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In this paper, the behavior and analysis of rod pumped wells are studied. In particular, the theory and practice of determining motor mechanical and electrical loading are investigated. The results from these measurements can be used to acquire further information regarding the system, including mechanical and electrical system efficiencies. The methodologies discussed in this paper are used to design rod pumping systems with correctly sized motors as well as analyze specific cases from the field.

This paper will cover NBIC Code requirements of proper materials, welding procedures, and documentation in the repair and / or modification of ASME Code pressure vessels.

For West Texas and Eastern New Mexico producing areas, analog pump off controllers are widely employed by numerous operators to optimize fluid recovery and reduce equipment failures for beam pumped producing wells. With the development of supervisory pump off control (SPOC) systems, pump off control technology can provide engineering and operations personnel with a more complete well surveillance package that includes diagnostic capabilities.

For West Texas and Eastern New Mexico producing areas, analog pump off controllers are widely employed by numerous operators to optimize fluid recovery and reduce equipment failures for beam pumped producing wells. With the development of supervisory pump off control (SPOC) systems, pump off control technology can provide engineering and operations personnel with a more complete well surveillance package that includes diagnostic capabilities.

This paper presents the practical and the theoretical benefits of running a sucker rod - beam lift system as slowly as possible. The slowest speed possible is defined as the speed required to pump all the liquid the reservoir will flow into the well on a continuous basis. Operational changes to create any desired speed are shown and several field examples are used to illustrate the point.

As today's artificial lift equipment becomes more sophisticated and provides greater rates of return it is more important than ever to strive for 100% reliability. Since the equipment is often deployed in harsh electrical environments it is important to take effective measures to protect this equipment from damaging electrical surges. This paper will explore various methods that have been used to protect artificial lift equipment in the harsh electrical environments where they are often deployed.

The optimization software and automation principles discussed in this paper have been implemented in fields with as few as 20 wells to fields with well over 3,000 wells. These installations have been made in primary recovery fields to tertiary recovery fields undergoing water, C02, or steam flooding. These systems have been installed in new fields with no automation in place and in mature fields, which have been automated for over a decade. Over the history of all these installations, we have documented the benefits and rationale for implementation of these types of systems.

Deliquescing desiccants have been used for gas dehydration for over 40 years. Historically this technology had limited applications due to poor desiccant quality and integrity, equipment design problems, operational difficulty, and limited drying ability. Recent advances in dry material blending and tableting, formulation, and equipment design have greatly expanded the application range of deliquescing desiccants. Deliquescing desiccants are now used to dry sales gas, fuel gas, sour gas, excess or "peak" gas, and for hydrate control.

This paper will describe a new, patent pending sucker rod pump for gas separation and fluid/gas production. The Gas Vent Pump

There are three methods available to the operator to determine the net torque loading of a pumping unit's gearbox. Two dynamic methods determine the instantaneous torque throughout the pumping cycle: method I ) uses measured motor power, motor and drive efficiencies and the pumping unit speed to determine gearbox torque and method 2) Combines the measured surface dynamometer card and calculated torque factors together with measured or calculated counterbalance moments from the crank and weights.

Proper reservoir management and production optimization require timely knowledge of formation pressure, permeability and well bore skin factor. To this effect, pressure transient tests using wireline conveyed pressure gauges are commonly run in flowing wells. The presence of artificial lift equipment complicates and often precludes the use of wireline conveyed devices so that conventional pressure transient tests are seldom performed in these wells, resulting in poor reservoir and production management.

During the last several years the Petroleum Industry has adopted the term

I am going to take you deeper and deeper into the "whys" and "wherefores" of efficiency, other means of improving efficiency, and finally into reasons that business in the United States has become increasingly efficient and has contributed so much to this country. This is a hard trip and an unusual one for this type of meeting. I approach this job with some fear but with great hope that I can convey my ideas to you and that you will feel rewarded.

This paper discusses several studies undertaken by Mobil's Bakersfield, California, operating unit to better understand the operating limits of oilfield pumping unit gear reducers. Theoretic information was secured from several manufactures, both domestic and foreign, about gear reducer, gear and bearing life expectations. Limited testing was conducted in an effort to validate four manufactures' claims. Inspections were also conducted on about 200 pumping units to gain a wider information base on gear reducer operating life.

