production · lift
ESP Pump Intake Pressure (PIP)
click formula to derive ↑
Inputs
psi
—
ft
Description
Computes ESP pump intake pressure (PIP) — the actual pressure at the pump suction — from a surface casing pressure reading and a fluid-level survey. PIP confirms the pump is submerged with adequate suction pressure to avoid gas interference and cavitation, and feeds directly into the Total Dynamic Head (TDH) calculation's net-lift term.
Variables
| Symbol | Unit | Description |
|---|---|---|
| PIP | psi | Pump Intake Pressure (PIP) |
| Pcsg | psi | Surface (wellhead) pressure on the casing/production annulus, read directly off the casing pressure gauge. |
| SG | — | Specific gravity of the fluid column standing above the pump in the annulus (water = 1.0). Use the actual annulus fluid's gravity, not stock-tank oil gravity — see limitations. |
| Sub | ft | Height of the fluid column above the pump intake — pump setting depth minus the dynamic (working) fluid level depth, from an acoustic fluid-level survey or fluid-level shot. |
Assumptions
- The annulus fluid column above the pump is static (no significant annular flow or circulation) at the time of the fluid-level survey
- Submergence is an accurate, recent acoustic fluid-level (or equivalent) survey reading — PIP is only as reliable as this measurement
- SG represents the actual fluid standing in the annulus above the pump, which may differ from produced stock-tank oil gravity if water or gas has segregated
Limitations
- A common field error is using stock-tank oil API-derived specific gravity for SG instead of the actual annulus fluid's gravity — if free water or gas has segregated in the annulus, the true fluid gradient differs substantially from oil SG alone, and PIP will be systematically wrong in that direction
- Does not account for any free gas in the annulus fluid column, which would reduce the effective gradient below 0.433 × SG
- Casing pressure is assumed to be transmitted undamped to the fluid-level depth — this omits any annular restriction (e.g., a packer) that would isolate the two
Use Cases
- → ESP intake-pressure confirmation: Confirm the ESP intake is running at adequate suction pressure (well above the fluid's bubble point / gas-breakout pressure) to avoid gas interference and pump cavitation.
- → TDH net-lift input: Feed PIP directly into the ESP Total Dynamic Head calculation's net-lift term, avoiding a separate fluid-level-to-net-lift conversion.
Related Calculations
Region Notes
Permian Basin
Wolfcamp/Bone Spring ESP installations commonly run 1,500-4,000 ft of submergence with casing pressures of 0-100 psi; PIP well below 100 psi at typical submergence is a common early trigger for a gas-separator or intake redesign in high-GOR wells.
References
Need geoscience support? BauerCalc is just one of the tools we build. If you're looking for independent expertise in well planning, geosteering, reservoir characterization, or opportunity evaluation, visit BauerSubsurface.com.