A medium-to-deep extra-heavy oil steam stimulation well in the Binnan Oil Production Plant of Shengli Oilfield. The pump setting depth is 1,102 m, with a crude oil viscosity of 8,201 mPa·s at 50°C and a sand content of 0.53%. The original equipment could not achieve integrated steam injection and production with the tubing string left in place. Due to the heavy weight of insulated tubing, fallback and leakage were prone to occur during the late stages of steam injection and production, accompanied by frequent surface equipment maintenance and a low cyclical oil-steam ratio.

1. IntelliCPCP Technical Solution

Dynamic adjustment of stator-rotor clearance

To address the issues of temperature drop and continuously increasing crude oil viscosity during the production cycle of this well, Hengxin Beishi deployed the IntelliCPCP® all-metal conical progressive cavity pump lifting system.

The DynaRL® rotary lifting device on the wellhead adjusts the axial position of the conical rotor based on system operating conditions, dynamically changing the clearance fit of the FERROXIS® all-metal conical stator-rotor. As production temperature drops and crude oil viscosity increases, the system continuously adjusts and compensates for the stator-rotor clearance to maintain pump volumetric efficiency and stable lifting. This mitigates the impact of rising viscosity on pump efficiency and delays temperature decay during the production stage, thereby extending the steam injection and production cycle.

Integrated steam injection and production with the tubing string left in place / Tubing-string-in-place integrated steam injection and production

The original artificial lift process for this well was cyclic steam stimulation. The previous lifting equipment could not achieve tubing-string-in-place steam injection and production conversion, resulting in heat loss during steam injection and a low oil-steam ratio. IntelliCPCP® supports tubing-string-in-place steam injection and production conversion. During the steam injection stage, the rotor is raised using the DynaRL® rotary lifting device, cooperating with the THERMOLOCK® wellhead sealing mechanism to establish the steam injection channel; once steam injection is complete, the rotor is lowered to resume production.

2. Field operation benefits

Following the deployment of IntelliCPCP®, the field operation results for this well are as follows:

• Daily oil production increased by 74.58%

• Cyclic Oil-Steam Ratio (OSR) improved by 179.33%

• Comprehensive power consumption decreased by 39.52%

After normal operation of the equipment, the daily oil production, oil-steam ratio, and comprehensive power consumption on-site all improved. The expected comprehensive cost reduction and efficiency increase for a single well is 134,580.42 USD per year.

3. Conclusion

The Binnan project does not face a single challenge related to high viscosity, but rather the continuously changing temperature and crude oil viscosity within a single production cycle of a steam stimulation well, as well as the requirement for conversion between steam injection and production.

IntelliCPCP® addresses both challenges within a single lifting system through dynamic clearance adjustment and integrated tubing-string-in-place steam injection and production, providing the technical support required for the stable lifting of this well.

If your wells are facing similar issues, please feel free to contact us. We will evaluate the applicability of the equipment and technical solutions based on your specific well conditions.