8

SPE
m~~mm-=

SPE 11747

A Rod Pumping System for California Lift Requirements

by H.C. Tait, Ahtiond Supply Co., Arn?co, Inc.

Copyright 19S3 Society of Petroleum Engmeere of AlME

This paper was presented at tha 1963 California Regional Meeting held m Vantura, California. M@rch23-25, 1983. The material is subjecl to correcfinn
by the author. Permission 10copy is restricted to an abstract of not more thsn 300 words. Wrile SPE, 6200 North Central Expressway, Drawar 64706,
Dallss, TX 75206.

ASSTRACT

Artificial lift requirements in California Accepting these Statistics aa reasonably

ollflelds cover a full range of demanding operating accurate, we can make some aeeumptions relative to
and environmental conditions. These extend from artificial lift on the part of California
typical demanda of lifting depth and volume, to operators: they are very familiar with the sucker
atypical requirements of heavy crude, thermal rod pumping system, both its advantages and
enhancement and the unique environmental limitations; they indicate a significantpreference
restrictions of our urban sites and offshore fol: this lift method; and, they must be concerned
fields. wi~h the edverse effect on operating costs of the
htgher than average repatr frequency of their lift
A new rod pumping system has been developed systems.
which deala with these requirenent~.Performance
results to date confirm reduced power consumption An extensive development project conducted
and improved pumping performance.Combined with the by a California basad design group, aj.med at
compact equipment atze, these characteriettcs developing an lmprovsd rod pumping system, has
appear to offer benefits to California operatora. attempted to address the operating cost factors as
well as the application limitations which are a
INTRODUCTION concern of operators in the local oilfields.

Artificial lift playa a vary afgnificant A primary objective of this project was to
role in California production operation. One develop a lift system capable of improved overall
source reporting industry statistical , indicates psrformence as a means of reducing operating costs.
that 92% of California wells are produced by some In achieving this objective, the dasignera
form of artificial lift. This compares to the U.S. drastically changed the configuration of the
average of 70% pumping unit, resulting in a compact, low profile
package ideally suited to the aesthetically
TM? same eource estimates that 85 to 90% sensitive urban sites and tightly spaced offshore
of U.S. wells on arttflcial lift uae the sucker rod applications in California producing fields.
pumping method. Csltfornia operators appear to
follow this nattonal Inclination with 90% of new The product of this developmentprogram Is
artificial lift tnstallationaduring 1981 reported Identified as the National LIFTRONIC Pumping
as rod pumping systems. 1 system, aa illustrated in Figure 1. Installations
are currently in operation on four California
The significance of artificial lift in producing oilwells. They are proving to offer
California operations is fuither emphasized by one measurable reduction in overall lifting costtsand
additional statistic. Thie reports that 106 repairs improved pumping performance. The compact surface
per 100 wells on artificial lift were made in equipment is also being recognized as a realiatic
California operations during 1981 as compared to answer to the requirement for low visiblity and
the U.S. average of 77 repairs per 100 wells. 1 minimum space in many producing etaas.

References and illustrationsat end of paper.

