location at the top makes consequences worse.
Due to the delicate problem caused by gas management inside the pump, the need to design it in such a
way that it will allow high gas and sand production is identified. Through innovating geometry that allows
the use of an aggressive swept angle but maintains the diameter of conventional pipe arriving at higher
production rates without sacrificing sand lifting, and that included the installation of a gas separator to
handle the gas volumes required. This was possible due to the use of a non-slotted tag bar.
Below, Table #2 depicts the history of critical wells intervention that led to the study and analysis of the
new technology.
4 SPE-190964-MS

Table 2—History of failures in critical wells.

Due to previous interventions, remembering that none of them was well optimization and when
performing the economic analysis, it is defined to leave wells temporarily inactive after a failure, waiting
for a comprehensive solution for the problems that led to the inactivity thereof. Once the needs of the
company that operates the wells are established and accepted, the design and engineering personnel of the
pump manufacturer performed an internal revision of products supply, existing geometries, pump pitches
and sweep angles.
The pump that needed to be developed should fulfill the following parameters:

• Pump volume capacity between 70 and 100 m3/100 rpm day.

• An aggressive geometry (in comparison with the manufacturer's product line models).

• Shorter stator and rotor pitch.

• Low rotor swept angle.

• Lifting capacity greater than 1500 m H20.

• Pump OD that could be installed inside a 7"-23 lb/ft Casing. Drift: 6.241"

• Facility to connect itself to a 3.5"-9.3 lb/ft Tubing. Drift: 2.867"

• Abrasion and CO2 resistant elastomer.

From this revision, the conclusion is that since there is no pump with all the previously mentioned
characteristics to operate at the conditions required by the field, we proceeded to evaluate the project's
feasibility that allows developing a pump as an integral solution that would allow getting wells back into
production in a profitable way.
The design and development of Progressing Cavity Pump are extensive and complex. The nature of the
manufacturing process presents constraints in all its stages and acceptance criteria are very stringent, for that
reason, the establishment of different phases that help systematizing its development becomes necessary.
Historical experience and information are fundamental to obtain the objectives drawn up. For such reason
5 Phases were followed for product design and development:

• Phase 1: Design planning

• Phase 2: Control points for design and development

SPE-190964-MS 5

• Phase 3: Results of design and development

• Phase 4: Design changes

• Phase 5: Final design

These phases would interact between each other and they include the necessary steps for design,
verification, control, manufacturing and validation of the pump proposed. The most important steps and
factors evaluated in each phase were the following:

Phase 1: Design planning

The following items were reviewed to start this process:
– Functional requirements.
– Constraints and limits.
– Designs of existing pumps.
– Applicable standards and codes.
– Necessary resources and potential consequences of a failure in the product.
Based on the previous items, calculations were made and the parameters for the development of the pump
were determined. The most important elements evaluated can be summarized in:
– Material Selection
Dimensions and Material were pre-selected for the stator tube and rotor bar. It was assumed that
existing elastomers will be used.
– Stator and Rotor Geometry: Cavity Design
The stator and rotor pitch altogether with the swept angle were the fundamental parameters taken
into consideration for the determination of this pump's geometry since with a smaller Swept Angle
and a smaller pitch the pump will be able to move solids in a more effective manner (see figure 1).
Once these calculations were completed the nominal values of the rotor and the stator geometries
were obtained (see figure 2).
– Stage differential pressure: Stator Length
Assuming a differential pressure value per stage and using the lifting requirements of the pump
to be designed, the number of required stages was calculated. The length of each stage is defined in
the design of the cavity.
– Mold Design
Historical information and estimates of elastomer shrinking were reviewed; this allowed
calculating nominal values of the mold's geometry (Major and Minor diameters). The pump's
injection capacity, the lifting or nominal pressure required, the injection devices, the logistics during
the assembly and removal processes and with the stator and the machining equipment to be used were
taken into account for its length.
– Elastomer Injection Capacity in the new designed cavity
The parameters evaluated are mainly pressure, injection time and temperature. This is one of the
most critical processes which requires multiple iterations between the cavity geometry and injection
parameters already mentioned.
Once this step is validated a table for the pump with the different lifting rates and their lengths,
is generated.
– Elastomer Vulcanization
Based on previous experience and data of similar models, initial values for time and temperature
elastomer vulcanization were set.
6 SPE-190964-MS

– Design of tools for the manufacturing process

They were designed for the different stages of the manufacturing process (injection, mold
extraction, welding and rotor and stator alignment, among others). The capacity of the test bench is
compared with the power requirements initially considered for the pump to be developed.
– Revision of the rotor's manufacturing parameters
The nominal values previously determined were analyzed together with personnel expert in the
manufacturing of the rotor to determine viability and limitations in its manufacturing. The numerical
control lathe has a program that simulates the rotor's geometry.
– Rotor Chroming and Polishing
The minimum thicknesses for the chromium plating layer or coating were determined together
with the supplier. This stage feeds back, once again, the design due to process's own limitations.

