在过去的 25 年里，人工举升行业发生了令人难以置信的变化，使碳氢化合物生产变得更加智能和高效。在这篇问答文章中，JPT与该领域的七位行业领袖谈论了该领域的过去、现在和未来。

这次对话展示了材料、数字工具和自动化等技术进步以及引导行业达到新高度的战略领导力。加入我们，深入了解人工举升的世界，探索塑造能源未来的创新和专业知识。

本次圆桌问答包括以下参与者：

• Greg Stephenson，西方石油公司首席生产工程师
• Michael Romer，埃克森美孚首席人工举升工程师
• Laura Labrador， Ecopetrol 高级生产工程师，2023 年至 2024 年 SPE 人工举升和气井脱液技术科主席
• Shauna Noonan，西方石油公司 Oxy 研究员兼全球供应链计划高级总监
• Jose Ernesto Jaua， SLB 全球产品冠军
• Kevin Leslie， Weatherford International 人工举升解决方案副总裁
• Dana Meadows，贝克休斯人工举升系统全球投资组合总监

JPT： 您能回忆起对您早期人工举升职业生涯产生重大影响的经历、技术论文或导师吗？它如何塑造了你的方法？

史蒂芬森：许多人影响了我的早期职业生涯，其中最值得注意的是先驱温克勒 (Herald Winkler)，他于 2014 年荣获 SPE 人工举升传奇一等奖。作为一名石油工程专业一年级学生，我第一次前往新奥尔良参加 ATCE学生。我清楚地记得在展厅里走动时，看到这个小家伙被人们围住，向他提问。我问我的一位同学：“那个人是谁？” 汤姆·克鲁斯？”他告诉我，“哦。那是眨眼。”

然后我了解到温克是气举技术的先驱之一，并写了第一本关于该主题的权威书籍。在那一刻，我意识到人工举升可能为我提供一条可行的职业道路。最终，我个人认识了他，首先是作为一名学生，然后是作为一名人工举升专业人士。

我与他进行的最有影响力的谈话之一是他告诉我，“我不是气举专家”。你不可能成为气举方面的专家——这个领域太复杂了。我仍然在学习东西，而且我已经这样做了 60 多年！那次遭遇教会我要谦虚地对待我的手艺，永远不要认为我知道一切。

Romer：我在人工举升领域的第一个职位是在我加入埃克森美孚两年后。当时美国有一支生产人工举升队。与我密切合作的一些人包括帕特·安德伍德、迈克·约翰逊、罗德尼·贝恩和马克·约翰逊。Pat 是我们的 ESP 和杆泵主题专家 (SME)，Mike 是气升系统的 SME。

罗德尼是该团队的经理，拥有深厚的人工举升背景。他负责将该集团转变为全球性集团。马克是全球人工举升工程资源。大多数人工举升团队都是从现场走过来的，拥有丰富的实践经验。我的背景是电气工程，而不是石油，所以我很幸运能够向他们学习。

拉布拉多：虽然这并不是对我职业生涯的早期影响，但我可以说这是我在这个行业的历史上最重要的一次。大约十年前，当我在哥伦比亚的一家运营商公司工作时，当我向全球人工举升系统 (ALS) 团队展示我们的螺杆泵 (PCP) 结果时，发生了一个关键时刻。

观众席上有一位杰出的女性，Shauna Noonan，她是该公司全球 ALS 团队的负责人。她知识渊博的评论和富有洞察力的问题给我留下了不可磨灭的印象。从那天起，我受到启发，继续专业从事 ALS 工作，并以她为榜样。她的指导继续塑造我的职业生涯，激励我努力成为一名职业女性。

努南：在我的一次带薪实习期间，凯文·格隆丁 (Kevin Grondin) 是我在加拿大美孚公司的经理，他负责的油田是气举井。他给我分配的项目是在该地区安装第一个柱塞举升系统。这就是我对人工举升的介绍。他的热情让我想了解更多。

我的第一个 SPE 活动是 ESP 研讨会，它是由女性主导的。凯伦·德雷珀 (Karen Draper) 和卡罗尔·马格尼·格兰德 (Carol Magney-Grande) 说服我加入该委员会。首先是参加和协调人工举升活动，并意识到人工举升领域有强大的女性领导者。

Jaua：在我的职业生涯中，我很幸运能够在人工举升领域获得许多宝贵的经验。我在该学科中专业成长，从该领域开始，一直致力于在全球范围内管理整个地区和产品。

如果非要选一个最充实的时期的话，那就是2011年，我被派往厄瓜多尔工作，管理覆盖安第斯地区的人工举升业务。我有难得的机会成为 SPE 当地分会的董事会成员，会见了许多顶级行业和政府机构。我制定了许多对行业产生积极影响并促进技术和当地人才发展的举措。我还利用这个平台来指导和指导年轻的专业人​​士。

那些我能够影响并为更高的事业做出贡献的时刻一直是我最美好的回忆。这段经历对我来说是变革性的，从那时起，每次我更换职位或地点时，我都会投入精力和时间与社区互动，并尽可能指导他人。

Leslie：回想一下我早期的职业生涯，有一个人对我的人工举升职业生涯产生了突出的影响：Larry Hoes，拉夫金工业公司油田副总裁。拉里 (Larry) 职业生涯的大部分时间都在卡梅伦 (Cameron) 度过，但在 90 年代初搬到了勒夫金 (Lufkin)。在我的职业转型期间，拉里允许我在德克萨斯州拉夫金的抽油机设施担任调度员/计划员时展示我的能力，然后将我调到德克萨斯州西部来管理销售和业务开发。拉里是一位强有力的导师，只要最终取得结果，他就允许员工做需要做的事情。通过提供这种自由，我在二叠纪盆地的销售、运营和增长方面发挥了自己的才能，同时学习了多种形式的人工举升和现场自动化的好处。

