Paper: Cleaning and Testing of Used Submersible Pumps and Motors to Reduce Lifting Costs An Update to SPE Paper 13202

A technique has been developed to chemically clean used submersible pumps and flush used submersible motors without the expense of tearing down the equipment and rebuilding it. After the cleaning process, the pump is tested and its performance is plotted against the manufacturer's catalog curve. Over 70% of the pumps put through this process have been rerun without being rebuilt for a substantial savings to the operator. This paper will discuss the process used in cleaning and inspecting the pump and motor. The pump test bench will be described along with the metering accuracy and calibration techniques. The test techniques used on the motor to determine if it should be rerun will be described. Use of the actual pump curve for improving production will be covered, along with statistical data on over 2000 new and used pumps tested in the Permian Basin and on the West Coast.