Sucker Rod Pump – Stroke Length comparison

• The plunger pump behaves like a Single acting piston pump

Surface pump
In surface pumps like mud pumps, rod connecting the driving
mechanism to the piston is short

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There is no change in the length during operation i.e. same piston
stroke length
Sucker Rod Pump

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Subsurface pump`s plunger is operated by a string of rods –
length of thousands of feet
Elastic behavior, string periodically stretches and recoils
Therefore is complex and complicated prediction
Sucker Rod Pump – Pumping Cycle
• Single phase liquid is produced…(1)
• Barrel is completely filled with well fluids during upstroke….(2)

• Valves are simple check valves which open and close depending

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on the pressure above and below the valve seat
• If 1 and 2 are not met, changes valve action
• Effective plunger stroke length can be lesser than the total

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plunger stroke length
• Part of stroke that is used for lifting the well fluids is the effective
plunger stroke length

• Incomplete filling when pump capacity is higher than the inflow

rate to the well
Presence of free gas
• Presence of gas at the start
of the down stroke
• Traveling valve remains
closed as long as this gas is

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compressed to a pressure
sufficient to overcome the
liquid column pressure
above it

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• Part of the stroke is taken up
by the gas compression
effect and effective plunger
stroke length is reduced
Presence of free gas
• Presence of gas at the start
of the up stroke
• When the plunger begins its
upward movement with the

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traveling valve closed, this
high-pressure mixture starts
to expand, allowing only a
gradual pressure decrease

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below the plunger
• This effect delays the
opening of the standing
valve until the pressure
above the valve drops to
wellbore pressure
Classification

TUBING ROD/INSERT

Classification depends on the installation of the working barrel

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PD
Working barrel is Seating nipple has
an integral part to be run with the
of the tubing tubing string
string
Tubing Type

• In a tubing pump the working barrel is an

integral part of the tubing string
• Connected to the bottom of the tubing and
run to the desired depth with the tubing

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string.
• Construction allows using a barrel diameter
slightly less than the tubing inside diameter.
• Its main disadvantage is that the barrel can

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only be serviced by pulling the entire tubing
string
• Below the barrel of a tubing pump, a seating
nipple is mounted into which the standing
valve can be locked
Tubing Type
• The standing valve is attached to
the bottom of the plunger by a
standing valve puller during
installation
• Removal of the standing valve is

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also possible with the use of the
valve puller.
• This eliminates the need for pulling

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the tubing string to repair the
standing valve
• After the barrel and the tubing
string are already in the well, the
plunger with the traveling valve is
run on the rod string
Tubing Type
• Largest pump sizes in a given tubing
size
• Large barrels allow more fluid volume to
be

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• Strongest pump construction available
• Barrel is an integral part of the tubing
and can thus withstand high loads

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• Tubing pump is usually less expensive
than rod pumps due to its fewer parts
• Workover operations usually require the
tubing to be pulled.
• High pump repair costs
Rod Type

• The rod or insert pump is a

complete pumping assembly, which
is run into the well on the sucker-rod
string

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• This assembly contains the
working barrel (also called barrel

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tube),
Plunger inside the barrel
Standing and traveling valves
Rod Type

• Only the seating nipple has to be

run with the tubing string to the
desired pumping depth

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• Then the pump assembly is run on
the rod string, and a mechanical or
cup-type hold-down is used to lock

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it in place
• The standing valve of a rod pump
is a part of the barrel