Desenvolvimento de um simulador com uma estratégia de controle para o bombeio por cavidades progressivas

Abstract

The PCP method of artificial lift by progressing cavity pumping has proven to be an important technology for oil well production. This method has a good adaptation to the production of viscous oil or in the presence of sand. These features have made it one of the most used method of artificial lift in the fields of oil production. With the increasing application of this method, the need to develop research focused on this area increases. This method uses a rotary surface motion system, which is transmitted through a set of rods to a progressive cavity pump installed inside the well, aiming to raise the fluid at the bottom of the well to the surface. The present work developed a computational simulator for oil wells that use this method of artificial lift, able to represent the dynamic behavior of important variables during the production process. The simulator also has a control strategy, which aims to ensure that the equipment operates both under appropriate conditions and within its user-defined safety limits, in addition to optimizing well production. In order to obtain validation of the proposed control strategy, laboratory tests were performed using virtual wells. These tests demonstrated that the developed strategy was able to present expected performance, that is, to control the pumping speed, keeping the submergence within the pre-established limits by the operator.