-AC

2 A ROD PUMPING SYSTEM FOR CALIFORNIA
SYSTBM DESIGN AND EQUIPMENT
A full review of the design concepts and
resulting equipment of the LIFTRONIC system has
been presented in an earlier SPE paper.2 A brief
review here will be beneficial in describing the
potential benefite for California applications.
Design Concepts
In addressing the prime development
objective of improved overall performance,three
major design areas were considered; downhole
pumping efficiency, mechanical equipment design,
and operating control of the system.
A long stroke pumping actfon, operating at
a low cycle rate, was identified as most beneficial
for improved downhole efflctency.A minimum stroke
length of thirty feet, operating in the three
stroke per minute range, wae selected for the
design. This stroking motion contributes to
improved volumetric efficiency in the pump through
higher compression ratio and fewer valve actions.
The low cycle rate reduces wear rate and dynamic
loading on all downhole components.
To further contribute to high operating
efficiency, the mechanical design called for
simplicity, with the most direct drive mechanism
poesible to tranemit stroking power to the rod
string. Uniform counterbalance effect throughout
the stroke was also desirable for efficient
operation. The resulting design met these criteria
and provided an extremly compact machine to serve
California application requirements.
The concept for the operating control was
to constantly monitor operating parameterswhich
influence overall performance,with the ability to
be ~esponsive to changing conditions to maintain
desired performance. A mfcropocessor based
electronic control system was selected to provide
this capability.
Equipment and Operation
Figure 2 schematically illustrates the
installation arrangement of surface and subsurface
equipment for the LIFTRONIC systern. Major
components include the pumping unit, an operating
control, and the subsurfacewell equipment.
Pumping Unit
The pumping unit for this system is a fully
enclosed machine containing two contoured drums
(cams) mounted on a common shaft, two load carrying
chains (well and counterweight), and two chain
idlers. A “doublereduction planetary gear reducer
is externally mounted on the housing. A fatl-safe
brake mounts on the gear reducer. Power is
transmitted from an electric motor to the gear
raducer through a belt drive.
The use of high strength chains to carry
the well and counterweightloads accounts for the
extremely compact design of the pumping unit. To
/40
8
LIFT REQUIREMENTS SPE 11747
achieve a low profile Installation, the
counterweight.sare suspended in a fifty foot deep
caeed hole adjacent to the well. The complete
pumpi~ unit mounts directly on the well ana
counterweightholes.
In operation, the load carrying chains are
wrapped and unwrapped on the contoured cams to
effect the strok%ng motton. During the upstroke,
with the cam rotating in a clockwise direction
(Figure 2), the wellside chaia i?rapsupon iteelf to
smoothly increase the working diameter on the cam,
reaching maximun dimension at the top strcke
reversal.
Meanwhile, as the wellside chain wraps
%tself to maximum working diameter, the
counterweight chain unwrapa to lower the
counterweights, until no chain ramains wrapped on
the cam at the top reversal.
At the optimum point in the stroke
revereal, as determined by the microproceeaorin
the operating control, motor power is shut off.
This permits cam rotation to respond to the applied
loads of the eystem. The imbalance of these loads
resulting from differences in the working radii
(moment a~ms), brings about the stroke reversal.
Again under a~ntrol of the microprocessor,motor
power is reapplied to complete the downstroke.
Figure 3 sl!ows the unit with the cover
removed to illustrate the difference in working
radii of the chains at the top reversal. A similar
but reverse Imbalance of loads occurs at the bottom
etroke reversal.
Operating Control
The LIFTRONIC operating control te a
modular solid-state electronic panel mounted in a
weather-tight enclosure. It provides all manual
and automatic control of the operation of the
pumping unit. The modular construction of this
control panel facilitates servicing by module
replacement, as opposed to electronic ciruit
troubleshooting.
A cciputer module, operating in conjunction
with the other control modules within the panel,
provides “intelligence” to the control system to
perform the following functions:
1. Control motor power during stroke
reversals.
2. Monitor operating parameters and
automaticallyshut-down the unit if a t
potentiallyhazardous condition develops.
3. Automatically restart the unit If the
conditton clears.
4. Shut-down the unit in avent of a
*’pump-off”condition, and restart
following an adjustable “off-time”,
5. Feed output data to an XT plotter for
dynamometer card print-out.
SPZ
-.-——11747
--- H. C. TAIT
Further inscription of these centrol
functions is covered in the earlier papar.2A
significant control funtion contributingto enooth
reversals and conservation of power ie the motor
