Project Brief: Integrated Injection‑Production IntelliCPCP® System for Ultra‑Heavy Oil Wells

Recently, Wuxi HXBS Technology Co., Ltd. successfully completed an artificial lift deployment on an ultra‑heavy oil well operated by Sinopec Shengli Oilfield’s Binnan Production Plant. This project marks the first time that the IntelliCPCP® intelligent conical progressive cavity pump system has achieved fully integrated injection‑production operation in a vertical ultra‑heavy oil well with a depth exceeding 1,000 m.

Background and current challenges

The target well is a typical deep, vertical ultra‑heavy oil well, with crude oil viscosity greater than 10,000 mPa·s at 50°C. Under the original rod‑pump configuration, the operator frequently experienced slow rod string descent and pump sticking, which led to low on‑stream time and poor production performance.

The previous lift system also required pulling the tubing string every time the well transitioned between injection and production, creating several operational and economic challenges:

• The insulated tubing string imposed a heavy mechanical load, increasing operational complexity and safety risks during workovers.

• Pulling and running the string for each cycle caused significant thermal losses in the wellbore, shortening the effective injection‑production cycle and lowering thermal utilization.

HXBS IntelliCPCP® artificial lift solution

To address these issues, HXBS deployed its IntelliCPCP® intelligent conical progressive cavity pump system as the artificial lift solution at the well. The system is engineered specifically for ultra‑heavy oil thermal recovery, combining a fully metallic tapered PCP with integrated surface drive and digital control.

All‑metal conical progressive cavity pump

The downhole pump adopts an all‑metal conical rotor‑stator geometry, with a wider diameter at the top and narrower at the bottom, enabling dynamic clearance adjustment along the taper.

Key benefits include:

• Extended pump inspection cycles through a tailored compensation scheme that offsets wear and maintains optimal rotor‑stator clearance over time.

• A significantly wider viscosity operating window for ultra‑heavy oil, allowing operators to prolong the injection‑production cycle and continue lifting efficiently into late‑cycle conditions, with the option to further extend the lift period by injecting diluents when needed.

• Robust, field‑proven manufacturing processes that deliver a rugged and reliable pump, with strong tolerance to sand‑induced sticking and effective mechanical de‑sticking capability.

• All‑metal construction that eliminates elastomer‑related failures and neutralizes differences in thermal expansion between rotor and stator at high temperature, ensuring that thermal cycling does not negatively impact subsequent production performance.

Integrated injection‑production capability

Leveraging an innovative surface drive and wellhead sealing architecture, the IntelliCPCP® system enables a fully integrated injection‑production mode.

Core features:

• A purpose‑designed surface drive and sealing mechanism allow rapid switching between injection and production using an external crane or manual operation, with a typical conversion time of about one hour.

• Continuous monitoring of wellhead sealing integrity throughout the operation ensures well control safety during high‑pressure steam injection and production, aligning with HPHT best practices.

Smart control and digital optimization

On the control side, HXBS has integrated a proprietary edge‑computing module with the IntelliCPCP® system, supported by downhole sensors and a secure cloud platform.

This intelligent control layer provides:

• Automated sand handling workflows that can trigger dynamic clearance adjustments and rotor movements to mitigate sand accumulation and prevent pump sticking.

• Failure pre‑warning functions based on real‑time analysis of torque, speed, pressure and temperature trends, enabling proactive maintenance and reduced unplanned downtime.

• Adaptive pump efficiency optimization, continuously tuning operating parameters to match changing well conditions and maximize system efficiency.

• Cloud‑based visualization and remote control, which deliver real‑time wellbore monitoring and parameter optimization across the entire injection‑production cycle.

Field performance

Since the well was brought back on line on January 4, 2026, daily liquid production has increased from an initial 8.1 m³/d to an average of 14.6 m³/d, while water cut has remained stable over the evaluation period. At the same time, the daily wellbore temperature decline rate has been controlled at approximately 0.3°C per day, and the temperature‑drop curve has remained smooth, indicating improved thermal efficiency and a more stable downhole thermal regime.

Operational challenges and optimization

During early trial operations, system monitoring detected localized flow restriction within part of the flow path. In response, HXBS and the Binnan Production Plant established a close technical collaboration mechanism. The plant’s process experts provided detailed field data and structural optimization recommendations, which HXBS quickly incorporated into design adjustments.

Following these targeted optimizations, the well has now returned to stable, normal production under the IntelliCPCP® system. HXBS sincerely appreciates the guidance and support from the expert team at Binnan Production Plant throughout this commissioning process.

Short‑term target

In line with directives from the leadership of Binnan Production Plant, HXBS will focus on achieving a continuous injection‑production cycle of 200 days at this well. The integrated injection‑production IntelliCPCP® system, with its high‑temperature all‑metal tapered PCP, intelligent control, and rapid mode‑switching capability, is expected to play a central role in reaching this operational milestone and setting a new benchmark for ultra‑heavy oil thermal recovery.