Southwestern Petroleum Short Course

Lubbock TX , 15-18 April 2013

SUCKER ROD
PUMPING SYSTEM
DESIGN TOOLS FOR QROD
New design tools include:
1. Slippage Calculator uses pump clearances
tying the pump efficiency to the predicted
pump displacement.
2. Sinker Bar length calculator determines the
sinker bar length as pump diameter or pump
depth changes.
3. Tubing Fluid specific gravity calculator.
4. Dynamometer measured surface DYN files
can be imported and plotted on top of the
predicted surface dynamometer card.
QRod - Free Simple User-friendly Practical
Beam Pumping Design Program
• State of the Art Beam Pumping Design
Technology
• Design and Predict Performance of Sucker
Rod Pumping Systems
• Wave Equation Predicts Surface Dynamometer
Loads and Polished Rod Position
• Immediately Evaluate Effect of Changing
Tubing Anchor, Stroke Length, SPM, Pump
Diameter
• Results can be shown in any system of units.
Download free of charge from:
www.echometer.com\software\index.html
Beam Pumping Simulator 1. Uses the pump intake
pressure to determine
the load the pump
applies to the rods.

2. Mathematically
simulates the motion
of the surface unit

3. Solves the partial

differential equation
describing the motion
of the rod string

4. Calculates the surface

loads, pump velocity
and position.

5. Determines gear box

torque and proper
counter balance
Calculates Plunger Velocity and Position

TTU Well 9.72 SPM

Predictive and Diagnostic Models
11.25
10337 Lbs 10352 Lbs
10.00

Wrf + Fo Max
8.75

Predicted 7.50
Measured
6.25 Wrf

5.00
Kt
4815 Lbs 3.75 4370 Lbs
Fo Max Fo From Fluid Level
2.50

PIP 1.25
Calculated
0
34.9
Fo = (Pdis - Pintk)*Ap -1.25
0 42.0
QRod Calculates Full Pump Cards:
1. Pump full of Liquid with NO gas in Pump.
2. Valves Not Leaking and pump functioning properly.

Anchored Tubing Unanchored Tubing

Unanchored Tubing

kr
Rods Stretch
to Pickup Fo
Surface Card

Pump Card Tubing Moves

kt as Fo Picked
Up by Rods
PUMPING PERFORMANCE GUIDE
From Predictive Dynamometer Design Programs:

1. Is the pumping system operating as expected?

2. Is the predicted dynamometer in agreement

with accurately measured horseshoe
dynamometer data?

3. If not, the design program may have incorrect

data, or the software is not properly predicting
well performance.

4. Can the performance be improved by a change

in pump size, polished rod stroke length, SPM
or other factors?
 Example Well
1. 5000 ft pump depth, 100 in surface stroke (s),
50 psi tubing and pump intake pressure
2. 2 inch diameter plunger with anchored tubing
a) Fo, Fluid Load 6896 lbs
3. Tubing Fluid Gradient 0.433 psi/ft
4. 76 API Designation Rod String Taper
a) 41.2% - 7/8” and 58.8% - 3/4” rods
b) Weight Rods in Fluid – 8,288 Lbs
c) Kr = 254 lb/in & SKr = 25400 lb
d) Fo/SKr=0.271 ~ 27.1% of Surface Stroke lost to Stretch
Simple User-Friendly Practical Beam
Pumping Design Program
Tool: Tubing Fluid Specific Gravity Calculator
Simple to Determine for any System of Units
Tubing Fluid Specific Gravity
Used in Calculation of Wrf, PDP, and Fo

1. Wrf – Weight of Rods in Fluid

2. PDP – Pump Discharge Pressure
3. Fo – Fluid Load Pump Applies to the Rods
Fo = (PDP – PIP) x Ap
22.50 Compare Fluid Load
20.00 Wrf + Fo Max
and Fluid Level
17.50

15.00 Surface Card

12.50
Wrf
10.00
Fo Max

7.50 Well Fo From Fluid Level

5.00
Fo ~ Height of Pump Card
2.50 Fluid Load Lifted by Rods

0
156.0

-2.50
0 168.0
Fluid Load, Fo, Decreases as Pump
Intake Pressure, PIP, Increases
PPRL =
PPRL = 16,613
17,122 Lbs
15,601 Lbs

