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Product

power connection cable seriesESP Motor Lead Extension+204 °C / +232 °C PotheadPolyimide-FEP + Lead / Monel

MLE / Motor Lead Extension ESP Motor Lead Extension CableUltra-low-profile flat 3–5 kV +204/+232 °C ESP pothead motor lead extension

MLE / Motor Lead Extension ESP Cable (3 kV, 4 kV & 5 kV) engineered per IEEE Std 1018, IEEE Std 1019 and API RP 11S5 to bridge the tight annulus between the main downhole ESP cable splice and the submersible motor pothead—combining.

8.5–12.2 mm Ultra-Low Profile
Lead / PEEK H₂S Gas Barrier
+204 °C / +232 °C BHT
IEEE 1018 / API 11S5
Order designation
MLE-PB 5kV #6 Lead/Monel
Height × Width
10.8 × 27.9
Weight ≈
1,560 kg/km
Conductor DC R
1.320 Ω/km
Max. current
78 A
All sizes (6)
Request a quoteDatasheetWhatsApp
Engineering reply in 2 business hoursCut-to-length export drumsEN 10204 3.1 certificate per drum
Standards
IEEE 1018 / 1019
& API RP 11S5 Pothead Lead
Voltage classes
3 kV / 4 kV / 5
Tested to 25–35 kV DC
Conductor range
#8 to #4 AWG
Solid bare/tin/silver Cu
Max. BHT temp.
+204 to +232 °C
Polyimide-FEP + EPDM / Lead
Radial height
8.5 to 12.2 mm
Clears pump & seal housings
Pothead end
Tape-in / Plug-i
Factory-moulded pothead opt.

Typical values for this cable type, based on IEEE Std 1018 / IEEE Std 1019 / API RP 11S5 / 11S6 — confirmed in the datasheet and quotation for your order.

Application fit

Is MLE / Motor Lead Extension right for your machine?

Installed across the 15 to 45 m bottom assembly of an Electrical Submersible Pump string—running past the gas separator, multi-stage centrifugal pump housings and protector/seal sections into the top of the ESP motor.

Drilling jumbo & rotary mast feed

Suitable

Ultra-thin 8.5–12.2 mm radial profile slips through the narrow 10–14 mm casing-to-pump clearance without crushing during run-in-hole.

Immersion & wet locations

Suitable

Lapped polyimide-FEP fluoropolymer tape under high-modulus EPDM + seamless extruded lead sheath blocks hot H₂S, CO₂ and steam ingress.

Motor stator, traction & converter leads

Suitable

Supplied as bulk MLE reel or factory-terminated with a pressure-tested tape-in or plug-in ESP motor pothead.

Fixed installation

With conditions

Sized specifically for the high-velocity wellbore fluid flow zone alongside the pump; splice to larger #4–#1/0 AWG main ESP cable.

Typical machinesDownhole Oil & Gas ESP Motor CompletionsSAGD Steam-Assisted Heavy Oil Wells (+232 °C)Sour Crude (High H₂S / CO₂) Artificial LiftDeep Geothermal Brine Production WellsOffshore Platform Subsea ESP Boosters

Construction

Layer by layer

MLE / Motor Lead Extension Cable showing three parallel solid copper conductors (#8, #6 or #4 AWG), helically lapped polyimide-FEP fluoropolymer film barrier, high-modulus EPDM insulation, extruded seamless lead alloy gas-impervious sheath (or Tedlar/PVDF braid), and low-profile Monel 400 or galvanized steel interlocked armour.

12345
Schematic, not to scale — generated from the layer data
#LayerMaterial & reference
13 × Parallel solid annealed/tinned copper conductorsSolid circular bare, tin-coated or nickel/silver-plated annealed copper (#8, #6 or #4 AWG) per ASTM B3 / B33Solid cross-section prevents longitudinal wellbore gas migration into the motor pothead
2Sintered Polyimide-FEP fluoropolymer dielectric barrierMulti-layer heat-sealed polyimide film coated with fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) bonded directly to conductorBoosts impulse breakdown and oil/chemical resistance while reducing wall thickness
3High-temperature oil-resistant EPDM (or PEEK) insulation+204 °C / +232 °C peroxide-cured high-modulus EPDM elastomer extruded over the polyimide-FEP tapeCushions fluoropolymer barrier and seals pothead elastomer interface
4Seamless extruded Lead alloy (or PVDF/Tedlar) gas barrierContinuous extruded lead sheath (0.64–0.76 mm) + protective fabric/fluoropolymer braid over each insulated core100 % impermeable to H₂S, CO₂, methane and high-pressure steam in SAGD wells
5Ultra-low-profile Monel 400 / 316L / Galvanized flat armour0.51 mm (20 mil) precision-profiled interlocked Monel 400, 316L stainless or galvanized steel strip armourMinimum radial build with high crush resistance past pump flanges