梅多斯：在我的人工举升职业生涯的早期，一位导师教我寻找操作员多跑一天的价值。那个人教会我倾听并努力根据客户的需求制定量身定制的解决方案，而不仅仅是向他们出售小部件。这让我对技术和开发有了不同的看法，提出正确的问题，从头到尾关注业务案例，并将其构建在现实世界的应用程序中，以提供颠覆性的解决方案。

JPT： 多年来，您如何看待人工举升应用中知识共享和最佳实践的演变？

史蒂芬森：当我进入这个行业时，人工举升经历了一次蜕变。在我职业生涯的早期，几乎所有有关人工举升的技术演讲都是在非 SPE 活动中进行的。这意味着大多数知识共享都是通过 PowerPoint 进行的，并且从来没有附带的手稿可以进入 OnePetro 或JPT。如果您不在进行演示的房间内，则几乎无法访问正在共享的信息。

随着美洲和中东 SPE 人工举升会议暨展览 (ALCE) 活动的举办，这一切都发生了变化。这些活动是 Shauna Noonan 在 SPE 董事会第一个任期内的创意。那些从事人工举升工作的人对此欠肖娜巨大的人情。当 Shauna 担任该主题的JPT技术编辑时，她可供参考的论文相对较少。当我担任该职位时，我的工作变得更加轻松。ALCE 活动和 ESP 研讨会提供了大量可供选择的论文。撰写手稿的要求提高了这些作品的技术严谨性，并使它们对行业专业人士更有用。

Romer：现在有更多的分享途径，包括 SPE 技术部分、SPE 区域人工举升会议、人工举升研究与发展委员会 (ALRDC)，以及通过 C-FER 的 ESP 可靠性信息和故障跟踪系统等联合行业项目、路易斯安那州立大学气举阀性能信息交换所和 ALRDC 水平井井下测功机数据采集项目。在内部，知识共享随着视频虚拟活动的增加而增加。不幸的是，这使得面对面活动的可能性降低。

拉布拉多：多年来，知识共享不断增加。当你回顾过去时，你会发现我们有更多与人工举升系统相关的活动，而且我们最近有一个针对人工举升（和气井脱液）的特定 SPE 技术部分。运营商正在共同努力共享学习曲线。此外，运营商和油田服务 (OFS) 公司都比以前更频繁地记录和发布经验教训、最佳实践以及随着时间的推移获得的知识。

Noonan：最初，大多数人工举升活动都不是 SPE 组织的活动，演示文稿/论文也没有公开。当我加入 SPE 董事会担任生产和运营技术总监时，我的使命就是改变这一现状。我创建了新的 AL 活动，将 SPE 墨西哥湾沿岸部分 ESP 活动转变为研讨会，以便正式发表论文，倡导 AL 技术部分，并创建了人工举升传奇奖。

Jaua：过去 20 年来，随着数字技术的发展，知识共享得到了巨大发展。在“不久”的过去，我们必须前往大会与同行会面并接触更新的技术发展。如今，所有信息以及更多信息都触手可及，并且以我们能想象到的各种格式呈现。从微学习内容到完全沉浸式的技术会议，全部都是远程授课。与此同时，更多的社区和利益团体已经形成，因为现在人工升力领域以及整个工业领域有更多的领域和子领域。

Leslie：从个人经验来看，油田的发展是通过行业各个方面的知识共享和最佳实践来实现的。在人工举升领域，工程师和供应链利用他们的产品知识来确保更好的定价和活动。相比之下，其他 OFS 公司利用知识共享和最佳实践来生产更高产量的油井，并缩短平均故障间隔时间。通过分享学到的知识，OFS 和 E&P 公司可以提高生产水平并减少问题。如果没有知识共享和最佳实践，今天的石油和天然气市场将完全不同。

梅多斯：与前几年不同，在前几年，文件柜里的文件被认为是专家，现在我们有多个全球内部运营数据共享应用程序，可以弹出答案，快速提升经验教训，并且通过操作共享和趋势化的现场实例。

这使我们能够通过从全球实际案例中获得的解决方案来帮助客户，并利用实时操作反馈来开发最佳技术来满足他们的需求。渴望分享、学习和协作是贝克休斯文化的重要组成部分。技术使其在人工举升领域及其他领域迅速发展。

JPT：有没有一篇具体的论文帮助您或您的团队解决了人工举升方面的挑战性问题？您能详细说明一下问题和解决方案吗？

Stephenson：近年来对我的工作影响最大的一篇论文是一篇旧论文：SPE 179，Kermit Brown 和 Frank Jessen 的间歇气举装置中阀门端口尺寸、表面扼流圈和流体回退的评估。

这篇论文发表于 1962 年 3 月，60 多年后，它仍然是业界对间歇气举性能最广泛的探索。Brown 探索了间歇气举井段塞高度、气体通道、表面开启压力和段塞采收率之间的关系。

这在今天尤其重要，因为该行业在非常规资源区拥有数千口井，这些井通过连续流气举进行生产，并在早期经历了生产率迅速下降。随着油井的成熟，人工举升系统的效率会降低，需要进行一些举升修正。最有可能的方法之一是转换为间歇气举，通常使用先导阀。

不幸的是，设计和分析这些井的方法通常已经过时，并且严重依赖经验法则。结果可能是不可预测的和/或井性能次优。当我第一次读到这篇论文时，它激发了我进一步探索这个问题，最终引导我阅读了 Ali Hernandez 于 2016 年出版的教科书《气举工程基础》。

利用从 Ali 的教科书和 Kermit Brown 的原始论文中获得的知识，我构建了一个用于间歇气举井的内部模拟器。这项工作还激发了在德克萨斯州拉伯克新成立的德克萨斯科技气举联盟的成立。

Romer：我们一直在寻找改进气举的方法，并遇到了SPE 21639 (1991)，泡沫气举，由密歇根大学的 MG Bernadiner 编写。该项目提出了一种利用表面活性剂改善气举的有趣方法，实验室和油田实验表明，它可能是从枯竭的油藏中开采石油的有效手段。

