Paper: Wireline Retrievable Progressing Cavity Electric Submergible Pumping System Field Trial

Development of the REDA PC progressing cavity electric submersible pumping system began in 1991. The primary driving force behind this product development was the problem of accelerated wear of sucker rods and production tubing in deviated and horizontal wells when using surface driven progressing cavity pump systems. Many producers were replacing sucker rod and production tubing strings multiple times per year. This was severely affecting the economic viability of the oil wells. Since May 1994, REDA PC units have been installed in over 60 oilwells. The main cause of pulling the pumping system has been pump life. The harsh downhole conditions reduce the pump"s, ability to produce fluid while the REDA PC drive system is normally unaffected. As a result, a customer requested that a system be designed that would allow the pump to be pulled and replaced while leaving the bottom drive system undisturbed. This paper will describe the tubing deployed REDA PC system and explain the wireline retrievable configuration, the in-well testing to date, and the future developments for the system.