Figure 1—Rotor Pitches Comparison

Figure 2—Nominal values of rotor and stator geometries

Figure 3—Rotor Swept Angle

Phase 2: Control points for design and development

An exhaustive revision of the initial requirements was carried out to assure that they were complete. In this
phase, calculations, assumptions and methods used for the design of the PCP were checked and mechanical
drawings and all the deliverables were approved.
SPE-190964-MS 7

The existence of control points and acceptance criteria for each manufacturing stage of the pump were
verified. Between the most outstanding control points are the following:
– Raw material Inspection:
▪ Tube
▪ Bar
▪ Elastomer
– Visual inspection
▪ General condition of the rotor and stator
▪ Centralization of the stator
▪ Elastomer condition
– Dimensional Inspection
▪ Geometry of the rotor
▪ Thickness of chromium coating
▪ Cavities of the stator
– Destructive tests:
▪ Elastomer hardness tests
▪ Adhesion
– Test bench
▪ Volumes Validation
▪ Pressures Validation
▪ Torque Evaluation at different speeds

Upon completion of this phase a prototype pump was built, that will be studied and compared with the
acceptance criteria.

Phase 3: Results of design and development

The results obtained in the prototype pump were compared with the acceptance criteria and further steps
were determined. In case adjustments or changes are required they are documented in phase 4, otherwise
another pump will be manufactured and validated at the bench.

Phase 4: Changes in the design and development

If necessary, adjustments are made due to unexpected results or new client's requirements. These changes
are documented and the process continues until the product is released.

Phase 5: Product release

The pump was validated from the technical and manufacturing point of view, fulfilling the requirements or
entries agreed and the manufacturer's acceptance criteria and control points.
The first pump is sent to the client and is closely monitored. In case of premature failures or pump
unexpected behavior, the pump is analyzed in detail and any manufacturing or design problem detected is
used as input for Phase 1 of the Design and Development process.

Presentation of Data and Results

Table #3 shows the results obtained in La Cira field after the installation of the PCP pumps with all the
innovations made
8 SPE-190964-MS

Table 3—Data of analyzed wells.

The run life (RL) obtained managed to increase run life up to 5 times the previous run life of the well
with a conventional pump.
Within the wells reviewed, Well 1 was studied with an average run life of 65 days using conventional
PCP with sand and gas, the wells was optimized with a new pump with new geometry allowing extending
its run life in a profitable way for the operator.
To ensure a success with this application the following factors were reviewed:

• Mechanical design of the well

• Selection of the elastomer and pump configuration considering contaminants, gas and sand
produced by the well.
• Efficiency selection considering the parameters previously mentioned and the experience of the
field.

Well Design
In Table #4 are the main results of the C-FER PC-PUMP simulation software system design with the
equipment proposed used for the evaluation of the implementation of the PCP with innovating geometry.

Table 4—Results of the simulation

Elastomer and pump configuration selection

Considering the conditions of the field, of the fluid and according to the history of failures, it is identified that
the elastomer for this application must have the following characteristics: Low Swelling, good management
of high water, CO2 and H2S content and suitable mechanical properties for solid handling. The revision
of the behavior of the current elastomer begins by identifying that it presents an adequate behavior (low
wear down, low swelling and high run life). However, in critical wells that presents a double problem due
SPE-190964-MS 9

to the high gas and solid management inside the pump, the necessity to design a pump that allowed to
combine the management of high gas and sand production that would allow to lift the sand and handle the
required gas volume to avoid explosive decompression in the pump, is identified. Thus, a pump with an
aggressive Swept Angle (39°), was designed. Because of its diameter it allows to be installed with 3 ½"
pipe, producing volumes of up to 1000 BFPD. Allowing lifting of large amounts of sand, and that included
in its configuration the use of a non-slotted tag bar that also allowed the installation of the gas separator to
manage the volumes of gas required to preserve the pump's useful life.

Selection of efficiency
For the selection of the efficiency the following considerations were considered:

• Behavior of the elastomer in the field: it was identified that the elastomer presents swelling that is
lower or equal to 10% according to the historical behavior of the field.
• Performance of the elastomer in the compatibility tests: The compatibility tests were validated and
swelling was approved according to the test.
The main objective for which efficiencies were selected was to achieve sand lifting to avoid pump
obstruction and sticking.
Two efficiencies were selected considering that there was an uncertainty factor in this configuration. The
rotor change in size would be subject to the swelling obtained in the pump once installed.
In Annex 1 is the curve of pump with the results of the equipment installed in the well.