我们认为这可能是一种有趣的提高气举的方法，因此在埃德蒙顿的 C-FER 进行了研究测试，在墨西哥湾进行了试点，在 ALRDC 进行了演示，后来在特拉华州和米德兰进行了试点测试和应用盆地。没有关于埃克森美孚项目的 SPE 论文，但原始论文展示了有人曾经如何做到这一点并且它应该有效。

Leslie：SPE 176041 (2015)，电动潜水泵系统与长冲程抽油机：案例研究，是影响我的团队和同事解决通过杆式举升提高产量的目标的最有影响力的技术论文之一。小产量井的经济比较。本文探讨了通过从 ESP 过渡到长冲程 Rotaflex 抽油机来更快转向有杆举升的主题，以及节省修井成本的好处，同时将产量提高到远高于传统游梁式抽油机系统。

由于垂直系统的冲程长且缓慢，向杆式举升的转变很快就获得了成功，从而增加了泵的填充量并提高了生产率。在这种情况下，事实证明，长冲程系统可将电力成本降低 37%，修井成本降低 91%，综合运营支出降低 62%，同时在任一系统中产生 1,180 STB/D 的流体流量。这是一篇精彩的论文，展示了尽早过渡到杆式举升机并取得巨大成功的好处。

Meadows：永磁电机 (PPM) 是 ESP 行业的重大变革。它们在启动时产生高扭矩，效率高，并且比传统电机具有更广泛的工作范围。然而，即使在断电的情况下，只要流体流过泵并迫使系统旋转，它们就可以发电，从而为地面上的电缆供电。全球现场采用的一个主要限制是安装、回收和修井操作期间与电机旋转和通电相关的危险反电动势的危险。

为了解决这个全行业的 HSE 问题，我们的团队开发了业界首款工程化 PMM 安全屏障，可防止 ESP 泵旋转 PMM，从而消除表面电压的产生。我们很高兴在 2023 年 SPE 墨西哥湾沿岸部分电动潜水泵研讨会上介绍这项 HSE 创新，专题为SPE 214745，永磁电机安全性——大问题。

JPT：技术进步如何影响人工举升？您认为哪些技术在未来特别有前景？

斯蒂芬森：大多数情况下，人工举升技术的进步都是渐进式的改进。最常用的人工举升方法已经存在了几十年甚至更长时间。我认为可以发挥作用的技术包括 ESP、抽油杆泵和 PCP 装置中的永磁电机、改进的井下气体分离和气体处理设备、改进的监控软件以及人工智能/机器学习技术的应用。

Romer：我认为技术进步在几个方面影响了人工举升，包括：

• 远程监控和控制改进，包括可访问性和成本——例如，变频驱动器与泵送控制器的比较
• 能够以更少的努力进行更多优化，从而更快地传递知识
• 数据存储、通信和传感改进
• 在陆上安装井底压力表曾经是闻所未闻的，现在它们几乎成为气举完井的标准配置
• 额外的数字表面传感器曾经需要理由，但现在它们是预期的
• 表面控制（电动或液压）气举有可能优化众所周知难以优化的举升方法，并具有比机械阀更多的优势。井下电气设备成本的降低和可靠性的提高正在刺激其采用。
• 高速 ESP，特别是用于海上安装的直通管，随着技术的成熟，这可能能够延长海上油井的寿命
• 电动杆泵正处于早期开发阶段，但有一些供应商正在研究它们

拉布拉多：人工举升技术的进步使我们能够在更复杂的轨迹井中安装和运行系统并可靠地生产它们。此外，它使我们能够履行保护环境的承诺。

此外，AL 技术还对人工举升领域产生了积极影响。谁能想象我们会在井的表面和底部安装更高效的电机？或者说我们可以根据领域的需要挑战每个AL的界限并充分生产它们？

我们必须不断挑战极限，在油气行业这一重要领域做出更大的努力。OFS 和 E&P 公司之间的关系发挥着重要作用：运营商的需求和服务公司为减少停机时间和生产损失而提供的持续解决方案。

努南：仪器的进步使我们能够了解人工举升系统内部工作原理的物理原理。以前，我们没有先进的仪器仪表，可以将传感器放入各种泵或提升系统中，以真正测量和了解内部发生的情况。这始终是理论和经验法则。但是，一旦我们了解了每个基本电梯系统的基本原理，我们就知道如何正确设计它——无论是我们的尺寸还是使用的材料——以确保它是适合正确环境的正确设计。另外，永磁体和线性电机也会产生影响（棒串的消失）。

Jaua：过去 20 年来，我们看到起重系统的平均运行寿命及其在极端环境下的生存能力显着提高；显然，技术进步对人工举升行业产生了巨大影响。

人工举升系统安装得更快、更安全、使用寿命更长，并且可以在不久前还无法操作的井中运行。这一切都归功于改进的设计、先进的材料以及不断发展的工艺和实践。

最具增长潜力的举升系统是PCP，尤其是井下永磁电机驱动的无杆举升系统，更适合斜井。

目前的弹性体组合物和制造工艺阻止 PCP 在高于 200°F 的温度下生存，并产生具有高芳烃含量的流体，这通常存在于轻质油中。

新技术和制造工艺正在开发中，这将使 PCP 能够在更热的井中工作并生产更轻的油。这将为高效生产井提供可行的替代方案，取代斜井中故障频率更高的杆提升系统。

Leslie：人工举升市场不断出现多种形式的新技术。无论是长冲程系统、游梁抽油系统、ESP 技术的进步，还是井下技术的进步，每年都有新的开发和产品不断涌现。

数字/自动化领域是一项持续快速发展并对现场操作产生巨大影响的技术。现场作业的未来将以自动化为中心。未来将继续通过自主控制和故障预测进行远程监控，远远领先于我们今天的水平。未来的自动化领域将利用传感器和监视器在故障发生之前检测到故障，从而使操作员能够节省停机时间和生产损失。数字集成和自动化是未来人工举升最具影响力的技术。

