Increasing Lifetime of Tubing Pump with Sand Problem in Field X Zona 1 Pt Pertamina EP

Field X Zona 1, operated by PT Pertamina EP, is a mature oil field currently undergoing secondary recovery. Despite ongoing recovery efforts, production decline remains inevitable at this stage. Among the artificial lift methods utilized in Field X, the Sucker Rod Pump (SRP), or tubing pump, is the most dominant, accounting for 50% of total implementation. In 2023, data from Field X recorded the highest sand-related challenges, leading to a significant production loss of 10,809.50 barrels of oil during well service jobs, translating to an estimated revenue shortfall of IDR 12.9 billion. A structured analytical approach was employed, integrating the Fishbone Diagram, Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA), and Pareto Diagram to diagnose the root causes of sand production. The findings highlight a critical gap in the equipment and method aspect. Both of them were identified as each contributing to 41.7% of sand-related issues, according to Pareto analysis. To address these challenges, multiple alternative solutions were explored, that are conducting sucker rod bump-down jobs using cranes, installing premium sand screens in front of perforations, implementing FractPack stimulation techniques, and modifying tubing pump accessories for enhanced sand control. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was employed to assess these alternatives based on three critical factors, that are risk, cost, and job delivery time. The consistency ratio (CR) for each criterion was calculated, with CR of overall criteria at 0.02052, CR of risk sub-criteria at 0.0960, CR of cost sub-criteria at 0.0934, and CR of job delivery time sub-criteria at 0.0780. Since all CR values are below the threshold, the decision-making process is deemed consistent and reliable. Among the proposed solutions, modifying tubing pump accessories emerged as the most effective, securing the highest final score of 0.5157. The design requirements for this modification include multi-stage sand filtration, ease of fabrication, and simplified installation. The effectiveness of this solution was further validated through pilot tests in wells WS-453 and WS-414, where operators collected fluid samples and conducted BS&W (Basic Sediment & Water) analysis. Remarkably, no sand was detected in the produced fluids at the surface, confirming the success of this approach in mitigating sand-related production losses in mature fields.