An ESP is a rotating machine placed in one of the least accessible and most hostile environments in industry. It must pump multiphase fluid at high temperature, tolerate solids and gas, and run continuously for years, because every failure means an intervention. Run life is therefore the measure by which ESP operations are judged, and run life is determined largely by design, installation and operating practice.

Design starts with the well inflow. Pump stages are selected for a specific rate and head at expected intake conditions, and a pump run far from its best efficiency range will wear quickly or fail. Free gas at the intake is the most common design problem: gas reduces head, causes gas locking and cycles the motor. Temperature, solids, scale and fluid viscosity all affect both design and run life.

Common failures trace back to a small number of causes: pumps operating outside their range because the inflow was wrong, gas handling that was not designed for the real gas–liquid ratio, cable and splice damage during installation, power quality problems, and operating practices such as frequent restarts and running against closed valves. Careful design and disciplined surveillance prevent most of them.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Describe the components of an ESP system and the function of each.
• Interpret pump performance curves and apply affinity laws for variable speed operation.
• Size the pump, stages, gas separator, protector, motor and cable for given well conditions.
• Assess the effect of free gas, viscosity, temperature and solids on ESP performance.
• Specify switchboards, transformers and variable speed drives.
• Plan and supervise ESP installation, start-up and commissioning.
• Monitor ESP performance using surface and downhole data.
• Diagnose ESP problems from ammeter charts, gauge data and pulled equipment.
• Apply practices that extend run life and reduce failure rates.

Organisations sending participants to this training will:

• Improve ESP run life and reduce workover frequency and cost.
• Get ESP designs that match real well inflow and gas conditions.
• Improve installation and start-up quality.
• Diagnose ESP problems faster and with fewer unnecessary pulls.
• Build a failure analysis process that feeds back into design.

Participants will:

• Understand how every part of an ESP system works and is sized.
• Be able to produce and check an ESP design for a given well.
• Be able to read ammeter charts and gauge data with confidence.
• Be able to diagnose common ESP failures and their causes.
• Know the practices that extend run life.

• Production engineers
• Artificial lift engineers
• Well operations engineers and supervisors
• Completion engineers
• Electrical engineers supporting production operations
• Field technicians working on ESP wells

Upon successful completion of this training course, delegates will be awarded an official Certificate of Completion issued by the Petroleum Engineers Association (PEA), an ISO 9001:2015 certified training organization. The certificate carries 10 Credits and formally records the total learning hours completed.

Each certificate is signed by the Course Facilitator and the CEO of the Petroleum Engineers Association, and serves as verifiable proof of professional training that delegates can present to employers and professional bodies worldwide.