The costs of drilling, completing and producing oil and gas wells are continuously increasing. Therefore, the present day operator is seeking new and improved methods to more efficiently produce oil and gas. The savings available in dually completing a well are forcibly evident over the costs of drilling and completing two singly completed wells.

Progress is essential to survival. In no other industry is this more pronounced than in the oil industry. With reserves becoming harder and harder to find, we must continually strive to increase out efficiency in recovering oil from known reserves in order to maintain an adequate oil supply to meet future demands. Increasing out efficiency is important for other reasons too; one reason, perhaps closer to home, is to reduce production costs. Operating companies and service companies are constantly trying new processes and techniques, sometimes with success, sometimes without. But the knowledge gained from each attempt supplies the information which is the basis for future progress.

Dynamometers have been used for many years to analyze beam-pumped wells. The evolution from mechanical systems to modern computerized systems have provided the industry with sophisticated dynamometers for the diagnosis of wells. Typical modern systems require significant capital outlay and specialized training for proper operation; this has limited the use of dynamometers for well analysis. This illustrates a need in the industry for a simple, accurate dynamometer data-gathering tool which is easy to setup and use. This paper describes a new self-contained system which can record surface and pump cards on a well within minutes of arrival at the well. It automatically calculates inferred production based on the pump card. It also allows the operator to record valve checks, counterbalance, and perform pump leakage calculations without an on-site computer. All data can be brought to the office and transferred to a desktop computer for a more detailed analysis if needed.

The EPA announced the most sweeping changes to air and emission regulations in decades last year; several of which reach back to include all new tank batteries installed since August 2011. This talk will focus on explaining the new regulations in understandable terms, and define steps which operators can take in the field to help minimize their impact. The talk will focus on EPA Subpart OOOO, known as "Quad O" regulations, the key dates for implementation, reporting requirements, and steps necessary to take in the field.

Expanding cements have been credited with improving cement bonding to casing and formation, and for providing better Zonal isolation. Historically however, results have been inconsistent apparentiy due to misapplication and lack of meaningful job analyses. This paper discusses ditterent types of expansive cements, the mechanism of chemical expansion, and relates cement transition volume changes to the need for expansive cements. Most expansive additives depend on the presence of tricalcium aluminate (C3A) in the cement to complete the expansion reaction.' High C3A cements, due to their inherently lower quality control and erratic retarder response, generally are not preferred for most casing cementing operations. A new expansive additive has been developed which does not depend on cement to supply C3A. It can be used with any API class of cement or pozzolan-cement blend. The performance of this new additive is summarized and its limitations discussed. Case histories of selected field jobs are given, complete with cement bond logs and fracture treatment entry point evaluation surveys.

Expansive cements have been used in oilfield operations to produce better cement bonding which has been reported to help control annular flow, reduce water:oil ratios, and increase casing life by minimizing corrosion from well brines. Previously used chemical cement admixtures have been limited to bottomhole temperatures below 170F, with best results seen at lower temperatures (80 to 120_F). A new cement additive has been developed which produces significant linear expansion in laboratory tests at temperatures above 170F, with quicker expansion development seen as temperature increases. Expansion data for this cement system and field results will be presented to introduce this expansive additive.

Since the advent of hydraulic fracturing as a well stimulation tool, a variety of fluids and treatment methods have been proposed and used to improve well productivity. Fluids used in this process over the years include water, lease oil, refined oil, water-oil emulsions, acid-oil emulsions, gelled oil, gelled water, and gelled acid. A recent development has been the introduction of thick fluids with low pipe friction for hydraulic fracturing. The use of thick fluids can increase fracture conductivity by creating wider fractures, carrying larger and higher concentrations of propping agent and improving prop distribution. In many cases, the increased fracture conductivity will result in greater production increases. This paper describes the new very-thick frac fluids and low-damage fluids to improve well productivity. Early attempts to increase fracture conductivity with thick fluid were only moderately successful.- Acid-in-oil emulsions were used extensively in the 1950"s. These emulsions had excellent sand-carrying ability, but pipe frictional pressures developed during injection frequently prevented proper application for maximum productivity increase. The cost of the acid-oil emulsions was also a deterrent to widespread use as the size of treatments increased. Later, Khristianovich" renewed the interest in use of thick fluids to improve the fracturing process. The first successful application of thick frac fluids was the heavy, refined oil-water dispersions developed by Esso Production Research. These fluids fulfilled the requirements of highly viscous fluids and established new fracturing technology. Increased friction pressures generated by this type fluid are overcome by special treating techniques in which a water ring is employed between the thick oil and the pipe wall. Although this type of fracturing fluid is still used in treating specific formations, handling difficulties have reduced its overall appeal. The recently developed thick fluids described herein exhibit low friction pressure down tubular goods in addition to high viscosity in the fracture. These fluids generally provide relatively low formation damage and fracture conductivity damage. These are important factors in providing increased productivity where formation sensitivity or detrimental saturation changes are prevalent. The properties, application, and design of four new aqueous frac fluids and two new oil-based systems are described. These fluids are more expensive than conventional fluids; therefore the proper application is required.

