1. John Stachowiak, Doug Hebert Weatherford International
New Sand Tolerant Pump Technology for Increased Run life in Sandy Wells
Title slide
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John Stachowiak, Doug Hebert
Weatherford International

2. 2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop
Topics of Discussion
Conventional pump geometry and operation
Damaging effects of sand in a pump
New Sand Tolerant Pump (STP) technology
geometry and operation
Testing overview
Testing results
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop

3. Pump Geometry and Operation
Slide 3
Pump Geometry and Operation
Tubing
Conventional insert
pump
Barrel
Plunger
Travelling valve
Standing valve
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 3

4. Pump Geometry and Operation - Upstroke
Slide 4
Pump Geometry and Operation - Upstroke
Barrel
High Pressure
Plunger
Upstroke
Travelling valve
Low Pressure
Standing valve
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 4

5. Pump Geometry and Operation - Upstroke
Slide 5
Slide 5
Pump Geometry and Operation - Upstroke
Slippage fluid
Slippage fluid
High Pressure
Upstroke
Barrel
Low Pressure
Plunger
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 5

6. Pump Geometry and Operation - Upstroke
Slide 6
Pump Geometry and Operation - Upstroke
Pump Slippage fluid
Necessary for lubrication between the plunger and barrel
Slippage clearance is inversely proportional to the pump efficiency
Should be clean for greater pump life
Slippage fluid
Slippage fluid
Barrel
Plunger
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 6

7. Pump Geometry and Operation - Downstroke
Slide 7
Pump Geometry and Operation - Downstroke
High Pressure
Barrel
Plunger
Pressure Balanced
Downstroke
Travelling valve
High Pressure
Standing valve
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 7

8. Pump Geometry and Operation - Downstroke
Slide 8
Pump Geometry and Operation - Downstroke
Slippage fluid on downstroke?
Due to the pressure being equalized, the slippage fluid is minimal
Barrel
Plunger
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 8

9. Pump Geometry and Operation - Downstroke
Slide 9
Pump Geometry and Operation - Downstroke
Barrel
What happens when sand is present in the fluid on the downstroke?
Plunger
Downstroke
Travelling valve
Sand particle
Standing valve
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 9

10. Pump Geometry and Operation - Downstroke
Slide 10
Pump Geometry and Operation - Downstroke
On the downstroke, the plunger is driven through the sandy fluid, allowing the sand particles to move above the plunger leading edge
Plunger leading
edge
Barrel
Sand particle
Plunger
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 10

11. Pump Geometry and Operation - Upstroke
Slide 11
Pump Geometry and Operation - Upstroke
High Pressure
Barrel
Plunger
What happens when sand is present in the fluid on the upstroke?
upstroke
Travelling valve
Low Pressure
Standing valve
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 11

12. Pump Geometry and Operation – Upstroke
Slide 12
Pump Geometry and Operation – Upstroke
On the upstroke, the differential pressure drives the sand-laden slippage fluid between the plunger and barrel.
Slippage fluid
Slippage fluid
Barrel
Plunger leading
edge
Sand particle
Plunger
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 12

13. Pump Geometry and Operation - Upstroke
Slide 13
Pump Geometry and Operation - Upstroke
…a closer look
Slippage fluid
Slippage fluid
Barrel
Plunger leading
edge
Sand particle
Plunger
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 13

14. Pump Geometry and Operation - Upstroke
Slide 14
Pump Geometry and Operation - Upstroke
…a closer look
Sand particle
diameter
Smaller sand particles can pass through the plunger/barrel interface easily with little to no damage.
Plunger/barrel
clearance
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 14

15. Pump Geometry and Operation - Upstroke
Slide 15
Pump Geometry and Operation - Upstroke
…a closer look
Sand particle
diameter
For maximum plunger and barrel life:
Plunger/barrel
clearance
<
Sand particle diameter
Plunger/barrel radial clearance
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 15

16. Pump Geometry and Operation - Upstroke
Slide 16
Pump Geometry and Operation - Upstroke
Sand particles typically comes from two sources:
Formation sand
Frac sand
Typical properties:
Size range:
.0004” (talc) ”
Hardness:
Up to 7 Moh’s (approx 70 Rc)
Two-Column Format
Not all sand particles are created equal!
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 16

17. Pump Operation With Sand - Upstroke
Slide 17
Pump Operation With Sand - Upstroke
When a larger particle cannot easily pass by the plunger it becomes lodged.
Slippage fluid
Slippage fluid
Barrel
Large sand particle
Plunger
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 17

