Malcolm Rainwater, Wood Group ESP, Randy Herring, Chesapeake Energy Corp.

Historically, Electric Submersible Pumps were designed and manufactured for large volume applications producing from moderate depths. Low volume production (less than 400 bpd) was considered rod pump territory. Unfortunately, due to depth limitations inherent to sucker rods, rod pumping low production wells at deeper depths often becomes uneconomic due to high failure rates. Utilizing new control technology, the advent of wider vane designs, and high pressure housings, low volume ESP's have proven successful in replacing conventional and non-conventional pumping units in today's oil industry.