10.7HP
10.4
9.7 HP

6425 Lbs
Fluid Load = 6896 MPRL == 6,508
MPRL 6,576Lbs
6480 Lbs
Lbs
Fluid Load = 5482 Lbs
Pump
Pump Stroke
Stroke
= 80.7
74.6
= 76.7 inch
inch

50 psi
200
500 psi
Use of Sinker Bars
1. Use of sinker bars in rod pumped wells is proven to
reduce failures:
Albert S. Garza and Danny Hernandez, Pioneer Natural Resources USA, Inc.
Scott W. Long, Flexbar, Inc.: “PIONEER NATURAL RESOURCES 10 YEAR
“BEST PRACTICES” PROGRAM AND DATABASE” , SWPSC, Lubbock,
Texas (2007)

2. During a 10 year time period the failure frequency was

reduced from 2.73 to 0.42 failures per well per year.
3. One of the best practices was “Installation of an
average of 375’ of 1.5” Grade-C Sinkerbars to reduce
buckling during the downstroke.”
4. Since the 1980 this sinker bar design technique used
throughout the United States to determine sinker bar
length, proven by field experience to reduce tubing
failure near pump.
Weight Bars/Sinkerbars
1. During the pumping cycle Upstroke:
• traveling valve shut
• rod string will be under tension
• buoyed rods and fluids loads are lifted.

2. During the pumping cycle Down stroke:

• traveling valve is opened and the standing valve
is shut,
• rods are suspended in fluid and still under
tension.

3. But any upward force applied to the rod string from

the plunger/pump assembly
• Due to fluid flow in the traveling valve,
barrel/plunger friction, compressing gas, etc…
• Results in compressive (negative) loads
• Causes rod buckling at the bottom of the rod
string just above the pump.
 Sinker Bars Reduce
Deep Failures Caused by
Rod on Tubing Wear
• Rod strings behave as a
slender Euler column.
• Buckling occurs under
small compressive
loading.

Notice:
• 25 Lbs. Buckles > 25
feet of 5/8 Inch Dia. Rod
• 50 Lbs. Buckles > 25
feet of 3/4 Inch Dia. Rod
• 200 Lbs. Buckles > 50
feet of 1 ½ Inch Dia. Rod
Tool: Sinker Bar Calculator
Pump’s Effective Displacement
10
Influenced By: 8 Fo Max
6
4
 Pump Slippage 2
Gas
0
 Incomplete -2
Interference
0 156.3
Pump Fillage 5
Fo Max
– Gas Interference 4
3
– Fluid Pound 2
1 Fluid Pound
0
-1
-2
0 82.9
 Pump Slippage
BPD Tank = BPD Pump
- Slippage
1) Fluid that leaks back into
pump between the Plunger OD
and the Barrel ID
2) Leaks into the pump chamber
between the standing valve
and traveling valve
3) When traveling ball is on Seat.

Pump Efficiency =
BPD Tank / BPD Pump
Slippage % =
Slippage BPD / BPD Pump
1) Point A to B pressure acting 2. Point B to C,
on closed SV gradually plunger carries
transferred from tubing at full differential
point A to be fully carried by
pressure across
the Closed TV at point B.
Closed TV

Slippage Occurs
when the TV Ball
is on the Seat

4) Point D to A, TV open 3) Point C to D pressure

as fluid in the pump is across closed TV
displaced through the gradually transferred
traveling valve on the from rods to be fully
down stroke carried by the Closed
SV at point D.
VSD Slows SPM Until Slippage=Displacement
2” Plunger, 1” Rod String, 0.009” Clearance, 12” Sheave
15.63 Wrf + Fo Max 15.63 Wrf + Fo Max

12.50 12.50
0.6 HP 0.7 HP
Wrf
85.53 Sec/Stroke
Wrf
9.38 9.38

0.6 SPM, Input 4.8 HP, 0.7 SPM, Input 5 HP,

0% System Efficiency 2.4% System Efficiency
6.25 Fo Max 6.25
Fo From Fluid Level Fo Max

