The assembly of the Electrical Submersible Pump unit and cable connection must be carried out by the Electrical Submersible Pump (ESP) supplier's field engineer. In order to comply with the requirements of the manufacturer's warranty any instructions or recommendations given by the field engineer should be followed.
The engineer should be allow sufficient time to ensure that the assembly of the downhole Electrical Submersible Pump is of the highest possible standards. It is not the intention to give a detailed assembly instruction as these will differ for different makes of pump. Detailed assembly instructions will be available from the vendor and should form part of either the workover programme or be included as part of the standard wellsite reference manual.
The following list gives a guideline as to the minimum checks that should be carried out during the installation process:
- check motor/pump physical condition;
- check mechanical rotation. Equipment should be free from drag or rough spots during hand rotation;
- check oil condition and level. Time must be given for proper filling of oil especially in cold conditions;
- check condition of mating flange surfaces;
- check condition of shaft extensions;
- carry out all electrical resistive checks;
- check Electrical Submersible Pump intake and discharge condition.
As already stated cleanliness and the requirement to ensure a complete filling of motor and seal assembly with clean oil are paramount requirements for all Electrical Submersible Pump (ESP) assemblies. Installation of the cable pothead should be carefully witnessed to ensure correct makeup of this equipment as due to its small size and the high current passing through it, it is often a weak link in the cable assembly.