Case Study
Shallow Ultra-Heavy Oil High-Deviation Well Steam Huff and Puff
Overcoming 180,000 mPa·s extreme viscosity and severe rod-tubing wear, achieving RMB 387,100 comprehensive cost reduction per well per year.
Published on: June 2025
The Value
RMB 387,100
Comprehensive cost savings per well per year
221.38 t / 23.10%
Annual oil increase / oil-steam ratio improvement
310.82 t / 37.5%
Annual steam savings / power consumption reduction
+325 days
Pump inspection cycle improvement
At a Glance
Location
Karamay, Xinjiang, China
Oilfield / Plant
Shengli Oilfield – Xinchun
Well Conditions
Shallow ultra-heavy oil high-deviation wells (63–78° inclination), artificial bottom 368.74–567.12 m
Recovery Process
Nitrogen-steam cyclic huff and puff
Deployment Scale
11-well batch deployment
The Challenge
Extreme viscosity, high deviation and frequent workovers — a triple constraint on heavy oil development
Extreme Viscosity, Limited Capacity
Comprehensive water cut of 84%, sand content of 0.3%, and formation crude dynamic viscosity up to 180,000 mPa·s. Extreme viscosity causes frequent rod pump plunger stalling, limited late-stage capacity, and safety hazards from overloaded Type 5 pumping units.
High-Deviation Wellbore, Severe Wear
Constrained by up to 78° well deviation, conventional rod pump setting depth is limited, leaving minimal tubing string optimization room and causing severe rod-tubing wear.
Sand Plugging & Leakage, Frequent Workovers
Severe sand plugging and leakage after steam injection startup leads to frequent well flushing and stuck-pipe operations; wells are forced into early cycle injection, reducing cycle oil-steam ratio.
The Solution
HXBS deployed the IntelliCPCP® Intelligent Tapered Progressing Cavity Pump System
A combined hardware-software approach that comprehensively upgrades the lifting process, targeting the three core challenges of heavy oil high-deviation wells.
Both stator and rotor are made of all-metal materials, withstanding high temperatures and enabling injection-production integration without pulling the tubing string.
The unique tapered geometry allows dynamic clearance adjustment and sand-laden production. The system prevents sand burial and back-spin during shutdown, resists scale after steam injection, and auto-lifts to clear sand plugging.
Proprietary rod-tubing balancing components combined with wellbore force distribution algorithm software significantly eliminate rod-tubing wear, enabling lifting operations at greater deviations and ensuring stable, efficient production in horizontal sections.
Systems Used
Systems & Equipment Used