3.13 3.13

100 Sec/Stroke 85.53 Sec/Stroke

0 0
104.0 105.0
0 BPD in Tank, 4.7 BPD in Tank,
29.0 BPD @ 104” Pump Stroke 34.4 BPD @ 105” Pump Stroke
-3.13 -3.13
0 105.6 0 105.6
 Presented at 2007 SWPSC

Based on Slippage test, “the following minimum pump

clearances are recommended for a 48” Plunger with a “+1
Barrel”. These clearances have become widely used in the
Permian Basin
DO NOTfor well
DO depths
THISup to 8000 feet”

Rule-of-Thumb Table
???? Design: Clearance Using Patterson Eq. w/ 90% Pump
Efficiency
 If You Use Recommended
Clearances from 2007
Rule-of-Thumb Table

86 API Rod String | Anchored Tubing | Red - D Rod Loading > 100%
Pump Speed vs
Pump Efficiency

As the SPM increases the Pump

Efficiency Increases: Slippage
Volume is a Smaller % of Pump
Displacement
TTU Slippage Test: Stroke #36 08/25/06 18:24:56
1. 76 Rods – 1.5” Pump – 7.046 SPM – 0.005” Clearance
2. Measured Slippage 21.4 BPD – Pump Efficiency 88.2%

QRod - Predicted Measured Load Cell

Tool: Dyn File Overlay and Comparison
Tool: Slippage Calculator

651 BPD
Slippage Plot vs Clearance
159 BPD Measured vs 164 BPD Predicted
 Recommended Procedure to Select
Pump Clearances
1. Use predictive sucker rod design program to
calculate pump displacement, assume 100%
liquid pump fillage.
2. Input correct well parameters into QRod Tool
- “Pump Slippage Calculator”, be sure to
adjust water viscosity for the temperature at
the pump
3. Examine Plot of “Patterson Equation Pump
Slippage vs Clearance” and select pump
clearance that gives the desired percentage
of pump slippage.
 Pump Slippage Summary
1. Patterson Equation should be used to Design Pump
Clearances – Better than Rule-of-Thumb
2. Pump Slippage is a Function of SPM, pump efficiency
dramatically decreases at slow pumping speed when
pump clearances are large.
3. Production from a leaky Pump can be increased by
increasing SPM
4. Slippage may be excessive for large clearance pumps
when pumping from deeper depths
5. Viscosity of water must be corrected for temperature
6. Proper technique to specify plunger/barrel clearance is to
predict the gross downhole pump displacement without
slippage, then specify plunger/barrel clearance having a
calculated pump slippage volume less than or equal to 5-
10% of the gross pump displacement.
 Plunger too Large for Rods
Undertravel Severe under travel occurs
when the sub surface pump
diameter is too large for the
sucker rod string.
Rod & Tubing
Stretch
QRod Predicted

76 Rods
1.5 “ Plunger
6395 P. Depth
8.45 SPM

Tubing Stretch = 6.9”

Static Stretch = 25.5”
Overtravel = 6.6”

Effective Plunger Stroke = 18.6”

(23.1-6.9)
 Pump Intake pressure is 319 and pump
Tubing Unanchored? is full of fluid. Tubing Anchor depth is
2914, but anchor appears to not be set.

Measured Good Match with Dyn File

PPRL 7415 Lbs Import and Predicted Card

Anchored Unanchored

Pump Stroke 48.4 inches

Hole in Tubing 14.06
Wrf + Fo Max
Measured
PPRL 14070 Lbs
Hole in Tubing detected, because Net
12.50
Lift shown by the pump card Fo is much
less that Fo required by fluid level and Wrf
10.94
full pump card’s valves are OK .
9.38
QRod Predicted Measured
7.81 MPRL 9407 Lbs

6.25

Pump Stroke 73.5 inches 4.69

Fo Max Fo From Fluid Level

3.13

PIP: 140 Psig from Fluid Level 1544 Lbs Lost Load
1.56

Fo: 1427 Lbs Measured

0
82.7

-1.56
0 85.2
Unit Type Selection
CWConv - selects the
conventional unit with
clockwise rotation of the crank.