For years questions concerning problem wells have been answered thru well analysis. Current RPC technology can predict well problems, manage pumping wells, and control cycle times via the downhole pump card. This leap in technology goes beyond normal pump-off control to total well management. Guesses can be made viewing the surface card. Decisions are made viewing the pump card. Utilizing diagnostic software within the control providing the operator both the surface card and downhole pump card is like having a dynamometer and analyst on the well 24 hours a day.

The negative effects of microbial activity in oil production are well-known to the petroleum engineer. Formation plugging problems or corrosion problems, especially in waterfloods, are undesirable characteristics of microbial metabolism which have been the subject of considerable expense to the industry. On the other hand, microbial activity has potential for enhanced oil recovery. The use of microbial agents to improve oil recovery is not a new idea.

This paper discusses the application of biological mixtures for prevention of paraffin deposits in oil wells. Three biological mixtures were field tested. Statistical data on test results in Canada and the United States are presented outlining application parameters. Several case histories are presented including some Thermal Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (TC-MS) work on treated wells. Theoretical mechanisms of the paraffin control process are discussed.

Bioremediation is a new technology for which the time has arrived. This paper presents an overview of various products and processes to reclaim sodium-damaged and hydrocarbon-contaminated soils, to manage tank bottoms, and to biologically clean up sludge pits. The processes include the pre-evaluation analysis, the treatment and the follow-up procedures. Bioremediation is a costeffective way to handle the aforementioned problems in an environmentally sound manner.

Attention is being focused on more and better advance planning in drilling operations to minimize the rise in drilling costs. This paper describes one procedure for evaluating and improving drilling performance. In our study, penetration rate is not considered the sole basis for drilling efficiency but attention is focused on the more important aspect of incremental cost per foot of hole drilled.

As America's energy demands increase, major new responsibilities are placed on the industry to find new reserves. Hundreds of thousands of dollars, sometimes even millions, are spent on a single well. These high costs, coupled with limited equipment sources, make it critical that we use drilling equipment, especially rock bits, efficiently. Several years ago the cost and importance of the rotary rock bit were considered relatively insignificant to the overall cost of drilling an oil well.

The popular image of surface coal mining is changing. Highly trained and well-compensated mining technicians operate modern equipment in pleasant surroundings to extract low-sulfur coal from the ground. Scientific methods are used to reclaim the mined-out land, and even the needs of the native pronghorn antelope are not overlooked. The purpose of this paper is to describe Atlantic Richfield's first surface coal mine Black Thunder and some of the features that we feel make it unique.

The use of plunger lift to deliquify gas wells is an important artificial lift method to maintain and increase production. The efficacy of a plunger installation is based on several factors: the ability to confirm loading and the applicability to an individual well; the choice of the proper equipment for the most effective operation; and the maintenance of the system for optimum performance.

In the Permian Basin, failure of the borehole wall while drilling vertically (wellbore instability) is seldom a problem. In horizontal wells, however, this is not the case. The imbalance between vertical and horizontal earth stresses, and the fluid pressure in the rock, can lead to problems if insufficient mud weight is used. This can lead to tight-hole and stuck-pipe problems that can escalate into losing the wellbore (and, sometimes, the BHA), requiring a sidetrack.

The paper will discuss and analyze BHP data that was recorded during actual horizontal fracturing work. The data will demonstrate isolation from one fracture point to the next. The paper will also discuss production results from 11 horizontal wells that were completed using an innovative open hole horizontal completion technique. In addition, the paper will compare production results from these horizontal wells to others in the same field that were completed using different techniques.

Bottom hole pressures have been measured for many years in the oil industry, primarily for use in productivity and future production predictions. More recently, it has become apparent to petroleum engineers that the pressure transients measured during build-up or draw-down tests contain much quantitative information about the well and the reservoir. Each year more techniques for analysis of these pressure transients become available in the literature, giving the petroleum engineer more opportunities to make money for his company through application of these techniques.