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Sucker rod breaks have been extensively studied and documented in the oil industry. Polished rod failures, on the other hand, have not received as much attention. As a general rule, operators seem to be more tolerant of polished rod failures. But polished rods fail for reasons that can be controlled. The purpose of this paper is to identify these reasons and to discuss ways to minimize polished rod breaks. Almost without exception, the polished rod is the strongest component of the rod string.

Hydraulic pumping systems for oil wells have been in existence since 1932. High-pressure power fluid (produced oil or water) is supplied to a
subsurface engine-pump assembly. The power fluid exhausted from the engine is returned to the surface along with produced fluids from the well. The earlier hydraulic systems employed one or more highpressure pumps on the surface to furnish power fluid to one or more wells. Large tanks were used to settle out water and solids from power oil.

Availability of CT as well known OCTG and the need to have new options on artificial lift prompted a CT consulting firm to investigate the use of CT to convey well fluids to the surface. While numerous test proved that CT as "hollow sucker rods" can replace conventional sucker rods and production tubing, the lack of appropriated coil tubing units to deploy and retrieve CT economically delays the application of this innovative option.

Availability of CT as well known OCTG and the need to have new options on artificial lift prompted a CT consulting firm to investigate the use of CT to convey well fluids to the surface in oil and gas wells.The first idea consisted of a stationary CT attached to a modified rod pump to convey fluids to surface by the use of hydraulic pulses. This first approach triggers a second idea consisting in the reciprocation of CT as hollow sucker rod in rod pumping wells.

Recent innovations and repeated successful applications using the multiple patented PAL PLUNGER casing plungers suggested extending the applications to stripper gas wells that produce from multiple production zones and/or from wells with casing having obstructions that restrict proper placement of down hole landing stops. The new HYBRID CASING PLUNGER, successfully installed and retrieved using a standard swab rig, removes well bore fluids from multiple production zones.

This discussion is primarily concerned with the operating control of the bottom hole pump of the hydraulic pumping system. Design and engineering calculations are purposely omitted, as well as any discussion concerning operation and maintenance of the surface power pump. In short, the purpose of this discussion is to suggest procedures for operating hydraulic bottom hole pumps and to show that with hydraulic pumping, the operator has an exceptionally fine tool for defining well problems.

In 1949, the first commercial hydraulic fracturing treatment was performed, thus initiating one of the most outstanding well stimulation procedures that the petroleum industry has ever known. During the past 16 years, much advancement have been made in the concepts of hydraulic fracturing theory. The purpose of this paper is not to clarify the concepts of hydraulic fracturing theory, but to present a sound design method of effectively employing the concepts. Discussion of theory will be confined to only that necessary to justify the method of design.

The Shafter Lake San Andres Unit was formed on July 1, 1967, and water injection was initiated in August, 1968. Prior to the start of water injection, an extensive stimulation program was undertaken to increase current production from the unit wells and to prepare them for flood response. Since the initiation of the stimulation program in September, 1967, a total of 40 hydraulic fracturing treatments have been performed on 38 wells using lease oil, refined oil, and salt water as fracturing fluids.

Hydraulic fracturing of wells in naturally fractured reservoirs can differ dramatically from fracturing wells in conventional isotropic reservoirs. Fluid leakoff is the primary difference. In conventional reservoirs, fluid leakoff is controlled by reservoir matrix and fracture fluid parameters. The fluid leakoff rate in naturally fractured reservoirs is typically excessive and completely dominated by the natural fractures. Historically, attempts to fracture-stimulate wells in naturally fractured reservoirs have been unsuccessful due to high ieakoff rates and gel damage.

Fracture azimuth, directional permeability trends, overpressured water zones, poor cement quality, depleted production intervals... all major concerns when hydraulically fracturing in mature waterfloods. Mature watertloods, such as those found in the Permian Basin of West Texas, present reservoir and production considerations not normally associated with primary recovery. After 30 or more years of waterflooding, pressure characteristics, fracture tendencies, and reservoir fluid properties can be altered.

Hydraulic fracturing, the most widely used well stimulation technique, is a prime example of a process developed by industrial research. This process, which was commercialized in 1949, has grown from a small, simple well treatment to a highly sophisticated well stimulation technique. The total wells fractured in the United States and Canada exceed 450,000 with approximately 2,200 treatments currently being conducted each month. Through proper engineering and application of the process, the recoverable oil reserves have been increased an estimated seven billion barrels.

Hydraulic lift performance of the Getty Oil Company McKnight Lease in the Headlee (Ellenburger) Field, Ector County, Texas is the topic of this discussion. Original artificial lift was by gas lift followed by fixed casing hydraulic pumps. Excessive operating costs due to the lack of gas availability resulted in a search for other means of artificial lift. The selection of hydraulic pumps resulted in reduced operating costs. Further evaluation of well capabilities led to the installation of additional surface HP and increased production.