CCWConv - selects the

conventional unit with counter-
clockwise rotation of the crank.

MarkII - selects the MarkII unit

with counter-clockwise rotation
of the crank.

AirBal - selects the air-

balanced unit with clockwise
rotation of the crank.
Type: Pumping Unit Description Maximum Stroke
A - AIR BALANCE Length in Inches
B – BEAM BALANCE C-320D-256-100
C – CONVENTIONAL Structure Rating
M – MARK II Peak Torque Rating in
in 100s of LBS
Thousands of IN-LBS
Wellhead Viewed to the Right:
Crank nearest is #1 crank
On opposite side #2 crank
Counterweights on the Crank
On top #1, On the bottom #2 0
CCW CW

#1
270
#1 90
#2

180
 TTU Test Well
In-balance 180 Kin-lbs 7.04 SPM 1.5” Plunger
Clock-Wise Rotation

Measured

Compare
Predicted to
Measured
Net Gearbox Calculated
Torque
QRod Predicted
Minimum API Pumping Unit Description

RMS
AVG
 Sizes Minimum Required
NEMA D Motor Horsepower
Computer: HP = CLF * PRHP / Unit Efficiency
QRod uses:
CLF = RMS Torque/ Average Torque
RMS Power/ Average Power is OK.
(don’t use CLF based on motor current)
OR:
Gault: HP = 2. * PRHP
Unit Efficiency: 95 % for “Large” Units
80 % for “Small” Units
 NEMA D Efficient Under Cyclic Loads
8-13% Slip ~ 275% Starting Torque
HP=CLF * PRHP / Unit Efficiency

NEMA D
Motor

CLF
Detailed Help
No Manual Needed
Spanish
One Page Report
Rod String from API Rod Number
 Maximum allowable working stresses
should not be higher than about 30,000
to 40,000 psi, although some sucker
rods, such as the "high tensile
strength" rods are rated at 40,000 to
50,000 psi maximum.

Operation of rods in corrosive

environments requires that the
maximum allowable stress be
decreased.

Max. Allowable Stress,

Sa = (0.25T + 0.5625*Smin)*SF
Allowable Stress Range, Sr = Sa - Smin
Stress Limit For New Rods Service Factor 1.0 Peak
Based On API-Goodman Guide T/4 T/1.75 Tensile(T)
========================== ====== ====== =======
New Grade C Rod (Psi) 23,750 54,286 95,000
New Grade K Rod (Psi) 21,250 48,571 85,000
New Grade D Rod (Psi) 28,750 65,714 115,000
New Grade H Rod (Psi) 50,000 50,000 140,000
 Design a pumping system to pump 350 BPD from a
depth of 5000 ft with a .95 fluid specific gravity
API RP11L method
determines
percentage of each
rod size and depends
on the pump
diameter; resulting in
a balanced design
with approximately
equal stresses at the
top of each rod
section.

86 - 3 taper rod string

30.0% of 1 inch, 29.5%
of 7/8 inch and 40.5%
of ¾ inch rods.

Loading on the top

rod is 90.2% of the
allowable for grade
“C” rods and
calculated using the
modified Goodman
diagram method.
 QRod - Most Widely Used Program for the
Design and Predicted Performance of Sucker
Rod Beam Pumping Installations.
• Allows Either English or Spanish Display of Input/output
• Any System of Units
• Helps the beam pumping system designer implement state of the
art design technology without getting buried with details
• Wave equation solution to accurately predict the surface
dynamometer loads, gearbox torque and pump capacity, with a
minimum amount of input
• Immediately Evaluate Effect of Changing Tubing Anchor, Stroke
Length, SPM, Pump Diameter
• Slippage Calculator from pump clearances ties the pump efficiency
to the predicted pump displacement.
• Sinker Bar length calculator determines the sinker bar length as
pump diameter or pump depth changes,
• Results can be shown in any system of units.
• Dynamometer measured surface DYN files can be imported and
plotted on top of the predicted surface dynamometer card.

Download: www.echometer.com\software\index.html
Questions ?