MLE-EPDM-TF (3kV–5kV · +204 °C Polyimide/EPDM/Fluoropolymer)

Ultra-thin 8.6–10.7 mm non-leaded MLE with polyimide-FEP + EPDM + fluoropolymer/Tedlar barrier for sweet/mild-sour wells

MLE-LEAD-MONEL (4kV–5kV · +232 °C Polyimide/EPDM/Lead/Monel)

Hermetically lead-sheathed, Monel 400 armoured MLE for high-H₂S sour oil and +232 °C SAGD thermal wells

Technical data

Ratings & operating limits

Typical values: Typical values for this cable type, based on IEEE Std 1018 / IEEE Std 1019 / API RP 11S5 / 11S6. Values for your order are confirmed in the datasheet and quotation.

Electrical

Voltage ratings
3.0 kV · 4.0 kV · 5.0 kV AC phase-to-phase
Factory DC hi-pot test
25 kV DC (3 kV) · 30 kV DC (4 kV) · 35 kV DC (5 kV) for 5 min
Max. DC resistance @ 20 °C
2.10 Ω/km (#8 AWG) · 1.32 Ω/km (#6 AWG) · 0.83 Ω/km (#4 AWG)
Insulation resistance
≥ 5,000 MΩ·km @ 20 °C (polyimide-FEP + EPDM hybrid)

Thermal

Conductor temp. rating
+204 °C continuous (EPDM/TF) · +232 °C continuous (Lead/SAGD)
Motor annulus heat transfer
Cooled by high-velocity produced fluid flowing past the ESP motor
Cold spooling limit
-40 °C minimum rig-floor installation temperature

Mechanical

Radial thickness × width
8.6 × 21.8 mm (#8) · 9.8 × 25.4 mm (#6) · 11.4 × 29.5 mm (#4 Lead)
Min. bend radius
7 × radial thickness over flat axis
Hydrostatic pressure
Up to 35 MPa (5,000 psi) bottomhole wellbore pressure

Resistance

Sour gas (H₂S) immunity
Seamless lead barrier prevents H₂S copper attack and sulfide stress cracking
Decompression resistance
Polyimide-FEP film + lead sheath + flat armour prevents gas blistering
Armour corrosion grade
Galvanized steel, 316L stainless steel, or Monel 400 nickel-copper

Reference standards

Downhole ESP standards
IEEE Std 1018 & API RP 11S5 / API RP 11S6
Pothead qualification
API RP 11S5 submarine motor pothead pressure cycle tested
Quality management
ISO 9001 oilfield manufacturing traceability

Identification

Phase identification
1, 2, 3 ridges/stripes for correct motor rotation direction
Customs tariff (HS)
8544.6010
Supply forms
Bulk reels (500–1,500 m) or pre-cut 15–45 m leads with factory pothead

Sizes

6 standard 4 kV / 5 kV ESP Motor Lead Extension (MLE) configurations

Conductor AWG, barrier construction, radial height × width, weight and nominal current.

MLE profile height, width & ratings
Order designationAWG, voltage & barrierHeight × Width
mm		Weight ≈
kg/km		Max. DC R
Ω/km		Max. current
A		Enquiry
4–5 kV +204 °C Polyimide-FEP + EPDM Non-Leaded MLE
MLE-TF 4kV #8 Solid3 × #8 AWG (8.37 mm²) · 4 kV PI-FEP/EPDM8.6 × 21.86402.10058
MLE-TF 5kV #6 Solid3 × #6 AWG (13.3 mm²) · 5 kV PI-FEP/EPDM9.7 × 24.98901.32078
MLE-TF 5kV #4 Solid3 × #4 AWG (21.2 mm²) · 5 kV PI-FEP/EPDM11.2 × 28.71,2400.830105
4–5 kV +232 °C Polyimide-FEP + EPDM + Lead MLE
MLE-PB 5kV #8 Lead/Monel3 × #8 AWG · 5 kV PI-FEP/EPDM/Lead9.6 × 24.41,1802.10058
MLE-PB 5kV #6 Lead/Monel3 × #6 AWG · 5 kV PI-FEP/EPDM/Lead10.8 × 27.91,5601.32078
MLE-PB 5kV #4 Lead/Monel3 × #4 AWG · 5 kV PI-FEP/EPDM/Lead12.2 × 31.82,0900.830105
  • Typical values for this cable type; dimensions and weights for your order are confirmed in the quotation.
  • MLE is intentionally 1–2 AWG sizes smaller than the main ESP cable because high-velocity fluid in the narrow pump annulus cools the MLE efficiently.

