Wellhead and Power Cable

Wellhead and Power Cable

The cable from the junction box then runs to the wellhead. A special wellhead must be used to pack off the power
cable so it enters the wellbore without leaks ( Figure 1 ).

Figure 1

A power cable is available in both flat and round styles and has, within it, three insulated conductors ( Figure 2a and
Figure 2b ).

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Wellhead and Power Cable

Figure 2a

These conductors are available in a number of sizes and are usually made of either copper or aluminum.

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Wellhead and Power Cable

Figure 2b

The proper selection of the cable and the conductors depends upon the expected amperage that will flow through the
cable to the motor; the calculated voltage drop in the line from the surface to the pump; and the space that exists
between the tubing collar and the casing. Even though the cable is banded to the tubing at selected points, we must
assure ourselves that there is ample space to install and pull the pump without damaging the cable or getting it hungup in the well. A final consideration in the selection of cables and conductors is the operating environment, that is,
the operating pressure and temperature at pump depth.
Our first consideration in selecting cables, then, is amperage. The limitations on amperage for cables containing
copper conductors are shown in Table 1 .

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Wellhead and Power Cable

Table 1

Note that the cable with the smaller number has the larger diameter. Thus, we see that cable #1 can carry a
maximum amperage of 115 amps.
Our second consideration in selecting a cable is the voltage drop that will occur between the wellhead and the
pump. Normally, the maximum voltage drop for an electrical cable is about 30v/1000 feet. In Figure 3 we see a
graph of amperage versus voltage drop per thousand feet of cable length.

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Wellhead and Power Cable

Figure 3

The performance of a number of different conductors are represented. For example, if 60 amps is flowing through
the cable, then the voltage drop per thousand feet in a #1 copper conductor will be about 16 volts, in a #4 copper
conductor will be about 31 volts, and in a #6 copper conductor will be near 45 volts. It seems clear that the larger
conductor, with the lower voltage drop, will be more desirable, especially in deep wells. A counter-argument to this
is that the larger cable will cost more money, and might not fit with accepted tolerances between the tubing collars
and the casing. A balance must be struck in our design.

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