Oil and Gas Pumping

The upstream oil and gas industry uses electric motors in a variety of pumping and compression systems to bring oil from the wellhead to the consumer. Most oil wells commonly produce oil, water and gas. This stream of fluids moves from the wellhead to a temporary sorting facility known as a battery. At the battery, the oil, water and gas are separated into their individual components. The oil is pumped to an oil storage area where it is placed in a pipeline and sent to a refinery. The water is pumped to a treatment facility and then pumped to a holding pond or disposal well. The gas is compressed and then pumped into a gas line and sent to a gas facility. All of these tasks required an electric motor to move the fluids and, in many cases, the motors operate as an on/off system.

The introduction of an adjustable speed drive (ASD) can improve the flow rate of the fluids, reduce electrical costs and increase system efficiency. An ASD at the battery can be used to control the flow rate of fluids out of the battery, allowing for smaller motors to be used and minimizing the oversized facilities.