Artificial Lift Systems: Comprehensive 5-Day Training Course

Course Overview

This specialized Artificial Lift Systems training program delivers essential expertise for petroleum professionals across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Oman, GCC countries (UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain), and Africa. The course covers gas lift, electric submersible pumps (ESP), progressive cavity pumps (PCP), sucker rod pumps, selection criteria, design methodologies, troubleshooting, and optimization strategies essential for maximizing oil and gas production from wells with insufficient natural reservoir pressure.

With 60-80% of global wells requiring artificial lift and the Middle East operating thousands of mature fields, this training addresses critical competencies for professionals at Saudi Aramco, PDO, ADNOC, Kuwait Oil Company, optimizing production economics, extending field life, supporting Saudi Vision 2030 hydrocarbon production sustainability.

Target Audience

• Production Engineers designing artificial lift systems in Saudi Arabia, Oman, GCC, Africa

• Operations Engineers managing lift operations and troubleshooting

• Field Supervisors overseeing installations and operations

• Facilities Engineers integrating lift systems with surface facilities

• Optimization Engineers maximizing production and minimizing costs

Day 1: Artificial Lift Fundamentals & Gas Lift Systems

Morning Session: Artificial Lift Principles & Selection

• Natural vs. artificial lift: reservoir energy depletion requiring intervention

• When lift needed: insufficient pressure, high water cut, low productivity

• Lift methods overview: gas lift, ESP, PCP, sucker rod pumps, hydraulic pumps

• Selection criteria: production rate, depth, fluid properties (viscosity, GOR, water cut), deviation

• Economic considerations: capital cost, operating cost, efficiency, run life

• Selection charts: applicability ranges for depth, rate, fluid properties

• Regional applications: Saudi Arabia mature fields (Ghawar), Oman heavy oil, UAE offshore

• Nodal analysis: system optimization, tubing size, operating point

• Case studies: Lift selection for Saudi Arabian and African developments

Afternoon Session: Gas Lift Technology & Design

• Gas lift principles: injecting gas to reduce fluid density, enabling flow

• Advantages: high rate (5,000+ BPD), solids tolerance, flexibility, deviated wells

• Most common in Saudi Arabia (Ghawar), UAE, Oman mature reservoirs

• Continuous vs. intermittent: steady injection vs. cyclic for low-rate wells

• System components: compressor, distribution manifold, flowlines, injection lines

• Downhole equipment: gas lift mandrels (side pocket, conventional), valves

• Gas lift valves: IPO (injection pressure-operated), PPO (production pressure-operated)

• Valve spacing design: depth calculation, unloading sequence

• Design calculations: gas injection rate, operating pressure, gradient curves

• Performance optimization: depth of injection, gas rate, surface choke

• Workshop: Gas lift design calculations for declining reservoir pressure well

Day 2: Electric Submersible Pump (ESP) Systems

Morning Session: ESP Fundamentals & Components

• ESP principles: multistage centrifugal pump, high-rate capability (500-50,000+ BPD)

• Applications: high-volume wells, offshore (UAE, Saudi Arabia), vertical/deviated wells

• System components: pump, motor, seal, gas separator, power cable, surface equipment

• Centrifugal pump: stages, impeller/diffuser design, head per stage, pump curves

• Electric motor: horsepower, voltage, cooling (oil-filled, water-cooled), temperature limits

• Seal/protector: thrust bearing, oil expansion, protecting motor from wellbore fluids

• Gas separator: rotary, poor-boy designs, preventing gas locking

• Surface equipment: VSD (variable speed drive), transformer, motor control center

• ESP selection: production target, total dynamic head (TDH), fluid properties

• Motor sizing: hydraulic horsepower, efficiency, brake horsepower calculation

Afternoon Session: ESP Design, Operations & Troubleshooting

• Design methodology: production requirement, setting depth, submergence, stages calculation

• TDH calculation: friction losses, surface pressure, flowing bottomhole pressure

• Gas handling: free gas effects, separator selection, downhole gas separation

• Installation: running procedures, landing, electrical connections, commissioning

