System and method for real-time monitoring and failure prediction of electrical submersible pumps

1. A method of monitoring an electrical submersible pump disposed downhole in a subterranean wellbore including:

storing a plurality of first measurement values in a management system that comprises at least one computer, each first measurement value associated with one of a plurality of operating parameters of the electrical submersible pump, said plurality of first measurement values obtained during downhole operation of the electrical submersible pump over time;

the management system being at least partially connected with the electrical submersible pump remotely by way of a data communications network;

obtaining a plurality of user-supplied stable operating values corresponding to said plurality of operating parameters and inputting the user-supplier stable operation parameters to the management system;

generating a failure prediction value with the management system by calculating a percentage change of the respective first measurement values and the corresponding user-supplied stable operating values, the failure prediction value representing likelihood of failure of the electrical submersible pump; and

storing said failure prediction value in the management system for subsequent output and monitoring of the electrical submersible pump.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein:

said plurality of first measurement values are associated with a plurality of operating parameters of the electrical submersible pump selected from the group including: operating amperage, current leakage, current imbalance, motor temperature, pump performance index, discharge pressure, intake pressure, discharge vibration, intake vibration, and motor vibration.

3. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

for each given operating parameter of said plurality of operating parameters, generating a corresponding second measurement value based upon at least one first measurement value, and

generating a corresponding third measurement value based upon a difference between said corresponding second measurement value and a corresponding user-supplied stable operating value;

wherein said failure prediction value is based upon said third measurement values corresponding to said plurality of operating parameters.

4. A method according to claim 3 , wherein:

the second measurement value for a respective operating parameter is generated by retrieving a first measurement value associated with the respective operating parameter that was measured during a most recent polling interval.

5. A method according to claim 3 , wherein:

the third measurement value for a respective operating parameter is calculated as a percentage change of said corresponding second measurement value from said corresponding user-supplied stable operating value.

6. A method according to claim 3 , wherein:

said failure prediction value is calculated by mapping said third measurement values to weight factor values, scaling said weight factor values by a set of corresponding confidence ratings to generate a set of resultant products, and then adding the resultant products.

7. A method according to claim 6 , wherein:

the mapping of said third measurement values to weight factor values is fixed and unalterable by a user.

8. A method according to claim 6 , wherein:

said confidence ratings are fixed and unalterable by a user.

9. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

generating at least one graphical user interface based upon said failure prediction value; and outputting said at least one graphical user interface for display to a user.

10. A method according to claim 9 , wherein: said at least one graphical user interface includes at least one of: i) a display of said failure prediction value itself; ii) at least one visual alarm that is raised in the event that the failure prediction value exceeds a predetermined threshold value; iii) a description of the underlying cause of an alarm condition that is raised in the event that the failure prediction value exceeds a predetermined threshold value; and iv) a gauge that visually depicts said failure prediction value.

11. A method according to claim 9 , wherein:

said at least one graphical user interface includes other well surveillance information.

12. A method according to claim 9 , wherein:

said at least one graphical user interface is realized as a web page.

13. A method according to claim 9 , further comprising:

communicating said at least one graphical user interface over a data communication network for display at a client computing device.

14. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

communicating said plurality of first measurement values over a data communication network for storage at a location remote from the wellbore.

15. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

dynamically updating at least one user-supplied stable operating value based upon user input.

16. A method according to claim 15 , further comprising:

outputting a graphical user interface to the user, said graphical user interface providing for dynamic update of at least one user-supplied stable operating value; and

updating the at least one user-supplied stable operating value in accordance with user interaction with said graphical user interface.

17. A system for monitoring an electrical submersible pump disposed downhole in a subterranean wellbore including: data logging means for storing a plurality of first measurement values, each first measurement value associated with one of a plurality of operating parameters of the electrical submersible pump, said plurality of first measurement values obtained during downhole operation of the electrical submersible pump over time; failure prediction means including

i) means for obtaining a plurality of user-supplied stable operating values corresponding to said plurality of operating parameters;

ii) means for generating a failure prediction value by calculating a percentage change of respective first measurement values and the corresponding user-supplied stable operating values, the failure prediction value representing likelihood of failure of the electrical submersible pump; and

iii) data storage for storing said failure prediction value for subsequent output and monitoring of the electrical submersible pump.

18. A system according to claim 17 , wherein:

said plurality of first measurement values are associated with a plurality of operating parameters of the electrical submersible pump selected from the group including:

operating amperage, current leakage, current imbalance, motor temperature, pump performance index, discharge pressure, intake pressure, discharge vibration, intake vibration, and motor vibration.

19. A system according to claim 17 , wherein:

said means for generating a failure prediction value includes means operating, for each given operating parameter of said plurality of operating parameters, to generate a corresponding second measurement value based upon at least one first measurement value, and to generate a corresponding third measurement value based upon a difference between said corresponding second measurement value and a corresponding user-supplied stable operating value; and wherein said failure prediction value is based upon said third measurement values corresponding to said plurality of operating parameters.

20. A system according to claim 19 , wherein:

the second measurement value for a respective operating parameter is generated by retrieving a first measurement value associated with the respective operating parameter that was measured during a most recent polling interval.

21. A system according to claim 19 , wherein:

the third measurement value for a respective operating parameter is calculated as a percentage change of said corresponding second measurement value from said corresponding user-supplied stable operating value.

22. A system according to claim 19 , wherein:

said failure prediction value is calculated by mapping said set of third measurement values to weight factor values, scaling said weight factor values by a set of corresponding confidence ratings to generate a set of resultant products, and then adding the resultant products.

23. A system according to claim 22 , wherein:

the mapping of said third measurement values to weight factor values is fixed and unalterable by a user.

24. A system according to claim 22 , wherein:

said confidence ratings are fixed and unalterable by a user.

25. A system according to claim 17 , further comprising:

means for generating at least one graphical user interface based upon said failure prediction value; and means for outputting said at least one graphical user interface for display to a user.

26. A system according to claim 25 , wherein:

said at least one graphical user interface includes at least one of:

i) a display of said failure prediction value itself;

ii) at least one visual alarm that is raised in the event that the failure prediction value exceeds a predetermined threshold value;

iii) a description of the underlying cause of an alarm condition that is raised in the event that the failure prediction value exceeds a predetermined threshold value; and

iv) a gauge that visually depicts said failure prediction value.

27. A system according to claim 25 , wherein:

said at least one graphical user interface includes other well surveillance information.

28. A system according to claim 25 , wherein:

said at least one graphical user interface is realized as a web page.

29. A system according to claim 25 , further comprising:

communicating said at least one graphical user interface over a data communication network for display at a client computing device.

30. A system according to claim 17 , further comprising:

a data acquisition system, operably coupled to a plurality of sensors deployed within said wellbore, said data acquisition system collecting said plurality of first measurement values; and

data communication means for communicating said plurality of first measurement values from said data acquisition system to a management system disposed at a location remote from the wellbore for storage therein.

31. A system according to claim 17 , further comprising:

means for dynamically updating at least one user-supplied stable operating value based upon user input.

32. A system according to claim 31 , further comprising:

means for generating and outputting a graphical user interface to the user, said graphical user interface providing for dynamic update of at least one user-supplied stable operating value; and

means for updating the at least one user-supplied stable operating value in accordance with user interaction with said graphical user interface.