control during reversals.
As the pumping unit neara the end of either
the upstroke or downstroke, the control senses
stroke position plus other operating paremetera,
and shuts off motor power through solld atate
circuitry to bagin the stroke reversal*While power
is off, motor polarity is reversed through
contractorswithin the control panel. When the
motor raaches the synchronous speed range in the
reversed direction, power is reapplied through a
low voltage control. This sequence provides emooth
reversals and minimizes current and torque aplkes
when power ia applied.
The integral pump-off control function adds
to the overall performance of the eyatem by
quarding againet unnecessary power consumption or
unwanted equipment damage during a pumped off
condition.
The dynamometer capability is aleo
significant in that this data is readily available
for diagnostic anelysia of performance through
integral components in the system. The XY plotter
can trace “position” plotted againet polished rod
load, motor speed or motor current. A futura option
will permit transmissionof thesa data to a remote
monitoring point.
Well Equipment
Tha low profile installationof the pumping
unit requires a replacement for the conventional
etuffing box. This “wellhead seal aqsembly” Is
achemctically illustrh:.eh in Figure 2. It ia
in ailed on the wellhead and extends approximately
forty feet into the well. The tubing string is
suspended on the outer jacket of this aasembly.
The sucker rod atring is attached to the polished
rod in the assembly.
A dual seal arrangement ia used to provide
reliable containment of well fluids within the flow
stream. A stationary seal at the lower end of the
assembly packs-off against the traveling pol%shed
rod. A traveling seal is carried on the piston
which connects the polished rod to the well-side
chain, and seals in a polished tube. Both scale are
spring-loaded and self-adjusting for eealing
reliability. Automatic purging of any leakage
above the stationary saal ia accomplishedby the
atroktng piston to contain leakage withtn the flow
stream. i?luid flow from the tubing moves up the
annular area between the polished tube and outer
jacket to the flow line connection.
Conventional steal or fiberglass sucker
rods may be used. API insert or tubing type pumps
are adaptable to the long stroke application,or
epecial configuration or accessor%eamay be used
to achieve mximum pump performance.
7A7
1*I
3
APPLICATION
Table 1 identifies basic specificationsfor
the current LIFTRONIC model. Table 2 tabulates
nominal pump diaplacenents and depth limits for
various pump boree at a range of pumping speads.
The applic~tion range for this current
model generally Kits well conditions requiring an
API 228 or API 320 beam pumping unit. A computer
application design program has been devaloped for
the system in conjunction vith the NABLA
Corporation. In addition to providing application
design, this also permits analy~is of pradicted
performance of the new system VS. a beam unit
installation.
Planned development of this new lift syetem
includes one smaller size, and two higher capacity
sizes. The objective will be to cover the broadast
possible range of pumping conditions, from moderate
to high volume lifting requirements,and depthe to
the limlts of sucker rod capacity.
California Applications
The specific interest here is in the
capabilities of thie new pumping system in dealing
with the artificial lift requirements of California
operations. Downhole pumping conditions to consider
should include high temperature and heawy oil
artificial Ifft, highly deviated wells and even the
“plafn vanilla” wells which present no specific
pumpiug problems. Another application requirement
relates to the various restrictionson the surface
installationwhich apply to many producing fields.
High Temperature
In thermal recovery operation, artificial
lift equipmant capable of withstanding the high
operating temperature must be selected. Con-
venttonal rod pumping systems have generally bean
found successful in these applications,requiring
only replacement of stuffing box packing with high
temperature elements.
The LIFTRONIC stuffing box configurationie
con8tderably changed, as descr5bed above, and would
be the moat critical element for high temperature
operation. One installation of this system Is in
operation on a steam cycled well in Western Canada.
After curing an initial problem of inc~~table
materials, the subsurface stuffing has
performed without problem at operating and steaming
temperature. The high temperaturepacking used is
rated to tolerate the 600”F injected steam
temperature.
This well is equipped with a poltshed rod
blowout preventer (BOP). The rame close on a emooth
spool locatad between the well-side chain and
traveling piston in the wellhead seal assembly.
Thts permits manual shut-in with the rod string at
the extreme upstroke position. A mandrel type
hanger for the wellhead seal assembly Is being
developed to permit pulling the well through
tiuitableBOP equipment.