JPT：当今人工举升行业面临的最紧迫的挑战和机遇是什么？

斯蒂芬森：我认为最紧迫的挑战包括人工举升在非常规页岩油井和海底/深水设施中的应用。

页岩油井由于气液比高、出砂、早期产量急剧下降以及水平井轨迹等原因，举升可能具有挑战性。所有这些问题都会降低设备可靠性和/或推迟生产。

在海底设施中应用人工举升系统可能具有挑战性，因为与这些井相关的干预成本很高。在理想的情况下，我们希望在这些应用中安装人工举升系统，该系统可以运行 10 年或更长时间，同时提高产量。

Romer：我认为以下领域最紧迫的挑战：

• 非常规井：当井不是为后期举升而设计时，如何延长井的经济寿命：弯曲井、高含气量、小套管、低产量和长水平井
• 举升方法专为快速储层枯竭而设计，而目前的方法则不能
• 提升方法的改变：知道什么时候是正确的时间以及该做什么
• 海底：在油井寿命开始时改进直通油管选项并应用人工举升，因为您可能无法稍后返回进行改造

拉布拉多：挑战始终是比昨天更好，并且 ALS 设备比前一年有更好的性能和效率。通过 ALS 减少碳足迹是我们现在对地球和子孙后代的承诺。我们的机会是继续开发技术，使人工举升系统更加高效、更加清洁，对环境有利。此外，数字集成和自动化技术将帮助我们影响人工举升的未来。

此外，在质量、性能和价格方面具有竞争力也是不容忽视的。

努南：制造业的进步并没有跟上。许多设施拥有旧设备，并且仍然依赖过多的人际互动，这可能会导致质量保证问题。供应商之间的技术差异已经缩小，因此业务之争将取决于制造、装配和服务质量。

Jaua：所有油井最终都需要人工举升系统来生产，这意味着全球有数百万口油井在运行，需要 24/7 的恒定电源。这使得起重系统成为业内最大的二氧化碳排放源之一。最大的挑战将是电梯系统选择和规模的演变，将效率水平作为重中之重。对于那些致力于开发新解决方案以减少碳足迹的科技公司来说，这也代表了一个机会。

Leslie：当今人工举升行业面临着几个关键挑战，包括资源有限、整合的需要，以及最重要的是，在交付量减少最少的情况下保持一致的供应链。

石油和天然气市场因肮脏和周期性而名声不佳，迫使年轻人才避开该行业。这种声誉限制了行业新人才的数量，给 E&P 和 OFS 公司带来了挑战。我们必须找到一种更好地招募和留住人才的方法。

人工举升领域有太多的竞争对手。迫切需要进行整合，最终使最终用户和 OFS 公司受益。最后，由于生产成本高以及对低成本产品的需求，大多数人工举升市场产品都是在北美以外生产的。这给 OFS 公司带来了巨大的挑战，他们需要努力寻找替代国家和制造中心，为人工举升领域的所有客户提供产品。这三个领域只是当今 ALS 市场面临的一些关键挑战。

Meadows：就当今人工举升行业面临的挑战而言，我们继续从客户那里听到的主要担忧集中在提高 ESP 系统的运行寿命和可靠性、总体上降低人工举升系统的成本和停机时间以及最大限度地提高和提高 ESP 系统的运行寿命和可靠性。优化生产。我们的客户都希望获得碳含量最低、周期最短的桶。为此，他们需要合作伙伴来帮助他们更好地管理功耗和成本，并提高泵速和产量。

我们都知道，随着世界能源需求的增长，新的钻探活动正在放缓。新能源只能满足部分需求，这意味着我们需要更好地从已钻探的油藏中获取更多资源，而静电除尘器将是其中的关键部分。

JPT：未来十年人工举升应用将走向何方？是否有任何新兴趋势或技术将塑造未来？

史蒂芬森：在接下来的十年里，我预计会更加重视

• 举升低产率、成熟的页岩油井。
• 减少排放。
• 最大限度地减少电梯成本。
• 提高整体系统可靠性。
• 应用人工举升和海底增压来延长深水设施的使用寿命。

罗默：我预计未来十年会出现

• 更多 PMM 应用，例如地面抽油机和 PCP。
• 地面控制气升系统的闭环优化。
• 贯通管式高速 ESP。
• 数据驱动的全场人工举升系统优化。
• 基于排放/电力使用的优化和人工举升选择。业界已经在世界某些地区看到了这一点，例如艾伯塔省的热升力应用。

拉布拉多：使我们能够为生态系统高效、清洁地生产复杂油井的技术将主导未来十年。世界在变化，我们也必须随之改变。

努南：物质进步将使一切变得不同。杆弦将被淘汰。

Jaua：我认为人工举升应用会加速人工智能和机器学习解决方案的采用和实施。例如，直到今天，设计、选择和优化提升系统都需要技术人员来制定和控制决策。

如今，这种情况已经发生（但尚未完全采用）：机器正在收集和处理大量历史数据，并在几秒钟内，无需人工干预，选择每口井所需的最佳提升系统、尺寸和功能。允许完全自主的操作并提高故障可预测性水平使整个操作更加高效。

数字解决方案在人工举升领域仍处于起步阶段，但毫无疑问，它们注定会引领一个更高效、更可持续的油气行业。

Leslie：人工举升机的未来将围绕数字技术和操作员能源消耗展开。PMM 的发展对于更安全、更节能地操作所有人工举升形式具有重要意义。如今，PMM 已基本上安装在各种形式的电梯上，并取得了巨大成功，但由于运营商仍处于测试阶段，采用速度缓慢。此外，数字空间将带来电容器和多余能量存储的新技术，以最大限度地提高该领域的效率和生产力。这些技术刚刚进入市场，并能显着节省能源，随着我们不断推进这项新技术，未来只会变得更好。

Meadows：自动化简化了决策。数字化将继续通过优化和增加产量来塑造未来。变速驱动器（VSD）也将在降低功耗方面发挥重要作用。我们正在测试预计于今年晚些时候发布的新型 VSD，与我们最高效的驱动器相比，其功耗可降低高达 20%。还将集成虚拟 VSD 界面，使运营商和服务公司能够从世界任何地方远程调整驱动器设置。

从感应电机到PMM的转变也是未来的发展方向。我们希望确保我们能够尽可能快速、安全地实现这一目标，因此我们很高兴能够支持业界首个工程 PMM 安全模块。这个新模块可防止 ESP 泵旋转 PMM，消除表面电压的产生，从而实现更安全、更简单的操作。

本文是由 3 部分组成的人工举升系列的一部分，是JPT 75^周年纪念内容的一部分。阅读更多内容，请阅读专家为未来人工举升专业人员提供职业建议：“不要害怕尝试不同的东西”和人工举升：JPT 中记录的 25 年变化。

In the past 25 years, the artificial lift industry has seen incredible changes, making hydrocarbon production smarter and more efficient. In this Q&A article, JPT talks with seven industry leaders from this field about its past, present, and future.

