1/1/2010

Sucker Rod or Beam Pumps

Coiled Tubing
D. R. Davies D. R. Davies
With thanks to BJ Services Company

Institute of Petroleum Engineering, Heriot-Watt University

Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

Lecture Objectives
At the end of the lecture, you should be able to:
• Describe the concept and component parts of a Beam
Pump.
• Select well conditions suitable for beam pump
installation.
• Explain the beam pump design methodology
• State the background to the use of the Dynanometer
card for troubleshooting.

Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

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Sucker Rod or Beam Pump

• Most frequently used artificial lift method

• Land oil fields only
• Main Application to reservoirs with:
• Shallow to middle-depth (< 10,000 ft )
• Low to medium (< 1,000 BLPD) production rates
• Surface pumping unit is connected via steel sucker rods
to a downhole pump.
• Surface pump unit is well known
Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

Sucker Rod or Beam Pump

• 85% of artificially lifted USA wells use beam pumps
(72% are stripper wells making <10 bopd)
• Mechanically simple (can operate with inexperienced staff)
• Relatively low production rates:
– 1,000 bfpd @ 7,000 ft to 200 bfpd @ 14,000 ft
• (API) Standard interchangeable equipment
• Rods, pumps etc. subject to fatigue (choice of materials /
corrosion protection)
• Incompatible with solids (sand, scale, paraffin & asphaltenes)
& crooked or reasonably deviated holes
• Gas - liquid separation capability limited (gas locking)
Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

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Sucker Rod Pump

• Pump is driven by the surface unit
• Pump and surface unit connected by sucker rods
• The downhole pump does the actual pumping and
lifting of the produced liquid.
• The pumping capacity is controlled by the:
• Pumping speed,
• Stroke length,
• Pump type
• Pump diameter
• Pump efficiency.
Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

The Pumping Unit

• Gearbox reduces electric motor (prime mover)
rotation from 600 rpm to 20 strokes/min
• Stuffing box seals on polished rod

Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

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Sucker Rod Pump

• Pump is driven by the surface unit
• Pump and surface unit connected by sucker rods
• The downhole pump does the actual pumping and
lifting of the produced liquid.
• The pumping capacity is controlled by the:
• Pumping speed,
• Stroke length,
• Pump type
• Pump Diameter and
• Pump efficiency.
Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

The Sucker Rods

Sucker Rods are the connection between the

surface and the Downhole pump
• Length:- 25 – 30 ft, Diameter:- 0.5 - 1.125 in
• Screwed together via couplings with Square Flat
surfaces so that they can be tightened by a wrench
• Rods are subject to fatigue from weight of fluid and
the Sucker Rods themselves
• Load minimised by tapered string
Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

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Sucker Rod Types

• Steel rods (various grades of steel)
– 25 or 30 feet (7.6 or 9.1 m) in length
• Fiberglass rods
– 30 or 371/2 feet (9.1 or 11.4 m) in length
– Connected with a 4 inch (101.4 mm) connector
• Continuous rod (Conrod) is less common
– As long as needed

Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

Sucker Rod Pump

• Pump is driven by the surface unit
• Pump and surface unit connected by sucker rods
• The downhole pump does the actual pumping and
lifting of the produced liquid.
• The production capacity is controlled by the:
• Pump speed,
• Stroke length,
• Pump type
• Pump diameter and
• Pump efficiency.
Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

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Insert Pump
The Insert Pump fits inside the
production tubing
• Pump unit is run inside the tubing
• Pump attached to sucker rods
• Seated in tubing nipple
• Smaller diameter than tubing
• Lower flow rate than tubing pump
• BUT Can be repaired without
removing tubing (Rods only)

Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

Tubing Pump
• The Tubing Pump is
installed at the bottom of
the production tubing
• Plunger moves against
polished Pump Barrel of
same diameter as the tubing
• Larger pump rate than insert
pump
• BUT Tubing has to be
recovered to repair pump
Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

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How a Dowhole
Pump Works
• Hollow plunger seals against
pump barrel
• Traveling & Standing valves
consist of Ball & Seat in a cage
• Fluid moves from casing to
tubing by UP & DOWN motion
of plunger & valve operation
• Travelling Valve Open &
• Standing Valve Closed during
downward rod movement
Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

The Downhole Pump

• Valve operation is reversed when
rod begins to move upwards
• Travelling Valve Closed &
• Standing Valve Open during
UPWARD rod movement
• UPWARD movement of plunger:
– Lifts fluid above plunger to
surface
– Reduces the pressure in the
barrel (drawdown).
– Sucks fluid from perforations
into the barrel
Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