Sucker rods connection-related failures represent today one of the main limitations of beam pumping applications. More demanding field operative conditions are pushing connections to their limits, which become thus the weakest link of the system. API Sucker Rods Specifications (11B) haven"t changed much since the 70"s. The fact that stress distribution is poor in current connection together with their tendency to get loose due to the lack of thread interference, are the main causes of stress concentration points which finally lead to failures. After several attempts to come out with a solution to address this problem, a new premium connection was developed. Lab and field tests have shown it is capable of working way over the sucker rod body capacity. Through this revolutionary change we"ve been able to expand the current beam pumping application limits. This paper will show field experience of sucker rods working under very high loads.

Polished rods have been used for more than 100 years and are the main component of sucker rod pumping worldwide. Only in the last five (5) years have manufacturers. Supply companies, and oil companies put their efforts into preventing premature polished rod failures. Even though information about polished rods was not very plentiful or available. information about polished rod liners was nonexistent. The history of polished rod liners goes back to at least 1916 where they were offered for sale by Oilwell Supply Co. The liner is designed to separate the stress from the wear on the polished rod. The polished rod liner has been completely ignored by the whole academic world. The first time a petroleum engineer learns about polished rod liners is when he goes to work in the oilfield. Almost half of the United States oil-producing areas have never understood the economical benefits of using polished rod liners and, therefore, do not use them. Hopefully, liners will be viewed with new interest when safety and environmental features are added to their money saving benefits.

A review of the performance of a 148 producing well automation project operated by remote off-lease supervisory equipment. The experimental project, initiated October 1961, is located on Gulf's Ida Hendrick "A" Lease, Keystone Field, Winkler County, Texas. Solid-state circuitry of modular design transmits and receives information over a four-wire voice frequency, telephone circuit stretching seven to nine miles between field points and area office master control. The supervisory equipment includes a tape-punch-five channel circuit for automatic data processing input. Economics is favorable and overall performance has yielded exceptional accuracy in LACT metering and tank gauging measurement.

The cementing of wells penetrating massive salt formations has posed a number of problems over the years. The fact that some cements displayed poor characteristics in saline environments, and that conventional additives were of only limited use in these same systems contributed to these problems. Other additives, designed for use in salt water, were found to provide characteristics far from the optimum while, at the same time, causing detrimental effects on other slurry properties, notably rheology, thickening time and early compressive strength. This paper describes the characteristics of new materials which provide superior performance in high-salt cement systems and illustrates, by way of field case histories, how these materials have helped improve primary cementing results in several areas.

Field performance of polymer pilot projects in North Texas, the Illinois Basin and Kansas is summarized. Although the projects represent a good cross section of reservoir characteristics and fluid properties, certain injection side changes and production responses fit a pattern. The same type of polymer was used in all cases. Extra oil, resulting from polymer treatment, is compared with the total cost of each treatment program to arrive at a cost for "Polymer Oil". To date, the four projects have produced a total of 65,100 bbl of extra "Polymer Oil" at an average cost of 29c/bbl. Ultimate "Polymer Oil" recovery is estimated at 261,000 bbl or 8.5 percent of the total oil in place at the start of secondary.

