Zilift technicians at the company’s well installation in California (photo: Zilift)

Aberdeen-based Zilift, has achieved more than 1 year’s production from its TorqueDrive technology in a cyclic steam operated, previously sub economic, well in California. The achievement further underpins the company’s position as an energy sector developer of electrical submersible pumps (ESP) based on permanent magnet technologies.

The system was installed in the side-tracked well, through 4.5-inch liner and more than 21 degrees per 100 feet dogleg severity, in December 2015. Prior to this, there had been an extremely high equipment failure rate within the well, resulting in run lives being limited to three month or less.

Of the achievement, Jamie Cochran, Zilift’s TorqueDrive business unit director says, “This milestone doesn’t just represent a major technical achievement for the oil and gas sector, but also a psychological one. Despite the system being exposed to several unplanned shut downs throughout the year, it was successfully restarted remotely each time, thus demonstrating that the inherent reliability of technology is a key part of innovation within the artificial lift sector. The combination of integrated downhole data monitoring, surface telemetry and remote data analysis has ensured that the system always achieves optimum production for the well profile, which will be of huge benefit of operators.”

Richard McCann, Zilift’s Bakersfield-based operations manager says, “Before the installation of TorqueDrive, this well was sub economic due to multiple failures, but now - thanks to the use of this pioneering technology – it is fully productive.

“This development signifies a key industry breakthrough for Zilift and a step change in the operations of our customer, for which this is part of an ongoing technology qualification program. We have high hopes for TorqueDrive, and this is the result of just one of five currently operating simultaneously in the field.”

Tags: ZiLift