This conversation showcases the technological progress such as materials, digital tools, and automation and the strategic leadership that has guided the industry to new heights. Join us as we dive into the world of artificial lift and discover the innovation and expertise shaping the future of energy.

This roundtable Q&A includes the following participants:

• Greg Stephenson, chief production engineer, Occidental Petroleum
• Michael Romer, principal artificial lift engineer, ExxonMobil
• Laura Labrador, senior production engineer, Ecopetrol, and 2023–2024 chairman of the SPE Artificial Lift and Gas Well Deliquification Technical Section
• Shauna Noonan, Oxy Fellow and senior director global supply chain initiatives, Occidental Petroleum
• Jose Ernesto Jaua, global product champion, SLB
• Kevin Leslie, vice president artificial lift solutions, Weatherford International
• Dana Meadows, global portfolio director, artificial lift systems, Baker Hughes

JPT: Can you recall an experience, technical paper, or mentor that significantly influenced your early career in artificial lift? How did it shape your approach?

Stephenson: Numerous individuals impacted my early career, the most noteworthy being Herald Winkler, who was in the first class of SPE’s Legends of Artificial Lift awarded in 2014. I traveled to my first ATCE in New Orleans as a first-year petroleum engineering student. I distinctly remember walking the exhibit floor and seeing this little guy get mobbed by people asking him questions. I asked one of my fellow students, ‘Who is that guy? Tom Cruise?’ He told me, ‘No. That’s Wink.’

I then learned that Wink was one of the pioneers of gas-lift technology and wrote the first definitive book on the subject. At that moment, I realized that artificial lift might offer a viable career path for me. Eventually, I got to know him personally, first as a student and then as an artificial lift professional.

One of the most impactful conversations I had with him was one in which he told me, ‘I am not a gas-lift expert. You cannot be an expert in gas lift—the field is too complex. I’m still learning things, and I’ve been doing this for over 60 years!’ That encounter taught me to be humble in approaching my craft and never assume I knew everything.

Romer: My first role in artificial lift was 2 years after I started with ExxonMobil. There was a US production artificial lift team at the time. Some people I worked with closely were Pat Underwood, Mike Johnson, Rodney Bane, and Mark Johnson. Pat was our subject matter expert (SME) for ESPs and rod pumps, and Mike was the SME for gas-lift systems.

Rodney was the group manager and had a strong artificial lift background. He was responsible for turning the group into a global one. Mark was a global artificial lift engineering resource. Most of the artificial lift team came up through the field and had great hands-on experience. My background is in electrical engineering, not petroleum, so I was fortunate to learn from them.

Labrador: Although it is not exactly an early influence on my career, I can say that it’s the one that most marked my history in the industry. Around a decade ago, when I was working for an operator company in Colombia, a pivotal moment occurred when I presented our progressive cavity pump (PCP) results to the worldwide artificial lift system (ALS) team.

In the audience was a remarkable woman, Shauna Noonan, the head of the worldwide ALS team for that company. Her knowledgeable comments and insightful questions left an indelible impression on me. From that day forward, I was inspired to keep working on ALS professionally and take her as a role model. Her guidance continues to shape my career, driving me to strive as a professional woman.

Noonan: During one of my co-op internships, Kevin Grondin was my manager with Mobil Canada, and the fields he was responsible for were gas-lifted wells. My assigned project from him was to install the first plunger-lift system in the area. That was my introduction to artificial lift; his enthusiasm made me want to learn more about it.

My very first SPE event was the ESP Symposium, and it was women-led. Karen Draper and Carol Magney-Grande convinced me to join the committee. That started with attending and coordinating artificial lift events and realizing that there were strong women leaders in the artificial lift space.

Jaua: I have been fortunate in my career to have had many great experiences in the artificial lift world. I grew up professionally in the discipline, starting in the field and working up to managing entire geographies and products at a global scale.

If I must select one incredibly enriching period, it was in 2011 when I was assigned to work in Ecuador, managing the artificial lift business covering the Andean region. I had the incredible opportunity to be part of the board of directors of the SPE local chapter, meeting many top industry and government authorities. I developed many initiatives that positively impacted the industry and promoted technologies and local talent. I also took that platform to coach and mentor young professionals.

Those moments in which I have been able to impact and contribute to a higher cause have always been the ones I have the best memories of. That experience was transformative for me, and since then, every time I change position or location, I invest effort and time to be engaged with the communities and mentor others whenever I can.

Leslie: Thinking back to my early career, one person stood out as an influence in my artificial lift career: Larry Hoes, the vice president of oil field for Lufkin Industries. Larry spent most of his career at Cameron but moved to Lufkin in the early 90s. During my career transition, Larry allowed me to showcase my abilities while working as the scheduler/planner of the Pumping Unit Facility in Lufkin, Texas, and then moved me to west Texas to manage sales and business development. Larry was a strong mentor who allowed employees to do what was needed as long as the results came through in the end. By providing this freedom, I developed my talent for sales, operations, and growth in the Permian Basin while learning multiple forms of artificial lift and the benefits of automation in the field.

Meadows: Early in my artificial lift career, a mentor taught me to look for the value of just one more run day to an operator. That person taught me to listen and work to shape a tailored solution around the customer’s needs—not just sell them widgets. That made me view technology and development differently by asking the right questions, focusing on the business case from end to end, and framing it in a real-world application to provide a disruptive solution.

