ISSN: 2350-0328

International Journal of Advanced Research in Science,

Engineering and Technology
Vol. 4, Issue 5 , May 2017

Operating Parameters of Electrical

Submersible Pump Simulation Using Excel®
SUELEM SÁ DELA FONTE, GEORGE SIMONELLI

Petroleum Engineer, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador/Ba, Brazil

Federal University of Bahia, Postgraduate Program in Chemical Engineering, Salvador/Ba, Brazil

ABSTRACT: Artificial lifting methods are implemented in oil wells whose energy from the reservoir is insufficient to
lift the fluids to the surface. Artificial lift equipment is responsible for transmitting energy to the fluid at the bottom of
the well. Among the lifting methods, the electrical submersible pump has been increasingly used in onshore or offshore
oil wells. In this type of lifting method, energy is transmitted from the surface to the bottom of the well by an electric
cable which is connected to a subsurface motor. The motor is connected to a centrifugal pump that implements the
pressure differential in the bottom of the well, resulting in elevation. To implement electrical submersible pump in an
oil well, it is fundamental to determine the required parameters pump to be used. This work aimed at present the
calculation procedure necessary to determine the operational parameters of the pump. The equations found in the
literature were implemented in a spreadsheet developed in Excel®, which calculates in an agile way the variables
required for pump selection. The results obtained by the spreadsheet were similar to those available in the literature.

I. INTRODUCTION

Electrical submersible pump (ESP) is used in wells that haven’t enough bottom pressure to lift the fluids to the surface
naturally. The use of the ESP was indicated for wells that produce with high flows, that present water inflow and low
values gas oil ratio. However, with the advancement reseaches about ESP, new applications have emerged for its use.
Nowadays, ESP is also used in wells with gas-oil ratio considerables values, which gas separators are used in the
bottom of the well [1,2].
The operation of the electrical submersible pump consists of the transformation of electrical energy into mechanical
energy. The electrical energy is transmitted through an electrical cable from the surface to the engine installed in the
bottom of the well. The motor is connected to a multi-stage centrifugal pump, which provides differential pressure
resulting in fluid lifting. The costs for installing ESP in an oil well are considered high, so its implementation must be
analyzed carefully [2,3].
With the advancement of technology in the oil industry, computational resources have become the object of research by
several scholars. The computational tools developed are fundamental in simulation, analysis or control in wells with
artificial elevation methods. Researchers such as [4,5,6,7] implemented the empirical equations in a computational
program with the purpose of simulating the conditions of a well and, consequently, analyzing the data obtained. While
[8] developed an algorithm to control the electrical submersible pump.
Before the ESP is implemented in an oil well, it is essential that the pump operational parameters be selected correctly.
To do so, it is necessary to have knowledge of the relative data of the well, the reservoir, the production and the
performance chart of a preselected pump. The proper selection of pump parameters is to maximize production and
minimize equipment costs [9].
According to [9], actually there are three programs capable of dimensioning the ESP: a commercial program, a
program that is available in the literature and a model proposed by him. In this context, it has been found that access to
these programs is limited due to the user's cost or accessibility such programs. The development of an easily accessible
and free program would bring a scientific contribution of a didactic and industrial nature [9].
In view of this context, this work aimed to develop an Excel® spreadsheet capable of determining the operating
parameters of the electrical submersible pump.

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 ISSN: 2350-0328
International Journal of Advanced Research in Science,
Engineering and Technology
Vol. 4, Issue 5 , May 2017

II. METHODS

This topic contains the equations required in determining the operating parameters of a electrical submersible pump.
A. Equations required for pump selection

The equations needed to select the pump were implemented in the cells of an Excel® spreadsheet. The procedure for
selecting a pump was divided into seven steps to better understand each step.
Step 1 - Calculation of the pressure and flow rate at the bottom of the well
To select the centrifugal pump it is necessary to know the pressure and the flow obtained by the centrifugal pump. The
calculation of the bottom flow of the well is described by Equation 1.
𝑞𝑤𝑓 = 𝐵𝑜 𝑞𝑠 (1)
Where:
𝑞𝑤𝑓 :Flow rate at the bottom of the well, bbl/d.
𝐵𝑜 : Formation volume factor, bbl/stb.
𝑞𝑠 : Required liquid throughput at pump, bbl/d.

