ESP artificial lift company ZiLift secures £4M capital investment led by GE-NRG Energy-ConocoPhillips JV
14 May 2012
ZiLift, an Aberdeen, Scotland-based provider of electric submersible pump (ESP) artificial lift solutions for the oil and gas industry, announced today that it has received a growth capital investment of £4 million (US$7 million) from new and lead investor Energy Technology Ventures—a GE-NRG Energy-ConocoPhillips venture—and existing investors Energy Ventures, Chevron Technology Ventures, Viking Venture, Jebsen Asset Management and Investinor.
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ESP with pump monitor. Temperature, pressure, vibration, current-leakage and flow data are measured by sensors downhole and recorded by an integrated surface panel (ISP). Source: Schlumberger. Click to enlarge. |
Oil and gas services company Schlumberger defines artificial lift as any system that adds energy to the fluid column in a wellbore with the objective of initiating and improving production from the well. Artificial-lift systems use a range of operating principles, including rod pumping, gas lift and electric submersible pumps.
ZiLift exclusively develops innovative next-generation ESP technologies for the artificial lift market, a global market estimated to be worth US$6 billion. The solutions—which leverage a number of key technologies such as permanent magnet motor technologies; linear motor technology; and high speed, low speed and low abrasion technology—will enable downhole pumping systems to be deployed where they presently cannot be, according to the company.
Targeted attributes of ZiLift’s ESPs include ESPs that can go inside 2 3/8” tubing; ESPs that can be replaced without pulling tubing; and ESPs that can work in high wear/harsh environments. The company has four targeted products:
maglift, to economically produce deep low-rate gas wells. maglift de-waterers deeper mature wells, and supports retrofit installation through small diameter production tubing.
eZiLift retrofit a slimline esp in any existing well.
heavylift is intended to produce heavy oil and sand reliably at high temperatures. A key feature is eliminating pump failures from sand erosion and blockages.
kickstart is designed to start well production using a wireline deployed pump.
The proceeds from this investment round will assist ZiLift in completing product development and achieving commercialization of its technologies.
Artificial lift technologies are currently utilized in 80% of all oil wells worldwide. Gas well dewatering and heavy oil are emerging markets and are set to grow to multi-billion dollar mainstream markets. We are confident ZiLift can become the industry standard in these markets.
—Stuart Ferguson, ZiLift chairman
ZiLift is pursuing joint development programs with leading oil and gas companies such as ConocoPhillips, Chevron and a major Middle East oil and gas operator. The assistance of these companies has enabled ZiLift to develop technologies that address real market issues and opportunities by significantly reducing time and cost associated with installing and servicing conventional artificial lift equipment.
ConocoPhillips is actively working to accelerate technology deployment through a joint development project with ZiLift. Testing of ZiLift prototypes is in the final stage, and the company plans to start field trials in the second half of 2012, according to Iain Maclean, CEO of ZiLift.
ZiLift Ltd. was established in 2009 and is currently working on several E&P client sponsored projects. These are focused on gas well deliquification, oil and heavy oil applications, respectively.
Several years ago ABB added large compressors to a CNG production platform in the North Sea. Direct-current high-voltage cables came from the Norwegian mainland and two high-voltage Cable-Wound ac induction motors were fed directly from the inverters without transformers. The, mostly, water power from Norway avoided carbon taxes and inefficient gas turbine power to force more gas to continental Europe.
Permanent magnets are not suited to high-temperature environments or overloads. Switched Reluctance motors are more efficient and more reliable than permanent magnet motors and do not use rare earth materials and they could be made even more efficient with glassy magnetic materials now being used in transformers. Silicon carbide and other transistors can be made to operate at very high temperatures, and direct current cables can be quite small whilst they carry high power at high voltages over long wires in the ground or under water or crude petroleum products.
Most solar cell money or other renewable energy money is better spent with faster return on investment for replacement distribution transformers with the new higher efficiencies of improved magnetic materials. Higher efficiency switched reluctance drives and motors are another cost saving way to improve energy efficiency in air conditioning especially. These devices can also use the improved magnetic materials.
Several varieties of linear pumps can be invented to work on switched reluctance principles. A fake "steam engine" toy was available in the 1920's with a solenoid switched reluctance "piston". About 1900 one of the first electric locomotives was built as a test also with mechanically switched reluctance technology. ..HG..
Posted by: Henry Gibson | 15 May 2012 at 08:02 PM