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Larry Hambreck, Robert Hillger and Albert Garza, Pioneer Natural Resources; Charlie Burdette and Rodney Sands, Harbison-Fischer; Johnny Bunsen, Tommy White Supply

With the exponential growth that our industry has experienced, Pioneer Natural Resources needed additional training for their new hires concerning basic rod pump design and how the rod pump works in a normal pumping system. With PNR's vendor base, pumpers, technicians and management, we worked together to develop this training presentation. Our discussions lead us to the issue of tagging wells and the effects it has on the entire pumping system. This team realized that this school would be beneficial to all field employees, not just new hires.

Dan Phillips & Scott Listiak, Conoco Inc.

Plunger lift has become a very popular and economical artificial lift alternative, especially in high GLR gas and oil wells. Success in plunger lift systems depends on proper candidate identification, good wellbore mechanical integrity, and the effectiveness of the production or lease operator. This paper will focus on the production operator, and describe the basic principles necessary for effective training and the sound operation of a plunger lift system. In many instances the plunger controller is the main focus of training.

John Munroe & J.W. Spencer II, Gulf Oil E&P Co.

As the search for new gas supplies intensifies, deeper reservoirs are being investigated. The following describes the design, testing, and difficulties encountered in transient pressure analysis in a high pressure, low permeability gas well. The conclusions drawn from the test will also be discussed. Transient pressure testing was selected as the most timely method to describe the reservoir. The pseudo-pressure technique was applied to the data obtained. The subject well, Emma Lou Gas Unit 1, Well No.

Loren E. Wood, Black, Sivalls & Bryson, Inc.

Treating is simply a procedure that has been devised to separate crude oil from the water and foreign material produced from the reservoir. In treating a wellstream, the treater "breaks" the emulsion and separates the oil from the water, sand, and other sediment produced with it.

Wayland C. Martin, Treat-Rite Water Laboratories

The purpose of this paper is to give a general report of water treatment as it applies to secondary oil recovery by water repressuring. It is not meant to be technical but rather informative, explaining the general considerations to be given to the treatment of water. It is also meant to assist in coordinating the efforts of the different departments involved in the planning and operation of a water treating system.

Bill K. DuBois, Aquaness Department, Atlas Powder Company

This paper presents the theory of emulsions, mechanics that usually create them and methods of emulsions, mechanics that usually create them and methods of emulsion treatment, including treating systems. The ability of iron sulfide to stabilize emulsions is also discussed, as well as a technique for iron sulphide removal from treating systems and equipment.

Richard L. Royal, Dow Chemical Company

Knowledge of rock properties can be valuable tool in designing treatments for problem formations. All formations in the Permian Basin could be considered problem formations, but only the Delaware, San Andres, and Wolfcamp are discussed here. These rocks are of particular interest because of recent findings in core analysis and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) studies. The characteristics of these formations revealed by these studies have provided clues for improving treatment techniques.

Wallace J. Frank, Humble Oil & Refining Co.

The basic practices to consider in the design, operation and maintenance of subsurface injection using a closed type system are discussed. Factors influencing the quality of water, methods of testing, and procedures to improve or maintain the quality of water desired are given.

B. Zemel, Shell Development Co. & W.D. Burton, Shell Oil Co.

Separation of oil and water (particularly the separation of small volumes of oil from large volumes of water) is a problem of increasing importance to the oil industry. The economics of handling large volumes of fluids often dictates the use of simple gravity-type separators for most of these separations. So long as the separators fulfill their function, there is little concern about flow characteristics, but when they fail in this function, normal oilfield practice is either to increase chemical, to add additional capacity, or to use some combination of both.

Mike Poythress, eProduction Solutions

Although the expression only used today, many times it seems the may not be g well operations. This paper will review the features and benefits of a built-in Flux Vector Drive for Beam Pumping. The Flux Vector Technology incorporated in this controller is different from an off-the-shelf Variable Frequency Drives in that it is designed and built for Oil Field Applications and includes application specific software and firmware, which provides the operator with a unique tool that brings a new meaning to te Intelligence.

Ricky Roderick and
Jyothi Swaroop Samayamantula,
Don-Nan Pump & Supply

From the selection process to installation and continued maintenance, the Tubing Anchor Catcher (TAC) is one of the most important tools in achieving efficient pumping operation.

Joe Chastain, Manufacturer's Agent

Is your company likely to have worn tubing couplings or holes worn in the casing caused by tubing movement in the next few years? Are the tubing threads or even the body of the tubing likely to break by repeated stresses of transfer load? Do you think that there is likely to be a loss of efficiency in pumping due to movement of the tubing at the pump end? Could it be possible that low pump efficiency could be due to the leaky thread in the tubing, resulting from the tubing threads working? If the answer is "Yes," then it is entirely possible that you should use tubing anchors.

George King, BP Americas Inc., & Rob Wesson & Jack Vloedman, Enerline Inc.

