Screen a well and select between gas lift and electric submersible pump artificial lift.
Oil, Gas & Energy
Artificial Lift Design and Surveillance for Gas Lift and Electric Submersible Pumps
Covers artificial lift selection, gas lift and electric submersible pump design, and production surveillance so engineers can size, optimise and troubleshoot lifted wells.
🗓️Duration5 training days
📚Content4 modules · 8 sessions
🎓On completionAccredited attendance certificate
About the programme
Course Overview
Choosing between gas lift and an electric submersible pump, then getting the design wrong, shows up months later as a well that never reaches its potential rate or a pump that fails long before its expected run life. This course takes production engineers through artificial lift design and surveillance as a single connected job. Participants start with candidate screening and nodal analysis, comparing inflow performance against lift options to select the method suited to a well's rate, depth and fluid properties. Gas lift sessions cover valve spacing and unloading sequence design, the difference between orifice and injection-pressure-operated valves, and how to read a gas lift performance curve to allocate limited injection gas across a group of wells. Electric submersible pump sessions cover sizing the pump stages, motor, cable and gas separator against the well's inflow and fluid conditions, and operating the variable speed drive to manage rate and protect the equipment. The course closes on surveillance: using well tests and downhole gauge data to detect underperformance early, and diagnosing gas lift valve and electric submersible pump failures to extend run life and improve the next design.
Expected Learning Outcomes
Apply nodal analysis to compare inflow performance against an artificial lift system's capability.
Design gas lift valve spacing and an unloading sequence for a given well and injection gas supply.
Read a gas lift performance curve to allocate injection gas across a group of wells.
Size electric submersible pump stages, motor, cable and gas separator for a given well.
Operate a variable speed drive to manage electric submersible pump rate and protect equipment.
Diagnose gas lift valve and electric submersible pump failures from surveillance data.
Who Should Attend
Production engineers responsible for artificial lift design and optimisation.
Petroleum engineering graduates moving into a production engineering role.
Field and operations engineers who monitor and troubleshoot lifted wells.
Reservoir engineers who need to understand lift constraints on well deliverability.
Well service and workover engineers who install or pull artificial lift equipment.
Production technologists building integrated production system and surveillance models.
Course Modules
Select any module to see its sessions and points.
01Artificial Lift Selection and System Design Basics
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Candidate Well Screening and Lift Method Selection
- Screen a well's rate, depth, fluid properties and gas-oil ratio against artificial lift options.
- Compare gas lift and electric submersible pumps on flexibility, cost and reliability grounds.
- Identify wells where sucker rod pumping or another lift method would suit better than gas lift or ESP.
- Document the lift method selection decision and the assumptions behind it.
Session 2Nodal Analysis Fundamentals
- Construct an inflow performance relationship for an oil or gas well from test data.
- Build a tubing performance curve and combine it with inflow performance at the solution node.
- Use nodal analysis to predict the effect of a lift change on well production rate.
- Identify the system component most limiting a well's production rate.
02Gas Lift System Design and Optimisation
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Valve Spacing and Unloading Design
- Design a gas lift mandrel spacing sequence for a well's static and flowing gradients.
- Select between orifice and injection-pressure-operated valves for the operating design.
- Sequence an unloading procedure that transfers injection from shallow to operating valves safely.
- Set valve test rack opening pressures consistent with the unloading design.
Session 2Gas Lift Performance Curves and Allocation
- Construct a gas lift performance curve relating injection rate to liquid production rate.
- Identify the point of diminishing return on a gas lift performance curve.
- Allocate a limited gas injection supply across a group of wells to maximise total output.
- Diagnose a well producing below its gas lift performance curve prediction.
03Electric Submersible Pump Design
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Sizing the ESP Pump, Motor, Cable and Seal
- Select pump stages from a manufacturer's performance curve to meet target rate and head.
- Size the ESP motor and cable to the pump's power requirement and the well's depth.
- Select a seal and protector configuration suited to the well's thrust and fluid conditions.
- Assess when a gas separator is needed to protect ESP performance from free gas.
Session 2Variable Speed Drive Operation and Gas Handling
- Operate a variable speed drive to adjust ESP frequency and manage production rate.
- Set variable speed drive protection limits to prevent motor and pump damage.
- Manage free gas at pump intake through separator selection and operating frequency.
- Interpret variable speed drive trend data to detect early signs of ESP distress.
04Surveillance, Diagnostics and Failure Management
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Real-Time Surveillance and Well Test Integration
- Integrate downhole gauge data with periodic well tests to track lifted well performance.
- Detect underperformance against a nodal analysis prediction from surveillance trends.
- Set surveillance alarm limits appropriate to each artificial lift method.
- Prioritise well interventions using surveillance data across a lifted well portfolio.
Session 2Failure Analysis and Run-Life Improvement
- Diagnose common gas lift valve failure modes from surveillance and pulled-valve inspection.
- Diagnose common electric submersible pump failure modes from surveillance and teardown reports.
- Relate a failure root cause to a specific design or operating change for the next installation.
- Track run-life statistics across a well population to prioritise reliability improvements.
What the participant receives
4 course modules
A structured syllabus
8 training sessions
across 5 days
32 detailed points
Applied, detailed content
Accredited attendance certificate
On completing the programme
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