A horizontal well operated by Shengli Oilfield Xinchun Company utilizes thermal recovery for ultra-heavy oil, with crude viscosity reaching a staggering 89,264 mPa·s at 20°C. The well was originally equipped with a conventional belt-driven pumping unit. As wellbore temperatures declined during production, crude viscosity continuously surged. This led to sluggish rod fall , short production cycles, and an inability to execute integrated injection-production without pulling the tubing string.

I. IntelliCPCP® Design Logic

In the late stages of thermal recovery in ultra-heavy oil horizontal wells, surging viscosity drastically increases fluid passage resistance within the pump cavity. This spikes operational torque, frequently causing sluggish rod fall for conventional equipment and severely shortening the production cycle. To address this, the IntelliCPCP® system relies on edge AI algorithms to capture real-time operational data—including fluid rates, torque, and RPM—to intelligently match the optimal stator-rotor fit clearance for downhole conditions.

Dynamic Stator-Rotor Clearance Adjustment

The system adjusts the axial position of the conical rotor within the stator via a surface lifting assembly. Thanks to the proprietary all-metal conical geometry, axial displacement of the rotor translates directly into radial clearance adjustments.

Reducing Operational Load

As crude viscosity spikes, the system autonomously expands the stator-rotor clearance. This reduces the flow resistance of highly viscous fluids, lowering operational torque and relieving the equipment load.

Unlike conventional equipment forced to run with fixed clearances, this system dynamically adapts to downhole conditions to maintain the optimal artificial lift state.

The issues of short cycles and low efficiency in thermal horizontal wells stem not only from poor pump filling but also from the operational burden of frequently switching between steam injection and production. Traditional strings cannot switch modes without workovers. IntelliCPCP® utilizes interventionless integrated injection-production technology to streamline field workflows:

Steam Injection Phase

The lifting mechanism raises the sucker rod, the THERMOLOCK® seal secures the wellhead, and the downhole all-metal conical rotor is synchronously lifted to open the steam injection channel. Concurrently, a wellhead steam filter prevents impurities from entering the pump cavity, ensuring wellhead integrity.

Production Phase

Post-injection, the system lowers the conical rotor to instantly resume production. The exact same string seamlessly transitions from the injection channel back to the production channel. This eliminates frequent tripping, enhancing operational continuity and slashing workover costs.

II. IntelliCPCP® Application Results

Following the implementation of IntelliCPCP®, the well’s performance metrics improved dramatically over its production cycle:

• Cumulative Fluid Production: 1,102 tons

• Daily Power Consumption: Reduced by 66.7%

• Steam Injection Cycles: Eliminated 1 injection cycle per period

IntelliCPCP® effectively minimized the drag of highly viscous crude passing through the pump cavity and lowered system torque, allowing the equipment to maintain a stable lifting state. Concurrently, the interventionless integrated injection-production feature eliminated frequent transition operations, effectively extending the production cycle.

III. Conclusion

As the well entered its late production stage, declining wellbore temperatures triggered viscosity spikes that exposed the limitations of the original equipment. IntelliCPCP® successfully tackled these bottlenecks through dynamic clearance adjustment, precisely controlling torque during high-viscosity phases. By leveraging interventionless integrated injection-production, it effectively prolonged the late-stage thermal recovery cycle, delivering substantial reductions in lifting energy consumption and field intervention costs.