Motor shrouds and hangers are commonly used to set ESPs below well perforations in order to maximize drawdown and/or minimize gas interference. In this New Mexico gas field, conventional shroud hangers created multiple problems. Wellbore fluids and gas leaked through conventional hangers and, consequently, a new design was installed and monitored. The new positive-seal shroud:

The oilfield use of resin coating on proppant such as sand, glass beads and ceramics began in the middle 1970's. Applications include downhole use in both onshore and offshore oil and gas wells. The initial idea was to pump a partially cured or curable resin coated proppant (RCP) in frac fluid into a well and let the elevated bottom hole temperature polymerize and bond the phenolic resin particles together. These bonded particles form a downhole filter or sheet of permeable sandstone in the fracture. The earliest use was for sand control where resin coated particles were injected as a gravel pack. In 1976 the resin coated particles were first used as a small tail-in proppant in a hydraulic fracture treatment. Starting with small volumes this use gradually expanded to larger volumes until today large volumes of the frac proppant in many wells are resin coated. Resin coated materials replace both sand and ceramic proppants and have now grown to a frac market of many million pounds per year.

The oilfield use of resin coating on proppants such as sand, glass beads and ceramics began in the middle 1970's.Applications include downhole use in both onshore and offshore oil and gas wells. The initial idea was to pump a partially cured or curable resin coated proppant (RCP) in frac fluid into a well and let the elevated bottom hole temperature polymerize and bond the phenolic resin particles together. These bonded particles form a downhole filter or sheet of permeable sandstone in the fracture. The earliest use was for sand control where resin coated particles were injected as a gravel pack. In 1976 the resin coated particles were first used as a small tail-in proppant in a hydraulic fracture treatment. Starting with small volumes this use gradually expanded to larger volumes until today large volumes of the frac proppant in many wells are resin coated. Resin coated materials replace both sand and ceramic proppants and have now grown to a frac market of many million pounds per year.

The design of traditional sucker rod pump plungers has taken several approaches to reducing plunger wear with the goal of extending reciprocating lift pump run times. These methods with their advantages will be reviewed, and the concept of flushing sand and other particulates from the plunger's leading edge will be introduced by explanation of the patent-pending Sand Flush Plunger.

This paper will present and explain new equipment designed to pump gaseous wells. The need for this equipment will be explained by showing slides of pump parts damaged by wells making gaseous fluid and being over-pumped or being operated in pump-off condition. Cut away model pumps will be displayed, illustrating the application of the new equipment and its installation on existing subsurface rod pumps. The presentation will include recommendations for coping with the problems of gaseous wells.

This paper presents the development and application of new techniques for predicting the sand bank geometry created by relatively thin, non-complexed fluids in fluids in vertical fractures. The theory utilizes the concept of equilibrium velocity combined with fracturing fluid efficiency. The development includes the effects of variable fluid leakoff along the extent of the fracture face due to sand bank build-up and also the effects of the sand bank on the fluid velocity profile along the fracture face. It is found that the slope of the sand bank decreases exponentially with penetration resulting in a bank that is shaped like an airfoil. The effects on controlling stimulation parameters such as fluid pumping rate, fluid loss, and equilibrium velocity are discussed as they pertain to sand bank geometry control. Finally, the implications of the sand bank geometry on more effective stimulation design are discussed.

Progressing cavity pumps have been used on an application-limited basis throughout the world for the past twenty plus years. A vast majority of these systems are deployed in Canada and South America producing heavy, viscous oil with high sand content. Product development and numerous specialty ancillary products have most generally favored heavy oil production. A few of the ancillary products such as spin-thru rod guides, torque anchors, heavy-duty wellhead drive, etc transcend across application boundaries, however, the heavy oil market dominates most of the research and case studies. This paper will focus on P C pump product enhancement and design changes for applications that are more typically encountered by US operators. These wells can be grouped into the following: secondary recovery, light oil, high water cut, high volume, or water source wells and coal bed methane applications. These wells require a different philosophy and certainly different pump geometries than what was previously available through the manufacturers. Continuing, the paper will report on several of the products that have been developed, tested and are now being used within the Permian Basin. We will share the results of field-testing on down hole pressure sensors and a specialty rotor coating as an alternative to chrome. Benefits of new elastomers that have been brought upon the market will be examined.

This paper discusses the utilization of microprocessors for level measurements in multiple sealed oil and water tank batteries that incorporate Vapor Recovery Units which cause pressure variations inside each tank. The application consists of the integration of two highly accurate pressure (level) transmitters, one low range vapor pressure transmitter, a microprocessor that utilizes specific gravity information and subtraction techniques, resulting in a highly accurate level measurement system for production stock tanks.

