Artificial Lift Methods
Design, Operation & Optimization

Duration: 5 Days
Target Audience: Production Engineers, Reservoir Engineers, Artificial Lift Specialists, Well Intervention Engineers, Field Engineers
Delivery Mode: Classroom / Virtual with Practical Exercises, Design Calculations, and Case Studies
Level: Intermediate

Course Overview

This comprehensive course covers the principles, design, selection, operation, optimization, and troubleshooting of major artificial lift methods. Participants will gain hands-on understanding of gas lift, sucker rod pumps, electric submersible pumps (ESP), progressive cavity pumps (PCP), and hydraulic lift systems, along with guidelines for lift selection based on reservoir and production conditions.

Day-by-Day Outline

Day 1 – Fundamentals of Artificial Lift Systems

- Artificial lift overview and selection criteria
- Natural flow vs. artificial lift considerations
- Comparison of major artificial lift methods
- Introduction to nodal analysis for lift evaluation
- Exercise: Select appropriate lift methods for different reservoir scenarios

Day 2 – Gas Lift & Sucker Rod Pumping Systems

- Continuous and intermittent gas lift principles
- Gas lift equipment and valve design
- Gas lift optimization techniques
- Sucker rod pump components, design, and operation
- Workshop: Calculate gas injection rates and rod string design

Day 3 – Electric Submersible Pumps (ESP) Systems

- ESP components and electrical considerations
- Pump performance curves and head calculations
- ESP design and selection criteria
- Common operational issues and troubleshooting
- Exercise: Design an ESP system for a deviated well

Day 4 – PCP & Hydraulic Lift Systems

- Progressive cavity pump design and applications
- Fluid properties impact on PCP performance
- Hydraulic piston and jet pump systems
- Surface equipment considerations for hydraulic lifts
- Workshop: Compare PCP and hydraulic lift performance in heavy oil wells

Day 5 – Optimization, Troubleshooting & Case Studies

- Integrating artificial lift with reservoir management
- Production monitoring and performance analysis
- Identifying and diagnosing common lift problems
- Field case studies of artificial lift success and failures
- Capstone Project: Develop an artificial lift strategy for a multi-well field

Expected Learning Outcomes

Understand the principles and operation of major artificial lift systems
Design and select artificial lift methods for various reservoir and well conditions
Identify and troubleshoot artificial lift performance problems
Optimize artificial lift systems to maximize production efficiency
Apply case study learnings to real field challenges

Customizable Add-ons
Tailored content for local geology (e.g. Nile Delta, Western Desert)
Lab visit or simulation hands-on demo
Integration with economics or production courses

Special Customization for Regional NOCs

- Includes legal and fiscal case examples from MENA (Egypt, Libya, Iraq, Algeria)
- Arabic-English bilingual delivery available
- Tailored licensing round simulation exercises
- Optional site visits to local oilfields or regulatory agencies

Trainer Profile

- Senior reservoir and exploration engineers from IOCs and NOCs
- Former advisors to government ministries
- Experts in petroleum contracts and economic modeling

Certification

Participants will receive a Certificate of Completion and a performance report including assessment outcomes and instructor feedback.