4 A ROD PUMPING SYSTEM FOR CALIFORNIA
Heavy Oil
Sucker rod pumping of unheated heavy oil
may be hampered by an inadequate rate of rod fall
on the downstoke, and incomplete pump filling on
the upstroke. A reduced cycle rate haa been the
most common means of dealing with the problem of
rod fall. This mey also contribute to improved pump
filling.
The etroking motion of the LIFTRONIC
pumping unit appaara to be well suited to this
application. In thie deeign, the unit developa a
nearly constant polished rod velocity throughout
the stroke. This, in combinationwith the low cycle
rate, reduces peak valocity of the rod string
aigntficantly as compared to the constantly
changing velocity and higher peak imposed by the
beam type unit. Further, the reduced valve cylcles,
plus the higher compression ratio developed by tha
long etroke, contribute to improved pump
diaplacament efficiency, even in the presence of
gas or steam in the pump. An installationof this
eyetem on high water cut haavy oil production in
the San Joaquin Valley haa demonstrated substantial
improvement in net oil production as compared to
the previous baam pumping system.
Deviated Wells
Wear on the rod string and tubing ia
generally accelerated in rod pumping Installations
on highly deviated wells. The low cycle ra<e and
long stroke of the new system both contribute to
reducing this wear rate. Longer service life from
roda and tubing should result.
“Plain Vanilla” Wells
A vary high percentage of California wells
fall into this category in that they present no
particularly unusual pumping problems. In these
applications, the reduced energy consumption of
this naw system, aa well as the benlflts of the
stroking motion, can result in lower overall
operating coats. Reduction in power consumptionhas
been measured aa high as 25Z. A 15% reduction in
power coat alone appears to be a realistic
expectation.
Surface Restrictions
Due to the various restrfctiona at many
California producing locations, rod pumping haa
been made unattractive or imposatble by the size of
the beam unit. This restraint is the most obvloua
to be dealt with by the new lift system. Figure 4
shows the LIFTRONIC pumping vnlt installed on the
wellhead under the API 456 baatiunit it replaced.
In many urban producing fields, the pumping
installation could be made more aesthetically
acceptable eimply by enclosing the equipment wtthln
a S%X foot high ecreening fence. The low profile of
uncle-eight-foot installed height mskea full
enclosure practical if required. If the relatively
low operating noiee level is found objectionable,
acoustical blankets may be used for effective
sound dampenfng.
?a
,
LIFT REQUIREMENTS SPE 11747
This compact unit may also make rod pumping
a more acceptable lift method for production sites
having close well spacing, such as urban drill
sites and offshore platforms. The counterweight
hole for the current model is spaced four feet from
the wellbore. The entire unit hae maximum overall
dimensions of 3 feet wide by 7.5 feet long. The
4000 pound pumping unit weight would also be
beneficial on platform applications.
OPERATING RESULTS
Following prototype testing on a well
during 1980, the current model was first installed
on a Loti Angeles Basin well in April, 1981. This
continues in operation, serving as a valuable
engineering development Installation. During this
period, the well’s production has been brought from
100% water to 15 BPD net oil with 460 BPD gross
fluid.
Other operating installations of the
LIFTRONIC system are producing welle ranging from
steam cycled heavy crude in Alberta, Canada,
unheated heavy crude in the San Joaquin Valley,
California, and light crude, hfgh water cut
production In the Los Angeles Basin.
Performance Comparison
Comparison of performance of two
installations in California on which conventional
baam pumping eystems were replaced by the LIFTRONIC
System are shown in Tables 3 and 4. Data gathared
from both operating systems permits performance
comparison in terms of power consumption per barrel
of fluid ltfted (KWN/BBL). This ie further
converted to power cost per barral at local power
rates. In addition, production resulte may be used
to compare pumping performance.
Well A (Table 3)-is producing froma light
gravity crude zone at 4200 feet. Net oil production
was increased from zero with the ten foot stroke
beam unit to an average of 15 BPD operating with
the thirty foot stroke LIFTRONIC. Power consumption
has been reduced by 25.9% per barrel of gross fluid
lifted. Power cost represents 7.5Z of produced oil
revenue at 32 dollars per barrel.
The uniform shape of the LIFTRONIC
dynamometer card, as compared to that produced by
the beam eystem, varifiee the optimized efficiency
of the LIFTRONIC pumping unit. This is the net
rasult of the desirable stroking motion establlshad
by the new pumping unit.
Well B (Table 3) is producing 14”API heavy
crude from a zone at 2400 feet. During operation
under the LIFTRONIC eystem, net otl production has
been doubled over the previous rate with only a atx
=—._—–— incraase in average sross production.Power
Dercent
consumption has been re~uc~d by- 20.72 per groea
fluid barrel lifted. Thle power saving, combined
with increasednet oil production hae reduced power
cost ae a percent of oil revenue ($20 per barrel)
from 17Z to 72.
The LIFTRONIC dynamometer card from thie
well illuatrateea pumped; aff condition.
 ---
●

