Development of a 1,000-hp High-Power Density PMM for Deepwater Wireline Retrievable ESP Systems

Electric submersible pumps (ESP) are frequently used in offshore high-volume oil-producing wells that do not flow to the surface or in offshore wells with production rates that must be boosted to enhance financial returns. An operator in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico decided to install rigless ESP completions in its wells to mitigate the rig workover cost of interventions and ESP replacements by using slickline rather than more costly workover rigs. However, the solution required the development of a new single-section motor that could deliver 1,000 to 1,200 hp. This paper discusses the development and qualification of a new ultrahigh-power-density permanent magnet motor (UHPD PMM) for wireline-retrievable ESP systems installed through tubing as small as 5.5 in. The UHPD PMM design can produce significantly greater output than any other ESP technology in a single-section motor short enough to fit in a wireline lubricator. The high-power motor in a short length was achieved by integrating advanced motor technologies and materials. The challenges associated with this development are discussed along with the evaluation of tradeoffs between cost and performance. This paper also discusses the testing and qualification programs, as well as the results obtained during the various development phases.