Asset type
ESP monitoring
SAM4 monitors downhole electrical submersible pumps from the surface VSD — detecting motor degradation, pump wear, gas lock, and electrical faults thousands of metres underground. No pulling the string. No workover for diagnostics.
At a glance
- Monitoring method
- Electrical Signature Analysis (ESA)
- Sensor location
- Surface VSD / drive panel
- Voltage range
- Medium voltage (typically 1–5 kV downhole)
- Drive type
- VFD (variable speed drive)
- Equipment
- Downhole motor, pump stages, gas separator, power cable
- Faults detected
- 5 fault types
- Typical lead time
- 2–8 weeks before failure
Why monitor ESPs
Thousands of metres underground — and every failure costs a workover
ESPs operate in one of the most challenging environments in industry: downhole, at extreme temperatures, under high pressure, with no physical access. When an ESP fails, the only option is to pull the entire string — a process costing $150K–$500K and taking days to weeks. SAM4 provides continuous visibility from the surface.
typical cost of an ESP workover — including rig mobilisation, string pull, equipment replacement, and lost production.
average ESP run life. Early fault detection can extend run life by 20–30% through timely operational adjustments.
of ESP failures are preceded by detectable electrical signature changes weeks before the event.
What SAM4 detects on ESPs
Five fault types from the surface
| Fault type | What's happening | How SAM4 detects it | Typical lead time | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motor degradation | Stator winding insulation breakdown, rotor degradation at high temperature | Phase imbalance, insulation resistance trends, harmonic changes in surface current | 4–12 weeks | Full |
| Pump wear | Stage erosion, radial wear, thrust bearing degradation reducing pump efficiency | Power consumption deviation and load profile changes at equivalent conditions | 2–8 weeks | Full |
| Gas lock | Gas interference at pump intake causing intermittent unloading or complete gas lock | Load signature oscillation and intermittent current draw patterns | Hours–days | Full |
| Electrical faults | Power cable degradation, splice failures, insulation breakdown | Insulation resistance trends, harmonic analysis, phase imbalance detection | 2–8 weeks | Full |
| Bearing wear | Downhole motor bearing and pump bearing degradation | Characteristic bearing fault frequencies in surface current measurements | 3–8 weeks | Partial |
Detection capability depends on drive topology, sampling rate, load variation, and operating conditions. See ESA detection constraints.
Installation on ESPs
30 minutes at the surface drive panel. Zero downhole access.
Open the motor control cabinet
SAM4 installs at the MCC — the same panel your electricians already access. No confined space entry, no scaffolding, no process shutdown.
Clip sensor onto motor supply cables
Current and voltage sensors clip directly onto the existing cabling. No wiring changes. No interruption to the asset's operation.
Connect and commission
The SAM4 gateway connects via cellular (4G/LTE) — no dependency on your IT network. Monitoring starts immediately. First diagnostic results within 48 hours.
Where ESPs are monitored
Industries using SAM4 on ESPs
See SAM4 monitoring ESPs
A 30-minute demo shows SAM4 analysing ESPs from the surface — with real motor diagnostics, pump wear tracking, and run life optimisation data.