JPT: How have you seen knowledge sharing and best practices evolve within artificial lift applications over the years?

Stephenson: Artificial lift has experienced a metamorphosis while I’ve been in the industry. During the early portion of my career, virtually every technical presentation on artificial lift was delivered at a non-SPE event. This meant that most knowledge sharing was via PowerPoint, and there was never an accompanying manuscript that might find its way into OnePetro or JPT. If you weren’t physically present in the room where the presentation was delivered, you had virtually no way to access the information being shared.

That all changed with the creation of the SPE Artificial Lift Conference and Exhibition (ALCE) events in the Americas and the Middle East. These events were the brainchild of Shauna Noonan during her first term on the SPE Board of Directors. Those who work with artificial lift owe Shauna an enormous debt for this. When Shauna was the JPT technical editor for the topic she had relatively few papers to draw from. My job was significantly easier when I served in that role. The ALCE events and the ESP Symposium provided a wealth of papers from which to choose. The requirement to write a manuscript increased the technical rigor of these works and made them more useful to industry professionals.

Romer: There are more avenues for sharing now, including SPE technical sections, SPE regional artificial lift conferences, the Artificial Lift Research and Development Council (ALRDC), and through joint industry projects like C-FER’s ESP Reliability Information and Failure Tracking System, LSU’s Gas Lift Valve Performance Clearinghouse, and the ALRDC’s Horizontal Well Downhole Dynamometer Data Acquisition Project. Internally, knowledge sharing has increased with virtual events with video. Unfortunately, this has made in-person events less likely.

Labrador: Knowledge sharing has positively increased over the years. It is evident when you look back and see we have more events related to artificial lift systems and we recently got a specific SPE technical section for artificial lift (and gas well deliquification). The operators are working together to share the learning curve. Also, both operators and oilfield service (OFS) companies are documenting and publishing the lessons learned, best practices, and the knowledge acquired over time more frequently than before.

Noonan: Initially, most artificial lift events were not SPE-organized events, and the presentations/papers were not publicly available. I made it my mission to change that when I joined the SPE Board as the Production & Operations Technical Director. I created new AL events, converted the SPE Gulf Coast Section ESP event to a symposium so papers could be formally published, advocated for the AL Tech Section, and created the Legends of Artificial Lift Awards.

Jaua: Knowledge sharing has grown tremendously in the past 20 years, along with the evolution of digital technologies. In the ‘not that far’ past, we had to travel to congresses to meet peers and be exposed to newer technological developments. Nowadays, we have all the information and much more at the tip of our fingers and in every format we can imagine. From microlearning content to fully immersive technical conferences, all delivered remotely. In parallel, more communities and interest groups have been formed because now there are more domains and subdomains within the artificial lift space and, in general, in industry.

Leslie: From personal experience, the oil field grows through knowledge sharing and best practices in all facets of the industry. In the artificial lift space, engineers and supply chain utilize their knowledge of products to secure better pricing and activity. In contrast, other OFS companies utilize knowledge sharing and best practices to produce wells at a higher volume with a better mean time between failures. By sharing the learned knowledge, the OFS and E&P companies can produce at a higher production level with fewer problems. Without knowledge sharing and best practices, today’s oil and gas market would be totally different.

Meadows: Unlike in previous years, where the person who had the document in their filing cabinet was considered the expert, we now have multiple applications for data sharing on global internal operations that allow answers to pop up, lessons learned to be elevated quickly, and field instances to be shared and trended with actions.

This allows us to help our customers with solutions gained from actual cases worldwide and to develop the best technologies to address their needs using real-time operational feedback. Eagerness to share, learn, and collaborate is a large part of our culture at Baker Hughes. Technology has allowed that to advance quickly in the artificial lift field and beyond.

JPT: Is there a specific paper that helped you or your team solve a challenging problem in artificial lift? Could you elaborate on the problem and the solution?

Stephenson: The paper that has specifically influenced my work the most in recent years is an old one: SPE 179, Evaluation of Valve Port Size, Surface Chokes, and Fluid Fall-Back in Intermittent Gas Lift Installations by Kermit Brown and Frank Jessen.

This paper was published in March 1962, and more than 60 years later, it is still the most extensive exploration of intermittent gas-lift performance available to the industry. Brown explored the relationship between slug height, gas passage, surface opening pressure, and slug recovery in intermittent gas lift wells.

This is particularly relevant today because the industry has thousands of wells in unconventional resource plays that produce via continuous flow gas lift and experience rapidly declining production rates in early life. As the wells mature, the artificial lift system becomes less efficient and requires some lift revision. One of the most likely is conversion to intermittent gas lift, often using a pilot valve.

Unfortunately, the methods for designing and analyzing these wells are often antiquated and rely heavily on rules of thumb. The results can be unpredictable and/or suboptimal well performance. When I first read this paper, it inspired me to explore the issue further, ultimately leading me to Ali Hernandez’ textbook, Fundamentals of Gas Lift Engineering, published in 2016.

Using the knowledge gained from Ali’s textbook and the original paper by Kermit Brown, I built an in-house simulator for intermittent gas lift wells. This work also inspired the formation of the newly created Texas Tech Gas Lift Consortium in Lubbock, Texas.

Romer: We were looking for ways to improve gas lift and came across SPE 21639 (1991), Foamed Gas Lift, by M.G. Bernadiner from the University of Michigan. The project presented an interesting way to improve gas lift using surfactants, with both laboratory and oilfield experiments showing that it could be an effective means for producing oil from depleted reservoirs.

We thought it could be an interesting way to improve gas lift, and it led to research testing at C-FER in Edmonton, a pilot in the Gulf of Mexico, a presentation at ALRDC, and later pilot testing and application in the Delaware and Midland basins. No SPE papers were written on the ExxonMobil project, but the original paper demonstrated how somebody had done it once and that it should work.

