Weatherford Technology Holdings, LLC

Weatherford/lamb, Inc.

Pons, Victoria M.

Victoria M Pons

Bryan A Paulet

Clark E Robison

Jeffrey John Lembcke

John Edward Stachowiak, Jr

Sean Michael Christian

Benson Thomas

Hermann Basler

William Kevin Hall

Jeremy M Gomes

Anthony P Allison

Behrouz S Ebrahimi

Lewis Lu

Jordan F Teichman

Chen Lin

Jr Stachowiak John Edward

Sean M Christian

A long-stroke pumping unit includes a tower; a counterweight assembly movable along the tower; a crown mounted atop the tower; a sprocket supported by the crown and rotatable relative thereto; and a belt. The unit further includes a motor having a stator mounted to the crown and a rotor torsionally connected to the sprocket; and a sensor for detecting position of the counterweight assembly. The pumping unit may include a dynamic control system for controlling a speed of a motor.

Long-stroke pumping unit

Techniques and apparatus are provided for improved diagnostics of downhole dynamometer data for control and troubleshooting of reciprocating rod lift systems. A method for pump fillage determination for a reciprocating rod lift system is provided. The method generally includes measuring downhole data during a pump cycle, wherein the downhole data comprises a first plurality of data points associated with an upstroke of the pump cycle and a second plurality of data points associated with a downstroke of the pump cycle, each data point comprising a rod position value and an associated rod load value; converting the data points to non-dimensional data points, calculating non-dimensional slope values between non-dimensional data points; and determining pump fillage based, at least part, on the calculated non-dimensional slope values.

Diagnostics of downhole dynamometer data for control and troubleshooting of reciprocating rod lift systems

A long-stroke pumping unit includes a tower, a counterweight assembly movable along the tower, and a crown mounted atop the tower. A sprocket is supported by the crown and rotatable relative thereto. The counterweight is coupled to a belt. The pumping unit further includes a motor having a stator mounted to the crown and a rotor torsionally connected to the sprocket. A sensor is used to detect a position of the counterweight assembly. The pumping unit may include a dynamic control system for controlling a speed of a motor.

A system and method handles one or more pumping units in an out-of-balance condition. Sensing equipment monitors operating parameters related to balance of each of the one or more pumping units. Processing equipment determines the out-of-balance condition in at least one of the one or more pumping units based on the monitored operating parameters. A first correction to a counterbalance parameter of the at least one pumping unit can be calculated, such as a new position or weight of the counterbalance, so the out-of-balance condition can be corrected by implementing the new position or weight at the at least one pumping unit. A second correction to a stroke parameter of the at least one pumping unit can be calculated, such as a new stroke rate or pattern, so operation of the pumping unit can be maintained despite the out-of-balance condition.

System and method for handling pumping units in out-of-balance condition

In a deviated wellbore, a pump system computes downhole data from surface data by solving a wave equation that takes both viscous damping and Coulomb friction into consideration. Mechanical friction between the rods, couplings, and tubing is considered in the calculation of downhole data in the deviated wellbore by modelling the wellbore's trajectory, parameterizing various deviated segments (build-ups, slants, drop-offs, etc.) in the trajectory, mapping the rod string to the segments, and incrementally evaluating position of the mapped string over time in order to compute drag forces and side loads experienced by the rod string during operation. These computed drag forces and side loads are then used in the solution of the wave equation to solve the surface load and position data and provide more accurate downhole position and load data.

Calculating downhole card in deviated wellbore using parameterized segment calculations

A long-stroke pumping unit for driving rod includes a tower and a counterweight assembly movable along the tower. A crown is mounted atop the tower, and a sprocket is supported by the crown and rotatable relative to the crown. A belt connects the counterweight assembly to the rod. The unit further includes a motor having a stator mounted to the crown and a rotor torsionally connected to the sprocket. A sensor is used to detect a position of the counterweight assembly. The pumping unit may include a dynamic control system for controlling a speed of a motor.

Techniques and apparatus are provided for stress calculations for sucker rod pumping systems. A method is provided for determining stress along a sucker rod string disposed in a wellbore. The method generally includes receiving, at a processor, measured rod displacement and rod load data for the sucker rod string, wherein the sucker rod string comprises a plurality of sections; and calculating stress values at a plurality of finite difference nodes for at least one of the plurality of sections based, at least in part, on the measured rod displacement and rod load data.

Stress calculations for sucker rod pumping systems

Diagnosing a pump apparatus having a downhole pump disposed in a deviated wellbore characterizes axial and transverse displacement of a rod string with two coupled non-linear differential equations of fourth order, which include axial and transverse equations of motion. To solve the equations, derivatives are replaced with finite difference analogs. Initial axial displacement of the rod string is calculated by assuming there is no transverse displacement and solving the axial equation. Initial axial force is calculated using the initial axial displacement and assuming there is no transverse displacement. Initial transverse displacement is calculated using the initial axial force and the initial axial displacement. Axial force and friction force are calculated using the initial displacements, and the axial displacement at the downhole pump is calculated by solving the axial equation with the axial force and the friction force. Load at the downhole pump is calculated so a downhole card can be generated.

Calculating downhole cards in deviated wells

A pump apparatus has a downhole pump disposed in a wellbore and has a motor at the surface, and a rod string operatively moved by the motor reciprocates the downhole pump in the wellbore. Downhole data indicative of load and position of the downhole pump is generated using surface measurements and a wave equation model having an upstroke damping factor and a downstroke damping factor. Actual fluid load lines are determined from the downhole data for upstrokes and downstrokes of the downhole pump, and calculated fluid load lines for from the strokes are determined from the distribution of the load values in the downhole data. The actual fluid load lines are compared to the calculated fluid load lines to determine if the downhole card is over or under-damped. Then, at least one of the upstroke or downstroke damping factors of the wave equation model is adjusted so that new downhole data can be generated with appropriate damping.

Calculating downhole pump card with iterations on dual damping factors

A pump apparatus has a downhole pump disposed in a wellbore and has a motor at the surface, and a rod string operatively moved by the motor reciprocates the downhole pump in the wellbore. Downhole data indicative of load and position of the downhole pump is generated using surface measurements and a wave equation model having a damping factor. Actual fluid load lines are determined from the downhole data for upstrokes and downstrokes of the downhole pump, and calculated fluid load lines for from the strokes are determined from the distribution of the load values in the downhole data. The actual fluid load lines are compared to the calculated fluid load lines to determine if the downhole data is over or under-damped. Then, the damping factor of the wave equation model can be adjusted so that new downhole data can be generated with appropriate damping.

Calculating downhole pump card with iterations on single damping factor

A pump apparatus has a downhole pump disposed in a wellbore and has motor at a surface of the wellbore, and the downhole pump is reciprocated in the wellbore by a rod string operatively moved by the motor. A card indicative of load and position of the downhole pump is generated using surface measurements and a wave equation model having a damping factor or two damping factors. Actual fluid load lines are determined from the downhole card for upstroke and downstroke of the downhole pump, and calculated fluid load lines from the load distribution of the downhole data. The actual fluid load lines are compared to the calculated fluid load lines so that at least one parameter of the pump apparatus can be modified based on the comparison. For example, the damping of the wave equation model can be adjusted so that another downhole card can be generated.

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Katy, TX, United States of America

Victoria M Pons