18. Pump Operation With Sand - Upstroke
Slide 18
Pump Operation With Sand - Upstroke
Slippage fluid hydrostatic load
The upward plunger motion along with the hydrostatic load assists to drive the hard sand particle between the plunger and barrel, causing a small groove.
A groove is created in plunger or barrel
Plunger motion
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 18

19. Pump Operation With Sand - Upstroke
Slide 19
Pump Operation With Sand - Upstroke
Slippage fluid hydrostatic load
On the next upstroke, more large particles can now follow the same path, creating a longer groove.
Groove Length
Plunger motion
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 19

20. Pump Operation With Sand – Plunger Grooving
Slide 20
Pump Operation With Sand – Plunger Grooving
This process continues until the groove is extended the entire length of the plunger and/or the swept length of the barrel
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 20

21. Pump Operation With Sand – Plunger grooving
Slide 21
Pump Operation With Sand – Plunger grooving
As more grooves are created, the plunger becomes extremely inefficient as more fluid is lost from slippage on the upstroke
This process continues until the groove is extended the entire length of the plunger and/or the length of the swept length of the barrel
As more grooves are created, the plunger becomes extremely inefficient as more fluid is lost from slippage on the upstroke
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 21

22. New Sand Tolerant Pump (STP)
Slide 22
New Sand Tolerant Pump (STP)
Overview
Tubing
Sand control region
New Sand Tolerant Pump (STP) Technology With Integral Screen
Barrel
Plunger
Travelling valve
Standing valve
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 22

23. New Sand Tolerant Pump (STP)
Slide 23
New Sand Tolerant Pump (STP)
Overview
Wiping Rings
Ring Mandrel
Filter Screen
Production
Plunger
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 23

24. New Sand Tolerant Pump (STP)
Slide 24
New Sand Tolerant Pump (STP)
Operation - Upstroke
High Pressure
Barrel
Plunger
Upstroke
Travelling valve
Low Pressure
Standing valve
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 24

25. New Sand Tolerant Pump (STP)
Slide 25
New Sand Tolerant Pump (STP)
Operation - Upstroke
On the upstroke, the wiper rings are pressure balanced.
The wiper rings do not see the differential hydrostatic load – No lifting edge
High Pressure
Wiper rings
Filter Screen
High Pressure
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 25

26. New Sand Tolerant Pump (STP)
Slide 26
New Sand Tolerant Pump (STP)
Operation - Upstroke
Upstroke
Slippage fluid
Slippage fluid
Wiper rings act as fluid/sand barrier
All of the slippage fluid is forced through the screen
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 26

27. New Sand Tolerant Pump (STP)
Slide 27
New Sand Tolerant Pump (STP)
Operation - Upstroke
Upstroke
Screen
The screen is sized to only allow particles to pass through that are smaller than the radial clearance “fit” of the production plunger
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 27

28. New Sand Tolerant Pump (STP)
Slide 28
New Sand Tolerant Pump (STP)
Operation - Upstroke
Upstroke
At the top of the plunger upstroke, there may be many particles that have accumulated on the inside of the screen.
Particles trapped by screen
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 28

29. New Sand Tolerant Pump (STP) Operation - Downstroke
Slide 29
New Sand Tolerant Pump (STP)
Operation - Downstroke
On the downstroke….
High Pressure
Barrel
Plunger
The pressure is equalized above and below the plunger
Travelling valve
High Pressure
Standing valve
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 29

30. New Sand Tolerant Pump (STP) Operation - Downstroke
Slide 30
New Sand Tolerant Pump (STP)
Operation - Downstroke
On the downstroke….
…The flow of slippage fluid stops
Trapped Particles become loose
No flow across screen
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 30

31. New Sand Tolerant Pump (STP) Operation - Downstroke
Slide 31
New Sand Tolerant Pump (STP)
Operation - Downstroke
Downstroke
The fluid rushes up through the inside of the plunger assembly, and washes the screen clean
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 31

32. Testing the Sand Tolerant Pump (STP) Concept
Slide 32
New Sand Tolerant Pump (STP)
Testing
Testing the Sand Tolerant Pump (STP) Concept
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 32

33. New Sand Tolerant Pump (STP)
Slide 33
New Sand Tolerant Pump (STP)
Testing Parameters
To test the technology, the following insert-style pumps were selected:
1 ¼” bore
1 ½” bore
1 ¾” bore
2” bore
Wiping Rings
Ring Mandrel
Filter Screen
Production
Plunger
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 33

34. New Sand Tolerant Pump (STP)
Slide 34
New Sand Tolerant Pump (STP)
Testing Parameters
Wells that produce sand resulting in short runtimes.
Neither of the two previous pump installations using conventional pumps obtained more than 365 days of run life.
56 “problem” wells were chosen for testing. The problem wells were selected based on the following criteria:
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 34

