TY - THES

T1 - Implementation of rigless ESP technology within “OMV”

AU - Buha, Sebastian Barnabas

N1 - embargoed until 17-06-2019

PY - 2014

Y1 - 2014

N2 - Due to the fact that most of the easy oil is gone and as hydrocarbon reservoirs lose their natural energy, Artificial Lift technologies become more and more important to maintain the production of hydrocarbons to the surface. Often Electrical Submersible Pumps (ESPs) are chosen, because they can deliver the highest production rates, but their limited run life requires often workovers, which are performed with heavy workover rigs. This Master Thesis “Implementation of rigless ESP technologies within OMV” deals with different alternative deployed ESP systems as well as the economics in terms of workover costs over a 10 years prospect. Rigless ESP systems allow retrieving and deploying the ESP system via wireline, slickline or coiled tubing. In this thesis wireline and coiled tubing deployed ESP systems are investigated. For the initial installation of both systems a conventional rig is required. First of all several rigless deployed ESP technologies were particularised described as well as the deployment procedures for each system were investigated. Alternative deployed ESPs are an emerging technology with only a few test and pilot installations worldwide. As a next step three vendors were contacted to provide a technical and commercial offer to create a starting basis for the full cost comparison. After classifying and defining the different input data like workover time, rig rates initial costs for each system (wireline- and coiled tubing deployed ESP vs. conventional deployed ESP) an input matrix for different locations was created. This input matrix enables full cost comparison over a 10 years prospect by using a calculation spread sheet and applying the Monte Carlo method to evaluate the economic risks. The economics for alternative deployed ESP systems are challenging, because the higher initial investments (three to nearly ten times higher compared with conventional deployed ESPs) can only be outweighed in case of high mobilisation and demobilisation costs as wells as high rig rates. For locations in which rig rates are high and rig availability is a big issue, alternative deployed ESPs may be attractive. Therefore, offshore applications are the most attractive ones. A further scenario, for which the high initial cost will pay off over the 10 years prospect, is an onshore application for harsh and remote scenarios, where mobilisation time and mobilisation itself of conventional rigs are an issue. Concerning the assumptions, which were made for the input parameter an application of alternative deployed ESPs onshore, cannot be recommended. The rigless ESP system would become even more attractive, if production deferment due to rig availability was considered but this was not any more in the scope of the thesis.

AB - Due to the fact that most of the easy oil is gone and as hydrocarbon reservoirs lose their natural energy, Artificial Lift technologies become more and more important to maintain the production of hydrocarbons to the surface. Often Electrical Submersible Pumps (ESPs) are chosen, because they can deliver the highest production rates, but their limited run life requires often workovers, which are performed with heavy workover rigs. This Master Thesis “Implementation of rigless ESP technologies within OMV” deals with different alternative deployed ESP systems as well as the economics in terms of workover costs over a 10 years prospect. Rigless ESP systems allow retrieving and deploying the ESP system via wireline, slickline or coiled tubing. In this thesis wireline and coiled tubing deployed ESP systems are investigated. For the initial installation of both systems a conventional rig is required. First of all several rigless deployed ESP technologies were particularised described as well as the deployment procedures for each system were investigated. Alternative deployed ESPs are an emerging technology with only a few test and pilot installations worldwide. As a next step three vendors were contacted to provide a technical and commercial offer to create a starting basis for the full cost comparison. After classifying and defining the different input data like workover time, rig rates initial costs for each system (wireline- and coiled tubing deployed ESP vs. conventional deployed ESP) an input matrix for different locations was created. This input matrix enables full cost comparison over a 10 years prospect by using a calculation spread sheet and applying the Monte Carlo method to evaluate the economic risks. The economics for alternative deployed ESP systems are challenging, because the higher initial investments (three to nearly ten times higher compared with conventional deployed ESPs) can only be outweighed in case of high mobilisation and demobilisation costs as wells as high rig rates. For locations in which rig rates are high and rig availability is a big issue, alternative deployed ESPs may be attractive. Therefore, offshore applications are the most attractive ones. A further scenario, for which the high initial cost will pay off over the 10 years prospect, is an onshore application for harsh and remote scenarios, where mobilisation time and mobilisation itself of conventional rigs are an issue. Concerning the assumptions, which were made for the input parameter an application of alternative deployed ESPs onshore, cannot be recommended. The rigless ESP system would become even more attractive, if production deferment due to rig availability was considered but this was not any more in the scope of the thesis.

KW - "Artificial Lift" Technologien

KW - elektrische Tauchpumpen

KW - bohrturmlos

KW - Wirtschaftswissenschaft

KW - Monte-Carlo Simulation

KW - Artificial Lift technologies

KW - ESP

KW - rigless

KW - economics

KW - Monte-Carlo Simulation

M3 - Master's Thesis

ER -