During the past eighteen years the hydraulic long stroke pumping unit has made an ever increasing entrance into the crude oil production picture. In 1939, two hydraulic long stroke units made their appearance in the oil fields. In the early days of the hydraulic unit, as is true with other new types of equipment, there was a great deal to be learned by the manufacturer's as well as the operators. Often the operator of the early hydraulic long stroke unit felt fortunate if he had a four or five day trouble free period.

This presentation concerns the theory, design, and application of hydraulic pumping for deep single and multiple slim hole completions. More specifically, the operational problems that are inherent with this type of system will be discussed, along with the practical solutions that have been field tested and have proven successful.

Phase I for the hydraulic pumping method of artificial lift was the initial development of the first commercially successful hydraulic pumping installation in 1932. Phase II followed with the introduction of the "free pump" in 1948. Phase III covers the relatively recent development of the unitized, skid-mounted Power Fluid Conditioning Unit which was conceived in 1969 and placed on the market in 1970.

The hydraulic method of artificial lift has traditionally offered creative solutions to operators faced with a wide array of producing problems. A long history of equipment and application development has brought today's hydraulic pumping systems to a status of unique adaptability to varied application requirements with reliable operating performance. This update on the capabilities of the hydraulic system will review system hardware and describe installation and operating characteristics which account for the versatility of this lift method.

This paper discusses new hydraulic equipment which reduces maintenance, increases simplicity at lower costs and improves operation. Presentation includes demonstration of a hydraulic unit installed on a "dummy" well-head, and placed in operation. The complete circuit is visible through use of clear plastic materials.

Hydraulic pumping systems have been around for a while now, but in the past they have underperformed against mechanical beam pumps. With improvements in drive and control technology, hydraulic pumping systems are now able to outperform beam units. They have achieve higher speeds without putting added stress on the rod string by optimizing the velocity profile of the actuator.

A recently developed hydraulically operated (HO) stage cementer has proven beneficial in cementing both vertical and horizontal wells. Although the tool was developed primarily to aid in cementing highly deviated and horizontal wells, its application in any situation calling for a stage cementer can be beneficial. 1. In operations where a free-fall opening pluq (bomb shaped) is normally used, the waiting time for free fall to the plug seat is eliminated, saving rig time and allowinq for continuous circulation of the hole.

With the trend toward more stringent clean air legislation moving at a rapid pace the industry may soon be faced with the problem of totoal vapor recovery. This presentation will review the types of equipment which have been developed to meet these requirements.

Hydrophobia, apart from the disease connotation, means fear of water. A Seldom mentioned fact of metallurgy is that there are "Hydrophobic" metals and alloys whose very nature is to resist wetting by water. As a corollary, these same surfaces aggressively wet with oil and will maintain themselves oil wet in an oil/water flow stream by attracting oil out of the flow stream while repelling water. Since mineral scale deposition comes from the water component and not the oil, there will be a tendency for it to aggregate in the flow stream and be swept out in the flow stream.

Most folks in the oilfield are true experts in their field. They are, for the most part, good thinkers with original ideas that when properly conveyed bring value to both the inventor as well as the industry. Our industry needs new ideas. The majority of innovative ideas come when a person doing his/her job realizes there is a better way to accomplish a task. However, a good idea is nothing more than a dream until it is born. This paper deals with the capturing and documenting of ideas and what to do with them. Topics covered are: What is patent protection?

The extreme under-balanced (EUB) perforating technique has proven effective in deep, low porosity and low-to-medium permeability formations. The state-of-the-art scientific software for perforating performance modeling (PPM) can be effectively used in predicting the perforation performance in a wide variety of scenarios and to compare actual post-job details to make decisions according to economic benefits for various perforating techniques. As with any software modelling, a good grasp of the reservoir rock properties and fluid properties are essential as input parameters.

By compiling foreman's costs in a West Texas field, a method was determined for identifying problem wells and keeping a close liaison between field personnel and engineers in the office. Plots of marginal water and oil production as a function of both oil price and pulling costs were generated and used by field personnel and engineering for identifying unprofitable wells.

The first hydraulic fracture treatments in the Sprabeny Trend consisted of 1500 gallons of refined oil carrying l/4 lb per gallon of sand. Since then, the average size of hydraulic fracture treatments has increased significantly to 180,000 gal of fluid and 432,000 lb of sand. The indication from a detailed characterization of the reservoir suggests that in certain cases an increase to over 900,000 lb of sand may be justified to maximize rate of return on investment. This should be combined with limited interval perforating and forced closure to ensure successful execution.