Annex 1—Initial Pump Curve

The efficiency values selected were in a range of 50% - 60% at 50°C for maximum pump lift which
would allow the pump to operate with an efficiency of 75%-85% at the pump's work head and thus produce
the volume of sand.
This same revision was performed for each one of the selected wells in such a way that it could be assured
that the design was within the adequate parameters for the success of the application.
10 SPE-190964-MS

Field Results
Well 1 is considered one of the most critical wells, with an average run life of 65 days, a maximum run life of
137 days, and during 2016 it presented four interventions due to stuck pump. It has been operating 420 days
to this date, being able to achieve the maximum expected production with a speed below 250 rpm (maximum
speed identified in the field to avoid premature failures caused by friction conditions in rod and pipe).
Table #5 shows the match of the application with the new pump that allows validating the design
conditions versus the operation conditions of the well.

Table 5—Match of well 1.

The pump was installed on February 8, 2017. It was in operation for 200 days and presented a failure or
shutdown due to stuck pump, where the bottom of the well was found full of sand (380 ft of sand), pump
stuck by sand and three pipes over the intake were full of sand.
Below is an image of the pump condition (stuck pump) once pulling was performed in the well, rotor
can be seen clogged by solids.

The pump was stripped off and recovered at the test bench, and was re-installed and is still operating
exceeding 1 year run life.
In Annex 2 are the results of the pump's test performed during the sanding intervention.
SPE-190964-MS 11

Annex 2—Pump curve after installation

The pump was installed in 5 wells allowing extension of run life and reducing costs associated to the
intervention.
To quantify the results and the benefit for the operator, an analysis is performed to determine the gain
by the implementation of this innovating and challenging technology that allowed managing in a combined
manner three factors that drastically affect the PC Pump's useful life.
Table #6 outlines the hours and barrels lost in off-line wells before the installation of the pumps

Table 6—Deferred in time and Barrels

Table #7 depicts the costs of wells under study before the installation of the pump, including deferred
costs and WorkOver equipment during the time the wells remained non-operational, which, for the wells
under study, represent a total cost for the operator of USD 1,888,250.00 before the installation of the pump.
12 SPE-190964-MS

Table 7—Costs Before intervention

Table #8 shows costs of wells under study after pump installation, including deferred and Workover
equipment costs during shutdown time with the pump installed, which for the wells under study represented
a total cost of USD 626,500.00 after pump installation.

Table 8—Costs After intervention

It must be considered that wells 2 and 3 were programmed to be abandoned which represents an additional
cost of USD 133,000.00 per well, which is an additional economic benefit to that already entered in this
table.
Finally, the result was that the economic benefit for the operator was USD 1,261,750.00 (67%), obtaining
a saving of 63% in installation, maintenance and operation costs and 86% in deferred costs and loss of
production.
Considering the results obtained in this test, massification viability of pump implementation to critical
wells due to dual problems and gas in La Cira Infantas field, were determined. In agreement with the history
of failures with cut-off date March 31, 2018, there are currently 100 wells operating with PCP artificial lift
system, mechanical pumping and ES-PCP that are considered optimizable due to their high severity index.

Conclusions
It is confirmed that the PCP System is an optimal lifting method for large volume sand production in
combination with high gas production.
The application of an innovative geometry of progressive cavity pumps in application with high sand and
gas content can improve the run life of the critical wells.
A significant reduction of operational costs occurred through the reduction of failures, equipment
maintenance, and deferred loss.
We were able to synchronize the need of an operator with the service company and the manufacturing
plant to produce a pump that allowed continuing with the use of this PCP System under better schemes in
profitable and competitive environments for the development of the field.
SPE-190964-MS 13

Viability for C sands production in critical wells, was found.

A significant reduction in installation, maintenance and operation costs and in deferred costs and loss
of production, was obtained.

This test served as reference to apply it in other Colombian oil fields with dual problems of sand and gas
in an Artificial Lift system with progressive cavity pumps.

Nomenclature
PCP : Progressing Cavity Pumping System
ALS : Artificial Lift System
BFPD : Barrels Fluid per Day
RL : Run life
GOR : Gas Oil Relation
MMBOPD: Millions of Barrels Oil per Day
BOPD: Barrels Oil per Day

References
Normative ISO-15136
CFER Manual for PC Pumps
C-FER Technologies (1999). PC-PUMP Software
CholetH.. 2000. Well Production Practical Handbook. Paris: Technip