The flow pressure at the bottom of the well is obtained by means of the Inflow Perfomance Relationship (IPR)
correlation of the Vogel model, as shown in Equation 2.
𝑞𝑠
𝑃𝑤𝑓 = 0,125 𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑠 [−1 81 − 80 ] (2)
𝑞 𝑚𝑎𝑥
Where:
𝑃𝑤𝑓 : Flowing bottom-hole pressure, psia
𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑠 : Resevoir pressure, psia.
𝑞𝑚𝑎𝑥 : Maximum oil flow, stb/d.

Step 2- Calculation of the minimum depth of the pump

According to [1], to determine minimum depth it is assumed that the casing pressure is zero and that there is no gas in
the annulus of the well. In this way, the calculation can be defined through Equation 3.

𝑃 𝑤𝑓 −𝑃𝑠𝑢𝑐
𝐻𝑚𝑖𝑛 ,𝑏 = 𝐻 − (3)
0,433 𝛾 𝐿
Where:
𝐻𝑚𝑖𝑛 ,𝑏 : Minimum pump depth, ft.
𝐻: Depth of production interval, ft.
𝑃𝑠𝑢𝑐 :Required suction pressure of pump, psia
𝛾𝐿 : Specific gravity of production fluid
The pump can be installed at any depth that operates below the minimum depth. However, [10] suggests that a pump
installed at a depth of 200 feet above the depth of the production interval.

Step 3 - Calculation of the suction pressure of the pump for the chosen depth of settlement.
The calculation of the suction pressure of the pump at the set depth of the pump is given by Equation 4.

𝑃𝑠𝑢𝑐 ,𝑏 = 𝑃𝑤𝑓 − 0,433 𝛾𝐿 (𝐻 − 𝐻𝑏 ) (4)

Where:
𝑃𝑠𝑢𝑐 ,𝑏 : Pump suction pressure, psia.
𝐻𝑏 : Depth that pump is set, ft.

Step 4 - Calculating the pressure differential required by the pump

The pressure differential required by the pump is determined by Equation 5.

∆𝑃 = 𝑃𝐷 − 𝑃𝑠𝑢𝑐 ,𝑏 (5)

Where:

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 ISSN: 2350-0328
International Journal of Advanced Research in Science,
Engineering and Technology
Vol. 4, Issue 5 , May 2017

∆𝑃 : Required pump pressure differential, psia.

𝑃𝐷 : Discharge pressure, psia.

The pump discharge pressure is calculated by Equation 6.

𝑃𝐷 = 𝑃𝑐𝑝 + ∆𝑃 (6)

Where:
𝑃𝑐𝑝 =Well head pressure, psia.
∆𝑃 = Pressure variation due to hydrostatic and friction forces, psia.

The pressure variation due to hydrostatic and friction forces is calculated by Equation 7.

∆𝑃 = ∆𝑃𝑃𝐸 + ∆𝑃𝐹 (7)

Where:
∆𝑃𝑃𝐸 = Pressure drop in tubing, psia
∆𝑃𝐹 = Pressure variaton due friction forces, psia.

Equation 8 determines a pressure variation due to a hydrostatic force of the fluid.

∆𝑃𝑃𝐸 = 0,433 𝛾𝐿 𝐻𝑏 (8)

Equation 9 determines the pressure variation that occurs due to the frictional force.

124 ,8 𝑓 𝐹 𝛾 𝐿 𝑣 2 𝐻 𝑏
∆𝑃𝐹 = (9)
386 ,04 𝑑 𝑖

Where:
𝑓𝐹 =Fanning’s friction factor.
𝑣 = Flow rate of the fluid, ft/s.
𝑑𝑖 =Tubing inner diameter, in.

