Innovative High-Velocity Oxy-Fuel Thermal Spray Coating Applied to Electrical Submersible Pump Stages Enables 70% Scrap Reduction and Enhances Stage Mechanical Properties by 50%

Abstract

Abstract Electrical submersible pumps (ESPs) are one of the primary artificial lift methods used around the world. After the equipment completes its life cycle, it is typically pulled out of the well to be inspected and dismantled, and it is classified as scrap if its dimensional tolerances are not within the acceptance criteria. The purpose of this study was to analyze the impact of the application of a new stage coating method to substantially reduce the number of parts classified as unrecoverable. The high-velocity oxy-fuel thermal spray coating, which applies molten metal particles at high velocity, was developed during the past century. Today, the process is more reliable and is used worldwide in different industries to recover parts such as aerospace and energy turbine components. For the first time anywhere in the world, this technological process has been applied to ESP stages to improve their mechanical properties, ensuring performance while reducing metal waste. This study used laboratory tests such as microstructure characterization and X-ray spectroscopy. The study used a sample of 200 ESP stages of which 70% were suitable for this technological application. The coating was sprayed over all eligible stages that comprised a single pump body, and the efficiency improvement was found to be approximately 1.17% per API RP 11S2 (R 2013). In addition, the coated surfaces increased stage mechanical resistance by 50%, stage abrasion resistance by 30%, stage erosion resistance by 20%, and stage corrosion resistance by 55% compared to that of brand-new nickel-rhenium stages. The results demonstrated that the stage remanufacturing process can be performed several times on the same part regardless of the length of operation or the number of times the string has been pulled and run in hole. The implementation of this project could provide a remarkable environmental contribution. A single-brand ESP provider for Ecuadorian operations with 65% of the national well count estimates that 58,000 stages per year are classified as scrap as a result of mechanical wear. The coating process could reduce waste by 70% per year, resulting in an emissions savings of an estimated 19 metric tons of CO2e per year. The research and development of this innovative technology can give new life to previously discarded parts, improving ESP mechanical properties. On the basis of the results obtained, this technology can be applied over horizontal multistage surface pumping systems and ESP stages that are brand new or already in use.