World's First Coil Deployed ESP System in a SAGD Well

The objective of the work described in this paper is the evaluation of an alternative Electric Submersible Pump (ESP) deployment and removal technique utilizing a world's first coiled tubing deployed ESP system and completions design in a SAGD well. The work described in this paper was performed at CNOOC's Long Lake field in Northern Alberta in 2024. For this field pilot, coil deployed ESP systems were installed in both slant and vertical spud SAGD wells. The wells selected for these pilot installations were completed with 244.5 mm (9 5/8") intermediate casings and an existing 52.4 mm (2-1/16″) guide string tubular (installed as a guide string for the wells coil tubing instrumentation string) that was deployed into the lateral section of the well. This completion called for 146.05 mm (5 3/4") OD production tubing to be installed from surface to the pump landing depth in the near horizontal section of the wells and at a length long enough to encapsulate the entire ESP string. A 400 series SAGD ESP system was utilized with a custom Motor Lead Extension (MLE) cable to coil cable down-hole splicing assembly and coil to ESP connector assembly comprising a combination power cable pass-through/pump hold-down mandrel/discharge head. The ESP power cable for this system was fully integrated into a coiled tubing string. The ESP system was assembled and loaded into a lubricator after which the coiled tubing power cable was connected to the down-hole motor head assembly. The lubricator, with ESP inside, was then suspended and supported by crane and connected to the wellhead and the ESP system deployed into the 146.05 mm (5 3/4") production tubing and landed into a pump seating nipple. This paper will describe the development history and design of this novel Coil-Tubing Deployed ESP (CT-ESP) as well as the results from two field installations.