Case Study: a leading West Africa offshore operating company reduces ESP replacement downtime with SLB’s ZEiTECS Shuttle

ZEiTECS Shuttle System Reduces Deferred Production Even Before ESP is Commissioned Offshore Africa

SLB worked with a leading West Africa offshore operating company that wanted to minimize the cost, production deferment, and operational disruption caused by ESP replacements over the life of a well. The operator was especially concerned about the challenges of offshore access, rig cost, and safety, and looked for a way to replace ESPs without relying on a rig or heavy workover equipment.

SLB deployed the ZEiTECS Shuttle rigless ESP replacement system, a plug-and-play solution that lets the ESP string be unplugged and retrieved with wireline, coiled tubing, or rods. During the first installation, a third-party ESP motor short-circuited, but the system allowed the tubing to stay in place and the failed motor to be retrieved on rods, saving 48–72 hours, or 2–3 days, of rig time and reducing deferred production.