Artificial Lift

This paper presents the Gas Release System Bypass, the latest advancement in gas regulation and separation technologies for Electric Submersible Pump systems operating in high-GLR and gas-slugging environments. The GRSB enhances conventional gas-handling methods by integrating the principles of gas regulation, pressurization, centrifugal dispersion, and controlled gas venting through a dedicated bypass system.

This paper presents the Gas Release System Bypass, the latest advancement in gas regulation and separation technologies for Electric Submersible Pump systems operating in high-GLR and gas-slugging environments. The GRSB enhances conventional gas-handling methods by integrating the principles of gas regulation, pressurization, centrifugal dispersion, and controlled gas venting through a dedicated bypass system.

The Oxy Texas Delaware North Business Unit (TXDN) experiences frequent premature failures from severe downhole corrosion due to reservoir conditions and chemical undertreatment in wells with <1yr operating life. Typical damage occurs on undertreated annular gas lift wells near cap-string clamps/bands. Turbulent flow occurs on these components from high velocity flowrates, stripping chemical protection for corrosion to develop. From Jan 2022 to May 2025, ~28% of rig work addressed corrosion-induced tubing failures, costing $63.7MM cumulatively.

As the global oil industry increasingly relies on unconventional and marginal assets, operators face a complex array of production challenges. These include high viscosity fluids, significant solid content, gas interference, and the need for deployment in deviated wellbores. Traditional lift methods, such as beam pumping and conventional rotary electric submersible pumps (ESPs), often reach their mechanical or economic limits under these conditions.

The Appalachian Basin, specifically the Marcellus and Utica shales, are known for their initial low water-to-gas ratios and appealing high gas rates.  This, however, leaves operators with establishing phase of life flow paths as the well declines.  Installing production tubing too early leaves the asset producing at a constrained rate due to frictional losses downhole.  These constraints have been observed to be as much as 30% - 40% depending on flowing conditions.

Examine the structured development and implementation of the Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QAQC) Team at Oxy, emphasizing the team's strategic impact on reducing operational expenditures (OPEX). The QAQC team delivers targeted training in sucker rod maintenance and handling to more than 100 workover crews, conducts systematic audits of pump shops across Oxy's U.S. assets, and actively manages warranty claims to recover costs from equipment failures.

Successful Installation of Curve ESP Systems in the Permian Maximizing Economics and Recovery in Highly Deviated Wellbores
1.    OBJECTIVES/SCOPE: Please list the objectives and scope of the proposed paper. (25-75 words)

In response to rising demands for operational efficiency, power challenges, environmental responsibility, and workplace safety, this paper presents a case study on the integration of high-efficiency Permanent Magnet Motors (PMMs) and Power Regenerative Variable Speed Drive systems on long-stroke and conventional pumping units. This initiative was the result of a strategic collaboration between Weatherford and the operators, aimed at optimizing artificial lift operations while reducing energy consumption and enhancing safety performance.

Unconventional reservoirs have accelerated the need for artificial lift strategies that recognize the fundamentally multiphase nature of modern well production. Traditional classifications of wells as strictly “oil” or “gas” producers—and the corresponding artificial lift systems historically assigned to each—no longer reflect operational reality, particularly in liquids-rich plays where substantial formation gas is routinely present. This disconnect often results in sub-optimal lift selection, unnecessary interventions, and elevated operating costs.

Intermittent gas wells frequently suffer production losses due to liquid loading and the limitations of manual or SCADA-driven cycling. This work introduces an edge-native autonomous control system that optimizes liquid unloading and flowback behavior using a hybrid physics-based and machine-learning (ML) framework. Deployed directly at the wellsite on rugged IIoT gateways, the system continuously ingests surface pressure, temperature, and flow data to compute real-time gas velocity, critical velocity, and inferred liquid-column dynamics.