• Operations monitoring: motor current, vibration, temperature, intake/discharge pressure

• VSD benefits: soft start, speed control, energy efficiency, production optimization

• Common failures: motor burnout, shaft breakage, thrust bearing, cable damage

• Troubleshooting: high motor temperature, low/high amperage, vibration, decline

• Run life optimization: proper sizing, solids control, corrosion inhibition

• Regional considerations: high-temperature Saudi wells, sandy production, scaling

• Workshop: ESP system design and sizing for high-rate oil producer

Day 3: Progressive Cavity & Sucker Rod Pumps

Morning Session: Progressive Cavity Pump (PCP) Systems

• PCP principles: positive displacement, rotor-stator geometry, continuous flow

• Advantages: high viscosity (heavy oil), solids tolerance, low shear, gas handling

• Applications: Saudi Arabia heavy oil, Oman viscous crude, African heavy oil

• Rotor-stator design: single-lobe to multi-lobe, interference fit, seal lines

• Elastomer selection: NBR, HNBR, Viton, temperature/fluid compatibility (up to 150°C)

• Drive systems: surface-driven (rod string), hydraulic motors, electric motors

• PCP selection: flow rate calculation, differential pressure capability, stages

• Operations: speed control, torque monitoring, production optimization

• Troubleshooting: stator wear, rotor damage, rod string failure, surface drive issues

• Regional: Heavy oil in Saudi Wafra field, Oman Mukhaizna

Afternoon Session: Sucker Rod Pump (SRP) Systems

• SRP principles: reciprocating positive displacement, most common lift globally

• Applications: mature fields, low-moderate rate (5-1,500 BPD)

• Surface equipment: pumping unit (beam pump, mark II), prime mover (motor, engine)

• Downhole components: barrel, plunger, valves (standing, traveling), gas anchor

• Rod string: sucker rods (API grades C, K, D), couplings, polished rod

• Design methodology: pump displacement, stroke length (S), strokes per minute (N)

• Rod string design: maximum load, stress analysis, taper design, buckling

• Dynamometer analysis: surface/downhole cards, diagnosing pump performance

• Common problems: pump-off, gas locking, fluid pounding

• Card interpretation: normal, gas interference, valve leaking, fluid pound

• Troubleshooting: production decline, high power, rod/tubing wear

• Optimization: stroke length/rate adjustment, pump depth, controller settings

• Workshop: SRP design and dynamometer card analysis

Day 4: Alternative Methods & Optimization

Morning Session: Hydraulic Pumps & Plunger Lift

• Hydraulic pump principles: power fluid driving downhole pump, surface-controlled

• Advantages: multiple wells from central facility, easy changeouts, offshore platforms

• Pump types: reciprocating (piston), jet pump (Venturi principle)

• Jet pumps: no moving parts, low maintenance, solids tolerance

• Applications: offshore, remote locations, Saudi Arabia, African fields

• Plunger lift principles: using well pressure to lift liquid slugs, gas-assisted

• Applications: gas wells with liquids loading, low-rate oil wells, deliquification

• Operating cycle: buildup, upstroke, unloading, downstroke

• Advantages: low cost, simple, no downhole power

• Limitations: minimum gas rate required, depth limitations

• Lift method comparison: rate, depth, fluid properties, cost, applications

Afternoon Session: Production Surveillance & Optimization

• Optimization objectives: maximizing production, minimizing costs, extending equipment life

• Gas lift optimization: injection rate, depth, valve performance, multi-well allocation

• ESP optimization: speed control (VSD), submergence, intake pressure management

• SRP optimization: stroke rate/length adjustment, pump fillage, energy efficiency

• Production surveillance: real-time monitoring, data acquisition, alarm systems

• Key performance indicators: production rate, run life, energy efficiency, failures

• ESP monitoring: motor temperature, current, vibration, intake/discharge pressure