This paper discusses the utilization of microprocessors for level measurements in multiple sealed oil and water tank batteries that incorporate Vapor Recovery Units which cause pressure variations inside each tank. The application consists of the integration of two highly accurate pressure (level) transmitters, one low range vapor pressure transmitter, a microprocessor that utilizes specific gravity information and subtraction techniques, resulting in a highly accurate level measurement system for production stock tanks.

This paper offers a new approach to qualify proppant before fracture stimulation. Automated and patented flowing stream sampling technology, only recently available, is easily positioned between pneumatic trailer and field bin. Mobile labs are used to measure sample physical properties and correlate public domain or design data. Differences, which provide the basis for performance and engineering decisions, relate to mining anomalies, manufacturing defects, transportation abuse, and contamination. This is critical, as proppant is the primary construction material for a conductive fracture. To evaluate these supply chain issues API quality practices include long standing principles: 1) representative sampling from a flowing stream, 2) standardized testing with calibrated equipment, and 3) sample retention for follow-up evaluation. Since proppants are chosen to improve reservoir fluid recovery, evaluating quality and performance before the frac identifies deficiencies, assigns accountability, improves job design, and facilitates an opportunity for the best reservoir response. Case histories are included.

The TUBING CONVEYED Perforating and Well Completion Technique*, which was first introduced by Vann Tool Company in October 1970, has become an accepted and highly desirable method of perforating in southeastern New Mexico and is now being used in wells in West Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Wyoming. Since its inception, many modifications and improvements have been made in the components and mechanics of the system. In this paper, specific attention is devoted to the following: 1. Accurate and exact depth control for inzone Perforating 2. The packer-actuated vent assembly* 3. The mechanical tubing release sub* 4. Safe and effective differential perforating using conventional perforating techniques 5. Communication detection markers for determining the existence of communication between zones.

This paper presents the results of a new treatment designed to improve the cleanup of horizontal/openhole completions. The wells evaluated in this study were drilled using either starch or cellulose polymers, xanthan polymer, and sized calcium carbonate or salt particulates. These clean "drill-in fluids" were introduced to minimize the damage to the wellbore when compared to that observed with conventional drilling fluids. Although used to minimize formation damage, testing and experience have shown that insufficient polymer degradation can significantly reduce flow capacity at the wellbore leading to reduced well productivity or injectivity. Acid treatments are typically applied in attempts to remove or "by-pass" the damage created by the filter cake. These acid treatments are often marginally successful, particularly when applied in extended length intervals. Previous studies were conducted to develop laboratory procedures to better simulate and characterize the damage attributable to these "clean" drill-in fluids. Various chemical breaker systems were subsequently applied to evaluate the effectiveness of their relative filter-cake degradation capabilities. Laboratory studies have demonstrated that drill-in fluid filter cake can be effectively removed through the application of a newly developed technique incorporating an enzyme-based polymer degradation system. The data show that through utilization of this new technology, smaller, less costly treatments can be used to treat entire openhole intervals to zero-skin potential with dramatically improved treatment efficiency. Much smaller, lower concentration acid treatments can then be effectively applied to stimulate the interval. Surveys following the field application of the new system have shown not only increased flow, but also flow throughout entire length openhole intervals.

A research project was undertaken to develop an iron sequestering agent which could be used to control the precipitation of iron in fracturing operations without affecting the rheological properties of the crosslinked gel. The control of iron in production comes in combine and can cause acidizing is well documented but it has only recently been recognized as a problem in fracturing. Problems occur when oxygen in the fracturing fluid contact with iron in solution in the formation water. The two components if conditions permit an insoluble precipitant will form. This precipitate severe permeability damage. In acidizing, sequestrants have been widely used for years to control iron. However, when fracturing with crosslinked fluids these same sequestrants will complex with the gel crosslinker as well as with iron. This reaction will prevent the fracturing fluid from crosslinking. Recently, a new selective sequestrant was developed which reacts only with iron and therefore does not affect the rheology of the crosslinked gel. This paper describes the problems associated with fracturing formations containing high amounts of in-situ iron and the manner in which this new selective sequestering agent can be used to prevent these problems. Rheology data will be presented to show the compatibility of the sequestering agent with the crosslinked gel system which was specifically designed to be used with the new sequestrant. Finally, its effectiveness as an iron control agent is demonstrated through lab flow tests and field case histories in which the compound was used.