The digital repository of our valuable SPE papers was first launched as the SPE eLibrary in 1997 and subsequently was updated as OnePetro in 2007. This great collection has become a valuable resource for our global industry. However, several years ago, I noticed that many of the great case studies and technological advancements related to artificial lift were being presented at industry events but not published and captured within OnePetro. I made it a personal mission to change that.
Within SPE today, there are more opportunities for authors to present and publish their work related to artificial lift. For example,
- The Progressing Cavity Pump (PCP) Workshop was converted to a conference format, which now offers a call for papers.
- The SPE Digital Edition series “Getting Up to Speed” for both electrical-submersible-pump and PCP technology provided an invitation to authors who previously gave presentations only at industry events to document their work as an SPE paper in these editions and in OnePetro.
- The Artificial Lift Conference and Exhibition (ALCE) series in the Middle East, South America, and North America was created to bring together the regional artificial-lift experts and document their work as SPE manuscripts. Note that SPE is still working to coordinate these events so that their schedules do not conflict with one another.
- The ALCE North America event in 2014 focused on seeking out authors with outstanding presentations at regional events (SPE or not), as well as bodies of work that needed to be documented in OnePetro for the benefit of the global artificial-lift community.
The history of artificial-lift technology and the story of its outstanding contributors and innovators have been missing within the SPE realm; however, this is about to change. At the ALCE North America event to be held 6–8 October in Houston, two special events are taking place. The Artificial Lift Historical Exhibit and the Legends of Artificial Lift Awards will be documented and placed in SPE’s historical archives.
The primary and additional papers selected for this feature, with the exception of one Offshore Technology Conference paper, were presented at international events that did not exist a decade ago. The void of artificial-lift information that existed within OnePetro is beginning to be filled and will disappear if we work collectively to seek out our peers and encourage them to publish their outstanding accomplishments and lessons learned as SPE papers.
This Month's Technical Papers
Integrating True Valve Performance Into Gas Lift Design and Troubleshooting
Applying Root-Cause Failure analysis Enhances Artificial-Lift Performance
High-Power ESP Tubing-Hanger Connector for Deepwater Downhole Applications
Recommended Additional Reading
IPTC 17361 Geared-Centrifugal-Pump (GCP) Technology Implementation in Petroleum Development Oman as a Potential Alternative Artificial-Lift Method—Oil Wells by A.S. Al-Bimani, Petroleum Development Oman, et al.
SPE 165656 Well Optimization Using Fully Instrumented Progressing-Cavity Pumps in the Patos Marinza Field by Kristofer Gustafsson, Bankers Petroleum, et al.
SPE 165011 Progressing-Cavity Pumps in Light Oil: Expanding the Application Envelope Through Best Practices and Lessons Learned by Sheldon Jahn, Kudu Industries, et al.
Shauna Noonan, SPE, is completion technology manager for ConocoPhillips in Houston. She has worked on artificial-lift and technology-development projects worldwide at ConocoPhillips and previously at Chevron for 20 years. Noonan has chaired many industry artificial-lift forums and has authored or coauthored numerous papers on the subject of artificial lift. She holds a position on the SPE International Board of Directors as the 2013–15 Technical Director for Production and Operations and serves on the JPT Editorial Committee. Noonan also received the 2012 SPE Gulf Coast Section Regional Production and Operations Award. She began her career with Chevron Canada Resources and holds a BS degree in petroleum engineering from the University of Alberta.