Leslie: One of the most influential technical papers impacting my team and colleagues to solve the goal for lifting higher production with rod lift continues to be SPE 176041(2015), Electric Submersible Pumping Systems vs. Long-Stroke Pumping Units: A Case Study of Economic Comparison in a Low-Volume Well. The paper captures the topic of shifting to rod lift sooner by transitioning from an ESP to a long-stroke Rotaflex pumping unit and the benefit of saving workover costs while increasing production well above traditional beam pumping systems.

The shift to rod lift sooner had been successful due to the long, slow stroke of the vertical system, allowing for increased pump fillage and higher production rates. In this case, the long-stroke system proved to reduce power costs by 37%, reduce workover costs by 91% and combined reduced opex by 62%, all while producing a fluid rate of 1,180 STB/D in either system. This has been a fantastic paper to show the benefits of transitioning to rod lift sooner with huge success.

Meadows: Permanent magnet motors (PPM) are a step change in the ESP industry. They generate high torque on startup, are highly efficient, and have a wider operating range than traditional motors. However, they can generate electricity anytime fluid flows through the pump and forces system rotation, even when powered off, energizing the power cable to the surface. A major limitation to global field adoption is the danger of this hazardous back-EMF associated with motor rotation and energization during installation, retrieval, and workover operations.

In response to this industrywide HSE problem, our team has developed the industry’s first engineered PMM safety barrier that prevents the ESP pump from spinning the PMM, eliminating voltage generation at the surface. We were excited to present this HSE innovation at the 2023 SPE Gulf Coast Section—Electric Submersible Pumps Symposium in SPE 214745, Permanent Magnet Motor Safety—The Big Short Question.

JPT: How have advancements in technology impacted artificial lift? Are there any technologies that you find particularly promising for the future?

Stephenson: Mostly, advancements in artificial lift technology have been incremental improvements. The most-used artificial lift methods have existed for decades or even longer. Technologies I think could make a difference include permanent magnet motors in ESP, sucker rod pump, and PCP installations, improved downhole gas separation and gas-handling devices, improved surveillance software, and the application of artificial intelligence/machine learning techniques.

Romer: I see technology advancements have impacted artificial lift in several ways, including:

• Remote monitoring and control improvements, including accessibility and cost—variable frequency drives versus pumpoff controllers, for example
• Ability to optimize more with less effort, providing quicker transfer of knowledge
• Data storage, communication, and sensing improvements
• Once unheard of to run bottomhole pressure gauges onshore and now they’re almost standard with gas-lift completions
• Extra digital surface sensors once required justification, but now they’re expected
• Surface-controlled (electric or hydraulic) gas lift has the potential to bring optimization to a lift method that’s notoriously difficult to optimize with additional benefits over mechanical valves. The decreasing cost of downhole electrical devices and improving reliability are spurring adoption.
• High-speed ESPs, particularly for offshore installation through-tubing, which may be able to increase the life of offshore wells as the technology increases in maturity
• Electric rod pumps are in early development, but a few vendors are working on them

Labrador: Artificial lift technology advances have allowed us to install and run the systems in more complex trajectory wells and produce them reliably. Additionally, it has allowed us to be aligned with the commitment to care for the environment.

Also, AL technology has impacted the artificial lift world positively. Who could imagine we would have more efficient motors installed at the surface and the bottom of the well? Or that we could challenge the boundaries of each AL according to the needs of the field and sufficiently produce them?

We must keep challenging our boundaries and making bigger efforts in this important part of the oil and gas industry. The relationship between OFS and E&P companies plays an important role: the operator’s needs and the service companies’ constant solutions to save on downtime and lost production.

Noonan: Instrumentation advancements allowed us to understand the physics of how artificial lift systems work internally. Before, we didn’t have the advancements in instrumentation to put sensors inside the various pumps or lift systems to really measure and understand what was happening inside. It was always theories and rules of thumb. But once we understood the fundamentals of each basic lift system, we knew how to design it properly—whether it was how we sized it or the materials used—to ensure it was the right design for the right environment. Also, permanent magnet and linear motors will make an impact (extinction of the rod string).

Jaua: We see the dramatic increase in lifting systems’ average run life and their survivability operating under extreme environments in the past 20 years; it is evident that technological advancements have had a huge impact on the artificial lift industry.

Artificial lift systems are installed faster, safer, last longer, and operate in wells that were impossible to operate not long ago. All thanks to improved designs, advanced materials, and evolved processes and practices.

The lifting system with the most promising growth potential is PCP, particularly the rodless version powered by downhole permanent magnet motors, which is more suitable for deviated wells.

Current elastomer compositions and manufacturing processes prevent the PCPs from surviving temperatures above 200°F and produce fluids with high aromatics content, frequently found in lighter oils.

New technologies and manufacturing processes are under development that will allow PCPs to perform in hotter wells and produce lighter oils. This will result in a viable alternative to efficiently producing wells, replacing rod lifting systems with a higher frequency of failures in deviated wells.

Leslie: The artificial lift market continues to see new technology in many shapes and forms. Whether it is advancement in a long-stroke system, a beam pumping system, advancement in ESP technology, or advancement in downhole technology, there continue to be new developments and products every year.

The one technology that continues to advance rapidly with huge impacts on field operations is the digital/automation space. The future of field operations will be centered around automation. The future will continue remote monitoring with autonomous control and failure prediction well ahead of where we are today. The autonomous field of the future will utilize sensors and monitors to detect failures before they happen, allowing operators to save on downtime and lost production. Digital integration and automation are the most impactful technologies for artificial lift in the future.

JPT: What are the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing the artificial lift sector today?

Stephenson: The most pressing challenges I see include the application of artificial lift in unconventional shale oil wells and in subsea/deepwater installations.

Shale oil wells can be challenging to lift due to their high gas-to-liquid ratios, sand production, sharp production decline in early life, and horizontal well trajectory. All these issues can decrease equipment reliability and/or deferred production.

Applying artificial lift systems in subsea installations can be challenging because of the high intervention costs associated with these wells. In a perfect world, we would like to install an artificial lift system in these applications that can survive for 10 years or more while boosting production.