The Fanning friction factor is determined by Equation 10.

1
[1,74−2 log 2𝜖 ]²
𝑓𝐹 = (10)
4

Where:
𝜖 = Roughness.

The flow velocity of the fluid is calculated by Equation 11.

𝑞
𝑣 = 𝜋 𝑤𝑓 (11)
𝐷²
4 𝑖

Where:
Di = Tubing inner diameter, ft.

Step 5 - Pump Head Calculation

The head of the pump is calculated by Equation 12.

∆𝑝
ℎ= (12)
0,433 𝛾 𝐿

Where:
ℎ:Potential for pump lift, ft.

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 ISSN: 2350-0328
International Journal of Advanced Research in Science,
Engineering and Technology
Vol. 4, Issue 5 , May 2017

Step 6- Calculation of the required number of stages

For calculation of the number of stages of the pump it is necessary to initially obtain the performance chart of the pump
determined by the manufacturer. The performance chart shows the corresponding head value for the flow rate at the
bottom of the well. The value found must be divided by the number of pump stages shown in the performance
chart.The number of stages of the pump is given by Equation 13.

ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑑
𝑁𝐸 = (13)
𝑛

Where:
NE: Required number of stages
n: head for each stage pump, ft/stage.

Step 7 - Calculation of the power required

To determine the power required by the pump, the performance chart of the pump is used. By means of the value of the
oil flow that will pass through the pump, the head curve is the power necessary to raise the fluids for each stage of the
pump. Thus, it is necessary to divide the found value of power by the number of stages described by the chart, thus
obtaining the power required by stages of the pump.
The power required by the pump is calculated by Equation 14.
𝑃𝑟,𝑏 = 𝑁𝐸 𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑏 (14)
Where:
𝑃𝑟,𝑏 : Required power, hp.
𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑏 : Required power for each stage of the pump, hp/stage.

The equations 1 to 14 were implemented in an Excel® spreadsheet in order to determine the operational parameters of
a electrical submersible pump in an agile and practical way.

B. Case study

Aiming to demonstrate the use of the spreadsheet that was elaborated, selected data from [1,10], which depicts a well
that will be equipped with ESP.The data are presented in Table 1.
Table 1: Characteristics of the production system
Variable Value Unit
Depth of production interval (H) 10000 ft
Degree API 32
Gas Oil Ratio 50 scf/std
Tubing inner diameter (di) 2,992 in
Formation volume factor (Bo) 1,25 bbl/stb
Oil viscosity (µo) 5 cp
Production fluid gravity (γl) 0,865
Surface temperature (Ts) 70 ºF
Bottom-hole temperature (Tf) 170 ºF
Resevoir pressure (Pres) 4350 psia
Maximum rate (qmax) 15000 std/d
Desired production rate (qs) 8000 stb/d
Well head pressure (Pcp) 100 psia
Required pump suction pressure (Psuc) 200 psia
Font: Adapted[1,10]

The data of the case study were implemented in the spreadsheet developed for its validation and the results found were
discussed.

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 ISSN: 2350-0328
International Journal of Advanced Research in Science,
Engineering and Technology
Vol. 4, Issue 5 , May 2017

III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

Figure 1 shows the developed worksheet duly filled in with the case study data.

Figure 1: Simulator with data

Input variables are requested only once, so the user is free to fill only the cells needed to obtain the required result. If
you want to get all the results it is essential to fill all the variables in the worksheet. It is worth mentioning that the
variables must be supplied in the requested units.
After completing all the data, the worksheet automatically calculates the results, as shown in Figure 2.

