A medium-to-deep highly deviated CO₂ huff 'n' puff well in the Inner Mongolia Oil Production Plant of Zhongyuan Oilfield. The well deviation is 66°, the pump setting depth is 995m, and the crude oil viscosity at 50°C is 8,031mPa·s.

As this well entered the late stage of the huff 'n' puff cycle, the crude oil viscosity increased, liquidity became poor, and oil production efficiency dropped. The original lifting system required electric heating to maintain pump intake conditions, resulting in high power consumption. Severe sucker rod and tubing wear occurred in the highly deviated well section, which shortened the pump service cycle.

1.IntelliCPCP Technical Solution

To address the operational challenges of high crude oil viscosity, high power consumption, and rod-tubing wear, we deployed the IntelliCPCP® all-metal conical progressive cavity pump (PCP) lifting system in this well.

Viscosity Adaptability

Compared with traditional lifting equipment (beam pumping units), the progressive cavity pump (PCP) adopts continuous positive displacement, making it more suitable for lifting high-viscosity crude oil. Meanwhile, targeting the high-viscosity operating conditions of this well, both the stator and rotor of the IntelliCPCP® adopt a matching conical structure, allowing the pump clearance to be adjusted to accommodate media of different viscosities.

During production, the system adjusts the rotor position based on the operating status of the well, so that the pump fit state adapts to changes in crude oil viscosity. This reduces reliance on electric heating auxiliary viscosity reduction and lowers lifting energy consumption.

Reducing Rod-Tubing Wear

To address the severe rod-tubing wear in the highly deviated section of this well, IntelliCPCP® adjusts the axial tension and load-bearing state of the rod string, improves the stress distribution of the sucker rod, reduces local bending and lateral contact loads, and mitigates rod-tubing wear.

2.Field Operational Benefits

After the deployment of IntelliCPCP®, the on-site operation results of this well are as follows:

• System efficiency increased by 37%.

• Daily power consumption decreased by an average of 2,040kWh.

• Daily oil production of the well increased by 13.09%.

While reducing daily operating costs, the well achieved simultaneous improvements in daily oil production and system efficiency, with an expected comprehensive cost reduction and efficiency enhancement of $57,821.22 per year for a single well.

3.Conclusion

By adjusting the pump clearance and the stress state of the rod string, this project resolved the challenges of lifting high-viscosity crude oil in the late cycle and rod-tubing wear in the highly deviated section, significantly improving the well's energy consumption, oil production, and overall system operating status.

If your oil wells also face challenges such as high-viscosity crude oil lifting, rod-tubing wear, or high operating energy consumption, please feel free to contact us to discuss lifting solutions tailored to your specific on-site operating conditions.