Sucker Rod Pump

Objectives/Scope

Mature sucker-rod-pumped assets often operate with fixed timer schedules and limited visibility into changing inflow conditions. This study evaluates a high-frequency, AI-enabled pump optimization approach designed to continuously align pumping activity with reservoir inflow, improve pump fillage, reduce unnecessary strokes and mechanical stress, and create a repeatable operating...

Sucker rod connection failures remain a critical challenge in Reciprocating and PCP Rod Pump applications. This study examines current make-up practices, associated failure mechanisms, and emerging methods aimed at improving connection integrity and reducing failures. Field observations have highlighted recurring shortcomings, including inadequate cleaning, inconsistent procedures, and ineffective...

Horizontal (HZ) wells pose new challenges for Artificial Lift( AL), which is compounded by the recent increase in lateral lengths from 1-2 to 3-4 miles.  However, improved recovery and efficiency are possible when AL methods are optimized for HZ well production using improved methods, automation and machine learning.  Gas handling from horizontal wells was identified as a top remaining challenge...

Pump fillage is the standard control variable for sucker rod pumps, and pump-off controllers routinely cycle or slow wells on a fillage setpoint. Yet fillage measures how much liquid is lifted per stroke, not the stress in the system. For example two wells at the same fillage can experience very different mechanical damage, depending on the rod string design and the gas pressure. A 40% fillage...

Today’s horizontal wells target deep reservoirs and produce high gas-to-liquid-ratio fluids that are often solids-laden. Long, undulating laterals cause gas, liquid, and solids to arrive at the artificial lift system as complex, inconsistent slug flows. As a result, downhole gas and solids separation systems must perform at a much higher level—while still remaining low-cost to run and low-risk to...

The Cavins Gas Relief System allows gas that accumulates after separation or is not separated and collects beneath either the TAC or the seat nipple to bypass the TAC and/or exhuaust into the casing annulus before entering a sucker rod pump. Doing so increases the pumping efficiency of a sucker rod pump. 

Traditional metal-to-metal seal rings have long struggled with down hole sealing issues due to a functional lack of interchangeability among manufacturers, particulate contamination on the seal face, and a possible designed-in lack of precise control of the sealing angle on mating parts. These issues drive costly interventions and decrease pump performance. The hybrid seal introduces a solution by...

Mechanical components used in artificial lift face significant environmental and functional challenges, primarily caused by factors such as corrosion, abrasion, erosion, and stress corrosion cracking in downhole conditions. To ensure a component remains operational, the material not only needs to meet mechanical requirements but also needs surface properties capable of withstanding the corrosive...

Sucker rod pumping for horizontal wells has advanced considerably over the past few years. Advancements in sucker rod pump technologies and bottomhole assembly (BHA) components/configurations have allowed for more efficient downhole gas separation and greater production drawdowns. The unintended consequence has been an escalation of solids in the produced fluids with increased failure frequencies...

The Polished Rod Transducer (PRT) is a practical and effective tool for well analysis, offering the ability to acquire dynamometer data quickly with minimal disruption to pumping operations. This paper provides guidance on best practices for obtaining reliable PRT readings and improving diagnostic accuracy. The paper begins with a brief overview of how the PRT measures load through polished rod...