SPE 11747 H. C. TAIT 5

CONCLUSIONS

Experience to date with operating

installations of the LIFTRONIC Pumping System has
demonstrated that performance characteriatice of
the system are meeting the original design
objectives of the developmentproject.

Measurable reductions in power consumption

have been recorded. Production records indicate
improved downhole pumping performance in t3t@SS0
enhanced production,unheated heavy crude and light
oil production. Installations in environmentally
sensitSve areas are being considered. REFERENCES

Additional operating experience Is required 1. Moore, S. D.: “Well Servicing ExpendituresTop

to further verify these results and to more fully The $4-Billion Mark,” PETROLEUM ENGINEERING
evaluate long-term raliabllityand service life of INTERNATIONAL,(July, 1982) 29-36.
the equipment in the system.
2. Tait, R. C., and Hamilton, R. M.: “A Rod Pumping
The performance and installationbeneftts System To Reduce Lifting Costs,” paper SpE 11569
of the LIFTRONIC system appear to warrant further preeented at SPE Production Operations
evaluation by Callfornta operatore. Symposium, Oklahoma City, Feb. 27-Mar. 1, 1983.

TABLE 1

LIFTRONIC SPECIFICATIONS
MODEL A12-360

PUMPING UNIT

MAXIMUM POLISHED ROD LOAD LB 12000

NOMINAL STROKE LENGTE IN 360
PUMPING SPEED RANGE SPM 105 - 3*5
GEAR REDUCER DOUBLE REDUCTION PLANETARY
MOTOR NEMAB HIGH EFFICIENCY, 460VAC,
THREE PHASE
OVERALL HEIGHT INSTALLED IN 86
WEIGHT LE 3s00

COUNTERWEIGHTASSEMSLY

MAXIMUM COUNTERBALANCE EFFECT LE 9000

COUNTERWEIGHT CASING DEPTH FT 50
COUNTERWEIGHT CASING DIAMETER IN 24
SPACING FROM WELLHEAD FT 4

SEAL ASSEMSLY

OVERALL LENGTH FT 40
OUTSIDE DIAMETER IN 4.625
POLISHED ROD DIAMETHR IN 1.5
PACKING KEVLAR SELF ADJUSTING
MARIMUNTEMPERATURE
STANDARD “F 250
OPTIONAL “F 650
MAXIMUMPRESSURE PSI 700

749
 *

TABLE 2

NOMINALPUMPDISPLACBMSNT*
AND DEPTHLYMIT
PUHPBORE PUMPINGSPEED (SPM) DEPTS(FT.)
(IN)
1.s 2.0 2.5 3*O 3.s
( DISP?MEMENT6~BPD )
1.25 98 130 196 228 6000
1.50 140 1S6 233 2s0 326 5350
1.75 193 257 321 3S6 450 4750
2.00 251 334 41s 502 585 4200
2.25 318 424 530 636 742 3750
2.50 393 524 655 7S6 917 3300
2.7S 475 633 792 950 1108 2950
3.25 665 886 1108 1330 1550 2700
3.75 885 1180 1475 1770 2065 1750
~ AT 100%DISPLACBMBNT EFFICIENCY.
NOTB:API 66 ROD STR2NG1.25”7SRU 2.75”PUMPBORE.
API 76 ROD STRING 3.25”TliRU3.75”PUMPBORE.

TABLE 3 TABLE 4

PERFORMANCE
COMPARISON PERFORMANCE
COMPARISON

WSLL A HELL B
BEAHUNIT LIFTRONIC
—— %SAM UNIT LIPTRONIC

C-456D-265-120 A12-360 C-228-213-120 A12-360

CONDITIONS CONDITIONS

PUHP DEPTS 4265’ 4218* PUMP DEPTE 2230‘ 2358’

Pm BORE 1-314” ,“
L PUMP BORE 2-1/4” 2-3/4”

ROD STRLHG API 76 API 76 ROD STRING API 66 Am 66

STRORELENGTS 120” 360” STRORELENGTH 120” 360”

PUMPINGSPEED 11 SPM 2.9 SPM PUMPINGSPEED 13.5sPhl 3.1 SPM

MOTORSIZE 25 SP 25 BP MOTORSIZE 40 EP 25 BP

PERFOWCE PERFORMANCE

AVG PRODUCTION 358 BPD 427 BPD AVG PRODUCTION 790 BED 840 BPD

AVG OIL PRODUCTION -o- 1S BPD AVG OIL PRODUCTION 9 BPD 19 BPD

AVt3POHERCONSUMPTION 1031RWB/BBL .97KU8/BBL AVG POWER CONSUMPTION ,454KWE/BBL .360SHS/BBL

POWERCOSTPERBARR2L .l14$/BBL .084$/BBL PONSRCOST PER BARREL .040GrBBL .031$IBBL

DYNAMONETZR
CARD DYNAMOMETER
CARD

BEAM
UNIT
w

H-m
Fig. 1-TyPIcd Lhx!c in?ta[laluon

.“

Ih OOWNHOLE
PUMP

TANDINQ
VALVE

Fig. 2-LfftrOnic tnafallalionarrangement

 . .. .. .. . .. .. = .
+ ,5s

“.

‘i!

L
‘...

.’.

,.
. .

. .

>&‘:
./’” “.-’
/’-.,\...,!,

~ l\-147