Quality & approvals

Testing & inspection

Routine tests on every production length, sample and type tests per batch — documented on an EN 10204 3.1 inspection certificate.

  1. ConductorClass 5 stranding
  2. Spark test100 % in-line
  3. Lay-upCores, earth, fillers
  4. SheathingInner, braid / screen, outer
  5. Electrical testsAC voltage, resistance
  6. DimensionsOD, wall thickness
  7. Inspection documents & dispatchDrum & dispatch
Testing & inspectionTest value / referenceFrequency
Routine tests
100 % 25–35 kV DC dielectric withstand & insulation resistance testZero breakdown over 5 minutes and IR ≥ 5,000 MΩ·kmEvery manufactured MLE length
Sample tests
Dimensional profile gauge & lead sheath concentricity inspectionRadial height within ±0.25 mm tolerance for tight casing clearanceEvery production reel
High-pressure / high-temperature (HPHT) autoclave pothead & splice cycle testSurvives +204/+232 °C and 35 MPa in sour crude / brine without leakageType qualification

Inspection certificate

Issued with every drum, listing the routine test results for that length.

Product approvals

IEEE Std 1018 & IEEE Std 1019API RP 11S5 & API RP 11S6ISO 9001 Oilfield QA

Company certificates

ISO 9001ISO 14001ISO 45001VDE marks approvalUL / cULCE · LVD / EMC

Marking & supply

Ordering & delivery

Sheath marking

Embossed armour & reel plate: TEBAOFLEX ESP MLE 5kV IEEE 1018
Delivery form
Fumigated wooden drums or steel export reels
Standard lengths
500 m · 1000 m (or custom cut lengths)
MOQ
100 m (standard) · 500 m (custom)
Lead time
2–4 weeks ex-works
Incoterms
EXW, FOB, CIF, DAP

Technical documents

Downloads

PDFMLE / Motor Lead Extension ESP Motor Lead Extension Cable – technical datasheet6 sizes · construction, technical data, approvalsXLSXMLE / Motor Lead Extension spec data (Excel)All 6 sizes with dimensions and data, for your BOM or quotation
Revision
2026-10-20
Updated
2026-10-20

FAQ

Questions engineers ask first

Not covered here? Send your drawing — an engineer replies within 2 business hours.

Why does an ESP string use a separate Motor Lead Extension (MLE) instead of running the main ESP cable all the way into the motor?
The main ESP cable (#4 to #1/0 AWG) has a radial height of 12.5–35.8 mm to minimize voltage drop over 1,500–3,500 m of tubing. However, the centrifugal pump and protector housings at the bottom of the string fill almost the entire casing ID, leaving only 10–14 mm of radial gap. The MLE uses a sintered polyimide-FEP tape + thin-wall EPDM construction on a solid #8–#4 AWG conductor to achieve an ultra-slim 8.6–12.2 mm profile that clears the pump.
How can a #6 AWG MLE safely carry the full current of a #2 AWG or #1 AWG main ESP power cable?
The MLE is only 15 to 45 m long (contributing negligible voltage drop) and sits in the narrow annular restriction alongside the pump where produced wellbore fluid flows at high velocity, providing strong forced-convection cooling.
Why is polyimide-FEP film combined with EPDM rubber inside the MLE?
Lapped polyimide-FEP film has a dielectric breakdown strength > 150 kV/mm—allowing a 45–55 mil total insulation wall to pass 35 kV DC testing while blocking oil migration into the copper—while the outer EPDM layer provides a compressible elastomeric surface for field splices and pothead seals.
Why are MLE conductors always solid copper rather than stranded?
A solid copper rod eliminates interstitial air gaps between strands, preventing high-pressure wellbore gas from wicking down the conductor into the ESP motor housing and avoids bird-caging during tight pothead crimping.

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MLE / Motor Lead Extension ESP Motor Lead Extension Cable

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