Equipment isn’t cheap. So, when one operator needed an HPS system for a saltwater disposal well in a new reservoir, they weren’t going to do it on a guess. To save the customer time and get the right-sized equipment installed as soon as possible, Valiant implemented a quick solution to test out the well.
Water disposal is a critical part of today’s unconventional landscape. Without the right system to transport the excess fluid, oil production can hit a bottleneck at the surface, interrupting the operator’s revenue stream. To keep the water moving, having an efficient, right-sized saltwater disposal system is essential to their bottom line. If a system is over-sized for an application, the operator will incur unnecessary costs because the system will be larger than what is required to achieve the target production. Alternatively, an under-sized system can put a limit on flow capacity, forcing the operator to produce at sub-optimal efficiency.
This operator had set up disposal systems with Valiant in the past, but because this well was in a new reservoir, they needed to determine the pumping volume and pressure that would meet their production criteria and suit the conditions of the rock formation. To provide the customer with peace of mind and make sure the permanent unit was sized correctly, Valiant ran a 600 hp trailer-mounted HPS unit sized for 12,000 bpd at a discharge pressure of 1,800 psi to test the well. After running the system for one month, the results of the test provided enough information to help the operator make an accurate sizing decision.
By conducting a preliminary analysis of the well’s saltwater disposal capacity, Valiant and the operator determined that the test unit was sized perfectly for the application. Reassured that the equipment would be optimized for the well, the operator purchased a permanent system from Valiant with identical specifications to the temporary unit once the test was complete. For this customer, Valiant was able to eliminate guesswork from the design, thus alleviating the operator’s uncertainty and providing a complete, fit-for-purpose solution designed to support their saltwater disposal needs.