Romer: I see the most pressing challenges in the following areas:

• Unconventional wells: How do you extend the economic life of wells when they aren’t designed for late-life lift: crooked wells, high gas, small casing, low rates, and long horizontals
• Lift methods designed for rapid reservoir depletion as current methods are not
• Lift method changes: knowing when it’s the right time and what to do
• Subsea: improving through-tubing options and applying artificial lift at the beginning of the well’s life because you may not be able to come back later to retrofit

Labrador: The challenge will always be to be better than yesterday and to have better performance and efficiency in ALS equipment than the previous year. Reducing the carbon footprint through ALS is a commitment we all have right now for the planet and future generations. The opportunity is to continue developing technology to make artificial lift systems more efficient and cleaner for the environment. Moreover, digital integration and automation technologies will help us to impact the future for artificial lift.

Also, being competitive in quality, performance, and price is something that can’t be left behind.

Noonan: Advancements in manufacturing have not kept pace. Many facilities have old equipment and still rely on too much human interaction, which can lead to quality-assurance issues. The technical differentiation between vendors has shrunk, so the battle for business will rely on manufacturing, assembly, and service quality.

Jaua: All oil wells eventually require artificial lift systems to produce, meaning millions of wells operating globally, requiring a constant power source available 24/7. This makes lifting systems one of the industry’s largest emitters of carbon dioxide. The greatest challenge will be the evolution of lift-system selection and sizing that puts efficiency levels as a top priority. It also represents an opportunity for those technology companies committed to developing new solutions to reduce their carbon footprint.

Leslie: There are several key challenges facing the artificial lift sector today, including limited resources, the need for consolidation, and, most importantly, a consistent supply chain with minimal reductions in delivery.

The oil and gas market has received a bad reputation as dirty and cyclical, driving young talent to avoid the industry. This reputation limits the amount of new talent in the industry, creating challenges for both E&P and OFS companies. We must find a way to recruit and retain talent better going forward.

The artificial lift landscape has too many competitors. There is a major need for consolidation, ultimately benefiting the end user and OFS companies. Finally, most artificial lift market products are produced outside North America due to the high production cost and the demand for lower-cost products. This creates an incredible challenge for OFS companies to work diligently to find alternative countries and manufacturing centers to supply products to all customers in artificial lift. These three areas are just some of the critical challenges facing the ALS market today.

Meadows: In terms of challenges facing the artificial lift sector today, the main concerns we continue to hear from our customers are centered around increasing the run life and reliability of ESP systems, reducing costs and downtime of artificial lift systems in general, and maximizing and optimizing production. Our customers all want to unlock the lowest-carbon, shortest-cycle barrels possible. To do this, they need a partner to help them better manage power consumption and costs and boost pump speeds and production.

We all know new drilling is slowing down while the world’s energy demands grow. New energy sources can only pick up some of that demand, which means we’ll need to get better at getting more out of the reservoirs we’ve already drilled, and ESPs will be a critical part of that.

JPT: Where will artificial lift applications be heading in the next decade? Are there any emerging trends or technologies that will shape the future?

Stephenson: In the next decade, I expect to see a greater emphasis on

• Lifting low-rate, mature shale oil wells.
• Reducing emissions.
• Minimizing lift costs.
• Improving overall system reliability.
• Applying artificial lift and subsea boosting to extend the life of deepwater installations.

Romer: I expect to see in the next decade

• More PMM applications on, for example, surface pumpjacks and PCPs.
• Closed-loop optimization of surface-controlled gas-lift systems.
• Through-tubing high-speed ESPs.
• Data-driven, fieldwide artificial lift system optimization.
• Optimization and artificial lift selection based on emissions/power usage. The industry is already seeing this in some parts of the world, for example, in thermal lift applications in Alberta.

Labrador: The technologies that allow us to produce complex wells efficiently and cleanly for the ecosystem will be what will govern the next decade. The world is changing, and we must change with it.

Noonan: Material advancements will make all the difference. Rod strings will be obsolete.

Jaua: I see artificial lift applications accelerating the adoption and implementation of artificial intelligence and machine learning solutions. For instance, until today, designing, selecting, and optimizing lifting systems required a technical staff to make and control decisions.

It is already happening today—but not fully adopted—that machines are gathering and processing vast sources of historical data and, in seconds, without human interaction, selecting the best lifting system, sizing, and features required for every well. Allowing a fully autonomous operation and increased failure predictability levels make the entire operation more efficient.

Digital solutions are still in the infant stages in the artificial lift sector, but without any doubt, they are destined to lead a more efficient and sustainable O&G industry.

Leslie: The future for artificial lift will be centered around digital technology and operator energy consumption. The evolution of PMM will be significant for operating all artificial lift forms more safely and energy efficient. PMMs have already been installed on basically every form of lift today with much success, but adoption has been slow as operators are still in the testing phase. In addition, the digital space will bring new technology with capacitors and storage of excess energy to maximize efficiency and productivity in the field. These technologies are just arriving to the market and producing significant energy savings, and the future will only get better as we move forward with this new technology.

Meadows: Automation simplifies decision-making. Digital will continue to shape the future by optimizing and increasing production. Variable speed drives (VSDs) will also play an important role in reducing power consumption. We’re testing a new VSD slated for release later this year to reduce power consumption by up to 20% over our most-efficient drive. A virtual VSD interface will also be integrated, enabling operators and service companies to adjust drive settings from anywhere in the world remotely.

The switch from induction motors to PMMs is also where the future is headed. We want to ensure we’re positioned to ensure this happens as quickly and safely as possible, so we are excited to champion the industry’s first engineered PMM safety module. This new module prevents the ESP pump from spinning the PMM, eliminating voltage generation at the surface for safer, simpler operations.

This article is part of a 3-part artificial lift series as part of JPT’s 75^th Anniversary content. Read more in Experts Give Career Advice for Future Artificial Lift Professionals: “Do Not be Scared to Try Something Different” and Artificial Lift: 25 Years of Change Tracked in the Pages of JPT.