• SRP monitoring: load, position, fillage, power consumption, pump-off control

• Gas lift monitoring: injection rate, casing pressure, flowline pressure

• Data analytics: trend analysis, predictive maintenance, machine learning

• Digital oilfield: SCADA systems, automation, remote operations

• Saudi Aramco intelligent fields, ADNOC digital transformation

Day 5: Troubleshooting & Advanced Technologies

Morning Session: Systematic Troubleshooting

• Gas lift problems: inadequate gas supply, valve failures, liquid loading, unstable flow

• ESP failures: motor burnout, shaft breakage, bearing failure, cable damage, gas locking

• PCP issues: stator wear, rotor damage, elastomer failure, rod string problems

• SRP problems: pump-off, gas locking, fluid pound, rod/tubing wear, parted rods

• Diagnostic approach: data collection, symptom identification, root cause analysis

• Performance analysis: production trends, pressure data, equipment parameters

• Failure analysis: teardown inspection, metallurgical analysis, lessons learned

• Corrective actions: design changes, operational adjustments, preventive measures

• Well testing: periodic testing, allocation, performance verification

• Decline analysis: forecasting production, identifying intervention needs

• Workshop: Troubleshooting scenarios from GCC and African operations

Afternoon Session: Advanced Technologies & Future Trends

• High-temperature ESP: motors/cables rated 300°C+, applications in deep Saudi wells

• Permanent magnet motors: higher efficiency, smaller diameter, improved power factor

• Multiphase pumps: handling high gas fractions, reducing separation requirements

• Intelligent completions integration: ICV coordination with lift systems

• Downhole sensors: permanent monitoring (pressure, temperature, flow), fiber optics

• Corrosion-resistant materials: CRAs for sour service (H2S in Khuff), extended run life

• Rod lift innovations: fiberglass rods, continuous rods, advanced controllers

• Hybrid systems: combining lift methods (gas lift + ESP), optimizing for conditions

• Renewable energy integration: solar-powered lift for remote African locations

• Predictive maintenance: AI/ML for failure prediction, optimizing intervention timing

• Digital twins: virtual well models for optimization, scenario testing

• Automation: autonomous operations, self-adjusting systems, reduced intervention

• Energy transition: lift systems for geothermal, carbon capture wells

• Final workshop: Comprehensive lift optimization project

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion, participants will be able to:

• Select optimal artificial lift methods based on well conditions, production targets, economics

• Design gas lift systems including valve sizing, spacing, unloading procedures

• Size ESP systems calculating stages, horsepower, equipment selection

• Design SRP systems including pump sizing, rod string design

• Troubleshoot lift system problems using systematic diagnostic approaches

• Optimize production through surveillance, analysis, adjustment strategies

• Apply digital technologies for monitoring, analytics, predictive maintenance

Course Delivery & Certification

• Format: Technical lectures, design workshops, troubleshooting exercises, case studies

• Software: Introduction to nodal analysis tools (PROSPER/PIPESIM concepts)

• Materials: Manual, design charts, vendor catalogs, calculation spreadsheets, troubleshooting guides

• Certification: Professional certificate recognized across KSA, Oman, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Africa

• Language: English (Arabic support available)

• CPD Credits: Continuing professional development for petroleum engineers

• Locations: Riyadh, Dhahran, Khobar (KSA), Muscat (Oman), Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Lagos, Cairo

Why This Course is Critical

Artificial lift enables production from 60-80% of global wells, adding billions in incremental recovery. Saudi Arabia’s mature fields (Ghawar, Abqaiq) increasingly require lift. Oman’s heavy oil depends on PCP technology. Optimal lift selection saves 20-40% in operating costs. Poor design causes premature failures costing $50,000-$500,000 per intervention. Leading operators achieve 95%+ runtime through proper design, monitoring, optimization.

This training delivers practical expertise incorporating API standards, Saudi Aramco best practices, vendor technologies (Schlumberger, Baker Hughes, Weatherford), addressing high temperatures, H2S environments, heavy oil, remote locations, supporting production sustainability and Saudi Vision 2030 upstream efficiency goals.

Lift effectively. Optimize continuously. Maximize production.