GE targets oilfield production efficiency
29 Jan 2013
Florence, Italy — GE Oil & Gas’ drilling and surface business has introduced two new products for the upstream oil production sector, including the company’s first-ever motor cooling system (MCS) and a new high-efficiency electric submersible motor.
Mounted at the base of an electric submersible pump (ESP) string between the motor and sensor, the new MCS is compatible up to 270HP with GE’s E37 motors and utilizes an auxiliary seal and secondary pump to draw fluid past the equipment and cool the ESP motor when the string is placed below perforations.
By reducing well-fluid recirculation, the system is said to achieve very low motor temperatures and employs a unique design that allows improved gas avoidance below the perforations and provides an alternative to a shroud — removing certain sizing and pressure constraints.
The MCS also offers more system-design flexibility for downhole equipment when the motor is placed below the perforations, simplifying installation requirements and helping to increase system run-life by generating fluid flow to cool the motor and protecting the motor lead cable (MLC).
According to GE, the new system is suitable for: High gas-to-oil ratio (GOR) wells; Low well-bore pressures; Replacing shroud applications with high interior and exterior pressure differentials; and Low fluid-flow wells.
High-Efficiency Electric Submersible Motor
The company’s new 4.56” high-efficiency electric submersible motor is in final field trials in North America. The new model is designed to deliver more power and higher efficiencies than existing motors, allowing the motor’s overall length to be reduced per horsepower.
The new design is said to allow more copper in the winding, increasing the maximum horsepower per foot of length by more than 30%. Shorter equipment strings also simplify installation requirements.
“By adding our new motor cooling system and the high-efficiency motor to our Artificial Lift Portfolio, we are reaffirming our commitment to developing and deploying the latest technologies and services that will help operators increase the efficiency of their production activities, including in maturing fields,” said Gary Ford, president — Artificial Lift at GE Oil & Gas.
GE has begun delivering the MCS to customers in North America and the system is available globally. Meanwhile, GE plans to offer its new, high-efficiency motor to global customers in 2013.
The new product introductions rare linked to GE’s 2011 acquisition of the John Wood Group’s well support division. The $2.8 billion transaction has helped GE to target the fast-growing demand for enhanced oil recovery from mature oil fields using downhole pump “artificial lift” in brownfield developments.
The deal also expanded GE’s high-technology product and service offering in unconventional oil and gas production, with significant applications for shale gas production.
