8th Annual Sucker Rod Pumping

Workshop
Renaissance Hotel
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
September 25 - 28, 2012

Recording Dynagraph on Bent /

Misaligned Polished rod.

Avinav Kumar, Atul D Patil

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation ( ONGC ) , India

Introduction
Dynamometer card used for years to establish and
optimize rod pump system efficiency.
Proper analysis of dynamometer important to ascertain
surface and sub-surface pumping problems.
Predominantly

used

dynamometer

Polished

rod

transducer ( PRT ) and Horse shoe load cell.

Sept. 25 - 28, 2012

2012 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop

Introduction
Both PRT and Horse shoe load cell records load at the
polished rod ( plotted along Y axis ) as a function of
polished rod displacement ( plotted along X axis ).

An ideal surface & sub-surface cards usually rectangular

in shape.
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2012 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop

Dynamometers Load Cell

General three types of dynamometers used to acquire
dynamometer data :
Dynamometer

Mechanical

Hydrualic

Electronic

Polished Rod
transducer

Horseshoe Load
cell

Electronic dynamometers being used predominantly

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2012 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop

Polished Rod Transducer (PRT)

PRT is attached 6 8 below the carrier bar .
Unit not stopped during installation . Position of plunger
in the pump barrel not changed during installation.

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2012 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop

Polished Rod Transducer (PRT)

PRT measures change in diameter / elongation in polished
rod due to stress in axial direction and converts
corresponding strain to change in load on polished rod .

Sept. 25 - 28, 2012

2012 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop

Polished Rod Transducer (PRT)

Load measurement
Radial Strain () = ( d )/D
Axial Strain ()= Radial Strain () / Poissons Ratio ()
Axial Stress = Polished rod load (PRL) / cross sectional
area (A) = Axial Strain ( ) * Young's modulus ( E )
PRL = [( d ) /( D)*E *A]/ ()
Position measurement : using accelerometer
Load at various position plotted against position to
generate surface and sub-surface dyna cards.
Sept. 25 - 28, 2012

2012 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop

Polished Rod Transducer (PRT)

Bent Polished rod will not have
uniform change in diameter at all
the points along the rod diameter
at particular distance from carrier
bar.
At point A and B diameter
change not uniform.
Dyna cards shapes different at
point A and B.
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2012 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop

Polished Rod Transducer (PRT)

Dyna cards shapes different at point A and B. Sloped
/aberrantly shaped.

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2012 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop

Polished Rod Transducer (PRT)

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2012 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop

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Polished Rod Transducer (PRT)

Inherent bent in polished rod not visible to naked eye.
Bent induced in the polished rod :
Misaligned carrier bar.
Unit not centered properly.
Unit too far forward / back .

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2012 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop

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Polished Rod Transducer (PRT)

Misaligned carrier bar

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2012 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop

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Polished Rod Transducer (PRT)

Unit not centered properly

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2012 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop

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Polished Rod Transducer (PRT)

Unit too ahead or back

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Horse Shoe Load Cell

Horse shoe load cell is
attached

between

pumping unit carrier bar

and polished rod clamp.
Unit

stopped

installation.
plunger
barrel

in

during

Position
the

changed

of

pump
during

installation.
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2012 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop

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Horse Shoe Load Cell

Measures the load directly, unknown or inaccurate
physical properties of polished rod have no influence

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PRT vs. Horse shoe load cell

Polished Rod
Horse shoe Load cell

Transducer

Load
measurement

Converts strain to load on the Horse shoe load cell measures the
polished rod during the stroke.

Installed 68 below carrier bar .

Installation

Unit

not

installation

Sept. 25 - 28, 2012

stopped

during

load directly

Between clamp and carrier bar. Unit

stopped for installation

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PRT vs. Horse shoe load cell

Polished Rod
Horse shoe Load cell

Transducer

Plunger

Position of plunger in pump is

position

not changed

Bent /

Inherent bent in polished rod or

misaligned

misaligned polished rod affects

polished rod

Sept. 25 - 28, 2012

recording of load by PRT

Position

of

changed

plunger

during

in

pump

horse

shoe

installation

Hose shoe load cell measures load

directly

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Case Studies Well A

Completion details:
Tubing
Pump depth /
diameter
SRP unit

2 7/8

Liquid (bbls/day)

80

1000 mts / 2.25

Water cut

90%

API 160D-173-86

Oil rate (bbls/day)

Pump operating Parameters

Stroke length
SPM

Production Details

71.4

Echo meter results

Static liquid level
Dynamic liquid

2.2

level

NA
NA

Envisaged production at 100% pump efficiency = 90 bbl./day.

Actual production = 80 bbl./day
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Case Studies Well A

With Polished Rod Transducer

Fig 1
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Fig 2
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Case Studies Well A

With Polished Rod Transducer

Fig 3
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Fig 4
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Case Studies Well A

With Horse shoe load cell

Fig 5
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Case Studies Well A

Production Parameters :
Stroke length : 74 ; Production : 85 bbl./day
Subsurface
Stroke Length

PPRL (lbs.)

MPRL
(lbs.)

Pump
displacement
(bbls/day) from
Dynacard

Figure

Load Cell
used

Surface
Stroke
Length

Fig 1

PRT

71.4

102

7701

846

131.3

Fig 2

PRT

71.4

78.0

7586

5433

48.8

Fig 3

PRT

71.4

89.9

6349

2769

116.1

Fig 4

PRT

71.4

65.9

11194

4792

32.6

71.4

72.1

6256

5242

92.9

Fig 5
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Horse
Shoe

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Case Studies Well A

Pumping unit not centred properly :

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Case Studies Well A

Polished Rod not straight :

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Case Studies Well B

Completion details:
Tubing
Pump depth /
diameter
SRP unit

2 7/8

Liquid (bbls/day)

120

1000 mts / 2.25

Water cut

80%

C-228-213-100

Oil rate (bbls/day)

Pump operating Parameters

Stroke length
SPM

Production Details

71.3
3.7

24

Echo meter results

Static liquid level
Dynamic liquid
level

NA
75 mts

Envisaged production at 100% pump efficiency = 135 bbl./day.

Actual production = 120 bbl./day
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Case Studies Well B

With Polished Rod Transducer

Fig 6
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Fig 7
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Case Studies Well B

With Polished Rod Transducer

Fig 8
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Case Studies Well B

Production Parameters :
Stroke length : 74 ; Production : 120 bbl./day
Pump displacement
Figure

Load Cell

Fig 6

used

PRT

Surface

Subsurface

Stroke

Stroke

Length

Length

71.3

69.4

PPRL
(lbs.)

9906

(bbls/day) from
MPRL (lbs.)

5990

Fig 7

PRT

71.3

64.7

9650

6482

Fig 8

PRT

71.3

70.6

8850

5648

Dynacard

147.9
87.0

151.9

Horse shoe load cell could not be used due to unavoidable reason
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Case Studies Well B

Unit too back :

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Conclusion
Though Polished rod transducer is quick and easy to install, it
may not represent actual pump action every time.
Any inherent bent or bent induced in polished rod will affect
load recording by PRT.
Horseshoe measures load directly, any inherent bent or any
induced bent will have no effect on recording of load.

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2012 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop

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they refer to the Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop where it was first
presented.

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Disclaimer
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Continuing Education Course. A similar disclaimer is included on the front page of the Sucker Rod
Pumping Web Site.
The Artificial Lift Research and Development Council and its officers and trustees, and the Sucker
Rod Pumping Workshop Steering Committee members, and their supporting organizations and
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2012 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop

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