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 ISSN: 2350-0328
International Journal of Advanced Research in Science,
Engineering and Technology
Vol. 4, Issue 5 , May 2017

Figure 2: Solutions

As can be verified by Figure 2, the solutions were divided into stages, whose equations were presented in the
methodology of this work.
In the first step, the oil flow at the bottom of the well and the flow pressure at the bottom of the well are calculated. By
disposing of the oil flow rate at the bottom of the well and the inside diameter of the coating it is possible to determine
a centrifugal pump having compatible dimensions to be inserted into the well. The choice of pump is correct when
analyzing the value of the oil flow at the bottom of the well its value is located in the central region of the flow range
determined by the manufacturer.
In the second step of the solutions, the minimum depth of settlement of the pump was calculated. Given that the depth
chosen for settlement of the pump should be greater than the minimum depth and [1]

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 ISSN: 2350-0328
International Journal of Advanced Research in Science,
Engineering and Technology
Vol. 4, Issue 5 , May 2017

recommend that the pump be seated 200 ft above the depth of the productive range, it was adopted 9800 ft as a point of
the centrifugal pump.
The third step presented the calculation of the suction pressure of the pump to the chosen depth of settlement. The
value found (2748 psia) is higher than the minimum pressure required by the pump (200 psia). Therefore, the pump can
be installed at the chosen depth without any problem.
In the fourth step the pressure differential determined by the pump was obtained. To do so, it was necessary first to
calculate the discharge pressure of the pump. The discharge pressure of the pump was calculated by well head pressure
and pressure variation due to hydrostatic and friction forces.
For the calculation of the sixth and seventh steps, knowledge of the performance curve of the pump was fundamental
and should be requested from the pump manufacturer. The performance curve used in this case study is presented in
Figure 3.

Figure 3: A characteristic chart for 100-stage ESP [1]

The results showed that the pump to be installed should have a 4868 ft head with 81 stages and the engine should
provide 487 horsepower for the pump.

IV. CONCLUSION

This work resulted in the development of a spreadsheet in Excel® to determine the operating parameters of a
submerged centrifugal pump.
The worksheet has been divided into two parts: the first one requests the input data, and the second the solutions are
obtained. In this way, the spreadsheet allowed all the necessary equations to be solved in an agile and practical way.
The validation of the spreadsheet was performed through the implementation of a case study from the literature. The
results obtained by the developed simulator were similar to those available in the literature, allowing the successful
validation of the spreadsheet.
REFERENCES

[1] Guo, B.; Lyons, W. C.; Ghalambor, A. Petroleum production engineering: a Computer-assisted approach. Elsevier Science &Technology Books,
Pp. 208-211, 2007.
[2] Rossi, N.C.M. Bombeio centrífugo submerso. Apostila. Petrobras, Pp. 04-09, 2008.
[3] Thomas, J. E. (Organizador), Fundamentos de engenharia de petróleo, Interciência, Rio de Janeiro, Pp.,233-234, 2001.
[4] Ganat, Tarek A. et al. “ Development of a novel method to estimate fluid flow rate in oil wells using electrical submersible pump”. Journal of
Petroleum Science and Engineering, v. 135, Pp. 466-475, 2015.
[5] Oliveira, B. D. et al. “Application of the ultrasonic technique for monitoring the void fraction in an experimental simulation of an electrical
submersible pump”. 9th North American Conference on Multiphase Technology. BHR Group, 2014.
[6] Zhu, David et al. “Electrical Submersible Pump Operation Optimization with Time Series Production Data Analysis”. SPE Intelligent Energy
International Conference and Exhibition. Society of Petroleum Engineers, 2016.
[7] Zhu, Jianjun et al. “CFD simulation and experimental study of oil viscosity effect on multi-stage electrical submersible pump (ESP)
performance”. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, Vol. 146, Pp. 735-745, 2016.
[8]Haapanen, Brian E. et al. “Remote Monitoring and Optimization of Electrical Submersible Pumps Utilizing Control Algorithms”.Canadian
Unconventional Resources and International Petroleum Conference. Society of Petroleum Engineers, 2010.
[9] Oliva, G.B.F.F. Desenvolvimento De Uma Ferramenta Computacional Para Dimensionamento De Sistemas Bcs. Trabalho de Conclusão de
Curso. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte. 2013.
[10] Economides, Michael J. et al. Petroleum production systems Pearson Education,Pp.563-568, 2012

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