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The Downhole Pump

• Rod falls downwards due to gravity

• Rod’s downward movement forces
the fluid in the barrel to flow through
the hollow plunger
• The Travelling Valve is Open &
• The Standing Valve Closed during
DOWNWARD movement of plunger
• Any solids in the produced fluid
result in excessive pump wear

Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

The Downhole Pump

Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

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“Sonolog” or “Echometer” Fluid Level Survey

• Measurement of
fluid level in annulus
allows monitoring of
pump efficiency
• Maximum
production requires
pump speed just
sufficient to “pump
well-off” i.e. fluid
level in annulus is
just above pump
Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

Gas Separators
• A rod pump is designed to pump and lift liquids (no
gas)
• Gas should be separated from the produced liquids
and vented to annulus before it can enter the pump.
• Gas entry into pump reduces pumping efficiency
• Excessive gas entry will cause damage due to gas lock
or fluid pound.

Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

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Gas Influx
• Gas Influx reduces
pump efficiency
• Placing pump
below perforations
maximises gas
separation capacity
• This can cause
other problems -
such as?)
• Many designs of
Gas Anchor
available
Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

Centralisers are
required in deviated /
crooked holes

Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

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Pump Problems

• Downhole pump failures result from:

– Normal wear
– Abrasion from solids
– Corrosion (galvanic, H2S, CO2 or acid)
– Scale buildup
– Gas locking

Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

Dynamometer
Identifying Problems with Rod Pumps

– Dynamometer load cell measures

the load applied to the polished rod
at the top of a string of sucker rods
– A “dynamometer card” records the
load on the polished rod during the
pump cycle (up- & down-stroke)
– The load cell is permanently
installed as a “Pump-off Controller
for continuously monitoring the
dynamic rod loads during pumping

Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

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Diagnosis of Pump
Operating Problems
• Problems such as excessive
friction, sticking plunger, gas
lock etc. need to be detected
• Diagnosed from deviations
from ideal shape of the
dynanometer card
• Upper & middle slides
illustrate theoretical cards
• Lower picture is full
simulation
Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

Dynanometer
Cards
• Inelastic rods
reflect “perfect”
up & down
movement
• Stretching of
Elastic Rods
results in
gradual load
uptake
Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

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Complete Dynanometer Card

• Complete Simulation of a perfectly operating pump

• Operational problems (gas, worn seals, stuck valves etc.)
can be diagnosed from the shape of the dynanometer
Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT card
- David Davies

Rod Pumping Advantages

• Relatively simple system design

• Efficient, simple and use and operate
• Possible to achieve very low bottomhole pressures
– Minimum intake pressure of 10-15 psia
• Flexible, handles changing well conditions
• Reliable diagnostic and troubleshooting tools

Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

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Rod Pumping Disadvantages

• Deviated and crooked holes present problems
• Solids damages pump
• Gassy wells troublesome
• Depth limited due to rod loads
• Large pump unit obtrusive, especially in urban
areas or offshore
• Pump size limited by casing and tubing size

Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

Pump Design (1)

• Pump Rate(Q) is determined by volume (V) displaced
by each pump stroke & the number of strokes/min. (N)
φ = K.A.S.N.φ
Q = K.V.N.φ φ bpd
A is the area of the pump barrel
S is the length of the pump stroke
φ is the efficiency
K is a constant to convert to barrels per day
• Maximum speed (N) is determined by rod fall rate

Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

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Pump Design (2)

• Pump Efficiency Reductions
– Gas Influx reduces effective plunger volume
– Rod (elastic) Stretch reduces (downhole) rod travel length
– {related to load on rods (rod + fluid weight) being lifted}
• Pump Efficiency Increases
– Plunger Overtravel increases effective plunger length
(due to momentum forces when rods change travel direction)
• A 64 in. stroke length pump installed at 6,000 ft with ⅞ in
rods operating at 15 spm has an Effective Stroke Length
= surface stroke length – rod stretch + plunger overtravel
≈ 64 – 29 + 14 ≈ 48 in.
Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

Pump Design (3)

• API RP 11L calculates
– maximum & minimum polished rod loads
– peak torque
– theoretical motor horsepower (double in practice)
once pump speed, stroke length, plunger & rod diameter
have been chosen
• Maximum allowable stress on rods is a function of the
grade of steel &the stress that the rods operate under
Stress ≈ rod load / cross sectional area
• Corrosive environments (salt water, H2S etc.) means that
allowed rod loads should be reduced
Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

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Lecture Summary

During this lecture we have:

• Described the concept and component parts of a Beam
Pump.
• Selected well conditions suitable for beam pump
installation.
• Explained the beam pump design methodology
• Stated the background to the use of the Dynanometer
card for troubleshooting.

Revised 2010 HWU MSc. PT - David Davies

16