By TEBAOFLEX Jyen. Originally published on December 27, 2025.
An electrical submersible pump installation combines a main downhole power cable, connections and a motor lead extension (MLE) suited to the pump assembly. The motor connection can face different clearance, temperature and chemical conditions from the cable above it. Select the assembly from the actual well and equipment data, not from one generic “high-temperature ESP” label.
Correct the IEEE reference before ordering
IEEE 1018 concerns ethylene-propylene-rubber-insulated ESP cable; IEEE 1019 concerns polypropylene-insulated ESP cable. These must not be reversed. IEEE lists 1017.2-2021 and 1017.3-2021 as their respective successors. Check the edition required by the contract and the cable construction covered by that edition.
Neither an old standard number nor a polymer name assigns a universal temperature rating to every finished cable. Insulation, jacket or barrier, armour, conductor size and operating conditions all matter. Use the manufacturer’s documented rating for the exact construction.
Main cable versus motor lead extension
The main cable follows the production tubing; the MLE links it to the motor connection around the pump assembly. A flatter profile can help with annular clearance, but the full assembly—including protectors, bands, splice and connector—must fit the minimum available space throughout installation.
- Casing and tubing dimensions, equipment outside diameters, restrictions and installation tolerances.
- Fluid and conductor temperature profiles, flow past the motor and expected load current.
- Pressure, gas composition, water chemistry, treatment chemicals and pressure-change history.
- Voltage, frequency or drive waveform, total length, motor starting conditions and allowable terminal voltage.
Gas barriers and armour need qualification
Gas uptake and rapid decompression can damage susceptible polymer systems. Metallic barriers and reinforcement may form part of a qualified design, but material names alone do not guarantee immunity. Barrier continuity, splices, terminations, bending damage and the pressure/temperature cycle all influence performance.
Choose armour for mechanical handling and the specified corrosive environment. Do not prescribe Monel, stainless steel or galvanized steel universally without the fluid and temperature assessment. Installation procedures must also protect the cable from crushing and scraping; electrical terminals are not cable suspension points.
Illustrative copper resistance and voltage drop
For explanation only, assume R20 = 0.815 ohm/km and a uniform conductor temperature of 160°C. Using alpha = 0.00393 per °C gives RT = R20 × [1 + alpha × (T − 20)] = 1.263413 ohm/km, a 55.02% increase. These are hypothetical inputs, not verified ratings for an offered AWG size.
For an assumed balanced three-phase circuit carrying 45 A over 2.4 km, with unity power factor and reactance neglected, voltage drop is approximately sqrt(3) × I × L × R: 152.46 V at the assumed 20°C resistance and 236.34 V at 160°C. A real well has a temperature profile; include the appropriate AC resistance, reactance, power factor, starting and drive conditions. Do not adjust transformer taps solely from this simplified example.
Dewatering cables are a separate application
A pump cable for mine or tunnel water is not automatically suitable for a hot, pressurized oil well. Conversely, downhole ESP construction is not automatically suited to repeated flexing on a dewatering installation. Continuous-immersion terminology alone does not establish a 500 m depth rating.
Acceptance package
Request the approved dimensional drawing, specified electrical and environmental ratings, installation and splice procedures, traceable routine test records and relevant qualification evidence. Pressure, gas-decompression and long-term thermal tests should identify specimens and conditions; they must not be described as tests of every shipped reel without records.
Sources and application documentation
Discuss the application
Send the application duty, installation drawing and required acceptance criteria to TEBAOFLEX. WhatsApp: +86 185 9591 3361. Request the applicable product documentation before ordering.