35. New Sand Tolerant Pump (STP)
Slide 35
New Sand Tolerant Pump (STP)
Testing Parameters
The properties of the well and previous installations were as follows:
Fluid composition- Varied from light to heavy, 30-95% water cut.
Pump depth – ft with a few at 9000 ft
Stroke rate 6-7 strokes per minute
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 35

36. New Sand Tolerant Pump (STP)
Slide 36
New Sand Tolerant Pump (STP)
Testing Parameters
Out of the 56 wells, the following quantities of the Sand Tolerant Pumps were installed
1 ¼” bore – 24 installations
1 ½” bore – 17 installations
1 ¾” bore – 10 installations
2” bore – 5 installations
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 36

37. New Sand Tolerant Pump (STP)
Slide 37
New Sand Tolerant Pump (STP)
Testing Parameters
**Important note:
The data collected from the “problem wells” was based solely on run time between pulls. The actual failure mode was not recorded and may have been one of the following
Severe plunger/barrel sand cut or erosion
Sand filled to the pump intake
Sanded-in rod string
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 37

38. New Sand Tolerant Pump (STP)
Slide 38
New Sand Tolerant Pump (STP)
Testing Parameters
Severe plunger/barrel sand cut or erosion
Sand filled to the pump intake
Sanded-in rod string
This technology should have a direct impact on this failure mode
This technology should have an indirect impact on these failure modes
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 38

39. Testing Results – 1 ¼” Bore New Technology STP
Slide 39
Testing Results – 1 ¼” Bore New Technology STP
STP
(6.2X Run life)
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 39

40. Testing Results – 1 1/2” Bore New Technology STP
Slide 40
Testing Results – 1 1/2” Bore New Technology STP
STP
(2.9X Run life)
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 40

41. Testing Results – 1 3/4” Bore New Technology STP
Slide 41
Testing Results – 1 3/4” Bore New Technology STP
STP
(8.9X Run life)
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 41

42. Testing Results – 2” Bore New Technology STP
Slide 42
Testing Results – 2” Bore New Technology STP
STP
(3.8X run life)
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 42

43. Average of two Previous Conventional Runtime (All Wells)
New Technology STP Vs
Average of two Previous Conventional Runtime (All Wells)
Slide 43
(3.9x Run life)
(5.5x Run life)
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 43

44. Best Conventional Runtime (All Wells)
New Technology STP Vs
Best Conventional Runtime (All Wells)
Slide 44
(3.9x Run life)
STP
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 44

45. New Technology STP Performance
Slide 45
New Technology STP Performance
450% average increase when compared to the two previous averaged conventional pump runtimes.
293% average increase when compared to the best of the two previous conventional pump runtimes.
30 out of the 56 new technology pumps installed continue to run as of 11/11/2014
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 45

46. New Technology STP Performance
Slide 46
New Technology STP Performance
Typically a run life that is less than 30 days indicates wellbore issues rather than pump sand damage.
Wellbore issues may include
Wellbore not cleaned out before pump installation
Perforations covered by sand (no inflow)
Sand filled to the pump intake
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 46

47. Best Conventional Runtime (All Wells)
New Technology STP Vs
Best Conventional Runtime (All Wells)
Slide 47
Therefore, the previous conventional pump runs of less than 30 days were eliminated and the data was recalculated
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 47

48. Best Conventional Runtime (greater than 30 days)
New Technology STP Vs
Best Conventional Runtime (greater than 30 days)
Slide 48
(2.1 X Run life)
STP
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 48

49. New Technology STP Pump Performance Update
Slide 49
New Technology STP Pump Performance Update
…..Update as of 6/15/15
Out of these 26 wells that were still running on 11/11/14
14 are still running
Average run-life is 572 days
The maximum run life to-date is 781 days
43% (24 out of 56) of the Sand Tolerant Pumps achieved a minimum run life of 383 days.
This is greater than the best conventional run-life (out of all 112 installations.)
Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop 49

50. 2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop
Copyright
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Sept. 15 – 18, 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop

51. 2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop
Disclaimer
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 companies (here-in-after referred to as the Sponsoring Organizations), and the author(s) of this Technical Presentation or Continuing Education Training Course and their company(ies), provide this presentation and/or training material at the Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop "as is" without any warranty of any kind, express or implied, as to the accuracy of the information or the products or services referred to by any presenter (in so far as such warranties may be excluded under any relevant law) and these members and their companies will not be liable for unlawful actions and any losses or damage that may result from use of any presentation as a consequence of any inaccuracies in, or any omission from, the information which therein may be contained.
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Sept , 2015
2015 Sucker Rod Pumping Workshop