The goal of the work in lining tubing is to be able to place a liner or velocity string, without necessity of a conventional rig, into a well with minimum time disruption to production This paper discusses the application techniques and history of in-place repair of downhole casing and tubing. Over 230 wells have been lined with plastic and several plastic velocity/siphon strings have been installed. Technology development is necessary to extend the plastic lining techniques to deeper and hotter wells. Plastic well lining is discussed and successes and limitations are explored.

Sandra L. Berry and Joel L. Boles, BJ Services Company

A slightly, acidic (pH of 5.8-6.3) Tubing Clean-Out Fluid has been evaluated in the laboratory and in the field for use as a pickling fluid to replace the traditional acids. This fluid's capability to remove iron scales on coiled tubing, prevent or delay rust from reforming, clean up commercial pipe dopes and reduce corrosion rates, was compared to traditional hydrochloric acid in laboratory studies.

J.B. Gillham, Hydril Company

The purpose of this paper is to outline the types of tubing joints and combinations of tubing that are considered satisfactory for use in dual wells, completed with two or more independently hung tubing strings. Field experience in running two or more independent strings of tubing has indicated certain running clearance requirements. The clearance can be calculated for the various dual well conditions. Many of these combinations are shown on clearance charts.

J.L. Logan, Baker Oil Tools, Inc.

The bottom of a string of unanchored tubing in a rod-pumped well moves up on the upstroke of the sucker rods and down on the down-stroke. The lower portion of the tubing string also buckles around the rods as they move up and goes straight as they start back down. Both vertical movement and buckling are caused primarily by those well pressures to which the tubing string is exposed. Decreased pump efficiency and abnormal rod, tubing, pump and casing wear are some of the detrimental results of this movement and buckling.

Roy R. Vann, Sr. & Ray Owens, Vann Tool Company

Previous research and publications have established that clear and effective communication between the casing and the reservoir formation is an absolute requirement for an effective oil or gas well completion." As wells are drilled deeper and casing strings become smaller, the ability of jet perforating guns to penetrate the well bore effectively is greatly reduced. In wells exceeding l&000-foot depths one or more of the following situations usually exist: 1. Combination casing strings involving small bottomhole ID 2. The necessity of using small perforating guns due to well design 3.

Robert A. Kent, Baker Oil Tools, Inc.

As the result of a rapidly expanding backlog of experience and knowledge, more and more operators are viewing tubingless completions as a practical and entirely feasible means of completing wells.

W. Van Winkle, Baker Oil Tools, Inc

This paper presents an up-to-date evaluation of practices and problems encountered in the use of "small diameter completions."

Norman Hein Jr., Rick Himbury, & James A. Brieden, Conoco Inc. & Rick Adair, Paradigm Lift Technologies LLC

The Sacatosa field is located in Maverick County, approximately 19 miles East of Eagle Pass, Texas. Production has been mainly limited to the San Miguel -1 reservoir. Conoco discovered this sandstone formation (1 135 to 1768 feet deep) in December 1956. Production wells were typically drilled using one string of 4 %-inch, J55, 9.5 lb./ft. casing. Completion practices typically did not always cement back to the surface. After many years of service, well casings have failed. It has been common practice to extend the productive life of these wells by cementing in 3-inch or 2 7/8-inch liners.

W.P. Manning & G.W. Sams, C-E NATCO R&D

It would be nice if elemental carbon and hydrogen could be burned and the entire heat of combustion could be obtained. But, handling raw elements is difficult, and hydrocarbons are by far the most available and convenient fuels. This means that the heat of formation of the hydrocarbon is lost. Fortunately, the heat of formation of fuel oils and natural gases is relatively small, e.g. 3 to 8 percent of the heat released. Combustion of hydrocarbons is complicated by the fact that the water produced may or may not be considered to be condensed.

Garg Divyakumar, Joe McInerney, James Lea and Paulus Adisoemarta, Texas Tech University

The two piece plunger (a steel ball below and a hollow cylinder above) lifts liquids when the pieces are together and on reaching the surface the ball falls and the cylinder falls when a short shut-in period occurs. There are many instances where using this plunger results in production increases. However in some cases, it appears to have a lesser effect. Results of testing show that above certain rates, the components will not fall in the well.

W.C. Smith, Cities Service Petroleum Company

Two leases in a field in the Permian Basin contain dual wells that are being artificially lifted by different systems. The wells being lifted are dual completed wells producing from the Ellenburger and Fusselman formations at 8000 feet. Some of the wells on each lease are pumper with tandem rod pumps lifting both zones from 8000 feet. These wells are equipped with a tapered string of 2-7/8 in. O.D. and 2-3/8" O.D. tubing and a string of 1.315-in. O.D. tubing installed in 5-1/2 in. casing.

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NEXT SWPSC CONFERENCE: April 19-22, 2027