Experimental and Modeling Study of ESP Deployed in the Lateral

Electrical submersible pumping (ESP) is considered the second most widely used artificial lift method in oil production in terms of number of installations. It is the most used method when it comes to the amount of produced liquid. Although ESPs were initially developed to be deployed in vertical and slightly deviated wells, currently a significant number of ESPs are operating in the lateral of horizontal wells. The combination of advances in drilling technology and the necessity of enhanced production from shale reservoirs resulted in an increase in horizontal wells, which may benefit from the ESP as an effective method for lifting fluids. The objective of this project is the experimental investigation of the performance of an ESP deployed in horizontal and near-horizontal orientation, emulating the lateral section of a horizontal well. Models will be developed for predicting the performance of the ESP operating under segregated and intermittent flow patterns.

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